She clung to her mother's neck, and sobbed with her. Presently she
withdrew her face and suddenly hid it in both her hands.
She rose and kissed her mother once more: and went to her own room: and
then, though there was none to see her, she hid her wet, but burning,
cheeks in her hands.
Josephine confined herself for some days to her own room, leaving it
only to go to the chapel in the park, where she spent hours in prayers
for the dead and in self-humiliation. Her "tender conscience" accused
herself bitterly for not having loved this gallant spirit more than she
had.
Camille realized nothing at first; he looked all confused in the
doctor's face, and was silent. Then after awhile he said, "Dead? Raynal
dead?"
"Killed in action."
A red flush came to Camille's face, and his eyes went down to the ground
at his very feet, nor did he once raise them while the doctor told him
how the sad news had come. "Picard the notary brought us the Moniteur,
and there was Commandant Raynal among the killed in a cavalry skirmish."
With this, he took the journal from his pocket, and Camille read it,
with awe-struck, and other feelings he would have been sorry to see
analyzed.
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