ill!"

During these terrible reflections, the marshal had not taken his eyes
off his children, and his manly countenance assumed an expression
at once so touching and mournful--his look revealed so painfully the
tortures of his despairing soul--that Rose and Blanche, confused,
alarmed, but yielding together to a spontaneous movement, threw
themselves on their father's neck, and covered him with tears and
caresses. Marshal Simon had not spoken a word; his daughters had not
uttered a sound; and yet all three had at length understood one another.
A sympathetic shock had electrified and mingled those three hearts. Vain
fears, false doubts, lying counsel, all had yielded to the irresistible
emotion which had brought the daughters to their father's arms. A sudden
revelation gave them faith, at the fatal moment when incurable suspicion
was about to separate them forever.

In a second, the marshal felt all this, but words failed him. Pale,
bewildered, kissing the brows, the hair, the hands of his daughters,
weeping, sighing, smiling all in turn, he was wild, delirious, drunk
with happiness. At length, he exclaimed: "I have found them--or rather,
I have never lost them. They loved me, and did not dare to tell me so.
I overawed them. And I thought it was my fault. Heavens! what good that
does! what strength, what heart, what hope!--Ha! ha!" cried he, laughing
and weeping at the same time, whilst he covered his children with
caresses; "they may despise me now, they may harass me now--I defy them
all. My own blue eyes! my sweet blue eyes! look at me well, and inspire
me with new life."

"Oh, father! you love us then as much as we love you?" cried Rose, with
enchanting simplicity.

"And we may often, very often, perhaps every day, throw ourselves on
your neck, embrace you, and prove how glad we are to be with you?"

"Show you, dear father, all the store of love we were heaping up in our
hearts--so sad, alas! that we could not spend it upon you?"

"Tell you aloud all that we think in secret?"

"Yes--you may do so--you may do so," said Marshal Simon, faltering with
joy; "what prevented you, my children? But no; do not answer; enough of
the past!--I know all, I understand all. You misinterpreted my gloom,
and it made you sad; I, in my turn, misinterpreted your sadness. But
never mind; I scarcely know what I am saying to you. I only think of
looking at you--and it dazzles me--it confuses me--it is the dizziness
of joy!"

"Oh,