Volume III Part 85 (1/2)
”Let us get up, then, and go to dinner”
”In company, dearest? Look at your eyes”
”All the better People will guess what has happened, and the two countesses will burst with envy I want everybody to know that it is forat Aix”
”I aladly oblige you, even though I lose all my money in the next three days”
”I should be in despair if you lost; but if you abstain froh you may let yourself be robbed”
”You may be sure that I knohat I am about, and that I shall only allow ladies to rob me You have had some money out of me yourself”
”Yes, but not nearly so much as the countesses, and I am sorry you allowed the in love with the, poor dears, for neither would have kept hted to hear it But letabout you yesterday”
”Say on I hope he did not allow himself any offensive remarks”
”No; he only said that you should never have offered the Englishht cards, as you had as ht that you knew the card was there”
”Very good, but tell the ht, and besides I knew the character of the young nobleman, and I was almost sure he would not accept -room ere received with applause The fair Zeroli had the air of regarding me as her property, and I affected an extremely modest manner No one dared to ask me to make a bank after dinner; the purses were too empty, and they contented themselves with trente-quarante, which lasted the whole day, and which cost me a score of louis
I stole away as usual towards evening, and after having ordered Le Duc not to leavee where the unfortunate nun was no doubt expecting ht Ime I stopped short, and soain, and I saw the saht up if they had not slackened their pace It ht all be accidental, but I wanted to be sure about it I left the road without losingmy hen I ceased to be followed; but I soon felt sure that ures at a little distance off I doubled my speed, hid behind a tree, and as soon as I saw the spies fired a pistol in the air I looked round shortly after, saw no one, and went on my way
I went upstairs and found the nun in bed, with two candles on the table
”Are you ill?”
”I was ill for a tiiven birth to a fine boy at two o'clock this ”
”Where is the child?”
”Alas! I did but kiss hiood hostess carried hiin heard h sharp, were soon over, and a quarter of an hour afterTell el, for I fear lest I sin in adoring you”
”This is good news indeed And how about the lay-sister?”
”She still breathes, but we have no hope that she will recover Her face is terribly distorted We have sinned exceedingly, and God will punish ive you, for the Most Holy judges by the heart, and in your heart you had no evil thoughts Adore Divine Providence, which doeth all things well”
”You console el, for the powder you gave h I do not know your name”
The woman then came, and I thanked her for the care she had taken of the invalid I again warned her to be prudent, and above all to treat the priest hen the lay-sister breathed her last, and thus he would not take notice of anything that ht involve leer in disaster
”All will be well,” said she, ”for no one knows if the lay-sister is well or ill, or why the lady does not leave her bed”