I could not believe my ears. I waited for her next words. They were hardly audible. At last: “Le pauvre ... tout seul là bas ... et passé ... oh, mon Dieu, par quoi il a passé! Et je ne puis pas être près de lui pour le consoler.”
“Madame, très chère Madame, il faut avoir du courage.”
She paid no attention to me, and kept on repeating, “Mon Dieu, que c’est pénible.... Tout seul là bas!” I put my arms around her and we walked slowly up and down the long room. At last, fearing for her reason, I cried: “Mais Madame—au nom de Dieu—il vit!!”
“Yes, Lili,” she replied, as if new hope inspired her. “Yes, he lives.”
“I entreat you, Madame, don’t lose your courage, don’t give way: think of your children and of the Emperor.”
The Empress considered me with almost painful scrutiny.
“And you, Lili, what of you?”
“Madame, I love you more than anything in this world.”
“Well, Madame, write to him. Think how pleased he will be.” I drew the Empress towards the writing-table, and she sank on a chair.... “Write, dear Madame, write,” I repeated.