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The fatalists; or, Records of 1814 and 1815
The fatalists or Records of 1814 and 1815 Author:Kelly Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. This is no un.i tal business, nor no sound Tliat the earth owes—I liear it now nbove me. SUAKCSI'EABE. The sun, just peering above the clou... more »ds, began to cheer with his enlivening ray the animal world, when the company departed from Dermont Castle ; and lady Courteney, quite exhausted with such long sitting-up, and her calm spirits disquieted by the riotous scene, retreated in eager haste to her apartment. With the assistance of her attendant, Mrs. Kitty Hobbs, she threv off her upper garments, the superfluous robes of vain pomp and vanity, and put on a loose wrapper and her nightcap, when, instead of retiring to seek repose, she withdrew, as was her usual custom, to her closet, in rigorous self-examination and fer vent prayer, to make some amends for the trespasses of the past day. Accustomed, in the eagerness of her supplicatory petition, to burst occasionally forth into audible and ardent ejaculations, lady Courteney exclaimed—" Purify me, O Lord, after my reluctant intercourse this night with the unrighteous, that I may stand justified in thy sight, and not be classed with the wicked. Maintain in my husband a true spirit of godliness, that may prevent him in future from making of his sober dwelling the temple of Babylon. Preserve the lovely young creature, whom thy divine providence hath committed to my care, from the fascinating spell by which such pleasures might lead her into errors, and purify her heart of all carnal affections that " ' Sinful woman!" cried a voice from above, " purge thy own wicked heart of its foul sins—no human effort can atone for human frailty." Lady Courteney started—the prayer she c 2 waswasjust proffering expiredon her quivering lips, and appalled with indescribable horror, she threw a fearful glance around, to disco...« less