Tempest and Sunshine

When Julia entered the room she found her sister extended on the floor,

cold and white as a piece of marble, while the blood was gushing from her

nostrils and moistening the curls of her long hair. Julia's first feeling

was one of intense horror, or fear her sister might be dead, but a touch

assured her that Fanny had only fainted. So she lifted her up, and bearing

her to the window applied the usual restoratives. As Julia looked on the

death-like face of her young sister she murmured, "Had I thought she loved

him so well, never would I have done so wickedly."

But she made no promise to repair the mischief, and stifled all the better

impulses of her nature by saying, "It is too late now: it is too late."

At last Fanny opened her eyes. Her first thought was for her letter, which

was still tightly clenched in her hand. Passing it to Julia she said,

faintly, "Read it, sister."

Julia took it, and pretending to read it, burst into a violent passion,

abusing Dr. Lacey for his meanness, and ending by telling Fanny that she

ought to consider herself fortunate in escaping from such a man. Fanny

seemed disturbed to hear evil spoken of Dr. Lacey, so Julia changed her

manner, and said, "I do not wonder you feel badly, Fanny. You and I can

sympathize together now."

Fanny looked at her sister in some surprise, but at last answered, "Oh no,

you cannot know how I feel. Mr. Wilmot loved you to the last. Dr. Lacey is

not dead, but--"

Here Julia interrupted her by saying, "I do not mean to refer to Mr.

Wilmot. I was flattered by his attentions, but I never knew what it was to

love until I saw Dr. Lacey."

"Dr. Lacey!--You love Dr. Lacey!" said Fanny, and again she fell back cold

and motionless. A second time Julia restored her to consciousness, but for

an hour she did not speak or scarcely move. At the end of that time,

calling her sister to her, in a low, subdued tone, she said, "Tell me all,

Julia. I can bear it. I am calm now."

The traitress kissed her cheek, and taking one of the little hands in

hers, told her how truly she had loved Dr. Lacey, and how she had

struggled against it when she saw that he loved another. "I have," said

she, "lain awake many a night, and while you slept sweetly, dreaming,

perhaps, of your lover, I have wept bitter tears because I must go alone

through the cold world, unloved and uncared for. And forgive me, Fanny,

but sometimes I have felt angered at you, because you seemed to steal

everybody's love from me. Our old father never speaks to me with the same

affection which marks his manner when addressing you."