Volume V Part 41 (2/2)
”The worthy nun replied that the count had been introduced to her, and that to tell the truth she thought him insufferable; all the same, she said she was afraid I should be made to marry him
”These words were such a shock to me that I turned the conversation, and spoke of other subjects for the reot back to my house I pursued an extraordinary course I shut myself up in my closet and wrote a letter to the executioner ofhi hi in my favour; 'for,' said I, 'as you have made me an orphan it is your duty before God to care for er of the Princess of Brazil, and to leaveto ine Oeiras to be a huht he must have some sort of a heart; besides, by this extraordinary step and the fire, I hoped to appeal to his pride and to interest him in my favour I felt sure that he would do me justice, if only to prove that he had not been unjust to h I was but an inexperienced girl my instinct served me well
”Two days elapsed before I aited on by a ed the honour of a private intervieith er told me that the minister wished me to reply to all who pressed me to marry that I should not decide until I was assured that the princess desired theso The er assured me that I could count on his entleman took leave with a profound bow, and went back without waiting for an answer I reat is, but they have exerted great influence on my conduct, and will no doubt continue to do so for the rest of e put ivenperfectly sure that the princess would not interfere any farther with ave myself up entirely to the new senti, the flame would no doubt soon have died down if it had not received fresh fuel every day, for when I saw the young nized him Fro, in the theatre, in the houses where I called, and especially when I was getting in or out of e he was ever beside ot so used to his presence that when I missed his face I felt a void at my heart that made me unhappy
”Alreat-aunt's, but as there was no longer any engagerieved e of the young , was ever before h I would not ask myself the reasons
”Such was my state of mind, when one day I heard a voice, which was unknown to me, in my maid's room I saw a quantity of lace on a table and proceeded to exairl as standing near the table and curtsying to irl said that she would bring me some more to choose from the next day, and as I raised my eyes I was astonished to see that she had the face of the young hts My only resource was to doubt their identity and to make myself believe that I had been deceived by a hts; the girl see man, who The girl gathered up her lace and went her ithout raising her eyes to ain
”'Do you know that girl?' I said, coldly, to my maid, and she replied that she had never seen her before I went aithout another word, not knohat to think
”I thought it over and resolved to exa day, and to unmask her if my suspicions proved to be well founded I toldman's sister, and that if it were otherwise it would be all the irl who reasons on love falls into love, especially if she have no one in whom to confide
”The pretended lace-seller duly came the next day with a box of lace I told her to co to her to force her to raise her eyes I saw beforewho exerted such a powerful influence over th to ask her any of the questions I had premeditated Besides,ly as e soo and fetch my purse No sooner had she left the room than the lace-seller fell at my feet and exclaimed passionately,
”'Give me life or death, madam, for I see you knoho I aone mad'
”'Yes, that may be; but I am mad with love I adore you'
”'Rise, for my maid will come back directly'
”'She is in ot up, and the ave him his money with the utmost coolness He picked up his lace, made me a profound bow, and departed
”It would have been natural for me to speak to my maid, and still more natural if I had dise to do so, and orous irl's heart, and do not consider my painful position, passionately in love and with no one but myself to rely on
”I did not follow at once the severe dictates of duty; afterwards it was too late, and I easily consoled ht that I could pretend not to be aware that thethat I should never see the adventurous lover again, and that thus all would be as if it had never happened
”This resolve was really the effect of anger, for a fortnight passed by withoutman in the theatre, the public walks, or in any of the public places he used to frequent, and I beca all the tied to know his name, which I could only learn from my maid, and it was out of the question for me to ask Oeiras I hatedthat she knew all I was afraid that she would suspect ht think I did not love hi adventurer I thought him more to be pitied than to be blamed, for I did not believe that he knew I loved hi hihts were different when ed itself on pride, and I fancied he would think no ottencomes to put an end to the stor an effort of itself to sail into the calm waters of peace
”One day I put on a lace kerchief I had bought froirl who sold me this kerchief?'
”I asked this question without preood or enius