Volume Ii Part 65 (2/2)
Luminot's two seconds promised all that they were asked to promise, and hastened to take their leave.
”Now,” said Edmond, ”as the rest of the day is ours, let us go at once to those ladies, who, I am sure, are surprised not to have seen us yet.
But not a syllable concerning the duel!”
”Very good,” said Freluchon; ”provided that some infernal gossip hasn't told them of it already.”
”Let us go; look, messieurs, see how Ami gazes at us and runs to the door! Ah! he divines that we are going to see the persons to whom he is so attached; he is showing us the way.”
After her conversation with Paul, Honorine had hardly been able to sleep at all. Happiness frequently causes insomnia; it often keeps us wider awake than grief.
As soon as day broke, Honorine watched for Agathe to wake; it seemed to her that she slept much longer than usual. At last the girl opened her eyes; and she instantly read on her friend's face that something extraordinary had happened. Having nothing in her head but her love, her first impulse was to cry:
”What has happened to Edmond?”
”To Edmond? Why, nothing new, I imagine. He went to that party, and probably pa.s.sed the night there. As you may imagine, I haven't seen him to-day; it isn't seven o'clock.”
”Then why do you look at me so, my dear love? You certainly have something to tell me!”
”Yes, my dear child, I have to speak to you of your father--to tell you at last why your poor mother never saw him again.”
”Mon Dieu! can it be possible? You know that? Who can have told you?”
”Monsieur Paul Duronceray.”
”He knew my father?”
”Yes.”
”He has seen him, and spoken to him?”
”Yes.”
”My poor father! he is dead, of course; otherwise he would not have abandoned us.”
”He is dead!”
”Oh! my dear love, tell me quickly everything that happened to him!--Speak! speak! I long to hear!”
”I shall have to say much of Monsieur Paul.”
”Speak--I will not lose a word!”
Honorine seated herself on Agathe's bed and told her the story of the fatal liaison between Paul and Thelenie, which resulted in the duel and in her father's death. She concluded thus:
”You have witnessed the regret, the remorse of the man who was the victor in that duel. From that day to this he has never ceased to try to find out what had become of you.--Will not you forgive him, as your father did?”
Agathe wept bitterly.
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