Lord Oakhurst's Curse

by O. Henry

　　ILord Oakhurst lay dying in the oak chamber in the eastern wing ofOakhurst Castle. Through the open window in the calm of the summerevening, came the sweet fragrance of the early violets and buddingtrees, and to the dying man it seemed as if earth's loveliness andbeauty were never so apparent as on this bright June day, his last dayof life.His young wife, whom he loved with a devotion and strength that thepresence of the king of terrors himself could not alter, moved about theapartment, weeping and sorrowful, sometimes arranging the sick man'spillow and inquiring of him in low, mournful tones if anything could bedone to give him comfort, and again, with stifled sobs, eating somechocolate caramels which she carried in the pocket of her apron. Theservants went to and fro with that quiet and subdued tread whichprevails in a house where death is an expected guest, and even the crashof broken china and shivered glass, which announced their approach,seemed to fall upon the ear with less violence and sound than usual.Lord Oakhurst was thinking of days gone by, when he wooed and won hisbeautiful young wife, who was then but a charming and innocent girl. Howclearly and minutely those scenes rose up at the call of his memory. Heseemed to be standing once more beneath the old chestnut grove wherethey had plighted their troth in the twilight under the stars; while therare fragrance of the June roses and the smell of supper came gently byon the breeze. There he had told her his love; how that his wholehappiness and future joy lay in the hope that he might win her for abride; that if she would trust her future to his care the devotedness ofhis lifetime should be hers, and his only thought would be to make herlife one long day of sunshine and peanut candy.How plainly he remembered how she had, with girlish shyness and coyness,at first hesitated, and murmured something to herself about "an oldbald-beaded galoot," but when he told her that to him life without herwould be a blasted mockery, and that his income was £50,000 a year, shethrew herself on to him and froze there with the tenacity of a tick on abrindled cow, and said, with tears of joy, "Hen-ery, I am thine."And now he was dying. In a few short hours his spirit would rise up atthe call of the Destroyer and, quitting his poor, weak, earthly frame,would go forth into that dim and dreaded Unknown Land, and solve withcertainty that Mystery which revealeth itself not to mortal man.IIA carriage drove rapidly up the avenue and stopped at the door. SirEverhard FitzArmond, the famous London physician, who had beentelegraphed for, alighted and quickly ascended the marble steps. LadyOakhurst met him at the door, her lovely face expressing great anxietyand grief. "Oh, Sir Everhard, I am so glad you have come. He seems to besinking rapidly. Did you bring the cream almonds I mentioned in thetelegram?"Sir Everhard did not reply, but silently handed her a package, and,slipping a couple of cloves into his mouth, ascended the stairs that ledto Lord Oakhurst's apartment. Lady Oakhurst followed.Sir Everhard approached the bedside of his patient and laid his handgently on this sick man's diagnosis. A shade of feeling passed over hisprofessional countenance as lie gravely and solemnly pronounced thesewords: "Madam, your husband has croaked."Lady Oakhurst at first did not comprehend his technical language, andher lovely mouth let up for a moment on the cream almonds. But soon hismeaning flashed upon her, and she seized an axe that her husband wasaccustomed to keep by his bedside to mangle his servants with, andstruck open Lord Oakhurst's cabinet containing his private papers, andwith eager hands opened the document which she took therefrom. Then,with a wild, unearthly shriek that would have made a steam piano go outbehind a barn and kick itself in despair, she fell senseless to thefloor.Sir Everhard FitzArmond picked up the paper and read its contents. Itwas Lord Oakhurst's will, bequeathing all his property to a scientificinstitution which should have for its object the invention of a meansfor extracting peach brandy from sawdust.Sir Everhard glanced quickly around the room. No one was in sight.Dropping the will, he rapidly transferred some valuable ornaments andrare specimens of gold and silver filigree work from the centre table tohis pockets, and rang the bell for the servants.III--THE CURSESir Everhard FitzArmond descended the stairway of Oakhurst Castle andpassed out into the avenue that led from the doorway to the great irongates of the park. Lord Oakhurst had been a great sportsman during hislife and always kept a well-stocked kennel of curs, which now rushed outfrom their hiding places and with loud yelps sprang upon the physician,burying their fangs in his lower limbs and seriously damaging hisapparel.Sir Everllard, startled out of his professional dignity and usualindifference to human suffering, by the personal application of feeling,gave vent to a most horrible and blighting CURSE and ran with greatswiftness to his carriage and drove off toward the city.