in my thoughts; I
shall forgive more easily, though you cease to love me, remembering how
you have loved me!"

And she began to sob.

Thaddeus, seeing that she wept and implored him so feelingly, and that she
required of him only such a trifle, was moved; sincere sorrow and pity
overcame him, and if he had searched the secrets of his heart, perhaps at
that moment he himself could not have told whether he loved her or not. So
he spoke eagerly:--

"Telimena, so may God's bright lightning strike me, if it be not true that
I have been fond of you--yes, that I have loved you deeply; short were the
moments that we spent together, but so sweetly and so tenderly did they
pass that for long, forever, will they be present to my thoughts, and
Heaven knows that I shall never forget you!"

With a bound Telimena fell upon his neck:--

"This is what I have hoped for; you love me, so I still live! For to-day I
was going to end my life by my own hand! Since you love me, my dear one,
can you abandon me? To you I have given my heart, and to you I will give
my worldly goods; I will follow you everywhere; with you each corner of
the world will be charming; of the wildest wilderness love, believe me,
will make a paradise!"

Thaddeus tore himself from her embrace by force. "What?" said he, "are you
mad? Follow me? Where? How? Shall I, being a common soldier, drag you
after me, as a sutleress?"

"Then we will be espoused," said Telimena.

"No, never!" shouted Thaddeus. "At present I have no intention whatever of
marrying, nor of making love--nonsense! Let's drop the matter! I beg you,
my dear, bethink yourself! Be calm! I am grateful to you, but it is
impossible for us to marry; let us love each other, but just--in different
places. I cannot remain longer; no, no, I must go. Farewell, my Telimena,
I leave to-morrow."

He spoke, pulled his hat over his eyes, and turned aside, meaning to
depart; but Telimena checked him with an eye and countenance like those of
Medusa's head: against his will he had to remain; he looked with terror on
her form; she had become pale, without motion, breath, or life. At last,
stretching out an arm like a sword to transfix him, with her finger aimed
straight at the eyes of Thaddeus, she cried:--

"This is what I wished! Ha, tongue of dragon, heart of viper! I care not
that, infatuated with you, I scorned the Assessor, the Count, and the
Notary, that you seduced me and have now abandoned me in my orphanho