The door of my room was open, and a large looking-glass allowed us to see each other. They spent those six hours in writing, occasionally stopping to talk of I do not know what, but their conversation was evidently a decisive one. The reader can easily realize how much I suffered during that long torture, for I could expect nothing but the total wreck of my happiness.
As soon as the terrible M. d’Antoine had taken leave of her, Henriette came to me, and observing that her eyes were red I heaved a deep sigh, but she tried to smile.
“Shall we go away to-morrow, dearest?”
“Oh! yes, I am ready. Where do you wish me to take you?”
“Anywhere you like, but we must be here in a fortnight.”
“Here! Oh, fatal illusion!”
“Alas! it is so. I have promised to be here to receive the answer to a letter I have just written. We have no violent proceedings to fear, but I cannot bear to remain in Parma.”
“Ah! I curse the hour which brought us to this city. Would you like to go to Milan?”
“Yes.”
“As we are unfortunately compelled to come back, we may as well take with us Caudagna and his sister.”