Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

" W: town, of 'id pay
" \ i
uvll, if 1 was .Madame
visits. You have
IKT thoughts in words, but nn
'Milder* was si^.n.iieanl enough of the
low estimation in which she held licr young mi
ml.
" "
Well," she said, if Madame \vou't go into town, why docs
ie invite her friends here? "
"
I do not want to see anybody for some days."
"
People must please themselves, I suppose," Zon rejoined m
a tone of resignation; "but if you lead this sort of life much
thai you will go into a decline. I don't know
but that it would lie n:y duly to tell Madame Lescallc what I
tained allusions which marked them as his own, and now that
she knew, by Aloys de Belmont's letter, that he was a poet, she
valued every word, every line, which gave her an insight into
h:3 character a glimpse of his mind.
That day and that night worked a great change in Rose.
r s of strong religious fervor had been awakened in her,
and at the same time a pure though earthly affection was dawn-
ing in her heart. She had discovered in the life of St. Elizabeth
of Hungary that these two feelings are not incompatible. A
strange new happiness sejincd filling her soul during the hours
of that sleepless night, which the foresight of suffering did not
interfere with. Hers might be a sad fate in the eyes of the
world.
It might be God's will that the cloud which hung over her future
life was never to be dissipated, that he whom she now felt
she could have dearly loved, might never care for her, never re-
turn to her; but she now discerned fcomethiug higher and, greater
than earthly love, than earthly happiness. That light which
sometimes breaks slowly on the mind after long years, some-
ifter a life-time of conflict and trial, illuminates others at
our lives.
When three days afterwards Rose ran out to meet her Aunt
Mede, whom she had urgently invited to come and see her, the
eyes of the old lady perceived that a change had
come over her darling niece. The soft, smiling, childish face
was paler than she.' had ever seen it, the dark blue c\ es had :.n
earnest look such a-i she hud never observed in th"in before.
Even in the sound of her voice there was something different
fioni its usual tone.
At first they sp ->kc. of indifferent things, as people do who are
longing and yet afraid to begin an im;>orunt conversation, and
then Rose took her aunt upstairs to the room ncxi to her own,
,!ic hud prepared for her, and made her sit down in an
: he
open
wiudo\\ lie used to do in h'-r
'I herself on a. stool at her feet, her sweet, face
calmly and so wisil'ull'.
; face
whie
T'S DAI
"Arc- you happy, my darling? " hut she did no
" 1 suppose your hu Vmg one of those li
liked so much. Will he
come home for dinner? 1 want to make real acquaintance with
my nep
Two large tears rolled down Rose's cheeks, and a sudden
gave them a deep color.
' Aunt Mede, I have so much
you, so much to ask you. My mind is full of new thoughts, and
such strange, different feelings, I hardly know how to begin tell-
thiuic of it, but if I go to town, who would cook Maduiuc's
dinner? "
'
I forbid you, Zon, to say anything about me to my mother.
In a few days I shall go and see her myself. In the meantime,
'' 1 Zon, do not meddle with what concerns no one but
e!f."
went into her bedroom, taking with her the book which
had made so deep an impression on her mind, and one or two
more in which she had seen pencil marks and annotations in
's hand, and others on the blank leaves of which were
written some unfinished poems, which she read with a beating
heart, for they let her into the secrets of his soul. They coning
you what has happened
'
Happened, my child? What can have happened to you? "
"George has left me."
"Left you? Good heavens, Rose, what do you mean?
When? How?"
"
Four days ago."
"
"And where has he gone?
" To Marseilles."
"With whom?"
"
I am not quite sure; but I think he is staying with a friend
of his a M. de Belmont."
"My dear child, you should not have suffered him to leave
you," Mise Mede said, '
with a look of uneasiness. Who knows
if he is capable of taking care of himself?
"Aunt Mode," Rose exclaimed, " you, and all of us, and his
own family, have made a great mistake about George an ay,
,1
Then Mise Mede's
and tears coursed down her wrinkled
>k her hauds in hers, and, looking
at her ear-
I