Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/263

Rh Claudie, we could marry and buy up Escal-Vigor …"

"No; Kehlmark shall be my husband. There must be a Countess in a chateau. Besides, he now loves no longer this Blandine."

"But he doesn't love thee anymore for that either."

"But he will love me."

"Never!"

"Why do you say never?"

"Thou'lt see!"

"Listen," she said to him, "thou know'st the usage that prevails in this island; to-morrow is the great day of the Annual Fair, St. Olfgar's day. Now, notwithstanding the Catholic or Protestant bishops, since the time when the women of Smaragdis tore to pieces the apostle who refused himself to their folly, at each Anniversary of the Martyrdom the young girls have the custom of declaring themselves to the timid or backward youth whom they've set eyes upon for husband. I'm going to use this right. To-morrow morning I shall go to Escal-Vigor, and I'm pretty confident of returning from the chateau with the promise of its master."