"
"Ah! You have withdrawn your heart from me, and you love me no longer."
"I love you. I oppose you only on account of our love and for our mutual
happiness. Obtain the consent of your father; then come for me, and I
will follow you no matter where."
"My father! You do not know him. God only could ever make him yield.
Tell me, then, is this really to be the end of everything? If my father
orders me to marry Claire de Voincourt, must I in that case obey him?"
At this last blow Angelique tottered. Was no torture to be spared her?
She could not restrain this heartbroken cry:
"Oh! that is too much! My sufferings are greater than I can bear. I
beseech you go away quickly and do not be so cruel. Why did you come at
all? I was resigned. I had learned to accept the misfortune of being
no longer loved by you. Yet the moment that I am reassured of your
affection, all my martyrdom recommences; and how can you expect me to
live now?"
Felicien, not aware of the depth of her despair, and thinking that she
had yielded simply to a momentary feeling, repeated his question:
"If my father wishes me to marry her----"
She struggled heroically against her intense suffering; she succeeded
in standing up, notwithstanding that her heart was crushed, and dragging
herself slowly towards the table, as if to make room for him to pass
her, she said:
"Marry her, for it is always necessary to obey.
Pages:
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339