He saw the queen in her
dress glistening with gold; he saw how she lay on the floor,
stretched at full length, her face turned to the ground, motionless
and rigid.
He saw Henry Howard, who knelt by his beloved and was busy about her
with all the anxiety and agony of a acknowledge her love openly and
frankly; whether her heart had the power to burst that iron band
which the deceitful rules of the world had placed around it; whether
she would acknowledge her lover when he was willing to die for her.
Yes, Geraldine, I wanted to do it, that I might finally know which
feeling is stronger in you--love or pride--and whether you could
then still preserve the mask of indifference, when death was
hovering over your lover's head. Oh, Geraldine, I should deem it a
fairer fate to die united with you, than to be obliged to still
longer endure this life of constraint and hateful etiquette."
"No, no," said she, trembling, "we will not die. My God, life is
indeed so beautiful when you are by my side! And who knows whether a
felicitous and blissful future may not still await us?"
"Oh, should we die, then should we be certain of this blissful
future, my Geraldine. There, above, there is no more separation--no
more renunciation for us. There above, you are mine, and the bloody
image of your husband no longer stands between us."
"It shall no longer do so, even here on earth," whispered Geraldine.
"Come, my beloved; let us fly far, far hence, where no one knows us-
-where we can cast from us all this hated splendor, to live for each
other and for love.
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