Amelie felt a thrill, almost painful in its pleasure, agitating her
bosom, as she sat watching the gateway they had entered. It was
even a momentary relief to her that they had turned in there instead
of riding directly to the house. It gave her time to collect her
thoughts and summon all her fortitude for the coming interview. Her
fingers wandered down to the rosary in the folds of her dress, and
the golden bead, which had so often prompted her prayer for the
happiness of Pierre Philibert, seemed to burn to the touch. Her
cheek crimsoned, for a strange thought suddenly intruded--the boy
Pierre Philibert, whose image and memory she had so long and
innocently cherished, was now a man, a soldier, a councillor,
trained in courts and camps! How unmaidenly she had acted,
forgetting all this in her childish prayers until this moment! "I
mean no harm," was all the defence she could think of. Nor had she
time to think more of herself, for, after remaining ten minutes in
the Chateau, just long enough to see the Governor and deliver the
answer of the Intendant to his message, the gray charger emerged
from the gate.
Pages:
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195