“No, dearest, for I am in the same position as you, and I am certain to live.  Besides, we can hasten our marriage.  As far as I am concerned, I am ready to become your wife to-morrow if you wish it.  We are both free, and my father cannot refuse his consent.”

“You are right, for he would be bound to consent for the sake of his honour.  But I wish to give him a mark of my respect by asking for your hand, and after that everything will soon be ready.  It might be in a week or ten days.”

“So soon?  You will see that my father will say that I am too young.”

“Perhaps he is right.”

“No; I am young, but not too young, and I am certain that I can be your wife.”

I was on burning coals, and I felt that it was impossible for me to resist any longer the ardent fire which was consuming me.

“Oh, my best beloved!” I exclaimed, “do you feel certain of my love?  Do you think me capable of deceiving you?  Are you sure that you will never repent being my wife?”

“More than certain, darling; for you could not wish to make me unhappy.”

“Well, then, let our marriage take place now.  Let God alone receive our mutual pledges; we cannot have a better witness, for He knows the purity of our intentions.  Let us mutually engage our faith, let us unite our destinies and be happy.  We will afterwards legalize our tender love with your father’s consent and with the ceremonies of the Church; in the mean time be mine, entirely mine.”

“Dispose of me, dearest.  I promise to God, I promise to you that, from this very moment and for ever, I will be your faithful wife; I will say the same to my father, to the priest who will bless our union—­in fact, to everybody.”

“I take the same oath towards you, darling, and I can assure you that we are now truly married.  Come to my arms!  Oh, dearest, complete my felicity!”

“Oh, dear! am I indeed so near happiness!”

After kissing her tenderly, I went down to tell the mistress of the house not to disturb us, and not to bring up our dinner until we called for it.  During my short absence, my charming C——­ C——­ had thrown herself dressed on the bed, but I told her that the god of love disapproved of unnecessary veils, and in less than a minute I made of her a new Eve, beautiful in her nakedness as if she had just come out of the hands of the Supreme Artist.  Her skin, as soft as satin, was dazzlingly white, and seemed still more so beside her splendid black hair which I had spread over her alabaster shoulders.  Her slender figure, her prominent hips, her beautifully-modelled bosom, her large eyes, from which flashed the sparkle of amorous desire, everything about her was strikingly beautiful, and presented to my hungry looks the perfection of the mother of love, adorned by all the charms which modesty throws over the attractions of a lovely woman.

Beside myself, I almost feared lest my felicity should not prove real, or lest it should not be made perfect by complete enjoyment, when mischievous love contrived, in so serious a moment, to supply me with a reason for mirth.