The
melancholy of your air induced me to suspect that you were not happy,
and my sole wish in penetrating your reserve was to show you that a
woman can be a sincere friend."
Tears of gratitude glistened in the count's eyes. Incapable of making
a suitable reply, he pressed her hand to his lips. She rose; and
willing to relieve a sensibility that delighted her, added, "I will
not detain you longer: only let me see you soon."
Thaddeus uttered a few inarticulate words, whose significancy
conveyed nothing, but all he felt was declared in their confusion.
The countess's eloquent smile showed that she comprehended their
meaning; and he left the room.
CHAPTER XX.
WOMAN'S KINDNESS.
On the count's return home, he found General Butzou in better
spirits, still poring over his journal. This book seemed to be the
representative of all which had ever been dear to him. He dwelt upon
it and talked about it with a doating eagerness bordering on
insanity.
These symptoms, increasing from day to day, gave his young friend
considerable uneasiness. He listened with pain to the fond dreams
which took possession of the poor old man, who delighted in saying
that much might yet be done in Poland when he should be recovered,
and they be enabled to return together to Warsaw, and stimulate the
people to resume their rights.
Thaddeus at first attempted to prove the emptiness of these schemes;
but seeing that contradiction on this head threw the general into
deeper despondency, he thought it better to affect the same
sentiments, too well perceiving that death would soon terminate these
visions with the venerable dreamer's life.
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