Stella Rosevelt — page 378: what you’re looking at

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

372 STELLA'S MENTAL AGONY. ‘cand was opening my papers, when I began to feel queerly, I believe I never fainted but once before in my life.” But she shuddered as she remembered how Josephine Rich- ards had been the cause of that ill-turn also. She sat up and tried to collect herself. She still felt as if those icy bands were encircling her heart, and as if her brain was on fire; but she was anxious to get hold of that paper once more, and go away by herself. She did not mean that Jacob Rosevelt should ever know that she had seen the notice of her lover’s marriage; she meant to keep her secret locked close within her own breast, and not even let him suspect that she was still grieving for the man whose name had not been mentioned between them for over a year. ‘‘T am afraid you are going to be ill,” he said, noticing the great blue circles under her eyes with alarm. | ‘““No; do not be anxious about me, Uncle Jacob,” she returned, trying tosmile. ‘‘I shall be all right again in a few minutes. ” And she was, apparently. She called all her will to her aid; she drank a full glass of wine, and soon felt much stronger, but oh! still so wretched and heart-sick. | She arose after awhile and began to move about the room, although both Mr. Rosevelt and Mrs. Blunt insisted that she was not able—that she ought to be still and rest all day. But that paper was still lying upon the floor, with that marked paragraph staring her in the face. She must get it and hide it, or they would learn all her trouble, and know how weak and foolish she was—how lack- ing in pride and self-respect to grieve thus after another wo- man’s husband; and her lips curled with scorn at her own folly, while all the time the pain at her heart was growing more bitter, Gomichbooks?Gco