The Countess Pharamond - 1895 Author:Rita Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: bore the impress of a sin that tears of blood could never wash away. " Ah, God ! How lightly we sin in youth; how vainly we repent in manhood," he thought in ... more »his heart. The old passion welled up keen and fresh as of yesterday, the love for a woman—wooed—won—betrayed—murdered— so he cried in self-accusation—in that brief bygone youth that had only known for itself one short happy year. His restless feverish steps had taken him somewhat out of his route. He found himself on one of the many bridges of the Seine; the dull water flowing silently at his feet; above, the million gleaming points of starlight. He gazed into those dark and silent depths, and one long shuddering sigh escaped his lips. Would death give her back to him ? Was there—as poets sang and fabled, and priests vaguely taught—some fair and unknown land where soul might be once more in touch with soul, and love, consecrated and purified in fires of suffering, might sigh itself to rest in satisfied content ? And again and again, as in old days of darknes? and trouble and perplexity, the strong man's soul was rent within him, and the cry, vain as all earth's sorrowful cries must ever seem, rang wildly out in the silence: " Oh, for certainty ! For conviction ! For truth !" But the stars shone on. The water flowed. The soft hush and peace of night held all the dusky city in its thrall. Other answer there was none. Other answer there never would be— so it seemed to him 1 CHAPTER III. CONJUGAL BLISS. The Countess Pharamond was sitting alone in her luxurious dressing-room gazing into the fire. Her maid had removed her ball dress and jewels. She was wrapped in a soft gown of white cashmere and lace; her corn-coloured hair, not being long or luxuriant enough for the usual "heroine-like" fashion describe...« less