The last ball, and other tales1843 |
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Alfred amongst Andalusian answer appearance astral spirit began Ben Jonson Beppo Bernhard better blood brow Buckingham Burgomaster called Captain castle Cherry-Nob Chimney sweep courage cried cromlech dark dead devil doctor door doubt ears ejaculated escape exclaimed eyes face fancy father fear feeling followed Frank gaze give gold half hand head hear heard heart Heaven host hour Isle of Wight Jewess king Lady Trevanion laugh least less light link-boy lips look lute Maria Master Doctor matter Mervyn mind minutes naked weapons never night once pale passed passion poor Préfet Puritan Rachael racter replied Rochester scarcely Sedley seemed Señora shadow signor silent sleep smile smugglers sound spirit stood strange supposed sure tale tankard tell thee there's thing thou thought tion tone truth turned uncon venison voice window woman word
Popular passages
Page 217 - Are you grown an atheist ? will you turn your body, Which is the goodly palace of the soul, To the soul's slaughter-house ? Oh, the cursed devil, Which doth present us with all other sins Thrice candied o'er, despair with gall and stibium; Yet we carouse it off.
Page 69 - With bitter execrations on the usurer's hardheartedness, poor Bolt rushed from his door, when, to aggravate his situation, the first snow of the season began to fall, and so thick and fast that, in a very short time, the housetops presented a single field of white. Immersed in his grief, he missed his way across the market-place, and, when he least expected such a thing, found himself in the front of the cathedral. The great clock chimed three quarters — it wanted then a quarter to twelve ; —...
Page 195 - I felt myself sinking — sinking — sinking, like one that struggled with the waters ; but then my sweet babe would come, with his cherub face all bright with glory, just like those skies where the sun is setting, and his little hand was stronger than my strength, for it would draw me back again when I was up to my breast in fire. But you have no child to save you, therefore look that your heart be strong, you had best — no child — no child, old man — ; for I deny you — I cast you off —go...
Page 193 - Yon showed no mercy to your own child, how then can you expect it from me, a stranger?' — was the answer of one to whom he was deeply indebted, and who had formerly been a fruitless intercessor for poor Lucy. Some, too, were actuated by less disinterested motives, and were glad to shelter their hatred of the father, under the show of compassion for the child ; but the result was the same to Ellis ; he was a ruined man. His ostentatious charities, which had been so much praised in the days of his...
Page 66 - ... their spuriousness. It was in this church that Adelaide was buried with great splendour. In the spirit of that age, which had more feeling for the solid than real taste — more devotion and confidence than unbelieving fear — she was dressed as a bride in flowered silk, a motley garland upon her head, and her pale fingers covered with costly rings, in which state she was conveyed to the vault of a little chapel, directly under the choir, in a coffin with glass windows.
Page 81 - ... Hans through his chattering teeth, while he in vain felt for his rosary, which yet hung as usual at his girdle. " What is the matter now ?" cried Adolph. " Do you see who sits there ?" replied Hans. • "Where?" exclaimed his master; — "I see nothing ; hold up the lantern." " Heaven shield us !" cried the old man : " there sits our deceased lady, on the altar, in a long, white veil, and drinks out of the sacramental cup !" With a trembling hand he held up the lantern in the direction to which...
Page 194 - ... sort of volatile salt, it was perfectly evident in what manner superstitious notions must have arisen about ghosts haunting churchyards. When a dead body had been committed to the earth, the salts of it, during the heating process of fermentation, were exhaled. The saline particles then each resumed the same relative situation they had held in the living body, and thus a complete human form was induced, calculated to excite superstitious fear in the minds of all but Palingenesists. It is...
Page 68 - His wife, however, had suffered much, and was in a state that required assistance far beyond his means to supply. In this distress he bethought himself of the Jew, Isaac, who had lately advanced him a trifle on his old silver watch ; but [now, unfortunately, he had nothing more to pledge, and was forced to ground all his hopes on the Jew's compassion — a very unsafe anchorage. With doubtful steps he sought the house of the miser, and told his tale amidst tears and sighs ; to all of which Isaac...
Page 72 - ... work. A sickness seized him at the thought ; and he leaned for support against one of the columns, with his eyes fixed on the coffin; when — was it real, or was it illusion ?— a change came over the face of the dead ! — he started back ; and that change, so indescribable, had passed away in an instant, leaving a darker shadow on the features.
Page 73 - If I had only time," he said to himself — " if 1 had only time, I would rather break open one of the other coffins, and leave the lady Adelaide in quiet. Age has destroyed all that is human in these mummies ; they have lost that resemblance to life, which makes the dead so terrible, and I should no more mind handling them than so many dry bones. It's all nonsense, though ; one is as harmless as the other, and since the lady Adelaide's house is the easiest for my work, I must e'en set about it.