"Madame," I said, "I have something that I must tell you. I"----
She rose from the couch and came toward me. "Will you wait?" she
interrupted. "May I speak first?" She stood beside me, and I saw how
thin her hand was as it rested on the table. She had been through
danger, starvation. I found myself shaking.
"You went alone through the woods!" I cried, and my voice was hoarse,
so that I had to stop and control it. "Did you suffer? You must have
suffered, madame?"
She smiled up at me. "Monsieur, do not grieve. It is all over. And
the greatest suffering was in my mind. I feared that you would think I
disobeyed you."
I clenched my hands. "Madame, you must not say such things to me."
But she touched her fingers to mine. "Monsieur, I beg you. Hear me
out before you speak. As to my coming here, I promised you that I
would not turn westward,--but I could not help it."
"I know, madame."
"My cousin--he was--he was a spy, after all. He deceived us both. He
was carrying peace belts. But--but I am sure that he had moments of
saying to himself that he would refuse to act the spy. When he lied to
me, and told me that he had no purpose but my safety, I think that he
thought he spoke the truth.
Pages:
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417