He thought that there must be a mistake in the name, or else that
it was a commission that had been entrusted to him. No! it was
from the French manufacturer whose working expenses he had reduced
so greatly. He permitted himself, he wrote, to send this as a
modest honorarium. He had not been able to do so sooner, but now
hoped that it would not end there. He awaited Rafael's
acknowledgment with great anxiety, as he was not sure of his
address.
Rafael was up and dressed in a trice. He told his news to every
one, ran down to his mother and up again; but he had not been a
moment alone before the superabundance of happiness and sense of
victory frightened him. Now there must be an end of all this, now
he would go home. He had not had the slightest prickings of
conscience, the slightest longings, until now; all at once they
were uncontrollable. SHE stood upon the hilltop, pure and noble.
It became agonising. He must go at once, or it would drive him
mad. This anxiety was made less acute by the sight of his mother's
sincere pleasure. She came up to him when she heard that he had
shut himself into his room.
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