In the morning, it was barely day-light, Lucie beaming, radiant with beauty, a happy smile brightening her pretty mouth, and her splendid hair in the most fascinating disorder, bursts into my room, and rushes with open arms towards my bed; but when she sees my pale, dejected, and unhappy countenance, she stops short, and her beautiful face taking an expression of sadness and anxiety: "What ails you ?" she asks, with deep sympathy.
"I have had no sleep through the night:" "And why ?" "Because I have made up my mind to impart to you a project which, although fraught with misery to myself, will at least secure me your esteem." "But if your project is to insure my esteem it ought to make you very cheerful.

Only tell me, reverend sir, why, after calling me 'thou' yesterday, you treat me today respectfully, like a lady?
What have I done?
I will get your coffee, and you must tell me everything after you have drunk it; I long to hear you." She goes and returns, I drink the coffee, and seeing that my countenance remains grave she tries to enliven me, contrives to make me smile, and claps her hands for joy.

After putting everything in order, she closes the door because the wind is high, and in her anxiety not to lose one word of what I have to say, she entreats artlessly a little place near me.

I cannot refuse her, for I feel almost lifeless.
I then begin a faithful recital of the fearful state in which her beauty has thrown me, and a vivid picture of all the suffering I have experienced in trying to master my ardent wish to give her some proof of my love; I explain to her that, unable to endure such torture any longer, I see no other safety but in entreating her not to see me any more.

The importance of the subject, the truth of my love, my wish to present my expedient in the light of the heroic effort of a deep and virtuous passion, lend me a peculiar eloquence.