Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/310

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278
The Adventures of David Simple

to watch all his wife's motions; but he hitherto could never give him any further account but that she continued still at times to meet the Chevalier in the wood.

"But this evening, as soon as he was gone from the door, and as Dumont's uneasy reflections on what I had said, together with his resolution of avoiding Dorimene, made him resolve to confine himself to his chamber, she grew perfectly past all sense of shame, and was resolved to follow him even thither rather than not speak to him that night, and inform him that she was not ignorant of his purpose, nor should he execute it without her fulfilling hers.

"The agitations of my mind made me feign sickness for an excuse to retire early into my own room, so that there was no obstacle in her way to obstruct her designs. Every step she took added new horror to her thoughts, and increased her torment; and yet such was the force of her irresistible passion, that she was led on in spite of all the remonstrances of her reason to the contrary.

"The watchful Pandolph, the moment he saw her open Dumont's chamber door, ran to inform his master. The Marquis flew on the wings of rage and jealousy, and arrived in less time than could he thought possible for the distance of the place to allow. At his entrance into the chamber, he was struck with the sight of Dorimene, drowned in tears, sitting by the Chevalier on his bed, and holding him by the hand. This was no time for reason to bear any sway; ten thousand tumultuous passions at once possessed his soul; and he obeyed the dictates of his rage by suddenly drawing his sword, and burying it in the body of the poor, unhappy, injured Dumont.

"The action was so quick, that Dorimene did not perceive her husband's fatal purpose before he had executed it; but when she saw Dumont's gushing