Cesarine Dietrich

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 edition. Excerpt: ..."Ah!" she cried, " that is the great question. If he suspected my passion, I should die of grief and shame. "No: there is nothing for you to do but to accept the fact of my being enamoured of another, and to love me well enough to ask my father's pardon for the imputation of wrongs which you have made to him. Tell him the truth, accuse me, explain your own conduct as you please. Tell him that you have no other ambition than to play towards me the part of guardian angel. Justify yourself, give him your word of honor for the future, and leave me to reconcile you. It will not be difficult. He loves you so much, my poor father; he is so unhappy in his disagreement with you." The marquis hesitated to make this promise with reference to M. Dietrich. But Cesarine wept so much and so effectively, that he promised to come to the house that very evening; and he came. She had required me to be silent, in regard to this interview which she had so skilfully brought about, because she wished it to seem that the marquis had come of his own accord. I hesitated about deceiving M. Dietrich. "Can you blame me?" she cried. "Whatever I contrive, to save the life of my father, ought to seem to you a sacred task, that I have arranged with energy, and carried through with tact and devotion. If I had followed your advice of remaining quiet, of hiding myself, of committing no more of what you call my acts of imprudence, the resentment of these two men would have perpetuated itself, and would have led, sooner or later, to a collision. Thanks to me, they will be more attached to each other than ever; and you shall be forever at rest in your mind with regard to your nephew. M. de Kivonniere is not so chivalrous and so generous...