He
had not made a formal avowal of his love to her, but she was as well
aware of it as if he had, and also of his profound respect for her,
which sentiment is indeed always an accompaniment of a worthy passion.
She knew herself beloved--the knowledge was very sweet to her--and
she felt herself safe from all fear of offence in the company of this
honourable gentleman and true lover. With the delicious embarrassment
of nascent, unavowed love, this young couple wandering by moonlight in
a lonely garden, side by side, arm in arm, only exchanged the most
insignificant, commonplace remarks; but if no undercurrent was betrayed
by actual words, the trembling, voices, long pauses, stifled sighs,
and low, confidential tones told of strong emotions beneath this quiet
surface.
The chamber assigned to the beautiful Yolande de Foix, near that of Mme.
la Marquise, was on this side of the chateau, overlooking the park, and
after she had dismissed her maid, she went to the window to look out
once more upon the exceeding beauty of the night, and caught sight of
de Sigognac and Isabelle, pacing slowly back and forth on the terrace
below, without any other company than their own shadows. Assuredly the
disdainful Yolande, haughty as a goddess, could never have felt anything
but scorn for our poor young baron, past whom she had sometimes flashed
in a whirlwind of light and noise in the chase, and whom she had so
recently cruelly insulted; but still it displeased her to see him
devoting himself thus to a beautiful young girl, to whom he was
undoubtedly making love at that very moment.
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