Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 183: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

174 PRICK WEDDED. bound and a wild cry of joy, Robert sprang to Dora’s side, -and seizing her in his arms, pressed kiss after kiss upon her cold lips, while he murmured tenderest words of endear- ment in her dull ears. — | _As if in answer to his beseeching eyes, and the earnest, touching appeals which fell from his lips, she revived there in his arms. _ A faint tinge of color crept into the death-white lips, the heavy eyelids fluttered, unclosed, and closed again, then _ flew wide open, revealing the blue orbs beneath, which fixed their astonished gaze full upon the loving, tender face bend- ing above her. A smile of rapture overspread her features, and nestling closer in his arms, she murmured: — Oh, Robbie, am I dead—and is this heaven? When did you die? I thought you did not love me, but you do!” ‘“No, darling, you are not dead, but, thank Heaven, liv- ing, breathing still, and my own little wife once again.” ‘““Where am 1?” she asked, glancing above at the brilliant, sparkling vault, with a perplexed look. | “Safe, safe, my precious, and nothing shall ever part us again.” | : She closed her eyes again wearily, and heaving a deep, satisfied sigh, as a tired child in its mother’s arms might have done, laid her soft cheek against his throbbing heart. He watched her anxiously for a few moments, until sud- denly he saw the trimson tide of life surge swiftly up, cov- ering her fair face with its deepest hue. Then an expression of keenest anguish settled around her quivering lips, and plowed deep furrows in the smooth - white brow, and with a quick motion she slid from his clasping arms, covering her face with her hands. : What is it, darling? Come back to me again,” he said, - earnestly, while a pained look settled over his features. ~ But when he would have taken her to him, she motioned him away, | | ‘“‘No, no I cannot, I dare not—they have married me - to—to—oh, heaven! it shall not be, I will not have it so!” she shudderingly answered, while she crouched in anguish ~-at his-feet. ~ _ He knelt beside her, and again drew her to him, saying: “Darling, you are not that rascal’s wife, except baqyour sweet will. A forced marriage is no marriage. Look up, comicboo <S co