Милый друг
A Meeting and the Result
Hereplied:"Iexpectnothing—Ihopenothing—Iloveyou—whateveryoumaydo,Iwillrepeatitsooften,withsomuchforceandardorthatyouwillfinallyunderstandme,andreply:‘Iloveyoutoo.’"
Hefeltherframetrembleassheinvoluntarilyrepeated:"Iloveyoutoo."
Hewasovercomebyastonishment.
"Oh,myGod!"shecontinuedincoherently,"ShouldIsaythattoyou?Ifeelguilty,despicable—I—whohavetwodaughters—butIcannot—cannot—Ineverthought—itwasstrongerthanI—listen—listen—Ihaveneverloved—anyother—butyou—Iswearit—Ihavelovedyouayearinsecret—Ihavesufferedandstruggled—Icannolonger;Iloveyou."Sheweptandherbowedformwasshakenbytheviolenceofheremotion.
Georgesmurmured:"GivemeyourhandthatImaytouch,maypressit."
Sheslowlytookherhandfromherface,heseizeditsaying:"Ishouldliketodrinkyourtears!"
Placingthehandhehelduponhisheartheasked:"Doyoufeelitbeat?"
InafewmomentsthemanGeorgeshadnoticedbeforepassedbythem.WhenMme.Walterheardhimnearher,shesnatchedherfingersfromGeorges’sclaspandcoveredherfacewiththem.Afterthemanhaddisappeared,DuRoyasked,hopingforanotherplaceofmeetingthanLaTrinite:"WhereshallIseeyouto-morrow?"
Shedidnotreply;sheseemedtransformedintoastatueofprayer.
