heart; every tender gesture of hers threatened to choke me. I laughed immoderately, to conceal the real cause of the big tears that started from my heavy eyes, and to disguise the visible agitation of my bosom.
Yet my strange alteration did not escape the Count's keen sightedness. He now took a too small share in the general flow of pleasure as not to be a good observer, and repeatedly extended his hand to me over the table to reconcile me to him. I accepted, but could not have squeezed it for the world. My cheerfulness was so unnatural, so extravagant, that I am astonished it did not strike the whole company.
"Dear Marquis," said he, as soon as we were left to ourselves, "dear Marquis, what ails you?"
I had squeezed myself into a corner of the sofa, absorpt in a profound reverie, averting my weeping eyes from the Count, and turning them towards the window, through which the pale light of the moontrembled.
