Part 24 (1/2)
”Now you must sleep and regain your strength. Have no fears, I will watch over you.”
”If I could only see Philip!” sighed Antoinette.
”You shall see him; I promise you that.”
Antoinette submissively closed her eyes and soon fell asleep. Dolores sat motionless, her thoughts busy with what she had just heard. In all this narrative she had clearly understood only two things: first, that it was the hope of discovering and saving Philip, whom she still pa.s.sionately loved, that had induced Mlle. de Mirandol to make this journey which had terminated so disastrously, and secondly, that Philip only a few weeks before had solemnly renewed an engagement which he had concealed from her.
”What shall I do?” asked the poor girl, as she remembered with a breaking heart her blissful dreams of the evening before.
Her own great love stood face to face with that of Antoinette. Which should be sacrificed? Antoinette's most a.s.suredly, since Philip loved Dolores. But she dare not contemplate such a solution of the problem.
”What!” she thought; ”after the Marquis de Chamondrin has reared me as his own child, I repay his kindness by encouraging his son to disobey his last wishes? No, no! It is impossible! He made him promise to marry Antoinette; and Philip did promise, first his father and afterwards Antoinette. What does it matter if he does love me! When he no longer sees me, he will forget me! Antoinette will again become dear to him.
They will be happy. What am I, that I should destroy the plans that were so dear to the heart of my benefactor? Have I not made one sacrifice, and can I not make another? Come, Dolores, be brave, be strong! If you wed Philip, Antoinette will be miserable. Her disappointment would break her heart; and all your life long, the phantom form of the dear sister whose happiness you had wrecked would stand between your husband and yourself. She is innocent; she does not even know that I love Philip. I have never admitted it to her; I have always concealed the truth. She will be happy; she will feel no remorse, and she will cause peace, resignation and love to descend with healing wings upon the heart of him she so fondly loves.”
Never was there a n.o.bler example of self-denial and renunciation. She had only to utter a single word and Philip was hers forever; but if she must pain Antoinette's tender heart, and fail in respect to her benefactor in order to win happiness, she would have none of it. Such were her reflections as she watched over her sleeping friend.
”Ah!” she murmured, as she sadly gazed upon her; ”why did you not remain in England? Why did you come here? You little know how much misery you have caused me!”
One cannot wonder that a rebellious cry rose from her tortured heart; but the cry did not escape her lips. It was stifled in her inmost soul with the hopes she had just relinquished forever. Suddenly the door opened, and the jailer entered. It was now about ten o'clock in the morning.
”There is a prisoner below who has just arrived, and who wishes to see you, citoyenne.”
”It is he!” thought Dolores, turning pale at the thought of meeting Philip again.
Nevertheless, she armed herself with courage, and went down-stairs with a firm step to welcome Philip. He was awaiting her with feverish impatience. On seeing her, he uttered a cry of joy and sprang forward, crying:
”Dolores, Dolores, at last we meet never again to part!”
”Never?” she asked, faintly.
”Do you not remember my words? If G.o.d, who has united us once more, after a long and cruel separation, saves us from the dangers that threaten us with destruction, shall you not believe that he smiles upon our love? Ah, well! thanks to Coursegol, we shall succeed in making our escape from this place. We shall soon be free!”
”And what is to be Antoinette's fate?'
”Antoinette?”
Dolores looked him full in the eyes and said, with all the firmness she could command:
”You left Antoinette in England, Philip, promising to marry her on your return. She is now in France, in Paris, in this prison. She comes to claim the fulfilment of your promise.”
While Dolores was speaking, Philip's face underwent an entire change, so great was the surprise and emotion caused by this intelligence. When she had finished, he could make no response; he could only lean against the wall of the prison, speechless and motionless.
CHAPTER XIII.
LOVE'S CONFLICTS.
What Philip had just heard filled his heart with grief and consternation. How had Antoinette succeeded in reaching Paris? What had been her object in coming? Dolores repeated the story exactly as Antoinette had told it. When it was ended she simply added: