Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/155

Rh saddle. But the young Govaertz half stood up, dragged himself on his knees to the Count, seized his hands, embraced them, bedewed them with his tears, and at last burst out, relieving himself of a torrent of exclamatory words, as though, held in check for so long, he had at last succeeded in bursting free:—

"Oh, Monsieur, pardon! I am mad! I do not know what happens to me, what is going on within me; I have the appearance of being sad, but I am too happy; I seemed to die of joy in hearing you! If I weep it is because you are too good. And then at first, I could scarcely believe. You are not making a jest, are you ? It is really true you will take me to your house?"

The Dykgrave, attracted as he was by this impressionable little peasant, had never expected to encounter such an affectionate nature. He gently familiarised him with the idea of the happiness, which was in store for him, and ended by leaving him in a state of rapture, his face illuminated with joy, after having appointed a meeting for the very next day at Escal-Vigor.