The curse of Clifton : $b or, the widowed brideSouthworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
The curse of Clifton : $b or, the widowed bride
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
American fiction -- 19th century; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction
“The doctor says she must die if she cannot be made to weep! Oh, Katey,
my dear, _dear_ girl! If you can _only_ make her weep! I will give you—I
was going to say—I would give you half of all I have in the world! Come,
try! That’s a good girl! You girls all know each other’s little
fool-secrets and love nonsenses. Come, try. Do you want to be left alone
with her?”
Kate shook her head in that quick way usual to her when strong feeling
kept her silent—but she added—
“Give me her keys.”
The old man seemed surprised, but looked about and discovered the
required articles in her little work-basket, and handed them to Kate.
“I only want to search and see if I cannot find something that was
his—some little token or keepsake, you know.”
The old man took his station at the foot of the bed, while Kate pursued
her search. She knew what she was looking for, it was a curl of fair
hair. She had caught a glimpse of it once—when Zuleime had opened a box
in her drawer, and had immediately shut it again with a deep blush. And
now she knew whose hair it was; and that the sight of it would bring
tears to those burning eye-balls, and consciousness to that frenzied
brain. She found it. She could have wept herself as she raised it from
its little hiding place. She took it to the bedside—put her hand gently
over those glaring eyes to darken them, and break the spell if possible,
and then lifting her hand off again, she held up the lock of hair by the
end, letting it drop into a fair shining ringlet before the eyes of the
girl, as she said—
“Zuleime, do you know whose hair this is?”
The poor scathed eye-balls fixed upon it—softened—melted from their
searching glare—a change came over her face—she extended her hand, and
caught the tress as if fearing to lose it, and pressed it with both
hands to her heart. Then her bosom began to heave convulsively, as with
a great coming agony. Catherine caught her up, for she seemed about to
suffocate. It was only the coming of the flood of tears—yes, the
_flood_, for she fell upon Catherine’s sustaining bosom, and sobbed and
wept—such a deluge of tears, that the girl’s dress was dripping wet, and
it grew a wonder where so much came from. And Catherine’s heart was
smitten, and she wept, too—wept till she grew so weak she could scarcely
sustain her burthen. And then old Mr. Clifton came around and relieved
her, taking Zuleime into his arms and laying her head against his
shoulder, saying—
“There, cry! Cry on its father’s neck, as much as it wants to! It shall
cry its fill, poor thing! poor little heart-broken thing!”
And she _did_, abundantly!—but pressed and kissed her father’s neck the
while for his tender words. This melted down the old man’s heart so that
he said—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account