I know enough of
you to know that. We will not waste another minute in
explanations; even minutes are precious to us on such a day as
this. By the time you are fit to meet your sister again, I shall
have had time to say all I wish to her, and shall be waiting at
the cottage to tell you the result."
He looked at Trudaine, and his eyes seemed to brighten again with
something of the old energy and sudden decision of the days when
he was a man in office under the Reign of Terror. "Leave it to
me," he said; and, waving his hand, turned away quickly in the
direction of the cottage.
Nearly an hour passed before Trudaine ventured to follow him.
When he at length entered the path which led to the garden gate,
he saw his sister waiting at the cottage door. Her face looked
unusually animated; and she ran forward a step or two to meet
him.
"Oh, Louis!" she said, "I have a confession to make, and I must
beg you to hear it patiently to the end.
You must know that our good Lomaque, though he came in tired
from his walk, occupied himself the first thing, at my request,
in writing the letter which is to secure to us our dear old home
by the banks of the Seine. When he had done, he looked at me, and
said, 'I should like to be present at your happy return to the
house where I first saw you.' 'Oh, come, come with us!' I said
directly. 'I am not an independent man,' he answered; 'I have a
margin of time allowed me at Paris, certainly, but it is not
long--if I were only my own master--' and then he stopped.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250