The Hour and the Man

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1841 edition. Excerpt: ...in another moment broke through the crowd. The yelling, the lights, the smoke, were left behind; the air blew in fresh; and there was only calm starlight without, as before. The old man's hand fell when lifted. He did not move when she stroked his cheek. He did not answer when she spoke. She put her hand to his forehead, and it was wet. "Pierre! Pierre!" she cried, "he is shot! he is dead.'" "I feared so, Mademoiselle. Drive on, Prince!" In an inconceivably short time, they were at their own door. Pierre looked into the carriage, felt his master's wrist and heart, spoke softly to Prince, and they drove on again,--only past the corner,--only to the gate of the convent. When it was opened, Pierre appeared at the carriage-door. "Now, Mademoiselle," he said. He half pulled, half lifted her over the crushed fruit and flowers that were in her way,--glanced in her face, to see whether she had observed that the body fell behind her,--carried her in, and gave her, passive and stupified, into the arms of two nuns. Seeing the abbess standing behind, he took off his hat, and would have said something; but his lips quivered, and he could not. "I will," said the lady's gentle voice, answering to his thought. "My young daughter shall be cherished here." CHAPTER X A Lover's Love. This new violence had for its object the few whites who were rash and weak enough to insist on the terms of Hedouville's intended proclamation, instead of abiding by that of L'Ouverture. The cultivators on the estates of these whites left work, rather than be reduced to a condition of virtual slavery. Wandering from plantation to plantation, idle and discontented, they drew to themselves others who, from any cause, were also idle and discontented. They exasperated each other with tales,...