If you notice a little box on the dressing-
table of your room, you will open it or no as you like. About half-past
five there will be a visitor, whose name you can guess, but I shall not
let her stay long with you. Here comes the servant to take you to your
room." On this she smiled, and turned somewhat hurriedly away.
My father on reaching his room went to the dressing-table, where he saw a
small unpretending box, which he immediately opened. On the top was a
paper with the words, "Look--say nothing--forget." Beneath this was some
cotton wool, and then--the two buttons and the lock of his own hair, that
he had given Yram when he said good-bye to her.
The ghost of the lock that Yram had then given him, rose from the dead,
and smote him as with a whip across the face. On what dust-heap had it
not been thrown how many long years ago? Then she had never forgotten
him? to have been remembered all these years by such a woman as that, and
never to have heeded it--never to have found out what she was though he
had seen her day after day for months. Ah! but she was then still
budding. That was no excuse. If a loveable woman--aye, or any woman--has
loved a man, even though he cannot marry her, or even wish to do so, at
any rate let him not forget her--and he had forgotten Yram as completely
until the last few days, as though he had never seen her.
Pages:
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278