The Count of Monte Cristo

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sound of her dress brushing the branches, and of her footstep on the
gravel, then raised his eyes with an ineffable smile of thankfulness to
heaven for being permitted to be thus loved, and then also disappeared.
The young man returned home and waited all the evening and all the next
day without getting any message. It was only on the following day,
at about ten o'clock in the morning, as he was starting to call on M.
Deschamps, the notary, that he received from the postman a small billet,
which he knew to be from Valentine, although he had not before seen her
writing. It was to this effect:--

Tears, entreaties, prayers, have availed me nothing. Yesterday, for
two hours, I was at the church of Saint-Phillippe du Roule, and for two
hours I prayed most fervently. Heaven is as inflexible as man, and the
signature of the contract is fixed for this evening at nine o'clock. I
have but one promise and but one heart to give; that promise is pledged
to you, that heart is also yours. This evening, then, at a quarter to
nine at the gate.