Taking the Bastile (67 page)

And she threw herself, pale and trembling, into his arms. A tear fell from Charny’s eyes on the young girl’s brow. ‘You weep; thank God, you love me.’ ‘Yes; but my eldest brother has written to me, and you see I must obey.’

‘Go, then; I will keep you no longer.’ ‘One last kiss.’ Adieu !’

The young girl consented, knowing that nothing could keep Isidore from obeying this order of his brother. She slid from his arms to the ground. The young man looked away, sighed, hesitated, but under the influence of the order he had received, galloped away, casting one lony last look on Catherine. A servant followed him.

Catherine lay alone where she fell, completely closing the narrow way. Just then a man appeared on the top of the hill, towards Villers-Cotter fits, rapidly advancing

444 TAKING THE BASTILLE

towards the farm, and he was very near treading on the inanimate body that lay in the pathway. He lost his balance, stumbled and fell, and was not aware of the body until he touched it.

‘Catherine ‘ said he; ‘Catherine dead?’

He uttered a cry of such agony, that he aroused the very dogs of the farm.

‘Who, who has killed her?’ He sat pale, trembling and inert, with the body on his knees.