"
She had actually sunk upon her knees; and her face deluged with
tears, bewitchingly beautiful in her passionate emotion, she looked
up imploringly to her brother.
But the earl did not lift her up; on the contrary, with a smile, he
fell back a step. "How long is it now, duchess," asked he,
mockingly, "since you swore that your secretary, Mr. Wilford, was
the man whom you loved? Positively, I believed you--I believed it
till I one day found you in the arms of your page. On that day, I
swore to myself never to believe you again, though you vowed to me,
with an oath ever so sacred, that you loved a man. Well, now, you
love a man; but what one, is a matter of indifference. To-day his
name is Thomas, tomorrow Archibald, or Edward as you please!"
For the first time the earl drew the veil away from his heart, and
let his sister see all the contempt and anger that he felt toward
her.
The duchess also felt wounded by his words, as by a red-hot iron.
She sprang from her knees; and with flurried breath, with looks
flashing with rage, every muscle of her countenance convulsed and
trembling, there she stood before her brother. She was a woman no
more; she was a lioness, that, without compassion or pity, will
devour him who has dared irritate her.
"Earl of Surrey, you are a shameless wretch!" said she, with
compressed, quivering lips. "Were I a man, I would slap you in the
face, and call you a scoundrel. But, by the eternal God, you shall
not say that you have done this with impunity! Once more, and for
the last time, I now ask you, will you comply with Lord Hertford's
wish? Will you marry Lady Margaret, and accompany me with Thomas
Seymour to the altar?"
"No, I will not, and I will never do it!" exclaimed her brother,
solemnly.
Pages:
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290