Part 12 (1/2)
With heart-rending sobs, she rained kisses on his hands, his lips, his brow; then closing his weary eyes, she whispered tenderly, amid scalding tears, ”Dear father, sleep sweetly; you have earned it well!”
Some movement in the chamber of death attracted Carmen's notice, despite her overwhelming sorrow. She started up quickly. Who dared to intrude upon her thus? It was Jonathan, who was trying to make his escape from the room.
”Jonathan Fricke!” she cried, drawing herself up to her full height and at her call he seemed as if rooted to the ground. She pa.s.sed around the bed, stepped to the table, and moved the lamp so as to throw a brighter light over the calm, placid features of the dead, around whose mouth a happy smile still lingered.
”Look on that face!” she said in a voice of command. Her face was all ablaze with righteous indignation, and she stood menacingly, but wondrously beautiful, before him, like an avenging angel ready to plunge the criminal down into the depths of h.e.l.l.
”Do you see this holy, peaceful rest? Will you be able, some day, to lie down thus when the Lord demands an account of your life? You turn away your eyes, but you will never succeed in banis.h.i.+ng the image of this face from your memory; it will haunt you wherever you go, by day and by night; its perpetual presence will be my father's revenge here below, and his accusation above, before the throne of judgment.”
Humiliated and cowed, Jonathan stood motionless before the scathing contempt of this n.o.ble woman.
”Do not think my father concealed his fault from me,” she continued, her voice growing deeper and more threatening, as if the indignation surging up within her had lent it new power. ”I know everything. I know how it happened; that, in a moment of weakness and temptation, the evil spirit drew near and enticed him. But he sinned in thought only; the All-merciful prevented the deed. How does his sin compare with yours, in the eyes of the One above?”
”I beseech you,” began Jonathan in a cringing tone, ”do not expose me to the community.”
”Go!” she replied. ”I will cast no slur on my father's memory by accusing you. Vengeance belongs to G.o.d alone.”
She began to feel her strength giving way. The terrible agitation of her soul had exhausted her powers. At that moment she looked towards the open door which led to the next room, and saw Alexander and Agatha.
She put her hands out to her husband as if seeking support and comfort and as he hastened towards her, she sank half-fainting on his breast.
”Carmen, my darling, my precious wife, this is a heavy sorrow which you have borne so long!” he said gently.