White Lies [153]
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"Tell me you were misled then, fascinated, perverted, but that your heart returned to me. Clear yourself of deliberate deceit, and I will believe and thank you on my knees."
"Heaven have pity on us both!" cried poor Rose.
"On us! Thank you for saying on us. See now, you have not gained happiness by destroying mine. One word--do you love that man?--that Dujardin?"
"You know I do not."
"I am glad of that; since his life is forfeited; if he escapes my friend Raynal, he shall not escape me."
Rose uttered a cry of terror. "Hush! not so loud. The life of Camille! Oh! if he were to die, what would become of--oh, pray do not speak so loud."
"Own then that you DO love him," yelled Edouard; "give me truth, if you have no love to give. Own that you love him, and he shall be safe. It is myself I will kill, for being such a slave as to love you still."
Rose's fortitude gave way.
"I cannot bear it," she cried despairingly; "it is beyond my strength; Edouard, swear to me you will keep what I tell you secret as the grave!"
"Ah!" cried Edouard, all radiant with hope, "I swear."
"Then you are under a delirium. I have deceived, but never wronged you; that unhappy child is not-- Hush! HERE SHE COMES."
The baroness came smiling out, and Josephine's wan, anxious face was seen behind her.
"Well," said the baroness, "is the war at an end? What, are we still silent? Let me try then what I can do. Edouard, lend me your hand."
While Edouard hesitated, Josephine clasped her hands and mutely supplicated him to consent. Her sad face, and the thought of how often she had stood his friend, shook his resolution. He held out his hand, but slowly and reluctantly.
"There is my hand," he groaned.
"And here is mine, mamma," said Rose, smiling to please her mother.
Oh! the mixture of feeling, when her soft warm palm pressed his. How the delicious sense baffled and mystified the cold judgment.
Josephine raised her eyes thankfully to heaven.
While the young lovers yet thrilled at each other's touch, yet could not look one another in the face, a clatter of horses' feet was heard.
"That is Colonel Raynal," said Josephine, with unnatural calmness. "I expected him to-day."
The baroness was at the side window in a moment.
"It is he!--it is he!"
She hurried down to embrace her son.
Josephine went without a word to her own room. Rose followed her the next minute. But in that one minute she worked magic.
She glided up to Edouard, and looked him full in the face: not the sad, depressed, guilty-looking humble Rose of a moment before, but the old high-spirited, and some what imperious girl.
"You have shown yourself noble this day. I am going to trust you as only the noble are trusted. Stay in the house till I can speak to you."
She was gone, and something leaped within Edouard's bosom, and a flood of light seemed to burst in on him. Yet he saw no object clearly: but he saw light.
Rose ran into Josephine's room, and once more surprised her on her knees, and in the very act of hiding something in her bosom.
"What are you doing, Josephine, on your knees?" said she, sternly.
"I have a great trial to go through," was the hesitating answer.
Rose said nothing. She turned paler. She is deceiving me, thought she, and she sat down full of bitterness and terror, and, affecting not to watch Josephine, watched her.
"Go and tell them I am coming, Rose."
"No, Josephine, I will not leave you till this terrible meeting is over. We will encounter him hand in hand, as we used to go when our hearts were one, and we deceived others, but never each other."
At this tender reproach Josephine fell upon her neck and wept.
"I will not deceive you," she said. "I am worse than the poor doctor thinks me. My life is but a little candle that a breath may put out any day."
Rose said nothing, but trembled and watched her keenly.
"My little Henri," said Josephine imploringly, "what would you do with him--if anything should happen to me?"
"What would I do with him?
"Tell me you were misled then, fascinated, perverted, but that your heart returned to me. Clear yourself of deliberate deceit, and I will believe and thank you on my knees."
"Heaven have pity on us both!" cried poor Rose.
"On us! Thank you for saying on us. See now, you have not gained happiness by destroying mine. One word--do you love that man?--that Dujardin?"
"You know I do not."
"I am glad of that; since his life is forfeited; if he escapes my friend Raynal, he shall not escape me."
Rose uttered a cry of terror. "Hush! not so loud. The life of Camille! Oh! if he were to die, what would become of--oh, pray do not speak so loud."
"Own then that you DO love him," yelled Edouard; "give me truth, if you have no love to give. Own that you love him, and he shall be safe. It is myself I will kill, for being such a slave as to love you still."
Rose's fortitude gave way.
"I cannot bear it," she cried despairingly; "it is beyond my strength; Edouard, swear to me you will keep what I tell you secret as the grave!"
"Ah!" cried Edouard, all radiant with hope, "I swear."
"Then you are under a delirium. I have deceived, but never wronged you; that unhappy child is not-- Hush! HERE SHE COMES."
The baroness came smiling out, and Josephine's wan, anxious face was seen behind her.
"Well," said the baroness, "is the war at an end? What, are we still silent? Let me try then what I can do. Edouard, lend me your hand."
While Edouard hesitated, Josephine clasped her hands and mutely supplicated him to consent. Her sad face, and the thought of how often she had stood his friend, shook his resolution. He held out his hand, but slowly and reluctantly.
"There is my hand," he groaned.
"And here is mine, mamma," said Rose, smiling to please her mother.
Oh! the mixture of feeling, when her soft warm palm pressed his. How the delicious sense baffled and mystified the cold judgment.
Josephine raised her eyes thankfully to heaven.
While the young lovers yet thrilled at each other's touch, yet could not look one another in the face, a clatter of horses' feet was heard.
"That is Colonel Raynal," said Josephine, with unnatural calmness. "I expected him to-day."
The baroness was at the side window in a moment.
"It is he!--it is he!"
She hurried down to embrace her son.
Josephine went without a word to her own room. Rose followed her the next minute. But in that one minute she worked magic.
She glided up to Edouard, and looked him full in the face: not the sad, depressed, guilty-looking humble Rose of a moment before, but the old high-spirited, and some what imperious girl.
"You have shown yourself noble this day. I am going to trust you as only the noble are trusted. Stay in the house till I can speak to you."
She was gone, and something leaped within Edouard's bosom, and a flood of light seemed to burst in on him. Yet he saw no object clearly: but he saw light.
Rose ran into Josephine's room, and once more surprised her on her knees, and in the very act of hiding something in her bosom.
"What are you doing, Josephine, on your knees?" said she, sternly.
"I have a great trial to go through," was the hesitating answer.
Rose said nothing. She turned paler. She is deceiving me, thought she, and she sat down full of bitterness and terror, and, affecting not to watch Josephine, watched her.
"Go and tell them I am coming, Rose."
"No, Josephine, I will not leave you till this terrible meeting is over. We will encounter him hand in hand, as we used to go when our hearts were one, and we deceived others, but never each other."
At this tender reproach Josephine fell upon her neck and wept.
"I will not deceive you," she said. "I am worse than the poor doctor thinks me. My life is but a little candle that a breath may put out any day."
Rose said nothing, but trembled and watched her keenly.
"My little Henri," said Josephine imploringly, "what would you do with him--if anything should happen to me?"
"What would I do with him?