Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-04-24
II have suffered good deal" said Flori-

mond.
"And why did you not let me do something
to relieve those suAerings?' asked Ralph, in
tender reproach. "Instead of that you have
shut yourself~up from me- and made me en-
ddre untold tortures of mind. Now'do you
thing dearest you have treated me rightS"
"I-do-not know" said Florimond, in ag'
itation. "God knows it is my desire to do
justice to you, but the clashing of my duty
toward the dead and the living mystifes me
and renders me utterly wretched."
"Florimond, you will drive me to destrac,
ton! am not ungenerous in this matter-I
really am not I can we'll understand that
Colonel Dandridge's death must, necessarily,
have shocked you somewhat, but 1 cannot
understand why you grieve so pertinaciously
for man who has been nothing to you for
years. Considering our relative positions to-
ward each other, say, again, l cannot un-
derstand it. If you loved him so we'll that
his death thus grieves you so immoderately,
how could you have consented to become my
wife?"
"You-you do not comprehend" said Flori-
mond "it is not that 1 loved him 80 well,
which makes me grieve. 1 did not love him
we'll, or else I should never have left him.
Love would have enabled me to overlook his
failings God knows they were few, and he
had noble heart but, instead of loving him,
I spurned him from me bitterly, when he fell
on his knees before me and prayed my for
giveness for fault, the worse than which,
hundreds of women forgive every day of their
lives. All it is remorse which is killing
me-remorse- for had ], as wife,
discharged my duty toward Albert-had l
never left him, he would not now be lying a
murdered Elm that far foreign land; )" and
Florimond burst into passionate fit of tears.
"This is, indeed, more than I can stand y
exclaimed Ralph, savagely, and he got up and
left the house-to return the next night, OF
course, after passing miserable day.
"Why," said Mrs. Ravenswood, archly, as
he entered, II thought you had gone forever,
and taken your love and your crossness to
somebody else."
But Ralph was still cross, and so irritated
and unhappy, it was stamped in legible char
acters on his face, which Florimond, quickly
perceiving, she was all softuess and gracious
ness in an instant, and exerted all her fascina-
tions to exercise this dark spirit. With so
much success, Ralph went home that night a
happy man.
Some short time after, Doctor Eglinton be-
gan to make sundry insinuations as to the
wedding-day. Mrs. Ravenswood was quite
Mortified.
81 cannot possibly marry under a year"
she said.
"a year-a whole long year," exclaimed
her impatient lover "Florimond, you are
really unreasonable"
"It is you who are unreasonable now" said
Florimond; "why common decency would
dictate that should wait at least a year af'
ter"
"But the world here, knows nothing about
that; they will think our long engagement,
under the circumstances, odd,' said Ralph in
remonstrance. "They never heard of his ex-
istence, and 1 do think it very strange, my
Florimond, that you should insist on paying
such strict respect to the memory of man
from whom you have been so long separated"
But, Florimond continued obdurate, and
this matter was a contested point between
them for some time.
The exercises of the institution in which
Mrs. Ravenswood was now teacher, were re-
sumed about this time, and constant employ
ment for her mind, and less leisure to brood
over thepast, made her perceptibly more cheer
full and uniform in spirits, and more tractable
as Ralph had the happiness to discover. True,
she still had seasons of depressions, but they
grew rarer and she made stronger efforts to
shake them off entirely. On one such occa-
sion, when her delicate beauty was clouded in
mournfulness, and her dusky eyes breathing
forth the very genius Of pathos, Ralph re-
preached her in tender words for her sadness.
II cannot be merry, dear Ralph" she said.
81 am constitutionally, l believe, predisposed
to melancholy, but hope this failing in me
will be hereafter counteracted and dispelled
by your own genial buoyancy and elasticity
of spirits" ,....
"Then, why put off that happy hereafter,
such an interminable length of timer" asked
Ralph. dearest love, let me plead with you
once more to rescind this long years waiting.
You know am supremely happy, even now,
in this constant mpanionship with you, and
in the knowledge that you are my promised
wife; but for you'll cannot bear that you
should go through the drudgery Of teaching
for whole year"
"It is no drudgery to me, T. assure you"
said Florimond, $50 do set your mind at ease
on that point. My pupils sare all young ladies,
and I am only occupied few hours of the
day."
"But think of that sweet home, it has given
me so much pleasure to make ready for you"
pleaded the lover. "Why should it be so long
waiting for mistress, and why should these
dear hands work at all, when here are two
stronger ones willing and anxious to work for
you. Think of the heart which pines for you-
the arms which long to shelter you"
His tenderness touched her.
"Your eloquence is irresistible, Ralph" she
said softly. "True, I cannot marry in less
than year after Albert's death, but he had
been dead three months when that letter was
received, and so, dear Ralph, in the early
blossoming spring-time, am thine forever"
1,,b moe op1u too