José — page 243: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

236 JOSE. no more to you,” he said, calmly; “one thing I would ask of you, however; that you will not to- day give the servants cause for gossip. Show your- self; take a walk around the fort in my company— it will give you a clear insight into the state of the situation and exert a surprising influence on the men in the time of danger that is on the threshold and which you will certainly have to share with us anyway. You mayrest secure from any fear of familiarity on my part, nor shall anything be per- mitted to affect the right of your final decision.” “Right of decision!” answered the girl, slowly raising her eyes; “that means fly if you can, refuse if you would be destroyed in consequence.” “And would you blame me for the force of circum- stances?” cried the young man, in a tone of despair; “did you not accompany me across the plains of your own free will, or did you previously give me but the slightest intimation that my hopes, which you could not but guess, were vain?” “Refrain from reiterating, since after all it can jead to no possible good,” she said, lowering her head and with difficulty suppressing a sigh; “I will be ready to accompany you in an hour.” He left the room in silence and visibly depressed ; she remained standing a little while longer in the center of the room, gazing fixedly at the floor. A convulsive shudder at last seemed to creep over her frame; then she locked the door and approached the mirror to complete her toilet. <A pale, suffering face peered at her from the glass. She almost re- joiced at the change; in her odious situation, to which she believed herself hopelessly abandoned. it afforded her a cruel satisfaction. Tediously and with frequent interruptions, during which her Gomichbooks (E(0)