How long these soft addresses, which seemed to soothe the pious petitioner, might have lasted, had she not been disturbed, is uncertain: but she was startled by sounds of more tumultuous sorrow; by sobs, rather than sighs, that seemed bursting forth from more violent, at least, more sudden affliction. She looked round, astonished; and saw Ellis leaning over a monument, and bathed in tears. She arose, and, advancing towards her, said, in an accent of pity, 'Helas, Madame, vous, aussi, pleurez vous votre enfant?'[3] [Footnote 3: 'Alas, Madam! are you, also, deploring the loss of a child?'] 'Ah, mon amie! ma bien! amee amie!' cried Ellis, wiping her eyes, but vainly attempting to repress fresh tears; 't'ai-je cherchee, t'ai-je attendue, t'ai-je si ardemment desiree, pour te retrouver ainsi? pleurant sur un tombeau? Et toi!--ne me rappelle tu pas? M'a tu oubliee?--Gabrielle! ma chere Gabrielle!'[4] [Footnote 4: 'Ah, my friend! my much loved friend! have I sought thee, have I awaited thee, have I so fervently desired thy restoration--to find thee thus? Weeping over a grave? And thou--dost thou not recollect me? Hast thou forgotten me?--Gabriella! my loved Gabriella!'] 'Juste ciel!' exclaimed the other, 'que vois-je? Ma Julie! ma chere, ma tendre amie? Est il bien vrai?--O! peut il etre vrai, qu'il y ait encore du bonheur ici bas pour moi?'[5] [Footnote 5: 'Gracious heaven! what do I behold? My Juliet! my tender friend? Can it be real?--O! can it, indeed, be true, that still any happiness is left on earth for me!'] Locked in each other's arms, pressed to each other's bosoms, they now remained many minutes in speechless agony of emotion, from nearly overpowering surprise, from gusts of ungovernable, irrepressible sorrow, and heart-piercing recollections; though blended with the tenderest sympathy of joy. This touching silent eloquence, these unutterable conflicts between transport and pain, were succeeded by a reciprocation of enquiry, so earnest, so eager, so ardent, that neither of them seemed to have any sensation left of self, from excess of solicitude for the other, till Ellis, looking towards the little grave, said, 'Ah! que ce ne soit plus question de moi?'[6] [Footnote 6: 'Ah!--upon me can you, yet, bestow a thought?'] 'Ah, oui, mon amie,' answered Gabriella, 'ton histoire, tes malheurs, ne peuvent jamais etre aussi terribles, aussi dechirants que les miens! tu n'as pas encore eprouve le bonheur d'etre mere--comment aurois-tu, donc, eprouve, le plus accablant des malheurs? Oh! ce sont des souffrances qui n'ont point de nom; des douleurs qui rendent nulles toutes autres, que la perte d'un Etre pur comme un ange, et tout a soi!'[7]