Volume II Part 5 (2/2)
”Neither here nor at his residence, but in the ducal gardens Your answer ”
I wrote to M d'Antoine that I would see hi him to appoint another hour in case mine was not convenient to hiood time, and meanwhile we both endeavoured, Henriette and I, to keep a cheerful countenance, but we could not silence our sad forebodings I was exact tofor ether, he said tofroine any surer way to get this letter to Madame d'Arci's hands I entreat you to deliver it to her, and to excuse ive it you sealed Should I be mistaken, ht, Madaht to co it to you sealed If you are truly her friend, the contents of that letterto you as to her May I hope, sir, that you will be good enough to deliver it to her?”
”Sir, on my honour I will do it”
We bowed respectfully to each other, and parted company I hurried back to the hotel
CHAPTER III
Henriette Receives the Visit of M d'Antoine I Accompany Her as Far as Geneva and Then I Lose Her--I Cross the St
Bernard, and Return to Parma--A Letter from Hensiette-- My Despair--De La Haye Becomes Attached to Me--Unpleasant Adventure with an Actress and Its Consequences--I Turn a Thorough Bigot--Bavois--I Mystify a Bragging Officer
As soon as I had reached our apart with anxiety, I repeated to Henriette every word spoken by M d'Antoine, and delivered his letter which contained four pages of writing She read it attentively with visible emotion, and then she said,
”Dearest friend, do not be offended, but the honour of two fa to you the contents of this letter I am compelled to receive M d'Antoine, who represents hi one ofof the end! What a dreadful thought! I areat to last!
Wretch that I have been! Why did I tarry so long in Parma? What fatal blindness! Of all the cities in the whole world, except France, Parma was the only one I had to fear, and it is here that I have brought you, when I could have taken you anywhere else, for you had no will but uilty that you never concealed your fears froht I not to have guessed that his curiosity would sooner or later prove injurious to us? And yet I cannot conde
I can only accuse all the perfections which Heaven has bestowed upon you!--perfections which have caused e me in an abyss of despair, for, alas! I foresee a future of fearful , and to calm yourself
Let us avail ourselves of all our reason in order to prove ourselves superior to circumstances, whatever they may be I cannot answer this letter, but you must write to M d'Antoine to call here tomorrow and to send up his name”
”Alas! you compel me to perform a painful task”
”You are , I impose no task upon you, but can you refuse me?”
”No, never, no matter what you ask Dispose of me, I am yours in life and death”
”I knehat you would answer You must be with iven to etiquette, will you find soo to your room, and leave us alone? M d'Antoine knows all , in what I have been right; as a man of honour, as my relative, he ainst my will, and if he attempts to deviate froo to France, I will follow you anywhere, and devote to you the re, recollect that some fatal circumstances may compel us to consider our separation as the wisest course to adopt, that we e to adopt it, if necessary, and to endeavour not to be too unhappy
”Have confidence in me, and be quite certain that I shall take care to reserve for myself the small portion of happiness which I can be allowed to enjoy without the man who alone has won all my devoted love You will have, I trust, and I expect it froenerous soul, the same care of your future, and I feel certain that you must succeed In the ht darken the hours we have yet before us”
”Ah! why did we not go away immediately after we had ht have ht have ivea search to discover our place of residence, and I should then have been exposed to violent proceedings which you would not have endured It would have been fatal to both of us”