"Did you not drive me to hell five days ago? are you not leaving me at
this very moment uncertain whether your love is sincere or not?"
"But how do I know whether your revenge may not lead you to obtain my
life to tarnish it, instead of killing me?"
"Ah! you do not love me! you think of yourself and not of me!" she
said angrily, shedding a few tears.
The coquettish creature well knew the power of her eyes when moistened
by tears.
"Well, then," he cried, beside himself, "take my life, but dry those
tears."
"Oh, my love! my love!" she exclaimed in a stifled voice: "those are
the words, the accents, the looks I have longed for, to allow me to
prefer your happiness to mine. But," she added, "I ask one more proof
of your love, which you say is so great. I wish to stay here only so
long as may be needed to show the company that you are mine. I will
not even drink a glass of water in the house of a woman who has twice
tried to kill me, who is now, perhaps, plotting mischief against us,"
and she showed the marquis the floating corner of Madame du Gua's
drapery. Then she dried her eyes and put her lips to the ear of the
young man, who quivered as he felt the caress of her warm breath. "See
that everything is prepared for my departure," she said; "you shall
take me yourself to Fougeres and there only will I tell you if I love
you.
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