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La Constantin - Celebrated Crimes by Alexandre Dumas père
page 34 of 93 (36%)
room, but, protected by the distance and the darkness, he let the widow
murmur on, and applied his eye once more to his peephole. What he saw
confirmed his opinion. The damsel was springing up and down, laughing,
gesticulating, and congratulating herself on her unexpected good fortune.

"Just imagine! He loves me like that!" she was saying to herself. "Poor
Jeannin! When I remember how I used to hesitate. How fortunate that
Commander de Jars, one of the most vain and indiscreet of men, never
babbled about me! Yes, we must leave town to-morrow without fail. I
must not give him time to be enlightened by a chance word. But the Duc
de Vitry? I am really sorry for him. However, why did he go away, and
send no word? And then, he's a married man. Ah! if I could only get back
again to court some day!... Who would ever have expected such a thing?
Good God! I must keep talking to myself, to be sure I'm not dreaming.
Yes, he was there, just now, at my feet, saying to me, 'Angelique, you
are going to become my wife.' One thing is sure, he may safely entrust
his honour to my care. It would be infamous to betray a man who loves me
as he does, who will give me his name. Never, no, never will I give him
cause to reproach me! I would rather----"

A loud and confused noise on the stairs interrupted this soliloquy. At
one moment bursts of laughter were heard, and the next angry voices.
Then a loud exclamation, followed by a short silence. Being alarmed at
this disturbance in a house which was usually so quiet, Mademoiselle de
Guerchi approached the door of her room, intending either to call for
protection or to lock herself in, when suddenly it was violently pushed
open. She recoiled with fright, exclaiming--

"Commander de Jars!"

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