"
"Thanks, good mother! But we bring a heavy burden with us. No one
but God can tell the weight and the pain of it!" said Amelie sadly.
"I know, Amelie, I know; but what says our blessed Lord? 'Come unto
me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest.'"
"I seek not rest, good mother," replied she sadly, "but a place for
penance, to melt Heaven with prayers for the innocent blood that has
been shed to-day, that it be not recorded forever against my
brother. Oh, Mere Esther, you know my brother, Le Gardeur; how
generous and kind he was! You have heard of the terrible occurrence
in the market-place?"
"Yes, I have heard," said the nun. "Bad news reaches us ever
soonest. It fills me with amazement that one so noble as your
brother should have done so terrible a deed."
"Oh, Mere Esther!" exclaimed Amelie eagerly, "it was not Le Gardeur
in his senses who did it. No, he never knowingly struck the blow
that has killed me as well as the good Bourgeois! Alas! he knew not
what he did. But still he has done it, and my remaining time left
on earth must be spent in sackcloth and ashes, beseeching God for
pardon and mercy for him.
Pages:
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
1060
1061
1062
1063
1064
1065
1066
1067
1068
1069
1070
1071
1072
1073
1074
1075
1076