Rosa Campbell Praed

“ I am afraid of her asking questions about Countess Adrian and reviving that terrible impression. What an extraordinary thing that was! Poor woman. She had such an intense terror of death."
Lendon shuddered as he remembered her passionate cry, "Give me life; oh, long life."
"And what a magnificent woman!" the doctor went on. "It is almost impossible to imagine so brilliant a flame could be put out in an instant—for ever. ”

“ What is't distracts you? This is flesh and blood, sir'"...
She drew him down to her with a seductive gesture, and her arms interlaced his neck in an impassioned embrace. But though be held her close, and kissed back the red warm lips, there ran through him a strange shiver of recoil. A feeling of trouble and terror came over him. An indescribable sort of magnetism seemed to emanate from her that excited and pained him, and turned him giddy. What did it mean? Was it possible that any show of affection from the woman he idolized could for an instant shock and repel him? ”

“ She gave him an odd indefinable impression of greater physical vigour than he had ever associated with the fragile, sensitive creature, whose slender frame seemed worn by the fire of genius that burned within it. She made a glad movement towards him, and was in his arms, and he was pressing his lips on hers, and returning hot, eager, lovers' kisses. ”

“ He's not like the Professor—quite a common man and on a different plane altogether; but he has done Beaty good."
"And what does he think is the cause of her illness?" asked Lendon, anxiously.
"Oh! he doesn't know—they none of them do. There's no knowing how influences will affect a person that's subject to them," said Mrs. ”

“ This was what science declared. Science was more puzzled by the simultaneous and prolonged fainting-fit of the young American actress who was the last person to whom Countess Adrian had spoken. Countess Adrian had drawn her last breath in the giving of that kiss of fate; and Beatrice Brett, stricken by the horror of the shock, had lain unconscious ever since the dead woman's lips touched hers.
They took the girl home and laid her upon her bed. All night and all the next day Lendon watched below. Every effort to restore her proved unavailing. Doctors came and went. Mrs. ”