France -- History -- Wars of the Vendée, 1793-1832 -- Fiction; Marriage -- Fiction
It betrayed her. She felt it had: so then came the woman’s
instinct--flight: the coward’s impulse--flight: the chaste wife’s
inspiration--flight. She rushed from her hiding-place and made wildly
for the house.
But, unluckily, Camille was at that moment darting round the tree: she
ran right into the danger she meant to flee. He caught her in his arms.
He held her irresistibly. “I have got her; I have got her,” he shouted
in wild triumph. “No! I will not let you go. None but God shall ever
take you from me, and he has spared you to me. You are not dead: you
have kept faith as I have: you have lived. See! look at me. I am alive,
I am well, I am happy. I told Rose that I suffered. If I had suffered
I should remember it. It is all gone at sight of you, my love! my love!
Oh, my Josephine! my love!”
His arm was firm round her waist. His glowing eyes poured love upon her.
She felt his beating heart.
All that passed in her then, what mortal can say? She seemed two women:
that part of her which could not get away from his strong arm lost all
strength to resist, it yielded and thrilled under his embrace, her bosom
heaving madly: all that was free writhed away from him; her face was
averted with a glare of terror, and both her hands put up between his
eyes and it.
“You turn away your head. Rose, she turns away. Speak for me. Scold her;
for I don’t know how to scold her. No answer from either; oh, what has
turned your hearts against me so?”
“Camille,” cried Rose--the tears streaming down her cheeks--“my poor
Camille! leave Beaurepaire. Oh, leave it at once.”
Returned towards her with a look of inquiry.
At that Josephine, like some feeble but nimble wild creature on whom
a grasp has relaxed, writhed away from him and got free: “Farewell!
Farewell!” she cried, in despair’s own voice, and made swiftly for the
house.
Camille stood aghast, and did not follow her.
Now ere she had gone many steps who should meet her right in front but
Jacintha.
“Madame Raynal, the baroness’s carriage is just in sight. I thought
you’d like to know.” Then she bawled proudly to Rose, “I was the first
to call her madame;” and off went Jacintha convinced she had done
something very clever.
This blow turned those three to stone.
Josephine had no longer the power or the wish to fly. “Better so,” she
thought, and she stood cowering.
The great passions that had spoken so loud were struck dumb, and a deep
silence fell upon the place. Madame Raynal’s quivering eye turned slowly
and askant towards Camille, but stopped in terror ere it could see him.
For she knew by this fearful stillness that the truth was creeping on
Camille. And so did Rose.
At last Camille spoke one word in a low whisper.
“Madame?”
Dead silence.
“White? both in white?”
Rose came between him and Josephine, and sobbed out, “Camille, it was
our doing. We drove her to it. O sir, look how afraid of you she is. Do
not reproach her, if you are a man.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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