Sealed Lips — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

SHALED LIPS. 273 Surprised at receiving no response, she turned toward the old man, her eyes shining with a mel- ancholy light. His eyes were fastened upon a por- trait that he had just observed, and he seemed not to hear her. “Itis my mother,” said she, forgetting for the moment her sorrow. Pere Chrysostome’s confused expression struck her so forcibly. He trembled, and his long beard shook as if agi- tated by a breeze. With effort, he turned his eyes away from the canvas which represented Martscha in all the flush of her young beauty. “My daughter!” he took breath after this word, “nardon the dead, that they may pardon us. But will they? How shall we know?” He arose, pale and exhausted, trying in vain to stand erect. He seemed broken and aged several years in these few moments. He had no other thought than to get out of this house as soon as possible. He was going, leaving in the young woman’s hands the rich offering that he had come to seek. “Ah! Do you forsake me?” exclaimed she, as she saw him about to disappear. “Have I said one word that your ears ought not to have heard? God sees my heart, as he knows my life, I have no act to blush over. Why will you not listen to my troubles?” “Alas!” said the holy man, turning toward her, “God only can heal your wounds. As for me, I GOomMmichbooks (E(0)