"Can you, will
you, accept my life for Le Gardeur's? If I die for HIM, will you
forgive my poor blood-stained and deluded brother, and your own?
Yes, Pierre," repeated she, as she raised his hand to her lips and
kissed it, "your brother, as well as mine! Will you forgive him,
Pierre?"
"Amelie! Amelie!" replied he with a voice broken with emotion, "can
you fancy other than that I would forgive him? I forgave Le Gardeur
from the first. In my heart I never accused him of my father's
death. Alas, he knew not what he did! He was but a sword in the
hands of my father's enemies. I forgave him then, darling, and I
forgive him wholly now, for your sake and his own."
"My noble Pierre!" replied she, putting out her arms towards him.
"Why might not God have suffered me to reward such divine goodness?
Thanks, my love! I now die content with all things but parting with
you." She held him fast by his hands, one of which she kept pressed
to her lips. They all looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to
speak again, for her eyes were wide open and fixed with a look of
ineffable love upon the face of Pierre, looking like life, after
life was fled.
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