"
The marquise quivered with hope. But when, leaning against her
husband, she heard the horrible confidence that Clara now made to him,
the mother fainted. Juanito, on hearing the offer, bounded like a lion
in his cage.
Victor took upon himself to send the guard away, after obtaining from
the marquis a promise of absolute submission. The servants were
delivered to the executioner, who hanged them.
When the family were alone, with no one but Victor to watch them, the
old father rose.
"Juanito!" he said.
Juanito answered only with a motion of his head that signified
refusal, falling back into his chair, and looking at his parents with
dry and awful eyes. Clara went up to him with a cheerful air and sat
upon his knee.
"Dear Juanito," she said, passing her arm around his neck and kissing
his eyelids, "if you knew how sweet death would seem to me if given by
you! Think! I should be spared the odious touch of an executioner. You
would save me from all the woes that await me--and, oh! dear Juanito!
you would not have me belong to any one--therefore--"
Her velvet eyes cast gleams of fire at Victor, as if to rouse in the
heart of Juanito his hatred of the French.
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