I do not care for romances at all--I scarcely ever read them; but Ihave just been making one myself, with which you would not be discontented.This man would astonish you a little; he would please you still more.Some hours ago he seemed lost to me forever.Ibrazened it out.I went in search of him, and when he saw me he surrendered.Only now he was with me on the terrace; his lips touched me here on my hair, and thrilled me from head to foot.Do not feel displeased with me--his are pure and royal lips! They have been touched by the sacred fire; they never have lied; never have there fallen from them other than proud and noble words; they modestly recount the history of a life without blemish Ah! why are you not here? I have a thousand things to say to you, which you alone could comprehend; others do not comprehend me."She began her toilet for the night.When she had unfastened her hair, she remembered that there was One in her chamber who could comprehend everything, and to whom she had yet said nothing.She knelt down, her wealth of hair streaming over her beautiful shoulders, her hands reverently clasped, her eyes fixed on the silver crucifix, and she said, in a low tone:
"Forgive me that I have forgotten thee, thou who never hast forgotten me! I return thanks to thee that thou hast granted my desires; thou hast given me the happiness of which I have dreamed without daring to ask it.Ah, yes, I am happy, perfectly happy! I promise thee that Iwill cast the reflection of my joy among the poor and unfortunate of this world: I will love them as I have never loved them before! When we give them food and drink, we give it also unto thee; and when we give them flowers, this crown of thorns that has wounded thy brow bursts into bloom.I will give them flowers and bread.It is vain to say that thou art a jealous God.Full as may be my heart, thou knowest that there is always room for thee, and that thou never canst knock at the door without my crying: 'Enter; the house and all that therein is belong unto thee! My happiness blesses thee: oh, bless thou it!' "While Mlle.Moriaz thus held communion with her crucifix, Samuel Brohl was rolling along the great highway from Cormeilles to Argenteuil, a distance of six kilometres.His head was held erect, his face was radiant, his eyes were like balls of fire, his temples throbbed, and it seemed to him that his dilated chest might have held the world.He was speaking to himself--murmuring over and over again the same phrase."She is mine!" he repeated to the vines bordering the road, to the mill of Trouillet, to the Sannois Hills, whose vague outlines loomed up against the sky."She is mine!" he cried to the moon, which this evening shone for him alone, whose sole occupation was to gaze upon Samuel Brohl.It was plain to see that she was in the secret, that she knew that before long Samuel Brohl would marry Mlle.Moriaz.
She had donned her festal garments to celebrate this marvellous adventure; her great gleaming face expressed sympathy and joy.
Although he had exhorted his coachman to make haste, Samuel missed the train, which was the last.He decided to put up for the night at Argenteuil, and sought hospitality at the inn of the Coeur-Volant, where he ordered served forthwith a great bowl of punch, his favourite drink.He betook himself to bed in the full expectation of enjoying most delicious dreams; but his sleep was troubled by a truly disagreeable incident.Glorious days are at times succeeded by most wretched nights, and the inn of Coeur-Volant was destined to leave most disagreeable reminiscences with Samuel Brohl.
Towards four o'clock he heard some one knocking at his door, and a voice not unknown to him cried:
"Open, I beseech you!"
He was seized with an insupportable anguish; he felt like one paralyzed, and it was with great difficulty that he rose up in a sitting posture.He remembered that the bolt was drawn, and this reassured him.What was not his stupefied amazement to see the bolt glide back in its shaft! The door opened; some one entered, slowly approached Samuel, drew back the curtains of his bed, and bent towards him, fixing upon him great eager eyes that he recognised.They were singular eyes, these, at once full of sweetness and full of fire, of audacity and of candour; a child, a grand soul, an unbalanced weakling --all this in one was in this gaze.
Samuel Brohl quailed with horror.He tried to speak, but his tongue was powerless to move.He made desperate efforts to unloose it; he finally succeeded in moving his lips, and he murmured:
"Is it you, Abel? I believed you dead."
Evidently Count Abel, the veritable Abel Larinski, was not dead.He was on his feet, his eyes were terribly wide open, and his face never had worn more life-like colouring.Nothing remained but to believe that he had been buried alive, and that he had been resuscitated.In coming forth from the tomb, he had carried with him a portion of its dust; his hair was covered with a singular powder of an earthy hue, and at intervals he shook himself as though to make it fall from him.
With the exception of this there was nothing alarming in his appearance; but a mocking, half-crafty smile played about his lips.
After a long pause, he said to Samuel:
"Yes, it is indeed I.You did not expect me?""Are you sure that you are not dead?" rejoined Samuel.
"Perfectly sure," he replied, once more shaking a mass of dust from his head."Does my return incommode you, Samuel Brohl?" he added.
"Your name is Samuel, I believe; it is a pretty name.Why have you taken mine? You must give it back to me.""Not to-day," pleaded Samuel, in a stifled voice, "nor to-morrow, nor the day after to-morrow; but after the marriage."Count Abel burst out laughing, which was by no means his habit, and which therefore greatly surprised Samuel.Then he cried:
