"
"Anything else," he muttered. "Ask me anything else. For God's sake, do
not let him dream that I live!"
"But why? You still speak to me in enigmas. To-morrow, moreover, before
we leave, he intends to seek you out as what he thinks you--a soldier
of France. He is interested by all he hears of your career; he was first
interested by what I told him of you when he saw the ivory carvings at
my villa. I asked the little vivandiere to tell you this, but, on second
thoughts it seemed best to see you myself once more, as I had promised."
There was a slow weariness in the utterance of the words. She had said
that she could not reflect on leaving him to such a fate as this of his
in Africa without personal suffering, or without an effort to induce him
to reconsider his decision to condemn himself to it for evermore.
"That French child," she went on rapidly, to cover both the pain that
she felt and that she dealt, "forced her entrance here in a strange
fashion; she wished to see me, I suppose, and to try my courage too.
She is a little brigand, but she had a true and generous nature, and she
loves you very loyally."
"Cigarette?" he asked wearily; his thoughts could not stay for either
the pity or interest for her in this moment. "Oh, no! I trust not.
I have done nothing to win her love, and she is a fierce little
condottiera who disdains all such weakness. She forced her way in here?
That was unpardonable; but she seems to bear a singular dislike to you.
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