FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45  
46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   >>   >|  
ans, who were visibly affected by the servant's intentional indiscretion. (Dagobert had ordered him not to speak before the girls of the illness of their governess, and that was quite enough to induce the simpleton to take the first opportunity of doing so.) Rose hastily approached the soldier, and said to him: "Is it true--is it really true that poor Madame Augustine has been attacked with the cholera?" "No--I do not know--I cannot tell," replied the soldier, hesitating; "besides, what is it to you?" "Dagobert, you would conceal from us a calamity," said Blanche. "I remember now your embarrassment, when we spoke to you of our governess." "If she is ill, we ought not to abandon her. She had pity on our sorrows; we ought to pity her sufferings." "Come, sister; come to her room," said Blanche, advancing towards the door, where Rodin had stopped short, and stood listening with growing attention to this unexpected scene, which seemed to give him ample food for thought. "You will not leave this room," said the soldier, sternly, addressing the two sisters. "Dagobert," replied Rose, firmly, "it is a sacred duty, and it would be cowardice not to fulfil it." "I tell you that you shall not leave the room," said the soldier, stamping his foot with impatience. "Dagobert," replied Blanche, with as resolute an air as her sister's, and with a kind of enthusiasm which brought the blood to her fair cheek, "our father, when he left us, give us an admirable example of devotion and duty. He would not forgive us were we to forget the lesson." "What," cried Dagobert, in a rage, and advancing towards the sisters to prevent their quitting the apartment; "you think that if your governess had the cholera, I would let you go to her under the pretext of duty?--Your duty is to live, to live happy, for your father's sake--and for mine into the bargain--so not a word more of such folly!" "We can run no danger by going to our governess in her room," said Rose. "And if there were danger," added Blanche, "we ought not to hesitate. So, Dagobert, be good! and let us pass." Rodin, who had listened to what precedes, with sustained attention, suddenly started, as if a thought had struck him; his eye shone brightly, and an expression of fatal joy illumined his countenance. "Dagobert, do not refuse!" said Blanche. "You would do for us what you reproach us with wishing to do for another." Dagobert had as it were, till now stood
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45  
46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Dagobert

 

Blanche

 

soldier

 
governess
 

replied

 
cholera
 

attention

 

sister

 
advancing
 
father

thought

 

sisters

 
danger
 
quitting
 
forgive
 

brought

 

forget

 

apartment

 

lesson

 
enthusiasm

admirable

 
devotion
 

prevent

 

started

 

struck

 

suddenly

 
sustained
 
listened
 

precedes

 

brightly


expression

 

reproach

 

wishing

 

refuse

 

countenance

 

illumined

 

hesitate

 
bargain
 

resolute

 

pretext


listening
 

Madame

 
Augustine
 
hastily
 
approached
 

hesitating

 

conceal

 
attacked
 
opportunity
 

indiscretion