Earthly Idols (1857) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XIX. The remainder of Rosalie's time at Fordwick was passed as in a dream. Every energy, every interest, every outward perception, gathered back and absorbed in a happiness, the first tumult of which left no place either for sorrow or fear. Her ideal of human perfection was found embodied; her most poetic imaginings of what love might be, were realized; her earth was become Heaven, and her Heaven, alas! was on earth. But language to describe such a state, would seem visionary; we will turn therefore to a scene of more general interest at Heatherdell, and the house of Captain Mornay; where, according to now established custom, Mr. Ridley has dropped in for his afternoon call. " Now then," said he (in conclusion of what seemed to have been a conversation on business), "let us think no more of these matters; but I must confess to you, that I am surprised at your recovered energy, I trust it is the sign of a generally improved state of health." "My health is always good enough," said the other absently; and then, as if following the train of his own thoughts, he continued, " I am very glad to have got through with all my papers whilst alone; correspondences that I had not the courage before to look back to?her father's?her mother's (the brother's I never kept). 1 have been reading over and burning the contents of three large boxes; but the letters in the casket," he added, with a change of look and tone, " those letters I have torn into shreds, and you will find them wrapped round with her veil, ?the veil she was married iu ! and, remember ! they are to be used thus, for my last pillow. You will see to it, you understand me, Ridley !" " My good friend, I do," was the soothingly spoken reply. " Dismiss now the subject, for it shall not be forgotten. I should ...