Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 edition. Excerpt: ...and I think it was the best part of his youth, and perhaps of his life, died out of him for ever as he stood looking down upon the woman. Something had happened, something had come to his little sweetheart in his absence, but--what? He stooped, laid his hand upon Prue's arm, but as though his touch were something expected, yet horribly dreaded, she started, swerved violently away from it, but neither spoke nor turned. "Where is your mistress?" he said. But the woman only shrank farther away from him, her arms released their hold of the chair, she lay almost at his feet, a dumb, uncertain outline. "She is dead," he said, shaking her by the arm, for what but the last, the extremest calamity that could befall her mistress would have power to affect Prue thus? A strong shudder passed through the woman's body; she seemed to gather herself together by a supreme effort, rose, and stood before her master. "And if 'twas that I'd got to tell you," she said hoarsely, "then 'tis a happy woman I should be this night, reckoned with what I am now, for oh! master.'.. master..." ' No need for him to ask another question; no need for him to ask who was the instrument of his degradation... in a flash of time he understood, acknowledged, accepted the situation. "When did she go?" he said calmly. "Yester eve." "She went--alone?" " Oh! poor Miss Mignon--poor Miss Mignon!" said the woman, "my poor bit little mistress, that was never quite like other folks, she went because she was fetched, but what breaks my heart is, she seemed to go as... as if she was willin'... with him as she never fancied when she was free to fancy him,...
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