fiendish joy
in his eyes. But he protested, or pretended to protest. With feigned
energy he refused to accept such a sacrifice. He could not link my
destiny to his, for misery had ever been his lot; and now that this last
and most terrible misfortune had overtaken him, he was more than ever
convinced that there was a curse hanging over him! He would not suffer
me to bring misery upon myself, and eternal remorse upon him. But the
more he repulsed me, the more obstinately I clung to him. The more
forcibly he showed the horror of the sacrifice, the more I was convinced
that my honor compelled me to make it. So at last he yielded, or seemed
to yield, with transports of gratitude and love. 'Well! yes, I accept
your sacrifice, my darling!' he exclaimed. 'I accept it; and before the
God who is looking down upon us, I swear that I will do all that is in
human power to repay such sublime and marvellous devotion.' And, bending
over me, he printed a kiss upon my forehead. 'But we must fly!' he
resumed, quickly. 'I have my happiness to defend now! I will not suffer
any one to discover us and separate us now. We must start at once,
without losing a moment, and gain my native land, America. There, we
shall be safe. For rest assured they will search for us. Who knows but
even now the officers of the law are upon our track? Your family is
all-powerful--I am a mere nobody--we should be crushed if they discover
us. They would bury you in a gloomy cloister, and I should be tried as
a common thief, or as a vile assassin.' My only answer was: 'Let us go!
Let us go at once!'

"It had been easy for him to foresee what the result of this interview
would be. A vehicle was indeed waiting at the door, but not for
the purpose of conveying me to the Hotel de Chalusse--as was proved
conclusively by the fact that his trunks were already strapped upon it.
Besides, the coachman must have received his instructions in advance for
he drove us straight to the Havre Railway station without a word. It
was not until some months afterward that these trifles, which entirely
escaped my notice at the time, opened my eyes to the truth. When we
reached the station we found a train ready to start, and we took our
places in it. I tried to quiet my conscience with miserable sophistries.
Remembering that God has said to woman: To follow thy husband thou shalt
abandon all else, native land, paternal home, parents and friends, I
told myself that this was the husband who