Page:Clermont - Roche (1798, volume 4).djvu/275

This page needs to be proofread.

to give his daughter to the supposed son of Josephe.


But he was still more in the power of Lafroy than he imagined: Lafroy and Claude had watched the meeting between the brothers; and on Lausane's flying from the bleeding body of Philippe, they hastened to it. As they bent over it with a kind of savage triumph at the success of the execrable scheme they had been concerned in, they suddenly beheld it tremble. Lafroy was startled, and laid his hand upon the breast; he felt the heart faintly flutter; "Lausane (he exclaimed), has but ill-performed the work we gave him."

"I'll try if I cannot do it better," said Claude, and he snatched up the dagger, with which Lausane had stabbed Lord Philippe, and which lay beside him.

"Hold! (cried Lafroy, catching his arm as he raised it for the purpose of striking Lord Philippe to the heart), a thought strikes me—we had better endeavour to pre-