The shot which rang out so clearly on the early morning air missed its mark, and the noise only succeeded in sending Bernardine's horse along the faster. Taking one terrified glance backward, Bernardine saw Jasper Wilde's horse suddenly swerve1, unseating her rider, and the next instant he was measuring his length in the dusty road-side.
The girl did not pause to look again, nor did she draw rein2 upon the panting steed, until, covered with foam3, and panting for breath, he drew up of his own accord at the gate of Gardiner mansion4.
"The maids missed you, and feared something had happened to you, Miss Moore," he said; "but we were all so alarmed about young master, it caused us to forget everything else, we all love Master Jay so well."
A sharp pain, like that caused by a dagger's thrust, seemed to flash through Bernardine's heart as those words fell upon her startled ear.
"What has happened to your master, John?" she asked, huskily; and her voice sounded terribly unnatural7.
In a voice husky with emotion the groom6 explained to her what was occurring—how young Mrs. Gardiner stood guard over her husband, refusing to allow the doctor to perform an operation which might save their young master, who was dying by inches with each passing moment of time—how she had caught up a thin, sharp-bladed knife which the doctor had just taken from his surgical8 case, and, brandishing9 it before her with the fury of a fiend incarnate10, defied any one to dare approach.
Both Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Margaret had gone into hysterics, and had to be removed from the apartment to an adjoining room.
"Oh, Miss Moore, surely your services were never so much needed as now, you seem so clever! Oh, if you could, by any means in earthly power, coax11 young Mrs. Gardiner from her husband's bedside, the operation would be performed, whether she consented or not! In God's name, see what you can do!"
Bernardine waited to hear no more, but, like a storm-driven swallow, fairly flew across the lawn to the house, without even stopping a moment to give the least explanation concerning the strange horse and buggy which she had left in the groom's hands.
As the man had said, the greatest excitement pervaded12 the mansion. Servants were running about hither and thither13, wringing14 their hands, expecting to hear each moment—they knew not what.
Like one fairly dazed, Bernardine flew along the corridor toward the blue and gold room which she knew had been set apart for Jay Gardiner's use.
As she reached the threshold, Bernardine stood rooted to the spot at the spectacle that met her gaze.
Young Mrs. Gardiner was bending over her hapless husband with a face so transformed by hate—yes, hate—there was no mistaking the expression—that it nearly took Bernardine's breath away. In her right hand she held the gleaming blade, the end of which rested against Jay's bared breast.
The doctor had sunk into the nearest seat, and in that unfortunate moment had taken his eyes off the sufferer, whose life was ebbing17 so swiftly, and had dropped his face in his trembling hands to think out what he had best do in this dire18 moment of horror.
All this Bernardine took in at a single glance.
Jay Gardiner's life hung in the balance. She forgot her surroundings, forgot everything, but that she must save him even though at the risk of her own life. She would have gladly given a hundred lives, if she had them, to save him.
She did not stop an instant to formulate19 any plan, but with a cry of the most intense horror, born of acute agony, she had cleared the space which divided her from young Mrs. Gardiner at a single bound, and in a twinkling had hurled20 the blade from her hands.
Sally Gardiner was taken so entirely21 by surprise for an instant that she did not stoop to recover the gleaming knife which had fallen between her assailant and herself.
In that instant, the doctor, who had witnessed the scene which had taken place with such lightning-like rapidity, sprung forward and grasped the furious woman, pinioning22 her hands behind her, and called loudly upon the servants to come to his aid and remove her from Jay Gardiner's bedside.
But there was little need of their assistance. Sally Gardiner stood regarding Bernardine, her hands hanging by her sides, her eyes staring eagerly at the intruder.
"You here!" she muttered, in an almost inaudible voice. "What are you doing in his sick-room, you whom he always loved instead of me? He married me from a sense of honor, but he loved you, and never ceased to let me understand that to be the case. What are you doing here now—you of all other women?"
"Come with me quietly into the other room and I will tell you how it happens that I am here—in his home," whispered Bernardine, huskily.
"No," she shrieked23, laughing a hard, jeering24, terrible laugh in Bernardine's white, pain-drawn face as she battled fiercely to shake off the doctor's hold of her pinioned25 arms. "I shall not go—I shall not leave my post until he is dead! Do you hear?—until he is dead! I shall not save him for you! I'd rather be his widow than his unloved wife!"
"Come!" whispered Bernardine, sternly. "A human life is at stake—he is dying. You must come with me and let the doctor be free to do his work. I command you to come!" she added, in a stern, ringing, sonorous26 voice that seemed to thrill the other to her very heart's core and fascinate her—ay, fairly paralyze her will-power. "Come!" repeated Bernardine, laying a hand on her shoulder—"come out into the grounds with me, Mrs. Gardiner—out into the fresh air. I have something to tell you. I had an encounter with Victor Lamont last night," she added in a whisper, her eyes fixed27 steadily28 on the young wife as she slowly uttered the words.
Their effect was magical on Sally Gardiner. She reeled forward like one about to faint.
"Let me go out into the grounds alone," she cried, hoarsely29. "I must collect my scattered30 thoughts. Come to me there in half an hour, and tell me. I—I can listen to you then."
And with these words, the fiery31 creature left the room, staggering rather than walking through the open French window.
The doctor caught Bernardine's hand in his.
"If he lives, it will be to your strategy that he owes his life," he said, hurriedly. "Now leave the room quickly. In ten minutes I will call you, and you shall tell his mother and sister whether it be life or death."
True to his promise, within the prescribed time the doctor called Bernardine.
"It will be life," he said, joyously32; "and in performing the operation, I also found a small piece of bone resting against the brain, which was the cause of the strange lapse33 of memory he complained to me about several months ago. His brain is perfectly34 clear now. I heard from his lips a startling story," continued the doctor, taking Bernardine aside. "Come to him."
She refused, saying she was just about to leave the house; but the doctor insisted, and at length, accompanied by Jay's mother and his sister, she went to his bedside.
Jay's joy at beholding35 Bernardine was so great they almost feared for his life. And then the truth came out: his marriage to Bernardine was legal and binding36 before God and man, and that, directly after he had left her on the day of the ceremony, he had met with an accident which completely obliterated37 the event from his mind; even all remembrance of Bernardine's existence.
"What, then, is poor Sally?" cried his mother, in horror. "She wedded38 you, knowing nothing of all this!"
Before he could answer, they heard a great commotion39 in the corridor below; and, forgetful of the sick man, Antoinette rushed in weeping wildly, crying out that her young mistress had just been found dead in the brook40.
She died without knowing the truth, and they were all thankful for that—not even her family or Miss Rogers ever knew the sad truth.
Two men fled from the vicinity that day—Victor Lamont and Jasper Wilde.
When Jay Gardiner was able to travel, he and his mother and sister and Bernardine went abroad; but, out of respect to poor Sally's memory, it was a year before they took their places in the great world as—what they had been from the first—husband and wife.
In the sunshine of the happy years that followed, Bernardine never reproached her husband for that blotted41 page in their history which he would have given so much to efface42.
Sally's father and mother and sister grieved many a long year over her death.
Antoinette stole quietly away, and was seen no more. Old Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Margaret are as happy as the day is long in the love of Jay's sweet, grave young wife, while her husband fairly adores her, though two others share his love as the sunny days flit by—a sturdy youngster whom they call Jay, and a dainty little maiden43 named Sally—named after Miss Rogers, and whom that lady declares is to be her heiress—a jolly little maiden, hoidenish and mischievous44, strangely like that other one who came so near wrecking45 her father's and mother's life.
The little girl has but one fear—she never goes near the brook; perhaps its babbling46 waters could reveal a strange story—who can tell?
Over a grave on the sloping hill-side there is a marble shaft47. The name engraved48 upon it is Sally Gardiner, that the world may not know the story of her who rests there.
The sun does not fall upon it, the shadow of the trees is so dense49; but soft and pityingly falls the dew on the hearts of the flowers that cover the grave where Sally sleeps.
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1
swerve
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v.突然转向,背离;n.转向,弯曲,背离 | |
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2
rein
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n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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3
foam
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v./n.泡沫,起泡沫 | |
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mansion
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n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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grooms
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n.新郎( groom的名词复数 );马夫v.照料或梳洗(马等)( groom的第三人称单数 );使做好准备;训练;(给动物)擦洗 | |
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groom
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vt.给(马、狗等)梳毛,照料,使...整洁 | |
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7
unnatural
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adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
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surgical
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adj.外科的,外科医生的,手术上的 | |
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brandishing
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v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 );炫耀 | |
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10
incarnate
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adj.化身的,人体化的,肉色的 | |
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11
coax
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v.哄诱,劝诱,用诱哄得到,诱取 | |
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12
pervaded
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v.遍及,弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
thither
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adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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wringing
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淋湿的,湿透的 | |
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murmur
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n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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16
draught
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n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计 | |
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17
ebbing
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(指潮水)退( ebb的现在分词 ); 落; 减少; 衰落 | |
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18
dire
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adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的 | |
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19
formulate
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v.用公式表示;规划;设计;系统地阐述 | |
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20
hurled
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v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂 | |
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21
entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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22
pinioning
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v.抓住[捆住](双臂)( pinion的现在分词 ) | |
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23
shrieked
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v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
jeering
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adj.嘲弄的,揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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25
pinioned
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v.抓住[捆住](双臂)( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
sonorous
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adj.响亮的,回响的;adv.圆润低沉地;感人地;n.感人,堂皇 | |
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27
fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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28
steadily
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adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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29
hoarsely
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adv.嘶哑地 | |
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30
scattered
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adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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31
fiery
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adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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32
joyously
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ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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33
lapse
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n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 | |
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34
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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35
beholding
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v.看,注视( behold的现在分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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36
binding
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有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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37
obliterated
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v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 );涂去;擦掉;彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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38
wedded
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adj.正式结婚的;渴望…的,执著于…的v.嫁,娶,(与…)结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
commotion
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n.骚动,动乱 | |
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40
brook
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n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让 | |
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41
blotted
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涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 ); (用吸墨纸)吸干 | |
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42
efface
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v.擦掉,抹去 | |
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43
maiden
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n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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44
mischievous
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adj.调皮的,恶作剧的,有害的,伤人的 | |
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45
wrecking
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破坏 | |
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46
babbling
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n.胡说,婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 );作潺潺声(如流水);含糊不清地说话;泄漏秘密 | |
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47
shaft
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n.(工具的)柄,杆状物 | |
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48
engraved
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v.在(硬物)上雕刻(字,画等)( engrave的过去式和过去分词 );将某事物深深印在(记忆或头脑中) | |
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49
dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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