Half an hour later I joined Kondjé-Gul again at her house. She had sent

Fanny out of the room, and was waiting for me. When she saw me, she

threw her arm round my neck, and the long pent-up tears seemed to start

from her eyes like a fountain.

"Good heavens!" I exclaimed, "what is it, then?"

And taking her on my knees like a child, I held her in my arms; but she

soon recovered her energy.

"Listen, dear," she said in a firm voice, "you must forgive me for what

I have just done: you must forgive me for having concealed my thoughts

and my troubles from you, even at the risk of distressing you."

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"I forgive you, everything," I answered immediately, "go on, tell me

quickly."

"Well, then! For a whole week I have been deceiving you," she continued,

"by telling you that I had no troubles, and that I did not know the

cause of that sadness which I could not conceal from you. I was afraid

of making you angry with my mother, by confessing to you that it was she

who was tormenting me."

"Your mother!" I exclaimed: "and what had she to say to you, then?"

"You shall hear all," she said, with animation, "for I must justify

myself for having kept a secret from you. I daresay you remember," she

continued, "that a fortnight ago she spoke to me about your marriage,

telling me that you were going to leave me."

"Yes, yes, I understand," I said. "What then?"

"My mother had made me promise to keep this revelation a secret, because

it was necessary, so she said, that Count Kiusko should not suspect that

we loved each other. She said that he had expressly attributed my

refusal to become his wife to some hope which I doubtless entertained of

marrying you."

"Well, go on; tell me what has occurred since."

"You know the state of trouble you found me in that night. I could not

hold back my tears, and you commanded me to tell you all. At last you

reassured me with so much warmth of feeling, that after that I did not

believe anyone but you. Quite happy at the thought of sacrificing myself

to your will, and to your peace of mind, I left off thinking about my

alarms, and regretted them as an insult to our love; I repeated to my

mother all your kind promises, and thought that I had set her mind at

rest. Imagine my astonishment at hearing her, a few days afterwards,

return to the subject: she had seen the count again, who had declared

that your uncle would disinherit you if you did not carry out his

wishes."




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