She walked into the room with a calm, dignified, stately air, and before he could utter one word of his grave remonstrance, attacked him thus: "You wish to speak to me, sir.If it is to apologize to me, I will save your vanity the mortification.I forgive you.""YOU forgive ME!" cried Edouard furiously.
"No violence, if you please," said the lady with cold hauteur."Let us be friends, as Josephine and Raynal are.We cannot be anything more to one another now.You have wounded me too deeply by your jealous, suspicious nature."Edouard gasped for breath, and was so far out-generalled that he accepted the place of defendant."Wasn't I to believe your own lips? Did not Colonel Raynal believe you?""Oh, that's excusable.He did not know me.But you were my lover;you ought to have seen I was forced to deceive poor Raynal.How dare you believe your eyes; much more your ears, against my truth, against my honor; and then to believe such nonsense?" Then, with a grand assumption of superior knowledge, says she, "You little ******ton, how could the child be mine when I wasn't married at all?"At this reproach, Edouard first stared, then grinned."I forgot that," said he.
"Yes, and you forgot the moon isn't made of green cheese.However, if I saw you very humble, and very penitent, I might, perhaps, really forgive you--in time.""No, forgive me at once.I don't understand your angelical, diabolical, incomprehensible ***: who on earth can? forgive me.""Oh! oh! oh! oh!"
Lo! the tears that could not come at a remonstrance were flowing in a stream at his generosity.
"What is the matter now?" said he tenderly.She cried away, but at the same time explained,--"What a f--f--foolish you must be not to see that it is I who am without excuse.You were my betrothed.It was to you I owed my duty; not my sister.I am a wicked, unhappy girl.How you must hate me!""I adore you.There, no more forgiving on either side.Let our only quarrel be who shall love the other best.""Oh, I know how that will be," said the observant toad."You will love me best till you have got me; and then I shall love you best;oh, ever so much."
However, the prospect of loving best did not seem disagreeable to her; for with this announcement she deposited her head on his shoulder, and in that attitude took a little walk with him up and down the Pleasaunce: sixty times; about eight miles.
These two were a happy pair.This wayward, but generous heart never forgot her offence, and his forgiveness.She gave herself to him heart and soul, at the altar, and well she redeemed her vow.He rose high in political life: and paid the penalty of that sort of ambition; his heart was often sore.But by his own hearth sat comfort and ever ready sympathy.Ay, and patient industry to read blue-books, and a ready hand and brain to write diplomatic notes for him, off which the mind glided as from a ball of ice.
In thirty years she never once mentioned the servants to him.
"Oh, let eternal honor crown her name!"
It was only a little bit of heel that Dard had left in Prussia.
More fortunate than his predecessor (Achilles), he got off with a slight but enduring limp.And so the army lost him.
