"My poor dear Marie!" said Madame de Lescure, almost unconsciously. She
was thinking of her sister's future fate; that she also might have soon
to bewail a husband, torn from her by these savage wars. De Lescure
understood what was passing through her mind, and said:
"I know, love, that there are reasons why they had better remain as they
now are. Why they should not indissolubly bind themselves to each other
at such a time as this; but we must choose the least of evils. You will
both now be a burden--no, I will not say a burden, but a charge--upon
Henri; and he has a right to expect that a girl, who will depend for
everything on him, shall not shrink from the danger of marrying him. She
has been happy to accept his love, and when she may be a comfort to him,
she should not hesitate to give him her hand. Besides, dearest, think
what a comfort it will be to me to know that they are married before I
die."
There was one other subject on which he had made up his mind to speak,
but on which even he, calm and collected as he was, found it difficult
to express himself; he had, however, determined that it was his duty to
do so, and though the words almost refused to come at his bidding, still
he went through his task.
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