Sealed Lips — page 251: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SEALED LIPS. 243 “Alas!” thought she, “is there a place in the world that will not recall remembrances that are mixed with sorrow?” The villagers thronged at the religious ceremony, although the greater part of them had never seen three times the one who had been for so shorta time, “the master of Pomeyras.” As they left the church Kemeneff waited for the young woman to pay his respects and touch the tips of her fingers. After this ceremonious formality, all the parish gathered to see him mount the seat of his phaeton, and start off on a trot for Biarritz, to the great dis- appointment of certain prophets. This proceeding of the prince sincerely touched the heart of Godefroid’s widow. She had consid- ered him foralong timeas a true friend, and he was the one in whom she had confided when she wished to recall Patrice to the dying bed. The next day, when he made a visit to Pomeyras, this loyal gentleman laid his heart and his fortune at the young woman’s feet; she seemed to feel only a slight surprise at this, and said, without accept- ing or refusing him, that she was very much touched at his offer. Then she reflected a moment, | leaning her head on her beautiful hand as she often did now since her widowhood. “My dear prince,” said she at last, “I esteem you too much not to open my heart to you. It does not depend upon me to make you ‘the happiest of men,’ to speak in your own language. I swear to EGOmicboo <S,(E(0)