Page 44 (1/2)

Surely he should have! Yet it was long before he responded He sat

buried in thought of himself, and his position, the vile, the unworthy

position in which her act had placed hiht on hihts became unbearable; and he looked

up andto his feet

"It shall not be!" he cried, in a tone low, but full of fury "You shall

not do it! I will kill him first! I will kill him with this hand! Or--"

a step took hiht him

back exultant, and with a changed face "Or better, ill thwart him

yet See, Mademoiselle, do you see? Heaven is e is open!" His eye shone with excitement, the sweat of sudden

hope stood on his brow as he pointed to the unguarded caseht her by her ar back, staring at him "Oh no, no!" she cried

"Yes, yes! I say!" he responded "You do not understand The way is

open! We can escape, Clotilde, we can escape!"

"I cannot! I cannot!" she wailed, still resisting him

"You are afraid?"

"Afraid?" she repeated the word in a tone of wonder "No, but I cannot

I promised him I cannot And, O God!" she continued, in a sudden

outburst of grief, as the sense of general loss, of the great coedy broke on her and whelmed for the moment her private misery "Why

should we think of ourselves? They are dead, they are dying, ere

ours, e loved! Why should we think to live? What does it matter