FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147  
148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   >>   >|  
bout us. Frail and sublime creature! she prayed for her love. I raised her in my arms. "Oh! my only friend," I cried, "oh! my mistress, my mother, and my sister! Pray also for me that I may be able to love you as you deserve. Pray that I may have the courage to live; that my heart may be cleansed in your tears; that it may become a holy offering before God and that we may share it together." All was silent about us; above our heads spread the heavens resplendent with stars. "Do you remember," I said, "do you remember the first day?" From that night we never returned to that spot. That rock was an altar which has retained its purity; it is one of the visions of my life, and it still passes before my eyes wreathed in spotless white. CHAPTER IV. BRIGITTE'S LOSS As I was crossing the public square one evening I saw two men standing together; one of them said: "It appears to me that he has ill-treated her." "It is her fault," replied the other; "why choose such a man? He has known only public women; she is paying the price of her folly." I advanced in the darkness to see who was speaking thus, and to hear more if possible; but they passed on as soon as they spied me. I found Brigitte much disturbed; her aunt was seriously ill; she had time for only a few words with me. I did not see her for an entire week; I knew that she had summoned a physician from Paris; finally she sent for me. "My aunt is dead," she said; "I lose the only one left me on earth, I am now alone in the world, and I am going to leave the country." "Am I, then, nothing to you?" "Yes, my friend; you know that I love you, and I often believe that you love me. But how can I count on you? I am your mistress, alas! but you are not my lover. It is for you that Shakespeare has written these sad words: 'Make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal.' And I, Octave," she added, pointing to her mourning costume, "I am reduced to a single color, and I shall not change it for a long time." "Leave the country if you choose; I will either kill myself or I will follow you. Ah! Brigitte," I continued, throwing myself on my knees before her, "you thought you were alone when your aunt died! That is the most cruel punishment you could inflict on me; never have I so keenly felt the misery of my love for you. You must retract those terrible words; I deserve them, but they will kill me. Oh, God! can it be true that I cou
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147  
148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
remember
 

Brigitte

 

choose

 

public

 

country

 
mistress
 
friend
 

deserve

 
keenly
 

inflict


finally

 

retract

 
terrible
 

entire

 
misery
 

summoned

 
physician
 
costume
 

reduced

 

single


mourning

 

pointing

 

Octave

 

thought

 

continued

 

follow

 

throwing

 

change

 

Shakespeare

 

written


punishment

 
doublet
 

changeable

 

taffeta

 

resplendent

 
heavens
 

spread

 
retained
 

purity

 
visions

returned
 

silent

 
mother
 
raised
 

prayed

 

sublime

 
creature
 

sister

 
offering
 

cleansed