He was there still.
Instead of throwing open the door, as it had occurred to me to do,
saying, "Let us look for the man, and make sure no one else let him in,"
I laughed out abruptly, as if on a sudden thought, but really to cover
the sound if it should come again.
"Oh, Raoul!" I exclaimed, in the midst of the laughter with which I
surprised him. "You're taking this too seriously. A thousand times I
thank you for trusting me in spite of appearances, but--after all,
_were_ they so much against me? You seem to think I am the only young
woman in this house. Marianne, poor dear, is old enough, it's true. But
I have a _femme de chambre_ and a _cuisiniere_, both under twenty-five,
both pretty, and both engaged to be married." (This was true. Ah, what a
comfort to speak the truth to him!) "Doesn't it occur to you that, at
this very moment, a couple of lovers may be sitting hand in hand on the
seat under the old yew arbour? Can't you imagine how they started and
tried to hold their breath lest you should hear, as you opened the gate
and came up the path?"
"Forgive me!" murmured Raoul, in the depths of remorse again.
"Shall we go and look, or shall we leave them in peace?"
"Leave them in peace, by all means.
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