twithimpatience!”
“Ah!ifyoudie,thewholeaffairwillbesettledwithoutanytroubleaboutnotariesandcontractsIshallonlyhavetoorderaslightmourningdress,whichwillbemuchsoonerpreparedthanthenuptialtrousseau.”
“CruelZoraide!youlaughatthedistressofonewholovesyousodevotedlyasIdo:mytormentisyoursportyouscruplenottostretchmysoulontherackofjealousyfor,denyitasyouwill,Iamcertainyouhavecastencouragingglancesonthatschool-boy,Crimsworthhehaspresumedtofallinlove,whichhedarednothavedoneunlessyouhadgivenhimroomtohope.”
“Whatdoyousay,Francois?DoyousayCrimsworthisinlovewithme?”
“Overheadandears.”
“Hashetoldyouso?”
“No—butIseeitinhisface:heblusheswheneveryournameismentioned.”AlittlelaughofexultingcoquetryannouncedMdlle.Reuter’sgratificationatthispieceofintelligence(whichwasalie,by-the-by—Ihadneverbeensofargoneasthat,afterall).M.Peletproceededtoaskwhatsheintendedtodowithme,intimatingprettyplainly,andnotverygallantly,thatitwasnonsenseforhertothinkoftakingsucha“blanc-bec”asahusband,sinceshemustbeatleasttenyearsolderthanI(wasshethenthirty-two?Ishouldnothavethoughtit).Iheardherdisclaimanyintentionsonthesubject—thedirector,however,stillpressedhertogiveadefiniteanswer.
“Francois,”saidshe,“youarejealous,”andstillshelaughedthen,asifsuddenlyrecollectingthatthiscoquetrywasnotconsistentwiththecharacterformodestdignityshewishedtoestablish,sheproceeded,inademurevoice:“Truly,mydearFrancois,IwillnotdenythatthisyoungEnglishmanmayhavemadesomeattemptstoingratiatehimselfwithmebut,sofarfromgivinghimanyencouragement,IhavealwaystreatedhimwithasmuchreserveasitwaspossibletocombinewithcivilityaffiancedasIamtoyou,Iwouldgivenomanfalsehopesbelieveme,dearfriend.”StillPeletutteredmurmursofdistrust—soIjudged,atleast,fromherreply.
“Whatfolly!HowcouldIpreferanunknownforeignertoyou?Andthen—nottoflatteryourvanity—Crimsworthcouldnotbearcomparisonwithyoueitherphysicallyormentallyheisnotahandsomemanatallsomemaycallhimgentleman-likeandintelligent-looking,butformypart—”
Therestofthesentencewaslostinthedistance,asthepair,risingfromthechairinwhichtheyhadbeenseated,movedaway.Iwaitedtheirreturn,butsoontheopeningandshuttingofadoorinformedmethattheyhadre-enteredthehouseIlistenedalittlelonger,allwasperfectlystillIlistenedmorethananhour—atlastIheardM.Peletcomeinandascendtohischamber.Glancingoncemoretowardsthelongfrontofthegarden-house,Iperceivedthatitssolitarylightwasatlengthextinguishedso,foratime,wasmyfaithinloveandfriendship.Iwenttobed,butsomethingfeverishandfieryhadgotintomyveinswhichpreventedmefromsleepingmuchthatnight.