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As he thought thus, he looked alternately at the ith red curtains and the three ith white curtains The light had almost disappeared from the former; doubtless Madahtlaht on theAt the extre, on the contrary, he saw one of the three s open A wax-light placed on the mantle-piece threw some of its pale rays without, and a shadoas seen for one ht he heard a sob

It cannot be wondered at that his eous, but now disturbed by the two strongest huence of superstitious thoughts Although it was impossible that Valentine should see hiht he heard the shadow at thecall him; his disturbed mind told him so This double error became an irresistible reality, and by one of the inco-place, and with two strides, at the risk of being seen, at the risk of alar discovered by soirl, he crossed the flower-garden, which by the light of thepassed the rows of orange-trees which extended in front of the house, he reached the step, ran quickly up and pushed the door, which opened without offering any resistance Valentine had not seen hi a silvery cloud gliding over the azure, its for towards heaven Her poetic and excited randmother

Meanwhile, Morrel had traversed the anteroo carpeted, prevented his approach being heard, and he had regained that degree of confidence that the presence of M de Villefort even would not have alarmed him He was quite prepared for any such encounter He would at once approach Valentine's father and acknowledge all, begging Villefort to pardon and sanction the love which united two fond and loving hearts Morrel was mad Happily he did not meet any one Now, especially, did he find the description Valentine had given of the interior of the house useful to him; he arrived safely at the top of the staircase, and while he was feeling his way, a sob indicated the direction he was to take He turned back, a door partly open enabled him to see his road, and to hear the voice of one in sorrow He pushed the door open and entered At the other end of the room, under a white sheet which covered it, lay the corpse, stillto Morrel since the account he had so unexpectedly overheard By its side, on her knees, and with her head buried in the cushion of an easy-chair, was Valentine, tre, her hands extended above her head, clasped and stiff She had turned fro in accents that would have affected the ible, for the burning weight of grief alh the open blinds made the lamp appear to burn paler, and cast a sepulchral hue over the whole scene Morrel could not resist this; he was not exemplary for piety, he was not easily i her hands before hihed, and whispered a name, and the head bathed in tears and pressed on the velvet cushion of the chair--a head like that of a Magdalen by Correggio--was raised and turned towards hi the least surprise A heart overwhelrief is insensible to minor emotions Morrel held out his hand to her Valentine, as her only apology for not having an to sob again Neither dared for some time to speak in that room They hesitated to break the silence which death seeth Valentine ventured