The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900 ... - Gredos

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
And all the time you were hugging yourself with the thought that you had bought me,
that whether I would or no you had a right to claim me. Great Heavens! and this is the
man of whom I prayed the Lord on my knees to make me worthy. I pray now, Simon
Fleetwood, that I may never see your face again — your false traitor's face. You can
keep secrets, I know, when it suits your purpose — keep this one for me. You have
blasted my life: let that suffice you. Keep this shameful story to yourself. You owe at
least this much to me."
"And do you owe me nothing?" returned Simon passionately. Like most men who are
slow to anger his wrath was the more terrible when aroused, and Rachel, beside herself
though she was, quailed before it for a moment. “Good God, Rachel! 'tis not a dozen
hours since you swore to cleave to me till death should part us. If you think to have
done with me thus you are mistaken."
"What, you would keep me by force, would you?" interrupted she. "You would make
public my misery and disgrace, and call in the aid of the law, perhaps, to compel me to
return to you? Let me tell you, I will die first."
"Nay, I would use no force — I would not even, try to persuade you. If you come to me
you must come of
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your own accord. But you are my wife — while we both live we must be bound to each
other. Oh, Rachel," and here his voice suddenly softened and broke, "is it possible you
forget with what joy we told each other that the whole world could not part us now?"
"Do I forget?" returned Rachel, almost with a shriek. "No, I do not forget — oh, the
mockery of it! I believed in you then, I believed your love so pure, so disinterested, so
lofty — and all the while you were rejoicing over your bargain. Every smile, every
loving word of mine, was to you so much interest on your outlay. When, poor fool that I
was! I told you that I loved you for your honesty and your candour, that I knew you to
be incapable of an untruthful word or a dishonourable thought, you were laughing in
your sleeve at my simplicity."
She paused breathless, but continued after a moment:—