Part 13 (1/2)
”In which, as usual, you are wrong He will certainly do so if I ask hi in his voice
”Why, yes You see, I have not yet said that I will be Marquise de La Tour d'Azyr I aes One of them is that it ensures a suitor's coic of your o so far as to say to him: 'Refuse me this, and I shall refuse to be your o so far as that?”
”At need, I ht”
”And do you not see the converse implication? Do you not see that your hands would then be tied, that you would be wanting in honour if afterwards you refused hi that could so tie your hands? Do you think I want to see you damned, Aline?”
Her hand fell away from his arm
”Oh, you are mad!” she exclaimed, quite out of patience
”Possibly But I like my madness There is a thrill in it unknown to such sanity as yours By your leave, Aline, I think I will ride on to Gavrillac”
”Andre, you must not! It is death to you!” In her alarm she backed her horse, and pulled it across the road to bar his way
It was alht by now; but from behind the wrack of clouds overhead a crescent moon sailed out to alleviate the darkness
”Come, now,” she enjoined hie coether thus”
He made up his mind quickly He was not the , and he had no fancy whatever for the gallows of M
de Lesdiguieres' providing The iht be accoly--the voice that M de La Tour d'Azyr i done with life
”Aline, on one condition only”
”And that?”
”That you swear to me you will never seek the aid of M de La Tour d'Azyr on my behalf”
”Since you insist, and as time presses, I consent And now ride on withup”
The lane to which she referred was one that branched off the road soht up the hill to the chateau itself In silence they rode together towards it, and together they turned into that thickly hedged and narrow bypath At a depth of fifty yards she halted hi down from his horse, and surrendered the reins to her
”Aline,” he said, ”I haven't words in which to thank you”
”It isn't necessary,” said she
”But I shall hope to repay you some day”