“Why forbid us to speak to him of you sometimes?”
“Oh! never, never, I implore you! My children speak of me to him; I often hear them ask about their mother. If he is deaf to their voices, do you think that he will be moved by yours? Wait until he himself—but he will never ask what has become of me!”
“I cannot believe that he has entirely forgotten you.—But it is late; you must go; it is time for you to be in bed.”
Marguerite took the light, while Eugénie went to look at her children and kiss them once more. But Marguerite led her away and they both left the room, closing the door with great caution.
I listened to their footsteps for a few seconds, until I could no longer hear them. Then I left my hiding-place, and I too kissed my children, but with a keener delight than usual; and, taking equal precautions to make no noise, I returned to my room. The conversation that I had overheard was engraved on my memory, and my course was already resolved upon, my plan of action formed.
XXV
LUCILE AGAIN
On the day following that night which was to change my destiny, I wrote to Pettermann to come to Saint-Mandé to receive some commissions to which I wished him to attend. My faithful German speedily appeared; but he seemed to me to act with some constraint, and when he stood in front of me he did not speak.
“Well, Pettermann, what is there new?” I asked him. “I can see that you have something to tell me; why don’t you speak?”
“Yes, monsieur, yes, I have something to tell you, but I don’t know how to put it.”
“Explain yourself!”