登陆注册
5160500000018

第18章 Chirp The Second (9)

'I have never felt it!' cried the Blind Girl.'I have never felt it, in its fulness.Never! I have sometimes wished that I could see you, or could see him - only once, dear father, only for one little minute - that I might know what it is I treasure up,' she laid her hands upon her breast, 'and hold here! That I might be sure and have it right! And sometimes (but then I was a child) Ihave wept in my prayers at night, to think that when your images ascended from my heart to Heaven, they might not be the true resemblance of yourselves.But I have never had these feelings long.They have passed away and left me tranquil and contented.'

'And they will again,' said Caleb.

'But, father! Oh my good, gentle father, bear with me, if I am wicked!' said the Blind Girl.'This is not the sorrow that so weighs me down!'

Her father could not choose but let his moist eyes overflow; she was so earnest and pathetic, but he did not understand her, yet.

'Bring her to me,' said Bertha.'I cannot hold it closed and shut within myself.Bring her to me, father!'

She knew he hesitated, and said, 'May.Bring May!'

May heard the mention of her name, and coming quietly towards her, touched her on the arm.The Blind Girl turned immediately, and held her by both hands.

'Look into my face, Dear heart, Sweet heart!' said Bertha.'Read it with your beautiful eyes, and tell me if the truth is written on it.'

'Dear Bertha, Yes!'

The Blind Girl still, upturning the blank sightless face, down which the tears were coursing fast, addressed her in these words:

'There is not, in my soul, a wish or thought that is not for your good, bright May! There is not, in my soul, a grateful recollection stronger than the deep remembrance which is stored there, of the many many times when, in the full pride of sight and beauty, you have had consideration for Blind Bertha, even when we two were children, or when Bertha was as much a child as ever blindness can be! Every blessing on your head! Light upon your happy course! Not the less, my dear May;' and she drew towards her, in a closer grasp; 'not the less, my bird, because, to-day, the knowledge that you are to be His wife has wrung my heart almost to breaking! Father, May, Mary! oh forgive me that it is so, for the sake of all he has done to relieve the weariness of my dark life: and for the sake of the belief you have in me, when I call Heaven to witness that I could not wish him married to a wife more worthy of his goodness!'

While speaking, she had released May Fielding's hands, and clasped her garments in an attitude of mingled supplication and love.

Sinking lower and lower down, as she proceeded in her strange confession, she dropped at last at the feet of her friend, and hid her blind face in the folds of her dress.

'Great Power!' exclaimed her father, smitten at one blow with the truth, 'have I deceived her from the cradle, but to break her heart at last!'

It was well for all of them that Dot, that beaming, useful, busy little Dot - for such she was, whatever faults she had, and however you may learn to hate her, in good time - it was well for all of them, I say, that she was there: or where this would have ended, it were hard to tell.But Dot, recovering her self-possession, interposed, before May could reply, or Caleb say another word.

'Come, come, dear Bertha! come away with me! Give her your arm, May.So! How composed she is, you see, already; and how good it is of her to mind us,' said the cheery little woman, kissing her upon the forehead.'Come away, dear Bertha.Come! and here's her good father will come with her; won't you, Caleb? To - be - sure!'

Well, well! she was a noble little Dot in such things, and it must have been an obdurate nature that could have withstood her influence.When she had got poor Caleb and his Bertha away, that they might comfort and console each other, as she knew they only could, she presently came bouncing back, - the saying is, as fresh as any daisy; I say fresher - to mount guard over that bridling little piece of consequence in the cap and gloves, and prevent the dear old creature from making discoveries.

'So bring me the precious Baby, Tilly,' said she, drawing a chair to the fire; 'and while I have it in my lap, here's Mrs.Fielding, Tilly, will tell me all about the management of Babies, and put me right in twenty points where I'm as wrong as can be.Won't you, Mrs.Fielding?'

Not even the Welsh Giant, who, according to the popular expression, was so 'slow' as to perform a fatal surgical operation upon himself, in emulation of a juggling-trick achieved by his arch-enemy at breakfast-time; not even he fell half so readily into the snare prepared for him, as the old lady did into this artful pitfall.The fact of Tackleton having walked out; and furthermore, of two or three people having been talking together at a distance, for two minutes, leaving her to her own resources; was quite enough to have put her on her dignity, and the bewailment of that mysterious convulsion in the Indigo trade, for four-and-twenty hours.But this becoming deference to her experience, on the part of the young mother, was so irresistible, that after a short affectation of humility, she began to enlighten her with the best grace in the world; and sitting bolt upright before the wicked Dot, she did, in half an hour, deliver more infallible domestic recipes and precepts, than would (if acted on) have utterly destroyed and done up that Young Peerybingle, though he had been an Infant Samson.

同类推荐
  • The Soul of Man

    The Soul of Man

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 正一法文修真旨要

    正一法文修真旨要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 汉武帝别国洞冥记

    汉武帝别国洞冥记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说文殊尸利行经

    佛说文殊尸利行经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编官常典州牧部

    明伦汇编官常典州牧部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 这里曾经是汉朝6

    这里曾经是汉朝6

    “这里曾经是汉朝”是一套全面解读两汉史的通俗历史读物。它全景再现了中国古代第一盛世王朝的勃兴与衰落。本书是该系列的第六部,书中从马皇后入宫奋斗写起,到东汉末年军阀董卓被屠杀泄愤为止。东汉时期,自刘秀刘庄父子之后,一代不如一代,因为皇族子嗣无能,外戚趁机揽权。皇族为对抗外戚,开始重用宦官。面对这种情况,多年垄断汉朝话语权和行政权的士大夫,纷纷提剑上马,联合外戚跟宦官战斗。在这场史无前例、打得难舍难分的政治势力斗争中,东汉犹如被人从内部掏空的巨山,轰然倒塌……
  • 武极剑尊

    武极剑尊

    天地初开,万物出现之始,所有的生命都会为了一件事斗争——生存。生存的法则浑然天来,由此也衍生出无数恩怨。恩怨面前,没有对错,唯有强者大喝一声杀才是生存的真谛。古有以战止战,今有以杀止杀,绝世强者不是杀尽万人,而是一杀万人臣服。
  • 蛮荒的足迹

    蛮荒的足迹

    新书《回到上古当大王》发布了,求点击收藏!如果6500万年前的那场大灭绝没有发生时间长河从这里分出一条支流那么世界将走向何方人类还存不存在这个世界是否依然是巨兽横行一次意外王朗来到这个陌生的世界陌生的地球.书友交流群:558328338
  • 鬼话

    鬼话

    警笛声打破了这个依河而建的小村庄的宁静。紧靠河堤的一座砖包皮的四间老房前,聚集了这个三百多口人的小侯村中的一半人。人们交头接耳,议论纷纷。“这小子也该死!赌博不算,还经常把媳妇打得死去活来,只可怜他那受罪的媳妇竟和他一起去了。”一位头发有些花白的老人小声说。声音虽小,但却引起在场不少人的共鸣,纷纷点头:“还有那可怜的孩子,平常就可怜兮兮的,现在才十二岁就成了孤儿。” “哎!苏二叔,你可是苏田不远的兄弟,以后,他的孩子就全依靠你了。”
  • 时光与你,刚刚好

    时光与你,刚刚好

    欧雅诺没有想到的是这段时间,时队长各种奇怪的表现都是在追她。于是今天她撞枪口上了。“嗨”,时队长好。不好卧槽,队长不会失恋了吧,脸这么黑,我为什么还要嘴贱打招呼,现在还能收的回来吗?我就应该偷偷的溜走啊…刚刚哪儿去了?队长在问我话?没道理啊,我又没有惹他。出去吃饭了,不知道为什么现在突然特别紧张,但是没毛病啊,本来就是吃饭去了啊,只不过顺便相了个亲而已而已…感觉我要被她气死了,明明出去勾搭男人去了,还撒谎,我都追她这么久了不仅没有一点儿回应,还这样对我。看来是我的错,追的太含蓄了,于是第二天所以人都知道了…
  • 天机之帝行天下

    天机之帝行天下

    江湖三大奇迹,诸葛遗蜕、玄门秘宝、天机!皇族后裔流落江湖,看他如何在江湖中重塑辉煌!武侠一直是我心中的一个梦,现在有机会将它写出来,即使没有人看,也会坚持下去,因为心中的梦。武侠不死!
  • 血狱江湖

    血狱江湖

    一个在飞雪天被送到武王府的婴儿,他是谁?一个巨大的阴谋背后,隐藏着多少无耻的面孔。婴儿终于长大,十年断魂磨一剑。少年狂歌,胭脂香味。雪我之恨,爱我所爱。当江湖变成血狱,佛亦握屠刀。经历最黑暗的岁月,涅槃重生。快意恩仇血染刀兵一腔热血酬天地。铁骨峥嵘英雄无悔善恶轮回终有报。-------------------点燃武侠死灰,再现热血江湖!重拾英雄梦想,再写恩怨情仇!---------新书《魔域九重天》又名《楚门狼》开始连载。寒氏武侠,品质保证。武侠盛宴,不容错过!-------VIP群:46264678---普通群:46264395
  • 钦定平定台湾纪略

    钦定平定台湾纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 应许何年

    应许何年

    纵芳华正茂,然应许何年?三个月后,杜清怡蓬头垢面,衣衫褴褛地走出了那暗无天日的大牢。明媚的阳光晃得她有些睁不开眼,闭了许久,才从一阵锣鼓喧天中缓缓睁开。在拥挤热闹的人群与喜庆的唢呐声中,一支排场而隆重的迎亲队伍很有气势地从此经过,她一眼便看到了那骑在枣红色高头大马上,身着喜服的苏静深。曾经的海誓山盟,曾经的深情不移,曾经的温柔以待,在此刻像一把尖利的锥子一般,狠狠地刺痛了她的心……但,如果真的可以让她再做一次选择,她仍然会义无返顾地选择离开他。尽管,她爱他如命。
  • 斗气魔妃你别逃

    斗气魔妃你别逃

    他红发飘扬,桀骜不驯!“菲儿——,你跟我走,我不会让你再受到一丁点的是伤害,文酷根本就不能保护你!”他高贵优雅,浅笑从容!“菲儿——,你别到他那里去,他会伤害你的!”这两个斗气大陆最优秀的男人为了她,正在以命相搏——,”文酷哥——,寒啸弟——,你们都给我住手!你们两个都是爱我疼我——是我最亲的亲人!你们为什么要这样——,你们想过我的感受吗!”怎么办——,难道必须有一个人要倒下嘛?莫菲你该如何抉择——?