第29章

"See, my beloved Eva! my hand trembles as I write these words.I am weak--I am foolish--but, alas! my heart sinks within me.If such a misfortune were to happen to me--Oh, my God!--what would become of our child without thee--without his father--in that barbarous country? But no! the very fear is madness; and yet what a horrible torture is uncertainty! Where may you now be? What are you doing? What has become of you? Pardon these black thoughts, which are sometimes too much for me.They are the cause of my worst moments--for, when free from them, I can at least say to myself: I am proscribed, I am every way unfortunate--

but, at the other end of the world, two hearts still beat for me with affection--yours, my Eva, and our child's!"

Rose could hardly finish this passage; for some seconds her voice was broken by sobs.There was indeed a fatal coincidence between the fears of General Simon and the sad reality; and what could be more touching than these outpourings of the heart, written by the light of a watch-

fire, on the eve of battle, by a soldier who thus sought to soothe the pangs of a separation, which he felt bitterly, but knew not would be eternal?

"Poor general! he is unaware of our misfortune," said Dagobert, after a moment's silence; "but neither has he heard that he has two children, instead of one.That will be at least some consolation.But come, Blanche; do go on reading: I fear that this dwelling on grief fatigues your sister, and she is too much affected by it.Besides, after all, it is only just, that you should take your share of its pleasure and its sorrow."

Blanche took the letter, and Rose, having dried her eyes, laid in her turn her sweet head on the shoulder of her sister, who thus continued:

"I am calmer now, my dear Eva; I left off writing for a moment, and strove to banish those black presentiments.Let us resume our conversation! After discoursing so long about India, I will talk to you a little of Europe.Yesterday evening, one of our people (a trusty fellow) rejoined our outposts.He brought me a letter, which had arrived from France at Calcutta; at length, I have news of my father, and am no longer anxious on his account.This letter is dated in August of last year.I see by its contents, that several other letters, to which he alludes, have either been delayed or lost; for I had not received any for two years before, and was extremely uneasy about him.But my excellent father is the same as ever! Age has not weakened him; his character is as energetic, his health as robust, as in times past--still a workman, still proud of his order, still faithful to his austere republican ideas, still hoping much.

"For he says to me, 'the time is at hand,' and he underlines those words.

He gives me also, as you will see, good news of the family of old Dagobert, our friend--for in truth, my dear Eva, it soothes my grief to think, that this excellent man is with you, that he will have accompanied you in your exile--for I know him--a kernel of gold beneath the rude rind of a soldier! How he must love our child!"

Here Dagobert coughed two or three times, stooped down, and appeared to be seeking on the ground the little red and blue check-handkerchief spread over his knees.He remained thus bent for some seconds, and, when he raised himself, he drew his hand across his moustache.

"How well father knows you!"

"How rightly has he guessed that you would love us!"

"Well, well, children; pass over that!--Let's come to the part where the general speaks of my little Agricola, and of Gabriel, my wife's adopted child.Poor woman! when I think that in three months perhaps--but come, child, read, read," added the old soldier, wishing to conceal his emotion.

"I still hope against hope, my dear Eva, that these pages will one day reach you, and therefore I wish to insert in them all that can be interesting to Dagobert.It will be a consolation to him, to have some news of his family.My father, who is still foreman at Mr.Hardy's, tells me that worthy man has also taken into his house the son of old Dagobert.Agricola works under my father, who is enchanted with him.He is, he tells me, a tall and vigorous lad, who wields the heavy forge-

hammer as if it were a feather, and is light-spirited as he is intelligent and laborious.He is the best workman on the establishment;

and this does not prevent him in the evening, after his hard day's work, when he returns home to his mother, whom he truly loves, from making songs and writing excellent patriotic verses.His poetry is full of fire and energy; his fellow-workmen sing nothing else, and his lays have the power to warm the coldest and the most timid hearts."

"How proud you must be of your son, Dagobert," said Rose, in admiration;

"he writes songs."

"Certainly, it is all very fine--but what pleases me best is, that he is good to his mother, and that he handles the hammer with a will.As for the songs, before he makes a 'Rising of the People,' or a 'Marseillaise,'