The Works of Laurence Sterne

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: titude and rejoice to the end of our pilgrimage. Adieu, my L. Return to one who languifhes for thy fociety. L. STERNE. LETTER II. TO THE SAMEi ou bid me tell you, my dear L., how I bore your departure for S, and whether the valky where D'Eftella ftands, retains ftill its looks? or, if I think the rofes or jeflamines fmell as fweet, as when you left it- Alas ! every thing has now loft its relifh and look! The hour you left D'Eftella, I took to my bed.?I was worn out with fevers of all kinds, but moft by that fever of the heart with which thou knoweft well I have been wafting thefe two years ?and fhall continue wafting till you quit S . The good Mifs S, from the forebodings of the beft of hearts, thinking I was ill, infifted upon my going to her.?What can be the caufe, my dear L., that I never have been able to fee the face of this mutual friend, but I feel myfelf rent to pieces ? She made me ftay an hour with her, and in that fhort fpace I burft into tears a dozen different times?and in fuch affectionate g ufts of paflion, that fhe was conftrained to leave the room, and fym- pathize in her dreffing-room?I have been weeping for you both, faid fhe, in a tone of the fweeteft pity?for poor L.'s heart, I have long known it?her anguifh is as fharp as yours?her heart as tender?her conftancy as great?her virtues as heroic?Heaven brought you not together to be tormented. I could only anfwer her with a kind look, and a heavy figh?and returned home to your lodgings (which I have hired till your return), to refign myfelf to mifery? Fanny had prepared me a fupper?fhe is all attention to me?but I fat over it with tears; a bitter fauce, my L., but I could eat it with no other?for the Iuq- ment me began to fpread my little table, my heart fainted within me.?One foli- tary p...