'
'Are you thinking of becoming one of them?' I exclaimed.
'I know not. Not while aught remains to be done for my country.
Even that seems closed to me,' he answered sadly. 'I am unfortunate
man, Madame,' he added; 'I have convictions, and I cannot crush them
as I see others, better than I, can do--by appealing to simple
authority and custom.'
'They kept you from your Counsellor's seat, I know,' said I.
'And made every one, except M. le Premier President, mistrust me for
a conceited fellow. Well, and now they must keep me from casting in
my lot with the recluses who labour and pray at Port Royal aux
Champs, unless I can satisfy myself on scruples that perhaps my
Huguenot breeding, perhaps my conversations with M. votre frere, have
awakened in me. And--and--though I have the leisure, I know my head
and heart are far from being cool enough to decide on points of
theology,' he added, covering his face for a moment with his hand.
'You a recluse of Port Royal! I cannot believe in it,' I said.
'Tell me, Monsieur, is your motive despair? For I know what your
hopes have been.'
'Ah, Madame, then you also know what their overthrown has been,
though you can never know what it has cost me. Those eyes, as clear-
sighted as they are beautiful, saw only too plainly the folly of
expecting anything in the service I was ready to adopt, and scorned
my hopes of thus satisfying her family. I deserved it.
Pages:
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421