The Flower of the Flock, Volume 3 (of 3)Egan, Pierce
General
The Flower of the Flock, Volume 3 (of 3)
Egan, Pierce
Fiction
Ah! Helen watched her expressive face, perused its lineaments with
attentive scrutiny, and she saw there written a sadness too deep and
settled to be ousted by any attempt to smile and seem gratified and
overjoyed at another’s happiness. Not but that Lotte _was_ delighted at
Helen’s evident felicity, yet the surrender of her young pure heart to
one who was gone no more to return to her, was a grief which resisted
all her efforts to bury it deep in her own bosom without leaving an
outward sign to mark its grave.
Helen, so well versed in the language of Lotte’s heart, interpreted by
her sweet sad eyes and the play of her features that there was hidden
anguish which, at whatever cost of pain, she sought to conceal, so that
it might not disturb her new-found happiness.
“I will probe to that deep-seated sorrow,” thought Helen, “and if it
is to be rooted out, it shall have no long-continued home in her dear
heart.”
She, however, said nothing upon that subject now. She explained those
causes for her absence and silence which which the reader is acquainted,
adding that the sea-voyage her husband had taken her had rapidly
produced the desired effect, for they had scarcely landed when she was
fully restored to her intellect, remembered all that had happened, and
did not rest until she was on her homeward voyage--indeed, until she had
discovered Lotte, and presented herself before her.
Mutual revelations were made. Lotte furnishing a history of what had
happened to her since Helen had left her, omitting from the narration
the character of Mark Wilton.
When all these recitals had ended, Helen made known her intention of not
leaving the apartments in which they were sitting without Lotte.
The latter shook her head, with a sad smile on her face, as the
announcement was made to her; but Helen, with great decision, declined
to accept any denial from her.
“I am prepared for all your objections,” she said; “in fact, Lotte, I
have invented some for you, and have discussed them with Hugh only to
most triumphantly defeat them every one.”
Then she ran hastily over them, suggesting all that Lotte really did
feel in opposition to the scheme, with much more, but only to answer and
refute all the adverse arguments.
And so Lotte was to be a lady after all--to have a fortune, and ride in
a carriage of her own.
The wealth to which Hugh had succeeded would enable him to settle upon
her an amount that would do this without in any degree inconveniently
trenching upon his very large resources; and as there was really
no consistent argument she could offer for its rejection, she, with
swimming eyes of gratefulness, expressed her thanks and her hopes to be
proved worthy such generous liberality.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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