Volume V Part 65 (2/2)
The fifth day I went up to her roo her in bed all the fires of passion flamed up in my breast, for since my first visit to their house I had not been alone with her I threwher with kisses, and she shewed herself affectionate but reserved In vain I endeavoured to succeed; she opposed a gentle resistance to h she caressed me, she would not let me attain my end
”Why, divine Sara,” said I, ”do you opposeecstasy?”
”Dearest, I entreat of you not to ask for any er love me?”
”Cruel man, I adore you!”
”Then why do you treatonce surrendered unreservedly?”
”I have given myself to you, and we have both been happy, and I think that should be enough for us”
”There e If you love me, dearest Sara, this renunciation must be hard for you to bear”
”I confess it, but nevertheless I feel it is my duty I have made up my mind to subdue my passion from no weak motive, but froations to you, and if I were to repay the debt I have contracted with raded in my own eyes When we enjoyed each other before only love was between us--there was no question of debit and credit My heart is now the thrall of what I owe you, and to these debts it will not give what it gave so readily to love”
”This is a strange philosophy, Sara; believe me it is fallacious, and the enemy of your happiness as well as mine These sophisms lead you astray and wound , and believe ”
”You must confess that if you had not lovedforof the kind; I would readily do as ard for your worthythis shts of you at all”
”It ive me, dearest, but I cannot make up my mind to pay my debts in the way you wish”
”It seeht to be still more ardent”
”It cannot be rievously you make me suffer?”
”Alas! I suffer too; but do not reproach ue is not the hundredth part of what actually passed between us till dinner-ti hed, and asked me why I kept her in bed
I answered with perfect coolness that we had been so interested in our conversation that we had not noticed the flight of tiht over the extraordinary change which had taken place in Sara I resolved that it should not last for long We dined together gaily, and Sara and I behaved in all respects like two lovers In the evening I took the ho I passed in the city, having accounts to settle with e on Geneva, and said farewell to the worthy Mr Bosanquet In the afternoon I got a coach for Madame M---- F---- to pay sohter at school The dear little girl burst into tears, saying that she would be lost without et her I was deeply o and see herso
At supper we talked over our journey, and M M---- F---- agreed with o by Dunkirk than Ostend He had very little more business to attend to His debts were paid, and he said he thought he would have a uineas in his pocket at the journey's end, after paying a third share of all the travelling expenses I had to agree to this, though I made up my mind at the same time not to let him see any of the accounts I hoped to win Sara, in one way or another, e got to Berne
The next day, after breakfast, I took her hand in presence of her ive me her heart if I could obtain her father's consent at Berne
”Your mother,” I added, ”has pro”
At this the ood deal to talk over, she and her eldest daughter went out to pay some calls
As soon as ere alone Sara said that she could not understand how I could have the siven