Griselda (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 edition. Excerpt: ...door. She was dressed in black and was very pale. Glenorchie thought he had never seen her so lovely. "Anything to say " he cried. "I have all to say. Do you not see, Griselda, that after we have acknowledged our love, after the promise you gave me at dinner last night, after that I gave you, do you not see that we cannot part like this? It is madness. It is out of the question." "We do not part," she said, "we have been parted. We ought never to have known each other. It is my fault. When I first knew who you were I should have let our acquaintance cease. I should never have gone to Ascot. When I saw that Lady Glenorchie despised me so I should have come away. But I could not have foreseen last night. You did wrong to drag me like that before her." "Yes, I know," he said, quickly, "at least I know it now. But I wanted to take my mother by surprise. I wanted to present you to her before others. in private I knew I had no chance, but I thought that in public she would yield. I counted on her pride, on her horror of anything unconventional or theatrical. I was mistaken. I confess it. But I, too, could not have foreseen the bombs that were thrown both on your side and on hers.' ' Even so, when you saw me wounded and broken you might have come to my aid. But you doubted me. Yes, you doubted me. You believed what you heard. You assumed that I was guilty. It may have been only for a night, it may have been only for a moment, but while the doubt lasted you allowed me to be scourged with words which cut more sharply and deeply than cords and which neither of us ever can forget." "Griselda, I never doubted "he began. "Let me go on," she interrupted. "Had you come to my...