Vashti's Fate — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

DASCOMB—VASHTI. 2806 lips, and as impudent an air as ever, but with a flurry and discomposure under it all, he crossed the room, and stood with his arm suddenly thrown around her, and his breath on her cheek, as he said: “‘Vashti.” It was the voice she had dreaded and feared to hear, all these years that lay between her and this man, who so near- ly wedded her to himself and infamy. She wrenched herself from him as though a serpent had stung her, and without a cry or utterance of any kind, be- gan to grope her way to the door. In an instant he had closed it, and stood with his back to eae | ‘*Do you want me to scream, and rouse the house to thrust you forth?” she said, recoiling as his hand touched her. ‘‘Is not the cup of my degradation full? Go, while I have life and sense left !” Not in the least abashed before the majesty of those sight- less eyes, he said, boldly: | ‘«Vashti, that woman who was Revers us, is dead. I come to ask you truly to be my wife.” An expression of bitter hatred, loathing, scorn, con- vulsed her face, as she broke a third time from him, scream- ing and fleeing across the room to the other door. It was scarce an instant, when the door burst open, and Nora, Miss Gresham, and the servants crowded in. ‘What is it, sister?” Nora cried, with her arms around Vashti, who stood with her sightless eyes wide open, and her hands uplifted. ‘“That bad man! drive him out! Philip—Hubert !. the | +? bold, bad, infamous wretch !|—he ran by me All looked about them. There was no one in the room but that belonged to the house. com ‘boo cs CO nh