The old man looked round at the crowd, but he saw no sympathy--only
aversion and ridicule. Suddenly he snatched his little black-bound Bible
from his pocket, and held it up.
"What does this Book say?" he thundered. "It says that a wife shall
cleave unto her husband until death. For the seducer and the betrayer
death is the portion."
The whistle of the incoming train was heard in the distance.
The old man was desperate. It was clear he meant to assault Orlando.
"You will only take her away over my dead body," he ground out in his
passion. "The Lord gave, and only the Lord shall take away." He
gathered himself together for the attack.
Orlando waved a hand at him as one would at a troublesome child. At that
instant, his mother stepped up behind him in the reception-room.
"Orlando," she said in her mincing, piping little voice, "Orlando, dear,
the train is coming. Let me out. I'm not afraid of that bad man. I
want to catch my train."
Orlando stepped aside, and his mother passed through, to the
consternation of Mazarine, who fell back.
Pages:
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54