Volume II Part 6 (1/2)
I did everything she asked me From that ives the death-blow to affection We would often re a single word, and our sighs would be heard whatever we did to hush them
The next day, when M d'Antoine called, I followed exactly the instructions she had givento write
The door of lass allowed us to see each other They spent those six hours in writing, occasionally stopping to talk of I do not knohat, but their conversation was evidently a decisive one The reader can easily realize howtorture, for I could expect nothing but the total wreck of my happiness
As soon as the terrible M d'Antoine had taken leave of her, Henriette ca that her eyes were red I heaved a deep sigh, but she tried to so away to-morrow, dearest?”
”Oh! yes, I am ready Where do you wish me to take you?”
”Anywhere you like, but we ht”
”Here! Oh, fatal illusion!”
”Alas! it is so I have promised to be here to receive the answer to a letter I have just written We have no violent proceedings to fear, but I cannot bear to reht us to this city Would you like to go to Milan?”
”Yes”
”As we are unfortunately cona and his sister”
”As you please”
”Let e for thee of your violoncello Do you not think that you ought to let M d'Antoine knohere we are going?”
”No, it seems to me, on the contrary, that I need not account to his So much the worse for him if he should, even for one , we left Parht We arrived in Milan without accident, but both very sad, and we spent the following fifteen days in constant tete-a-tete, without speaking to anyone, except the landlord of the hotel and to a dressnificent pelisse hly
Out of delicacy, she had never enquired about rateful to her for that reserve I was very careful to conceal froht When we came back to Parma I had only three or four hundred sequins
The day after our return M d'Antoine invited himself to dine with us, and after we had drunk coffee, I left hi as the first, and our separation was decided She informed me of it, i time we re our bitter tears
”When shall I have to part from you, my beloved, alas! too much beloved one?”
”Be cal to accompany me Will you try to find me a respectable maid by to-morrow?
She will accoo”
”Oh! then, we shall spend a few days ether! I know no one but Dubois whoood femme-de-chaht not wish him to know”
”That will not be the case, for I will take another maid as soon as I aladly undertaken the commission, presented to Henriette a woman already somewhat advanced in years, pretty well dressed and respectable-looking, who, being poor, was glad of an opportunity of going back to France, her native country Her husband, an oldher totally unprovided for Henriette engaged her, and told her to keep herself ready to start whenever M Dubois should give her notice The day before the one fixed for our departure, M d'Antoine dined with us, and, before taking leave of us, he gave Henriette a sealed letter for Geneva
We left Par, and stopped only two hours in Turin, in order to engage a manservant whose services we required as far as Geneva The next day we ascended Mont Cenis in sedan-chairs, and we descended to the Novalaise in es On the fifth day we reached Geneva, and we put up at the Hotel des Balances The next ave me a letter for the banker Tronchin, hen he had read it, toldme one thousand louis d'or
I came back and we sat down to dinner We had not finished our ht the thousand louis d'or, and told Henriette that he would give her two men whom he could recommend in every way
She answered that she would leave Geneva as soon as she had the carriage which he was to provide for her, according to the letter I had delivered to hi would be ready for the following day, and he left us It was indeed a terrible moment! Grief almost benumbed us both We remained motionless, speechless, wrapped up in the most profound despair