End of the world -- Fiction; Epidemics -- Fiction; Science fiction; Twenty-first century -- Fiction
The stinging “remorse of love” now pierced her heart. She accused
herself of his journey to Greece—his dangers—his imprisonment. She
pictured to herself the anguish of his solitude; she remembered with
what eager delight he had in former days made her the partner of his
joyful hopes— with what grateful affection he received her sympathy in
his cares. She called to mind how often he had declared that solitude
was to him the greatest of all evils, and how death itself was to him
more full of fear and pain when he pictured to himself a lonely grave.
“My best girl,” he had said, “relieves me from these phantasies. United
to her, cherished in her dear heart, never again shall I know the
misery of finding myself alone. Even if I die before you, my Perdita,
treasure up my ashes till yours may mingle with mine. It is a foolish
sentiment for one who is not a materialist, yet, methinks, even in that
dark cell, I may feel that my inanimate dust mingles with yours, and
thus have a companion in decay.” In her resentful mood, these
expressions had been remembered with acrimony and disdain; they visited
her in her softened hour, taking sleep from her eyes, all hope of rest
from her uneasy mind.
Two months passed thus, when at last we obtained a promise of Raymond’s
release. Confinement and hardship had undermined his health; the Turks
feared an accomplishment of the threats of the English government, if
he died under their hands; they looked upon his recovery as impossible;
they delivered him up as a dying man, willingly making over to us the
rites of burial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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