His polished manners seemed to me abjectly servile with Edmee. I
should have blushed to imitate them, and yet my sole aim was to surpass
him in the little services he rendered her. We went out into the park.
This was very large, and through it ran the Indre, here merely a pretty
stream. During our walk he made himself agreeable in a thousand ways;
not a violet did he see but he must pluck it to offer to my cousin.
But, when we arrived at the banks of the stream, we found that the plank
which usually enabled one to cross at this particular spot had been
broken and washed away by the storms of a few days before. Without
asking permission, I immediately took Edmee in my arms, and quietly
walked through the stream. The water came up to my waist, but I carried
my cousin at arm's length so securely and skilfully that she did not wet
a single ribbon. M. de la Marche, unwilling to appear more delicate than
myself, did not hesitate to wet his fine clothes and follow me, though
with some rather poor efforts the while to force a laugh. However,
though he had not any burden to carry, he several times stumbled over
the stones which covered the bed of the river, and rejoined us only with
great difficulty. Edmee was far from laughing. I believe that this proof
of my strength and daring, forced on her in spite of herself, terrified
her as an evidence of the love she had stirred in me. She even appeared
to be annoyed; and, as I set her down gently on the bank, said:
"Bernard, I must request you never to play such a prank again.
Pages:
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155