[Illustration: "SHE SAW M. DE MÉROSAILLES SITTING ON THE GROUND."--_Page 66._] "Is your offence against me to be cured by adding an offence against Heaven and the Church?" And she looked on him with great severity, yet her cheek was flushed, and after a while she did not meet his glance. "How came you here, madame?" he asked in wonder. "I heard," she said, "that you meditated this great sin, and I rode after you to forbid it." "Can you forbid what you cause?" he asked. "I am not the cause of it," she said, "but your own trickery." "It is true. I am not worthy to live," cried the Marquis, smiting the hilt of his sword on the ground. "I pray you, madame, leave me alone to die. For I cannot tear myself from the world so long as I see your face." And as he spoke he knelt on one knee, as though he were doing homage to her. The Princess caught at the bough of the tree under which she stood, and pulled the bough down, so that its leaves half hid her face, and the Marquis saw little more than her eyes from among the foliage. Thus being better able to speak to him, she said softly: "And dare you die, unforgiven?" "I had prayed for forgiveness before you found me, madame," said he. "Of heaven, my lord?" "Of heaven, madame. For of heaven I dare to ask it." The bough swayed up and down; now Osra's gleaming hair, and now her cheek, and always her eyes were seen through the leaves. And presently the Marquis heard a voice asking: "Does heaven forgive unasked?" "Indeed, no," he said, wondering. "And," she said, "are we poor mortals kinder than heaven?" The Marquis rose, and took a step or two towards where the bough swayed up and down, and then knelt again. "A great sinner," said he, "cannot believe himself forgiven." "Then he wrongs the power of which he seeks forgiveness; for forgiveness is divine." "Then I will ask it, and, if I obtain it, I shall die happy." Again the bough swayed: and Osra said: "Nay, if you will die, you may die unforgiven." M. de Mérosailles hearing these words sprang to his feet, and came towards the bough, until he was so close that he touched the green leaves; through them the eyes of Osra gleamed: the sun's rays struck on her eyes, and they danced in the sun; and her cheeks were reddened by the same or some other cause. And the evening was very still, and there were no sounds in the forest. "I cannot believe that you forgive. The crime is so great," said he. "It was great: yet I forgive." "I cannot believe it," said he again, and he looked at the point of his sword, and then he looked through the leaves at the Princess. "I cannot do more than say that if you will live, I will forgive. And we will forget." "By heaven, no," he whispered. "If I must forget to be forgiven, then I will remember and be unforgiven." The faintest laugh reached him from among the foliage. "Then I will forget, and you shall be forgiven," said she. The Marquis put up his hand, and held a leaf aside, and he said again: