Just God! she had found him. Could it be, then, that Heaven willed his death? She suppressed a cry that rose to her lips, and slipped into the ditch beside him. “You were looking for me?” he asked. “Yes,” she replied bewilderedly, scarce knowing what she was saying. [Pg 118] [Pg 118] “Ah! what has happened?” She stammered, with eyes downcast: “Why, nothing; I was anxious, I wanted to see you.” Thereupon, his fears alleviated, he went on to tell her how it was that he had remained in the vicinity. He was alarmed for them. Those rascally Prussians were not above wreaking their vengeance on women and old men. All had ended well, however, and he added, laughing: “The wedding will be put off for a week, that’s all.” He became serious, however, upon noticing that her dejection did not pass away. “But what is the matter? You are concealing something from me.” “No, I give you my word I am not. I am tired; I ran all the way here.” He kissed her, saying it was imprudent for them both to talk there any longer, and was about to climb out of the ditch in order to return to the forest. She stopped him; she was trembling violently. [Pg 119] [Pg 119] “Listen, Dominique; perhaps it will be as well for you to stay here, after all. There is no one looking for you; you have nothing to fear.” “Françoise, you are concealing something from me,” he said again. Again she protested that she was concealing nothing. She only liked to know that he was near her. And there were other reasons still that she gave in stammering accents. Her manner was so strange that no consideration could now have induced him to go away. He believed, moreover, that the French would return presently. Troops had been seen
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