But she was so foolish as to love
sincerely and can never, never console herself." This time she was
growing bitter. Her lips quivered, and she passed her hand across her
eyes, once she sobbed softly. Suddenly she drew from her pocket an old
leather book, which she gave him. While, with emotion, he recognized
it as his own note-book, and found on the first page his half effaced
caricature which a comrade in the _Ecole Centrale_ had once sketched,
she took from her bosom an enamelled locket, opened it, and held it
before his eyes. It was a gift from him, and contained a lock of brown
hair--his hair! He could not resist the impulse and clasped her
passionately to his breast, in spite of the people who were passing to
and fro outside of the circle of flowers.
"Do you believe me now?" she asked releasing herself.
His sole answer was to raise her hand to his lips.
She held his right hand firmly. "And you, Rudolf?"
With an involuntary movement, he tried to draw it from her grasp. This
led her to glance quickly at it. The third finger bore a wedding ring.
Pages:
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215