MADEMOISELLE DE MERSAO

N R R I W E . O S .

’ A U T H O R O F ‘ H E A P S O F M O N E !

IN THREE VO L U M E S

VO L . II .

L O N D O N

L 1 5 WA E LO O LA CE S M I TH E D E R C O . , , , T R P 1880

[A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d !

n a n /mm

C O NT E NT S

T H E M E S E C O N D V O L U .

E CHA PT R XIV . P A GE

DE S T - L S H W I M SE F HI s R E C RS M . AIN UC O S H L IN T U OLOU 1

HA E V C PT R X .

THE BEG INNI NG O F TROUB LE

CHA PTE R XVI .

M AD AM E DE VAUBLANC S TI BS UP E VIL P A S-SIGNS

CHA E VII PT R X .

I DE N'I VI E IL L E TE S L D R N WHI CH M . F O LL AN O S TO !

CHA E R VIII PT X .

I N WHI C M DE S AINT- L C EARS O F S OM ET IN TO H . U H H G HI s A DVANTAGE v i CONTENTS O F THE SECOND VOLU ME .

E CHA PT R XIX . PA G E J EANNE AR RELS WIT FANC ETTE AND LEO N SIN S QU H H , G ’ THE ‘ M ARS E ILLAISE

CHA E XX PT R . O N THE ROAD TO LA TRAPPE

CHA E I PT R XX .

A N U NROM ANTIC PART I NG

CH E II A PT R XX .

’ ‘ T HAT IM BECIL E O F AN E M PEROR

CHA E III PT R XX . IN WHICH LEON A SSERTS HIS INDEPENDENCE

A E CH PT R XXIV . CHANGES

CHA E V PT R XX .

IN WHICH LEON PLA! S THE PART O F BA! AR D To A LIM ITED A UDIENCE

CHA E VI PT R XX . T HE LAST E VENING MADEMOISELLE DE MERSAC .

H PTE R XI C A V.

D E A N - L U C H W H F I N HI M . S I T S O S IMSEL S TRUE

COLOURS .

E V ! B ! kn ows ER OD what it is to wake gasping ,

n of trembli g , shuddering out some gruesome dream— to feel even yet the tearing claws and

n fangs of an imagi ary tiger, or the tremendous shock of a fancied railway collision . Gradually — -very gradually the mind of the suff erer shakes

r of d its elf free f om the hold the read Vision . He

his mi o rolls eyes round the fa liar walls of his ro m , and thankfully perceives that he is still there , and

of not in a Newgate cell after conviction forgery .

his He feels for right leg, and discovers that those

wh o two bloodthirsty surgeons , a moment since ,

S off were licing and sawing it , existed only in a

a disordered imagination . He re lises , with a deep

L . B VO II . 2 A N SA M DEMOISELLE DE ER C .

i of a s gh relief, that he did not m rry hideous old

f o th e M rs . Moneypenny yesterday morning r sake of her wealth nor hear of the collapse of the n u der takin h was i g in whic his Whole fortune nvolved .

S d w Nevertheless , some ha o of the grim horror Will h a v exi n ang over him yet for n hour or two , g him w ith a vague uneasiness , and , it is to be hoped , impressing him With an increased appreciation of the Virtue of abstemiousness . But if such waking sensations be unpleasant enough , how far more t I s ! errible their converse Calm , peaceful night i steals away , bright morning comes with sunsh ne

‘ a n d stir and sound of voices , and behold health,

mn ar e bu t n r a idl o wealth , content e t; p y evap rating

an d n i htmar e l that ! Visions , it is the g is the reality Alas ! it is tr u e that you are a convicted criminal — n . R did . Messrs Brow , Jones , and obinson put up

' t sh u tter s esterda en h , eir y y morning, sure ough

W th at br own th e hat is , fuzzy object on dressing

’ ? old ? table Can it be an woman s Wig Oh , h h O rr or ! W - orror , hat is done is done , and can

n in s oe u la s ce l ever be obliterated c cu or u m.

M er sac Poor Léon de , starting out of a deep ,

d . reamless slumber , to find himself in a strange

n to room , and strivi g recollect where he was and h ow e his he had come there , f lt heart die within A N A M DEMOISELLE DE ERS C . 3 him as the events of th e past night slowly return ed

u l was to his memory . His first imp se to pop his

u n - head der the bed clothes , and to make a de spairin g effort to get back into oblivion ; but he

r ve y soon found that that would not do . Who

? Th e can fight against patient , inexorable fate

l his als si ly ostrich hides head in the sand , and f l a prey to the hunter ; th e little diver - duck bobs t under water , time af er time , to escape from the

u n - h g barrel that is aimed at him , but gets s ot in the long run ; and Léon , coming up to the sur

at to f face length , with a groan , had con ront a f u n eat little column o fig res terminating in an im¢ posing total of fr . A knock at the door roused him from his woebegone contemplation of this tangible evidence

’ of i an d - calam ty , presently in stepped Saint Luc s

- - i valet , a dapper , smooth shaven , soft footed l ttle

n fellow , with twi kling black eyes and a perpetual

as l smile upon his thin lips . W M! e Marquis sufficiently reposed ? he inquired in his pretty mincing Parisian French . He had been in once ff l M . e twice before with co ee , but Marquis was so profoundly asleep that he had not ventured to disturb him; and now it wa s already p as t ten

’ l him as k . e o clock , and M Vicomte had sent to

B 2 A M E R S A C 4 M DEMOISELLE DE .

‘ le f or e e ii whether M . Marquis would be ready d J ’

in . ner an hour s time Then , having arranged upon the toilet - table and the sofa sundry articles

r t i — u which he had b ough w th him br shes , razors ,

—h e a clean shirt, and other necessaries requested

in d i . le M Marquis , case ‘he shoul requ re anything f the t e urther, to give himself roubl to touch the

l . be l , and noiselessly withdrew W ith a heart as heavy as lead , Léon got up , and dressed himself I wonder Saint-Luc is not

’ u afraid to trust me with a razor, he tho ght , smil

as He ing grimly he took up that implement . w w did not, however , allo his mind to d ell upon

- self destruction, having finally disposed of that

v bu t question o ernight , shaved himself with a

as tolerably steady hand ; and , soon as his toilet

a was completed , crossed the pass ge and entered

’ - his friend s sitting room . A i pleasant rush of l ght and colour, and a n fragrant sce t of flowers and fruit , met him on

- the threshold . Beyond the wide open French f windows was a balcony , whose luttering striped

n w u of aw ing , hile it shut out the f ll glare the sun , did not exclude a glimpse of blue sparkling sea

- and snowy distant sails . On a breakfast table ,

w n d a prepared for two persons , ere arra ge v ses of A D E N R A M DEMOISELLE E S C . 0

di w n e flowers and shes piled up ith ora ges , grap s ,

s of banana , and pomegranates the silvered necks two bottles of champagne protruded from their

- - ls an d - n i ice pai ; there , reclini g in a camp cha r

ai - was S nt Luc himself, gorgeous in a crimson silk

in - n u i c on ? dress g jacket , and perusi g , with tranq l ten tmen t on e of of s ar , a batch new papers just rived from France . Th e sight of all this bright cheerfu lness smote the incomer with a sensation of incongruity n ot

He unmix ed with injury . had hitherto been so completely occupied with eff orts to realise and ll him meet the catastrophe that had befa en , that he had hardly foun d room in his mind f or any

i of i wh o feel ng resentment aga nst the man had ,

c m a in so una countable a anner, been its c use ;

n ow e to a but he did b gin wonder, with a cert in

’ e d dull pain , why he should have b en treate with

To win such deliberate cruelty . a small fortune

ri wa of of your f end is allowable , and only the y ’ d Imf ortu n ate the world , I suppose , reflecte this

n r a you g philosopher , but su ely it is sc rcely good taste to invite himto make merry over his

’ own ru in .

- Fi a r o Saint Luc tossed away the g , and held

S o ou ou out his hand . here y are at last , y lazy 6 A M E R S A M DEMOISELLE DE C .

’ - fellow , he cried in the most light hearted manner ? in the world . And how are you this morning

’ -the better f or your long sleep ?

as his Léon , with a face as long arm , replied

very solemnly that he was well enough . A llon s ! so much the better And I hope

n you have a good appetite . For my part, I ai — ravenous nothing m akes me so hungry as . a D sleepless night . o you like fresh sardines and ’ t w écrevisses ? I have ordered some . I don kno

men u what the rest of the is , but I told them to

put some quails in it . One does not always dine i well in this country, but , heaven be pra sed , one can generally count upon a very tolerable break

’ ’ n a n I ca t say I feel much disposed to eat ,

- swer ed L eon w a . , with a gro ing sense of ill us ge The truth is that I am in great trouble about my losses last night ; and my only reason f or remaining here was that I must have a talk with you ! ‘ Ah , bah interrupted the other ; let us leave all that till after breakfast ; there is no n ec es

A n d t of sity for worrying ourselves about it n ow. cou rse you know that I amnot likely to press you

l ou l as for payment . Besides , such uck as y had t D E M A C M ADEMOISELLE ER S . 1

s n night mu t change before lo g . Very likely another evening at lan squenet may leave me in

’ your debt .

‘ L eon shook his hea d . I have made up my

’ mind , he said , that I will never play for money

’ again so long as I live .

’ ‘ R a ? i - him e lly said Sa nt Luc , looking at

ou n w cur iously . And y imagi e that you ill keep

" that res olution ?

‘ ’ ‘

mu s t so a . I do , nswered Léon , simply I

’ have sworn it .

W ou . Ah ell , I think y are right But it is a pity that men invar iably - ta ke these oaths at the

i in n t w . o t s rong moment It is after w nn g , af er lo ing ,

’ on e di to — that should bid a eu the gaming table . Then the waite r ca me in with a tray fu ll of good things on his shoulder ; an d f or the next three -quarters of an hou r the con versation tu rned upon all manner of topics save the on e which

all h mi s must , the time , ave been present in the nd

- of both entertainer and g uest . Saint Luc did

of al n him most the t ki g , and did it well , exerting

an d g self to interest and amuse his hearer, meetin

of s with some measure succes , though the latter

mor e n u felt more and , every minute , the si g lar

of t lack sympathy shown owards him , and had M E R A 8 MADEMOISELLE DE S C .

to summon up a large reserve - fund of pride to

mor tifi ati n But ff cover his c o . when black co ee

h ad and cigarettes succeeded to dessert, Léon

ri thought he might , Without improp ety , discharge

himself of his unpalatable task . ’ owe - About that money I you , Saint Luc , he

began . w The Vicomte ble a cloud of smoke , and nodded d to signify that he was atten ing . I can pay you a part of it almost immediately ;

ask a f ew for the rest I must you to w it a months ,

d n ot or perhaps longer . I nee trouble you with details ; but when I tell you that I shall have to find a n ew home for Madame de Breuil and

ou u Jeanne , y will nderstand how painful any

’ u hurry wo ld be to me .

' You don t mean to say that you think of

a - selling the Camp gne exclaimed Saint Luc .

’ Unfortunately I have no choice .

’ And the farm too ?

A a . Wh c an part of it, cert inly y, what else D ? . I do cried Léon , with some impatience o you suppose I have francs at the bank ? Is it really so large a sum as that ? If you will look at the different ac kn owledg ’ L eon ments I handed to you last night , answered , A M E R S A C M DEMOISELLE DE . 9

with suppressed exasperation , you will find that I am in your debt to the amount of exactly

’ francs .

- l Saint Luc , in a eisurely manner, drew forth from his waistcoat- pocket a roll of crumpled

on papers , spread them the table before him , and made a calculation with the aid of a pencil an d

’ - . h e . pocket book Quite right , said at length That is the exact amount I took down after an

was original stake of ten napoleons . It certainly a

’ wonderful run .

’ o I supp se so . Wonderful ! I can ’t at this moment call to

ou d having seen such another . Of course y pay me when and where you please . In the meantime , I suppose you fully understand that — these slips of paper ar e Virtually money money

’ paid by you to me .

’ L eon Undoubtedly , answered , with a gather ing frown on his brow which altogether failed to

’ i n i d sturb his compa on s equilibrium . S o that to all intents and pu rposes I may n ow

f of consider mysel in possession francs , to do what I like with . Now there are many ’ - h ways, continued Saint Luc , stretching imself ou t comfortably in his chair , of spending money 10 A M E R S A C M DEMOISELLE DE .

won at cards . Looking back upon the rare occa

“ sions in my past life when I have netted large

wa sums in this y, I find that my invariable custom

of has been to throw them out the window , so to

s peak , with all possible despatch . I have never

‘ failed to repent of so doing , and have always, I

believe , declared that nothing would induce . me

to make such a fool of myself again . In the present i t nstance , however , I do not intend to depar from

r my usual course . I propose to send you money

out of the window much more quickly th an u l ever sent any mone y before and I anticipate f m ’ nothing but satis action fro the process .

n - And suiti g the action to the word , Saint Luc

hastily tore up the sheaf of papers which he held ,

to and stepping out on the balcony, scattered the a fr gments to the four winds .

h e Then returned , threw himself into his chair

a ou t . gain , and burst laughing

’ Confess , now, he said , you have been think ing all this time that you were breakfasting with

- ? W a card sharper, have you not hat an opinion you must have had of me to believe that I was going to ruin you and turn your sister out of " ! Wh doors l y, my dear boy, I did not want to Win

e so ‘ “ n ven , much as two hu dred francs of your A M E R S A C 1 1 M D EMOISELLE DE .

t — ’ money . I put up that s ake why, I don t quite

n — n i won l et ou on k ow inte d ng , if I , to y go doubling till it fell into your hands . Then came those confounded even cards and their absurd t u ou . r le , which put me a good deal I could see nothing f or it but to persevere till I lost ; but I was f or uneasy , I saw that you had completely lost your head (you may perhaps remember that

e ou u l do I warn d you beforehand that y wo d so), and it was evident to me that you would continue to play like a lunatic as long as you could get

u to anyone to play with you . Then it occ rred me that if I could give you a sudden overwhelm in ou g shock, it would bring y to your senses , send

ou ou y straight home , and make y swear never to m . c o touch a card again The event , you see ,

l etel n l p y justified my forecast . My o y fea r was that you might have enough of common sense to perceive that no gentleman coul d by any possi bilit i . y act as I appeared to be do ng But that , it

was l ! ou seems , a ground ess alarm . must forgive me for having frightened you ou t of your wits ;

ou t k and some day y will , no doub , even than me ; for I presume that a man of your simple habits

s s n ou con ider an oath as bindi g , and that y have

’ played your last game at lansquenet . 12 A E M E R S A C M DEMOISELL DE .

w th e Léon sat ith his jaws agape , looking, if

e truth must be told , a very considerabl fool . His

on first sensation , seeing those accursed papers

n on b flutteri g gaily away the summer reeze , had

n been one of i tense relief, tempered by wonder

‘

and doubt . Then for a few moments gratitude w i had overpo ered all other feel ngs . But finally ,

n emotion becomi g subdued by reason , all light k ou t of wa and gladness faded his face , giving y to the black clouds of care which they had momen

tar ily dispersed .

’ ! ou - are very kind to me , Saint Luc , he said

slowly, at length at all events you have meant

f o i s m to be so . But un rtunately it i possible that I should take advantage of kindness of that

f ew sort . Your having torn up a bits of paper cannot alter the fact that I owe you ’ francs . Bah You never owed me anything of the

sort . For my own purposes I chose to make you

’ l t u t ! think that you did Voi e!, o

"I lost the money fairly , and I will pay it ’

f . airly , answered Léon , doggedly

My good friend , you have paid me already .

A in ou tradesman sends you his bill , and gives y f a receipt in return or your cheque . If it pleases

A M E R S A C 1 4 M DEMOISELLE DE .

— on e to be called a defaulter nor indeed to be .

It is useless to argue about the matter . I have n ot your experience of the world , but I do know that every man wh o respects himself and wishes to be respected is bound by certain conventional laws , which may be absurd , but which are univer

! ou s acr ific e sally recognised . may your pro s ec ts or f p , or your happiness , even your li e for a

ou n ot friend , but y must give him money . And ’ you know it as well as I do . ’ ’ t I don t know anything of the kind, re urned

- Saint Luc . I have given money to many a f rien d

n ow— or a before at le st lent it , which is another

n way of sayi g the same thin g . But that is not t . W ou n o the question ill y see , oh , you most

- pig headed boy, that I never really won your money at all ?

. did Ask M de Monceaux whether you not ,

’ and see what he will say .

’ I shall not ask him , and I don t care a rush what his answer might be if I did ; but this I can

in tell you , if de Monceaux were your place he Wou ld not think for a moment of paying me after hearing my explanation of my reasons for acting ’ as I did .

‘ Would he not ? I am not very well ao A M E R S A C 5 M DEMOISELLE DE . 1

u ain ted . q with M de Monceaux , but possibly in ou r family we may have a different standard of

his w honour from . I kno my father would sooner

’ have sold his coat than remain in any man s debt ; and I also have to remember that I am a de

M ersac n of of m , and must thi k the reputation v

’ f own family as well as o my .

was n ot. Léon a little bombastic , but he was altogether in the wrong . It began to dawn upon

- b n s Saint Luc that , with the est intentio in the world , he had done a very foolish thing . Never ,

’ as so long I live , he exclaimed , will I attempt to save a youn g idiot from the cons equences of his idiocy again I sit up all night o v er a game of i wi of cards wh ch I hate , th a set men who bore me to death ; I play in su ch a manner as to bring down upon my head the scorn and indignation of ? the meanes t of them ; and what is the resu lt

Wh wh o n ot on l of y , people are y innocent all

h e share in t transaction , but happen to be the very ones whom of all the world I most desire to

lim ed w th e serve , are p g into misery, and ill hate S oun d of my name f or ever ; and the very man for whose sake I incur all this obloquy declare s his intention of ruinin g hims elf ten times more c ompletely than he would have done if I had left 16 A M E R S A C M DEMOISELLE DE .

’ For him alone . heaven s sake , Léon , listen to

’ ’ reason , and don t drive me out of my senses .

Léon , however, declined to be persuaded .

e n or N ither eloquence , nor patient demonstration ,

' e n tr ea ty av ailed to shake his stubborn resolution ;

own was nor, in the midst of all his sorrow , he free from a certain grim satisfaction at the spe c

’ tacle of his mentor s distress . ! ou meant very ’ kindly , I know , he said more than once ; but

ou o y have made a m st unlucky mistake, and ’ neither of us can repair it now .

- Tired out at length , Saint Luc desisted from further words and began to search in his brain for some expedient whereby the scruples of his debtor might be satisfied without any actual transfer of cash .

’ I think , he said hesitatingly, after a rather —‘ long silence I think I can see on e way out of l ’ the difficu ty . ’ ? on e And that is said Léon , with the air of open to conviction, but very unlikely to be con

v in c ed. You said just now that a man cannot take a — present of money from a frien d not that I ever proposed to make you such a present ; but let that pass . One thing, however, you must admit A M S A M DEMOISELLE DE ER C . 17

anybody may accept money from his nearest r e

lation s hi ou u , and I t nk y could hardly ref se the sum in question if it were off ered to you by t ’ your sis er . ’ u i ou t of L éon Q te the question , answered . Even supposing that I were enough of a sc ou n

r ob n of f or time c n ot drel to Jea ne her , I ould do m ’ so . It is held in trust for her till her arriage . Yes ; but upon her marriage I have heard

’ - u I understood , said Saint Luc , a little conf sedly

D on e that is , Madame la uchesse told me , day ,

’ u l that it wo d become her absolute property .

n bu t That is so certai ly, Just allow me to finish what I was going to

an d say . You know what my wishes have been ,

a ou ou are , with reg rd to y r sister , and lately y

of have encouraged me to hope that , in spite all

h as s d ll f or that pas e , there might sti be a chance W me . ell , supposing that I have the great good fortune to succeed , What I would propose to you

u on i - is this . Let yo r sister, her wedd ng day ,

c is I believ e pay you francs (a sum whi h , ,

! ou l more than covered by her dowry). wil then

s on all pas the money to me , and will be said and

’ ou done . I don t see what objection y can make

! u to such an arran gement . o must remember

V . OL II . 1 A A 8 M DEMOISELLE DE M E R S C .

a m i that , in suggesting it to you , I th nking of her

of comfort as much as yours , and that if you a r it ou g ee to , y will spare her and Madame de r B euil an amount of unhappiness which , in my

mb O ou hu le pinion , y have no right to inflict upon

’ them .

e a Léon hesitated . Providenc did , indeed, p

ff an pear to o er to him , by this means , honourable

t was and easy road ou of his troubles . There

’ something about Saint-Luc s proposal which was

and not altogether agreeable to him , yet when he

D u thought of Jeanne and the chess , it seemed to him that he would hardly be justified in reject t ing it . One drawback , however , there manifes ly

was .

’ ‘ Bu t - , Saint Luc , he said , if I agree to this you

’ would lose francs .

I should lose nothing . You would pay me

S s — b fi i n — and your i ter y a sort of c t o would comme to me with a diminished dower, that is all . Co e ,

l et Léon , us consider the matter settled, and say t no more abou it . It has given us both a great d ’ eal of needless worry as it is .

W n ell , but the there is another thing to be

’ considered . I can t answer for Jeanne she may

refuse you a second time . What is to be done in ’ that case ? A L N RS A 9 M DEMOISEL E DE E C . 1

I n —in — oh l we that case that case , wel ,

’ need not think about that now .

n But we must thi k about it . I am not sure that I am right in allowing you to ca ncel my debt

all i in at , but I am qu te certain that the th g can ’ only be done by Jeau ne s becomin g your wife . Her refu sal of your offer would leave u s just

’ where we were before .

ou th e Léon , y are , without any exception ,

g ma n most disa reeable young I ever encounte red . I will bet you francs to ten centimes that

I marry your sister . There I should n ot think of makin g a bet upon such

’ a a L éon a subject , answered the impr ctic ble . Then Saint-Luc collected all the sofa- cushions

h e u l on u rl and footstools co d lay hands , and h ed

on e on e of r A them , by , at the head his f iend . ‘ of of g shower crusts bread , lumps of su ar and l t biscuits , fol owed in the same direction , and ook

ff é - - di n such e ect that L on , half laughing , half in gna t , was fain to seek shelter under the table . He bobbed up his head when the fire of projectiles

s n had cea ed , and exclaimed remonstrati gly ,

’ - is u e . Saint Luc, this a serio s matt r

‘ f or a It will be you presently, I can ssure

u to - ss yo . There only remains me now a cut gla

0 2 2 AD ‘ N A 0 M EMOISELLE DE ERS C .

- sugar basin , and at the very first word you utter having any reference to money matters , you get

n S o that basin full o the bridge of your nose . now you are warned and you had better go

ou . A s am n home as quick as y can for me , I goi g

’ ‘ ou t A n d with - for a ride . that , Saint Luc vanished into his bedroom , locking the door behind him .

L eon d of n waite for a quarter an hour , the

an d e n knocked at the door , , r ceivi g no answer, went out into the passage to see if he could effect

’ - m an entr ance from that side . Saint Luc s bedroo

was wh o occupied by a couple of housemaids , were raising a cloud of dust fromthe car pet ; the h owner ad fled . Under the circumstances it seemed best to Léon to return to the sittin g -roomand write on a sheet of paper

a . I gree to what you propose Only, if you

ou fail , y will understand that I still owe you the

t n money . You will have to wai a little lo ger for

’ it ; but perhaps it is best so .

This brief missive he folded and addressed, and

then set out homewards , greatly relieved in mind ,

yet somewhat uneasy as to the fu ture .

22 A R S M DEMOISELLE DE M E A C .

c - fields n of - orn , endi g in a waste palmetto shrub a n d u e u barren pland ; and there , perch d pon a

a broad, flat stone, with her back gainst the trunk of - - a thick leaved carob tree , gave herself up to the u nrestrained enjoyment of her newly- found happiness . Until that moment she had never said to herself in so many words that she lov ed Bar rington ; yet it had been so f or some time past ; and n ow that he had given her a right to interro

a g te her heart Without shame , it seemed to her that she had loved him , and he her , from the first da y of their meeting , and that his interrupted avowa l was but the formal acknowledgment o f a t f act lon g since recognised by both of hem . The difficulties which would have to be conqu ered ’ e b fore she could become Barrington s Wife did not, at h m u t is mo ent , cause her any anxiety, tho gh, if i she had g ven the subject a thought , she must have perceived that these were likely to be for midabl e enough . The strenuous opposition of M . de Fontvieille and the Duchess ; ban ishment from Algeria and from Léon ; the serious disadvantages attendant upon the marriage between a Catholic and a Protestant— these were some among the

obstacles which she must ere long face , and , if s S o po sible , urmount ; but , in this first glow of j y, A A M DEMOISELLE DE MERS C . 23 she was able to keep such considerations ou t of

on th e on e ri n sight , and dwell only t umpha t

‘ w s thought that she a loved . He loves me ! h e

’ loves me ! she murmured to herself again and

I— oh again and , how I love him The loitering summer wind caught up this precious secret , whispered it to the swaying

w c branches , hi h answered with a sigh , and bore

n Bar it away seawards towards the tow , where

was n ow l - e even sitting , with a ha f pleas d ,

- ‘ S o half puzzled face , saying to himself, I have — done it at last that is , pretty nearly done it . I

al - i sh l meet her at the ball to n ght , and then it hi — m will be all over . I t nk I am glad I a su re — — I am glad of course I am glad I c ould not live

J ! without her—and yet - Barrington had be en in

v ou t lo e , and of love again , many, many times ,

’ whereas Jean n e s heart had remained untouched E e by any suitor till this , nglishman had com and

l on e captured it a most without an eff ort . The absorbing passion of her life had been her devo

’ tion to her brother . Since her father s death she h ad given herself up so completely to him that

' there had been no more room left in her nature f or a n y warmer aff ection than a moderate liking w . n o for the rest of the world And , was his place E I L E E R AC 24 MAD M O S E L DE M S . to be taken by a stranger ? This question was forced upon her rather abruptly by the sudden

" appearance of Léon at her elbow ; and it was perhaps a twinge of self- reproach that made her ff embrace him more a ectionately than usual , as she exclaimed

how ! D Léon , you startled me id you rise from the earth or fall from the clouds ?

’ No , but one s feet get so swollen this hot

’ S a dr illes weather that I put on my p , replied that

- of - matter fact young man , exhibiting a pair of

w a sa ff . canvas shoes . I you a quarter of mile o What are you doing here all by yourself ?

’ a Nothing , nswered Jeanne , blushing a little .

I am s o glad you have come back . I thought

’ ou Bou ff ar ik y must have gone to the fair at . ‘ ! ’ Léon sighed . I wish I had he muttered involuntarily . Wh y asked Jeanne , turning upon him with

‘ a quick look of apprehension . Has anything happened Where were you yesterday ? At

’ Madame de Tr émon v ille s ? Why on ear th should I have been at Madame ’ r émon ville s ? de T returned Léon , with a petulant

‘ ' t a ges ure . And what h rm could have happened to ? me if I had been there I believe , Jeanne , A M ER S A C M DEMOISELLE DE . 25

you would like me never to speak to any woman

except yourself, Madame de Vaublanc , and the

D of uchess . I have lost a chance selling some

Bou flarik— beasts by not being at that is all . If

wa s you want to know where I was last night , I

n i - h as in Algiers , di ng with Saint Luc , who just

’ returned from Kabylia . ‘ Al r eady ? Yes ; there was nothing to keep him there

’

we . after had left , you know

was s Then there a pau e , after which Jeanne

n S r remarked , musi gly , I am or y I have spoken

a S ain t L u c ou so often gainst M . de to y , Léon ; I have liked him' much better lately than I used to

to hi do , and I mean be good friends with mfor

’ the fu ture .

Léon had a vague impression that , under the

u l l circumstances , it wo d be scarce y honourable in

’ - him to say much to his sister in Saint Luc s praise , but he did feel himself at liberty to observe I think y ou ar e sometimes a little apt to be

ma soeu r . Tr e prejudiced , There is Madame de

f or monville , instance , a really charming person ,

ou whom I am convinced you would like , if y

’ knew her be tter . ’ i Oh , never mind her, nterrupted Jeanne , with 26 A N A M DEMOISELLE DE ERS C .

u s dden asperity . She will do very well without my liking ; and it is most improbable that I shall e ever be b tter acquainted with her than I am .

was But I confess I in the wrong about M . de ’ - Saint Luc .

This was very satisfactory . Léon began to think that all would yet go well ; t hat he would soon h ave the pleasure of welcoming Saint-Luc as his brother- in -law that his debt would be wiped ’ s out , and that the only abiding result of last night

folly would be a fine crop of good resolutions . But all these fair hopes were annihilated by

’ e n n e s J a next words . ’ I To speak plainly , Léon , she went on ,

- should n ot have disliked M . de Saint Luc so much if I had not known all along that he was intended

to was marry me . And then what annoyed me

- e that , instead of coming forward in a business lik , ’ wa D r y, as all the uchess s othe protégés have d done , stating his advantages and what he require

I n r ff eturn for them , o ering his hand , and being

t u poli ely sent about his business , he wo ld hang m on and hang on , aking me obnoxious presents and following me about whenever I entered a

- me o ortu o ball room , and yet never giving the pp n ity of telling him what is th e truth - that I A M E R S AC M DEMOISELLE DE . 27

would no more think of marrying him than— than

’ old Pierre Cauvin . A t this forcible announcement Leon ’ s coun ten an ce assumed an aspect of the most profound

n bu t wh o was w dejectio ; Jeanne , looking do n at

' the ground and tracing patterns with the point of h er him shoe, continued , without observing D Now all that is at an end . o you remember

t Na oleon w l tha night at Fort p , hen he and I wa ked t W ll away tog ether af er dinner e , he asked me then , and I told him it was quite impossible . But

was f or all I very sorry ; it seemed that , after , he had not been thinking only of making a good ,

h ad suitable match , as I supposed , but that he

’ really did care for me for myself.

‘ He most certainly did , and he does still

~

a . broke in Léon , e gerly

’ to ou of ? n Has he spoken y it asked Jea ne ,

u looking p . It is a great pity ; I quite believed

’ he was sincere but what could I do ? Do you think you are wise to reject Saint ? ’ Luc , Jeanne Léon asked , after communing for

' a short space with himself, and deciding that he might permissibly plead his friend ’ s cause to this

n ot u limited extent . I would urge yo to act in

wa a bu t seems t o any y ag inst your inclinations , it 28 A M E R S AC M DEMOISELLE DE . me that you start by setting your face against every man wh o might become your husband ; and yet some day or other you will require a house

’ an d f own an establishment o your . I don t know where you could find a better or kinder fellow

- is to than Saint Luc . He devoted you ; he would do everything he cou ld to make you happy ’ u Yes , yes , I know all that , interr pted Jeanne me a little impatiently , for she was not accusto d to

’ being lectured by her younger brother . I don t

- doubt that M . de Saint Luc is all that you say ;

it n ot but when I marry , if I ever do marry, will

’ r be f o the sake of a house and an establishment .

’ Not for that alone , of course .

Not for that in any degree . Let us say no

’ more about it . You will not even give Saint- Luc another trial then ? ’ ‘ ! ’ l Another trial echoed Jeanne , with a litt e

vexed laugh . You talk of him as if he were a

How ff horse . am I to try him , and what di erence could a hundred trials make ? If you will insist on having everything put before you in such plain

- n u L eon . la g age , , I do not love M de Saint Luc ,

and shall never do so , though I may come to like himvery much indeed . Pray do not let him think

30 AD E M E R S AC M EMOISELL DE .

that I kn ow you will never do . I daresay you

me will not even be very angry with , though

’ heaven knows I deserve your anger . Jeanne got u p and seated herself beside her w brother . She thre her arm round his neck and bent down her beautif ul head till her cheek rested against his .

’ Tell me all about it, Léon , she whispered .

You used always to come to me in your troubles ,

’ you know . ’ n Yes, always , he answered, with somethi g

'

Sob a . D m between a and sigh o you reme ber , i we . long ago, when were ch ldren , M de Font

on e vieille saying, day, that you ought to have

' been the boy and I the girl ? I was very angry with him at the time , but I have often thought

was . since that he right Oh , Jeanne , I have made

’ such a fool of myself. ’ Never mind , dear, she said, stroking his close

. W cropped black hair hatever you have done ,

m n or o u r nothing can co e betwee us two , change

’ love for each other .

No ; that is the worst of it . If you would abuse me roundly I might be able to plead some extenuating circumstances for myself ; but as it is , what can I do , except tell you the bare facts 1 MA DEMOISELLE DE M E R S AC . 3

It is absurd to apologis e and say I am sorry there are injuries too deep to be atoned f or by i any apology , and it is a wrong of that k nd that

’ u I have done to you . And then , without f rther

L eon preface , gave a brief account of his adventure at the club and his subsequent interview with

- him n u Saint Luc . Jeanne heard with the most ru tfled n l al composure , o y interrupting his recit by

a an occ sional expression of sympathy, till he ex plained to her the means by which he had hoped that the impending catastrophe might be averted .

n to of L eon Upo that , much the consternation , wh o imagined that he had got thr ough the worst

ar his n f S h e r r p t of co ession , withd ew her arm f om

his shoulder with a quick movement of repulsion , i t f a o ew . and st rt ng her feet , moved away a paces

a was n ot Her b ck towards him , so that he could

' at first see what an unexpected effect his announce ment had h ad upon her ; but when she turned

n k him in v ol u n rou d presently and loo ed at , he

taril r f or y sh ank back , her face bore an expression i of mingled scorn , pain , and hum liation such as

n he had never seen there before , and which , havi g

once seen , he never afterwards forgot . I So was the stake for which you and M . de

’ ai - S nt Luc played a game of cards , she said at 32 A M ER S AC M DEMOISELLE DE .

n h le gth , in a low, ard voice . I think you are e — right, L on you ought not to have been born a m ’ an .

ean n c n Oh , J he exclaimed , wi cing under

these cruel words , what do you mean What. have I done ?

‘ Done ? Only allowed a stranger to think that he might take your sister in payment of a

u gambling debt . Is it possible that yo do not see what must have been the man ’ s object all through ? Of course he knewthat you would pay him , and that I would rather sacrifice myself

n . than rui you I will try to forgive you , Léon ,

’ but him I will never forgive to my dying day .

! u . o a Jeanne , you are quite wrong mist ke

- altogether . I can answer for it that Saint Luc was as innocent of any such notion as I was my

I t was w self. quite understood bet een us that my debt to himwas to remain the same in the event . of your refusing him; and I told him that you lik ’ would very ely do so . Don t think me worse

was than I am . I swear to you that it for your

’ own - sake , not my , that I consented to Saint Luc s

How of proposition . could I bear the thought driving you out of your home by my folly ? ’ I would do much more than give u p a f ew 0 A a MA DEMOISELLE DE NERS C. 3

w f or . luxuries you , Léon ; and you must kno it — ’ It is not that not that . e ’ J And here , to L on s utter amazement , eanne s d u denly covered her face with her hands , and f bu rst into a storm o tears . Such displays of emotion were so rare with the

- M ersac calm , self possessed Mademoiselle de that her brother was as much shocked and startled by the present outbreak as if she had been a man . Not in the least understanding why S h e should have been so Violently moved , he felt , nevertheless , that he had unintentionally wounded her f ar more deeply than he had expected to do , and , like a

n true Frenchman , he became at once i fected by the sight of her distress till he was scarcely less the agitated than she . He flung himself down on

n ground beside her, calli g her by every endearing

of epithet that he could think , cursing his own stupidity and awkwardness , and beseeching for forgiveness so piteously that it would have required ’ a much harder heart than Jeanne s to withstand his entreaties .

S he w ou t gre calmer by degrees , and held her

to hand him , as she dried her eyes .

’ I think I will go in now , she said , I cannot talk any more just at present ; but of one thing

VOL . II . D A M E R A 4 M DEMOISELLE DE S C .

' -s—M - e . you may be sure , L on de Saint Luc shall

w n ot c r . have his money , and it ill be ne essa y for

’ u r f you to give up the ho se o the arm .

’ u s Then she got p , and disregarding her brother

ff ' e orts to detain her, passed quickly away between th e t h e - was smooth trunks of orange trees , and

n 3 soo out of sight . Her head was achin g and throbbin g when S h e ' reached the s olitude of her own room an d sat down to think ; but she had all her wits about — — h er as indeed sh e always had and the situation in which S h e was placed was as clear to her as

- u e ' daylight . Of course M . de Saint L c must b l f . E u o o paid q a ly , of c urse , he must be paid out

- was her marriage portion , since that the only sum of ready money which the family could raise ' w s ithout grievous los , scandal and humiliation .

e ‘ If, then , Barrington wer to become her husband ,

it would be n ec essar y t h at she should ask him to .

' resign all claim u pon the greater part of her

of n s fortune , and the prospect havi g to make thi

was request a sore woun d to her pride . To ask a

of th e - favour , even man whom she loved best in

'

the world, would be disagreeable to her ; to ask f or money would be more disagreeable still ; to

' make h er ac ceptan ce of h is hand dependent upon A M ADEMOISELLE DE M E R S C . 3 5

: of his reply would be most disagreeable all .

to -be The thing , however , had done and Jeanne , who h ad never yet lacked courage in any emer

o u gen y, made up her mind that she co ld do it

n without flin chi g . That Barring ton would meet her with a refusal did not seem likely . She believed him to be a rich man ; but even were he not so , his love , if it were worth having at all , must needs rise superior to mercen ar y c on sidera tions . Knowing that she herself would have laughed at the idea of any question of money

n u l creati g a breach between them , she co d scarcely imagine that he wou ld show himself less mag

n an imou s s But supposing that , by any chance , his masc u lin e common sense or English phl egm should revolt against th e frittering away of his

’ wife s f ortu n e of to fill the pockets a gamester , what alternative would then remain ? This pos sibility also f J ean n e forced herself to contemplate calmly , and arose from the consideration of it

s of ( n o with omething a shudder indeed , but with

e n ( h sitatio in her mind . Soon er than that the ’ name of de M ersac shou l d be disgraced and Leon s

e future care r blighted , she would pay in her own per son the losses he h ad so carelessly incurr ed;

’ c bec ome - and Saint Luc s wife . Many another A M E R SA C 36 M DEMOISELLE DE . woman had gone knowingly to as hard a fate with a less noble aim in View , and had lived through it, and earned some sort of contentment , if not happiness And happiness is not every ’

o . thing , thought po r Jeanne The absurdity of sacrificing her whole life for m mi a ere stake did not strike her . To her , not s les than to Léon , it would have seemed in the ’ highest degree dishonou rable to accept a gift of m money or release fro a debt , however con

s t her tracted ; and thus , at thi urning point of

u earthly co rse, she stood alone and unwavering , bright hopes on on e side and utter darkness on the

all n other, and her future resti g upon the will of

i

- a good natured , romantic , selfish fellow , whose

n o ff yes . or might be a ected by his breakfast or

th e the state of weather , or any other trivial

n external influe ce . O f this Jeanne was not aware ; but she felt that so momentous an issue could not fitly be

in - decided a ball room , so she sat down and wrote

a few lines to Madame de Vaublanc, saying that she did n ot feel well enough to go to the Palace

that night . Barrington would undoubtedly call

t r the nex mo ning to inquire after her, and then

her fate cou ld be decided at once and for ever .

3 8 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S AC .

wh o in ri Barrington , truth loved b ght colours and n showy apparel , and never by any cha ce missed the Yeomanry ball which closed his short annual

period of training . And so he struggled into his nether garments with a sigh of mingled resigna ’ tion and contentment.

n - off . A few doors , M de Sai t Luc, who had worn a gay jacket long enough to have grown

was a lairiest Of tired of it , rraying himself in the p

plain clothes , in preparation for the same festivity a as th t to which Barrington had been bidden . Not without sundry misgivings had he decided to present himself at the ball ; for he was by no means sure what Jeanne would think of his r e appearance in society so soon after the shattering

all of his hopes , nor could he feel any certainty with regard to the footing upon which he would

;n ow or r stand with her, as to whethe he might

~ ask or n ot venture to her for a dance . Yet, since t they must meet before long , wha signified time a n d place ? The first encounter might be a little

r awkwa d , but it would soon be over ; and as to C e his future line of onduct , that must be regulat d

a a x : . He did i n a great me asure by hers . not delude h imself into the belief that success could be won

‘ by any oth er mean s than time an d ‘much patience ; M AD EM OISELLE DE NE RS AC ; 39

and , as he had a limitless supply of both these

to necessaries at command , it seemed best take

of the earliest opportunity drawing upon them .

e n He had complet d his toilet long before Barri g " ton had done studying the eflec t of his full- length

— an d al figure before his pier glass , , c ling a passing

a cr e fi . presently joined the stream of vehicles w hich was wending its slow w ay up the hill of

Mustapha Supérieur, where the summer palace

stands . The maj ority of the company had al ready

- m his arrived when Saint Luc ade entrance , and it was with some little diffi culty that he threade d his way through the crowded approaches to the

- ball room , where the orchestra was in full swing,

e and where toilettes Parisian and Algerian , mingl d

of an d with uniforms every conceivable cut hue,

l ri t ff produced a bewi de ng , shif ing e ect of colour

te hi S and glit r w ch , taken as a pectacle , might , to

e a less pr occupied man, have seemed worth gazing

- at for a few minutes . But Saint Luc had seen it all before , and was not in the mood for studying ’ m ta blea u x mva n ts . The generals and ad irals ; the Spahis in their scarlet , and the Chasseurs

’ d A f r i u e q in their pale blue , jackets ; the préfets

- the and sous préfets in their green and gold coats , 40 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S AC.

m w portly ayors, hose gold embroidery, not con

h ov erflowed tent wit covering their breasts , , and meandered agreeably down their broad backs ; the violet robes of a stray ecclesiastic or two ; the

ou C white burn s of some Arab hief, against which the cross and red ribbon of the Legion of Honour

’ showed somewhat incon gruously ; the swarthy

M - ewesses oors and black eyed , bediamonded J all these were obj ects with which he h ad ‘ long been familiar ; and it was n either to look at them nor to admire the gracef ul Oriental architecture

of! the palace and the beauty of the illuminated gardens that he had forsaken his nocturnal cigar d an the quietude of his own chamber . But she whom he had come out to see was nowhere to be

d r u iscovered and , instead of g eeting her, he fo nd himself ere long compelled to shake hands with a lady whom he would gladly have avoided .

' ' M adamede Tr emon ville was not one of those persons wh o c an be avoided without their own

w f ar good ill and pleasure . She was too well satisfied with herself to suppose that any man

in could really wish to escape from her, and

’ terpr eted Saint- Luc s rather distant bow and abstracted gaze as a mere i n dication of that

‘ r bo edom which was , in her eyes , one of the MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S A C. 41

chief evidences of his Superiority to the common

herd . t l oo . e You do not amuse yourself well , M

’ sh e Vicomte , said , pausing beside him , and dis missing her attendant cavalier with an u n c er e

‘ mon iou s M a oi ! n ot d . nod . f I am surprise — From Paris to Algiers from the Tu il eries to Musta pha—what a change ! Were you ever in ? such a crowd of droll people before What faces ! what manners ! what clothes ! A n d Madame de Tr émon v ille disdainfully shru gged her plump shou l ders Which were thickly

bla n c de er les e coated with p , and heaved a pit ous

sigh .

‘ too c om Madame , you are severe upon the

’ s — l ms to pany , an wered Saint Luc , pul ing hi elf gether I have been but a few minutes in the

r a e on e l room , and al e dy I see one fac and toi ette which cou l d n ot be surpassed either in Paris or

r Oh , monsieu

Beauty and good tas te always find imitators .

W h s s it such an example before them , the e ladie wil l ass uredly learn soon to reform any little

’ or errors in their dress conduct, pursued Saint

‘ a Luc . (How shall I get rid of this detest ble A 42 MADEM OISELLE DE M E R S C . woman ?) But it is a sin to expose your exquisite lace flou n c e to the risk of being torn in such a

‘ w a crowd . Will you not allo me to find you seat Let them tear it -so much the better if they

’ Tr émon ville do, answered Madame de , passing

a - a - by the hint . I h ve worn it half dozen times

“ i t already, and I am tired of the sight of . There is the music beginning again ; shall we dance ?

’ s e m Quick I e y partner coming for me .

- L a c Saint , who always accepted the inevitable with a good grace , passed his arm round the

of m n waist his fascinating co pa ion , and floated away with her into the whirling throng of dan

f m u cers , while the young o ficer who he had s p planted looked after the couple with mingled sorrow and reproach . W a hat strange world it is , and how little any of us know of our fellow- creatures thought h t e o . philos phical Vicomte , with an inward laugh w w That young fello , who ould quarrel with any of his brother - offic ers f or robbing himof a part n er , does not dream of interfering with a man of

; e my prestige . Such a career as min has been

fills him with admiration and respect . I suppose he thinks he would be perfectly happy if h e could

n tbe a z a cha ge places with me , and f looked upon s g M R S AC M ADEMOISELLE DE E . 43

an d t i t hero by a few fools, flir with th s pain ed , v u lgar woman , who has already managed to get

of s into the society her betters , and is mi erable because she will never rea ch a still higher circle . I daresay there are even people who envy Madame

v de Tr émon ill e too . Is there such a thing as

? r contentment , I wonder and does eve ybody wish for something he has not got , and hate it as soon as he gets it ? Is it because what I long for would make me so supremely happy that I feel

’ such a certainty of fail ure ? Saint -Luc had time to debate all these ques

d mech an i tions , and sun ry others , while he was cally piloting Madame de Tr émon ville in and out among the erratic couples wh o revolved around

u st ' ar r iv ed him . He had j at the sage conclusion that the ha ppiest of mortals is the man who

a to di has ce sed seek for happiness , when his me tation s and his career were alike cut short by the appar ition in the doorway of a cap whose violet bows could only belong to Madame de

Vaublanc .

’ is o n ! - She c mi g thought Saint Luc, forget ting all his philosophy and he brought his part n er to a sudden standstill . Madame de Vaublanc indeed it was ; but 4 A ER S A C 4 M DEMOISELLE DE M .

a ! was fi where , las the tall graceful gure and the

o o ? pale , proud face that should have f ll wed her

- o u t r Saint Luc , peering anxiously into the cor idor ,

could discover no familiar countenance - save the f o . r puzzled and angry one Mr Barrington , f own ing above th e silver lace of the R oyal Surr ey

n th n Yeoma ry Cavalry . I am not e o ly one who

’ - n be is disappointed to ight, thought , with a smile

as a and a sigh , he turned to greet Mad me de

a Vaubl nc , who clutched his hand as a drowning

man seizes a rope .

1110 72 D ieu h ow , monsieur she exclaimed , glad I am to s ee you What a terrible cr ush, is it n ot - and not a person here WhomI know a n d I who have crowds I n horror ! Is there a

of possibility, do you think , my finding a chair anywhere ?

’ Madame de Tr émon v ille pounced upon the

d old o a - bewildere lady bef re S int Luc could reply , and saluted h er with a f eu - de-j oia of shrill ej ac u

l tion s a . W ! hat , dear madame You at a ball, and ' ? alone too ! But Where is your charming p rotegée

' What have you done with Mademoiselle Jeanne ?

I have been looking for her arrival , that I might present to her some most agreeable young men

46 AD E M E R A C M EMOISELL DE S .

- wa coloured hour glass , shouldered his y towards ;

wa s a n the little group . He acquaintance of l ’ h de Tr émon vil e s w o . Madame , put on one of her most telling smiles to receive him bu t he passed

ff his a rm her with a bow , and bent down to o er , to Madame de Vaublanc . Madame la Maréchale sen ds me to say that

’ ' t ha s a s o . she ea for y u beside her, madame , said W t ? he . ill you permi me

- th . bbin So e violet cap ribbons went b o g and . n oddi a w n g ay through the crowd beside the blue .

Tr mon ville jacket , and presently Madame de é had

sa s n a the ti factio of m king out her old friend ,

m n c of the, room , a o g a cir le

ma n ates wh om h e was n o s , , t of g , bold as she dared , approach The lady Wh o at that time exercised

- v ice r egal s way o ver . the . society of Algeria was

en er all th ou t . n g y, gh to have leani gs towards Legi

an was n womer timists , di otoriou sly averse to fast r ,

m n ll of the type o f Madame de Tré o vi e . The

h d - n ma a n le n . latter ever been ab , to obtai an i it tio to th ose ,M on days of which Madame de Vaublanc

e n . had a , very sor poi t with her .

a l th e a Of l people I h ve ever met , I think

a t - that old wom n is the ugliest, the mos ill natured , A N S A M DEMOISELLE DE ER C . 4 7

’ - and the most ill bred , she cried , with a fine hearty emphasis and u naff ected warmth which

- made Saint Luc la ugh a little .

’ ‘ Poor old sou l ! said he . She resembles a walnut in character as well as in the appearance

ou of her skin . If y want to get at the good in

e her, you must break through a hard out r shell of

ben eath ' whic h i n ot obstinacy and prejudice , l es a very thick covering of bitterness again st the

h er human race , which has not treated over

th e ar e well but good qualities there , and not so

’ hard to discover after all . i ’ Bah everybody has good qual ties, returned

Tr ém n vill o e . Madame de , impatiently I may say , i without van ty, that I also have good qualities . We all kn ow that that frightful old Vaublanc and the Du chesse de Breuil and Mademoiselle de M ersac give money to the poor and visit the sick occasionally but that is not what society requires of t hem . If they say their prayers regularly and t keep all the ten commandmen s , so much the — ff better for them that is their a air . Society does t not concern i self with such things , but simply asks that they should show some signs of sa voir vivr e and good breeding , and that is precisely

’ n of what one them does . AD E A C M EMOISELL DE M E R S .

ff m Pardon me , madame , but I must di er fro

ou n r f ar D M rsa y e ti ely , so as Mademoiselle e e c

D u and the chess are concerned . I never met two ladies of mo re perfectly refined an d amiable

manners . As for Madame de Vaublanc , she is a

little brusque ; but I find that , as I grow older,

' ” I value people more for what they are than for

what they seem to be , and

‘ ’ E n ough ! e n ough ! cried Madame de Tr e i monville , throw ng up her hands with a gesture

of simulated terror . One does not go toa ball

l e to hear a sermon . Go away, M . Vicomte you

’ weary me . m I must obey your commands , adame , how

’ r l - eve cruel , rep ied Saint Luc , with suspicious alacrity . ‘ ! Stop Before you go , take me to that M .

r in on h im Ba a t . I want to ask what is that fine

w h as mili u niformhe ears . I did not know e w

’ ta ir e Tr émon v ille h t , said Madame de , w ose tas es in more respects than o n e were identical with

r l in those of the Grande Duchesse de C ér o ste . People who have the harmless mania of ferret ing out the original sources of great events are

or fond of proving , seeming to prove , that the ’ course of the world s history h as been aff ected I E N M AD E M O S BLL DE ERS AC . 49

over an d over again by some paltry oc currence

n o on e a n to which paid y attention at the time ,

g w f nor recollected until lon after ards . A fit o

s indigestion , they tell us , costs thou ands of lives ; an apple fallin g from a tr ee leads to a scientific discovery of incalcu l able importance ; an angry

i As word decides the fate of an emp re . regards

t the of r eas omn is such important mat ers , chain g ,

perhaps , more curious than valuable , and serves , at

l S h ow v a most , on y to how the ine it ble may be has tened or delayed by trifles yet there ca n be but

wh o few men , looking back upon their past lives , wil l deny that their personal history has been fashioned less by what they have done than by what

. W has happened to them ise and foolish , strong

a to and we k , must yield alike the influence of trivi alities of , in which some see the hand Providence ,

c infi some the blind , un ontrollable working of an n itel t a a y complica ed m chine , and some mere cci

t a of den If Mad me la Maréchale had not, out

- - pure good nature , sent an aide de camp to look after an unattractive old woman if Saint - Luc had n ot happened to annoy his volatile partner ; if

’ Barrin gton s sil ver lace had been a little less con s icu ou s Tr émon ville p , Madame de would never

n have worked the mischief that she did that ight, V OL . II . E 5 0 MADEM OISELLE DE M E R SAC; and the cou rse of more than one life would have ff taken a di erent direction .

was - She not an ill natured person, this quick

“ witted underbred little Frenchwoman . She did

‘ n ot wan t t o r ffl a an d' was inju e or a ict nybody , no mre a ' of a of ‘ lov o cap ble h tred than she was e .

r o was Her vulne able p int her vanity, and if that were touched she would show spite and temper f or s s a time, as a cat arches her back and pit when a big ‘ dog Stalks past her without turning

" ‘ au sh e h ad i n f his head . Bec se been g ored and

’ ‘ she f elt ‘ a n e Madame de Vaublanc honoured , it c essity to say some sharp things of that lady ' an d

‘ ‘ h er clan ; and since Saint- Luc did not seem dis

‘ ‘ posed to swallow her little dose of calumny , she

u to M r ; tho ght she would administer it Barrington , whom she knew to be also a constant visitor at

a the Campagne de M er s c . a w Long fter ards , when he recalled that evening,

’ ' “ and Madame de Tr émon v ille s en v iou s disparage ment of one whom he kn eW ' to be ' immeasu rably

u r ri h ow her s perio , Bar ngton used to wonder he could have allowed such vain babbling to produce

n u his 'min d E even a passi g impression pon . arlier

a at in the day he would , perhaps , h rdly have

" ' ten ded to it but at that «momen t h e was ann oyed AD D E M E R A M EMOISELLE S C .

’ and perplexed by Jea n n e s failure to keep her i appointment , and the misg vings which he had only half stifled in the morning had beg u n to re -

turn upon him . The mind , as well as the body , has seasons at which it is more liable to receive

h v poison than at others , and , a ing received it , is less able to shake it O ff .

After all , it was nothing very terrible that

Madame de Tr émon ville said . They were stand

on ing , she and her partner , a broad verandah , whither they had escaped fr om the heated air of

- the ball room . Before them stretched the garden

fl ower - with its trim lawns , its beds , its trees and shrubs , its coloured lamps , its expanses of light

an d r . t n da k patches of shadow Barring on , leani g

ill ou t the against a marble p ar, and looking upon

i n . ot soft beauty of the n ght , was listening , very ’ attentively , to his companion s rapid chatter . She had been denouncing and ridiculing the Duchesse de Breuil and Madame de Vaublanc . She had

th e mimicked , rather cleverly, high and mighty

of manner the one , and the harsh , rasping voice

of old of the other . A pair ogresses , who fancy themselves princesses nobody is cruel enou gh to

’ disabuse them of their error , she said . Barrington listened to it all , not without amusement . He

E 2 5 A M E R SA C 2 M DEM OISELLE D E . thought the two ogresses were very well able to — Stand up for themselves as i n deed they were and did not feel called u pon to undertake their ’ was an n s N e e . defence . ow it J turn m ’ Tell me , onsieur , cried the little lady , resting her rounded arms u pon the marble bal us

I n trade, and fluttering her fan as she looked up

’ ‘ E ou wh o the nglishman s face , y are so well — acquainted with her do you find her very attr ac tive ? Barrington had found her very decidedly so ;

of but he replied in a tone j udicial impartiality , W ell , yes ; he should say that Mademoiselle de

’ ’ M er sac was c ertain ly an attractive person. R eally ? Bu t gentlemen and ladies so seldom agree on these points . The truth is , that one woman is always a fairer judge of another than

’ an y man can be . Barrington observed that the world at large had long ago arrived at a diametrically opposite con clusion .

bu t I know that ; the world is mistaken , as

n it very ofte is . The world starts by a ssuming that all women are jealou s of one another—which

u f r is absurd . It is easy eno gh o a woman to

do n ot please men ; beauty alone will that, to

A ‘ M E A C ’ M DE MOISELLE D E R S .

' going of chaperons must occ asIon ally lay some t restrictions upon her charge . In short, his girl , wh o might have made herself talked of if she had

a been born to a throne , will never be nything but

‘ an f or insupportable wife ; and , my part , if I

- L 110 I n ot were M . de Saint , would marry her , thou gh she had twice her beauty and ten times

her fortune .

sh Possibly e may decline to marry M . de Saint

’ Luc , said Barrington .

a t For his sake , I hope with all my he r that

sh H r a r e may . e husband will have two lte natives

open to him . Either he will have to submit to

a t to w to her once and unreservedly, allo her

control everything, not excepting his expenditure — in which case she will doubtless manage his ff i w t him a a rs ell , and reat with every consideration — or fi of he will have to ght a long battle , out which he can only come victorious a t the cost of

- ‘ his happiness . N0 man is v ery likely to adopt

’ it i s the former course , and not every one who l ' . c r will succeed in the atter All things onside ed ,

' ' ‘ ’ I do not envy Mademoiselle Jeaune s fu ture hus ’ b a Tr émon v ille and , concluded Mad me de , as she

~ n l - turned to re e ter the ba l room . Barrington donned his helmet and his martial A E N S A 5 5 ' M DEMOISELL DE ER C .

l l n c oak , and went c anking down the hill , pe sive and vag uely uneasy . The broad high road before him was barred by black shadows from the acacia k trees that bordered it ; and , as he wal ed , it seemed to him that he was looking forward into

own u h l m his f ture pat in ife , and could see so e such patches of gloom lying across it . Love of power her only passion She wil l never be any thing but an insupportable wife She is as cold as a stone - what were all these accusation s but

own the reflections of his forebodings magnified ,

s a n n ? perhaps a little di torted , by a gry woman Or was it only that they were rendered more dis

? W l so did tinct el , if it were , that not make

i - them more real . It is oblique l ghts half lights

— a s t e that fling sh dows , and eem to conver th m

' g o i le . in t tan g b realities When the sun is . hi h

o overhead , and all dark no ks and corners are

ll . i uminated , they vanish away But then common

s ou t sen e stepped in, and pointed that similes were

in all not facts , and that after mak g every owance f or the exaggerations of a hostile critic , there still re mained some basis of tru th to support her asser

wn . was l of o tions Jeanne , undoubted y, fond her wa u t . a y, and acc s omed to get it She had a cert in

' royal fashion ~ of issuing her commands to those 5 A M E S A 6 M DEMOISELLE DE R C. about her without assigning re asons for them ; she Was far more disposed to u nbend in the presence

Of I n an d her inferiors than that of her equals , towards the latter her bearin g was almost in v ari

ff n ably cold and indi erent . Barri gton had long since remarked these traits in her character , and had been attracted by them . Had she been more

of h like the rest the world, he would ardly have i f a . 1 i llen in love with her But then , s or ginal ty a desirable quality in a wife ? The whole question W h lay there . ould not the very incentives w ich had called his passi on into existence contribute more strongly than anything towards its extinction

’ ‘ in the knot there s no untying All experience

m n see ed to answer Yes . If o ly the present state

ffa d of a irs could be in efinitely prolonged , and the qu estion of marriage adj ourned sin e die thought

h e Barrington , as toiled wearily upstairs to his ’ d f h be room , a prey to doubts and ears with w ich ,

to n o it is be hoped , that one will feel any sympathy . The French mail had come in late that even in of l a t g, and a pile letters y on his able awaiting

u per sal . ’ ’ E fist rnest Seymour s , muttered Barrington.

of ar m as he took up one them , and sank into an A 5 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S C . 7

h as ot n chair . I wonder what he g to complai about n ow ; he never writes unless he has some

’

A melia ill . grievance . again , I suppose

1 10 Portland Place : J u ne 5 . M ! D A R R R ! E HA , i The anxiety and distress which , dur ng the last three days , have almost overwhelmed me must be my excuse for n ot having written to you

fo s s be re this . I am positive that I everal time gave directions to have a telegram sent to Broad

bu t e u of ridge , it s ems that , thro gh the negligence

s n ow the servant , this was not done and , to my

t u great surprise , I have jus learnt from your A nt Sus an that you have n ot yet returned from

Algeria . z I have n ot ventured as yet to c ommu n icate

wh o s this news to dear Amelia , is constantly a king f or tr you , and I shall y, if possible , to tranquilise

of In her with assurances your speedy arrival . her present exhausted state she does not , I think ,

a f W t ke much note of the passage o time . ere I to let her know how many days must necessarily

e elapse before we can hop to have you with us ,

v the shock would , I am convinced , ha e a most " eflec t deleterious upon her .

! on e Alas , poor dear she has had of her most A A M DEMOISELLE DE M E R S C .

a a - s sh e ' was v l rming attacks . For twenty four hour

l an d a most entirely unconscious ; , though she has n ow to some extent rallied, it is impossible to describe her state oth erwise than as one of extreme

ri f or peril . Her emaciation is f ghtful , and , as

sa nourishment , I may y that for days past she has

E h ou taken literally none . ven the Liebig , whic y may remember that we have found so useful

a hitherto , she has been un ble to retain and though the light farinaceous food ordered by the

th e doctor has , up to present time , been kept

wh o it upon her stomach , can say how long may remain there But I must not afflict you with

these painful details .

W a ffi Sir illi m Pu n , whom we called in some

days ago , seems to hesitate about giving any de

c e id d opinion upon the case , but tells me he does

n ot mme a t D apprehend any i di e danger . ear Amelia w herself, ho ever, has little expectation of ever

leaving her bed again . Your Aunt Susan tries to cheer us up in her

- wa well intentioned but rather rough y, and says

the whole thing is nothing but hysteria , and will

go away as suddenly as it came . She is opposed to my recalling you to England ; but I am sure . N M ADE MOISELLE DE ERS AC . 5 9

' ou will f eel w - in that y , ith me , that I am right

f l s ems ' to to th so . e o doing How di ficu t it be ,

l to hi rough y robust people , sympat se with those ! wh o are in constant ill health To hear your

u a ou o l d i A nt Susan t lk , y imag ne that Amelia and I were to bla me for being the wretched in v alids tha t we are ! I myself ‘ am very far from well and Puffin

s to being in the hou e , I thought it only prudent

on him c sult . But I doubt whether, in the very

t g to short in erview he thou ht fit grant me , he can have properly grasped the significan ce of my d o . a an sympt ms He s ys I am dyspeptic , that may be so ; but dyspepsia ca nnot pos sibly ac c ount for all the stran ge sensa tions that I have exp e r i n dis i e ced of late . A continual and mos t tress ng

i o t s nging in ears , sudden and unacc un able ” the n s the pai in back and limbs , palpitation of the

iddin ess . dista ste - w heart , g , for food, dro siness , and sa d depression of spirits are on l y a few of these .

m lif e a m Should y be sp red until the su mer, I pro

’ W e to al pose , with Sir illiam s p rmission , give a tri to the cold water cure at Malvern . What the effect of that dra stic treatment will be upon so eu feebled a ' fr ame as mine t ime alone can show ; but 60 AD C M EMOISELLE DE M E R SA .

I o I am willing to run the risk , and am, h pe,

’ n justified in so doi g .

The same interesting subject was pursued

' - tt through two more closely wri en pages , which e Barrington dismiss d with a hasty glance , and w then thre the letter aside . The Amelia , whose

ff w u i su erings ere so to chingly dep cted therein ,

wh o was his only sister, Mrs . Seymour, , having

been delicate , nervous , and fanciful all her life , e had developed into a confirmed invalid , aft r linking her fortunes with those of a valetu dinarian

. wa s husband This neither the first , nor the h second , nor the third time t at Barrington had

a t been summoned , in all h ste , to at end her death

an d bed , and had arrived to find her on the sofa ,

n ot was much worse than usual . She always

d l n y g , but , somehow or other , never died . At the same time it was u ndeniable that so fragile a creature might die upon small provocation ; a n d though Barrington felt very ' little alarm on the

was present occasion , and rather disposed to coin c ide with the views of the unfeeling Aunt Susan

mentioned by Mr . Seymour, he could scarcely

hesitate to obey the summons conveyed to him . The only question was Whether he could an d

62 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S AC .

dr Yet , when he had composed and ad essed

mis f this sive , he was more than hal inclined to

a lik te r it up again , and would very ely have done ’ so if Madame de Tr émon v ille s prophetic words

n ot h r had ung in his memo y, and warned him h against straying from the safe pat of delay . A M E R S A C M DEMOISELLE DE . 6 3

WH H M D E F N IC . O TVIEILLE TELLS

L D ! O STOR .

M ! A M A M ER S A C —I DE R DEMOISELLE DE , can not tell you how disappointed I was at n ot meeting

l s n i was you at the bal la t ght . I very sorry at

o the time , but I am a great deal more s rry now f or ou t n ot th e , as it turns , I have only missed

o h to opp rtunity of a few pleasant dances wit you ,

e in s which I have b en look g forward immen ely ,

f in - but also that o bidd g you good bye .

I little thought , when I rode away from your t door yesterday, tha I had taken what may very likely be my last look of that dear and familiar house where I have pas sed so many happy hours an d have met with a hospitality and kindness for hi w ch , I assure you , I am not ungrateful , though

to . I have said little about it . But so it was be The mail brought me a letter from my brother

’ in - t of m ist s il law, elling me y s er s erious lness , 6 4 A E M E A M DEMOISELL DE R S C .

be m En and gg g me to return to gland immediately . One cannot very well disregard a request of that

in u kind , although this partic lar instance it might perhaps be possible to do so without any real heartlessness or indifference All my previous

’ experience of my sist er s illnesses leads me to an

’ tici ate e n d p that, when I reach my j ourney s , I shall find that I might quite as well have remained w here I am , and where I wish with all my heart that I could stay . But there is , of course , the pos sibility of matters being more serious than I

n o imagine , and therefore I have alternative but

a to go . By the time this reaches you I sh ll be on

r the E u hra te boa d p , and outside the harbour, I

ou l daresay . I wonder whether y wil be looking down at us from the terrace where I have so often stood beside you and watch ed the great steamers crawling away like toy-boats towards

n an t e i . . the hor zo I shall fancy you there , at y ra and shall keep my eyes upon the old cliffs and woods u ntil their outlines melt into the blue mass of a hilly coast , which , in its turn , will gradually t fade in o a dim cloud , and grow fainter and fainter l l till it vanishes a together, and A geria , for me , resolves itself into a memory . I am sure I need n ot sa v h ow mu ch I regret A 6 5 M DEMOISELLE DE M ER S A C .

n I n u ou leavi g this abr pt manner but , as y see , it is no fault of mine, and I am longing for the time

in to come when we shall meet Switzerland , for I take it f or granted that I am to be allowed to j oin you there . Would it be asking too much of your kindness to beg you to let me have a few lines as

u ar e soon as yo r plans fixed , saying when and where I may hope to see you ag ain ? A letter

’

to . addressed the Conservative Club , St James s

’ or l r a Street , to the Travel e s , Pall M ll , London , will always find me . ‘ Will you please make my excuses to the D uchesse de Breuil , and remember me very

to ? kindly your brother and M . de Fontvieille

And believe me ,

s M ers ac My dear Mademoi elle de ,

c Most sin erely yours ,

’

NG N. H . BARRI TO

Looked upon in the light of a written f ar eweh intended to imitate the letter of an en gaged man to his fia n cee as closely as may be wi thout actually t compromising the wri er , the above composition

c an on hardly be reckoned a success . Taken , the

as of t other hand , the last word an unfortuna e

h as r who gone a great deal fu ther than he meant , VO L . II . P 6 6 AD M E R A M EMOISELLE DE S C . a n d h sees no safety for himself but in flig t , it may, f u perhaps , be considered as su ficiently s itable for — its purpose the manner in which such u n f or tu n ate may choose to blunder out of the meshes being of very slight importance . But , as the r a Was eader is aw re , it in the former, not in the latter character that Barrington regarded him self, and wished to be regarded ; and if he had been a few years younger and a little less mortally a m fraid of committing himself to paper, he ight possibly have produced some less clumsy expres sion of his sorrow a t parting .

wa s As it , he was fully sensible of the defects of e u his lett r , and had the grace to feel thoro ghly ashamed of it . He perceived that it was too

too long, constrained in tone , and , worst of all , t o a c o pologeti . He knew that after what had

a him u p ssed between and Jeanne , he o ght either

' id m r r sa o e o . to have less He even went further , c and a knowledged to himself that , u nless he were

d a ff of prepared to in ite formal o er marriage, he ought not to have written at all . But in that case he must have resigned all intention of making s uch an off er at any future time and this also he

wa s n ot . was prepared to do So , dissatisfied as he

u . of u with the res lt his labours , he thr st it at M E MAD EMOISELLE DE RS AC . 6 7

le . ngth into an envelope , with a groan and a de s air in r u u l p g sh g of his sho ders , feeling that the difficulties of the emergency were too many for " t him , and being , moreover , if the ruth must be told , a trifle pressed for time , for no man , lovelorn or ou t u otherwise , can set pon a journey without

u h avin g first packed p his clothes . And in due course the mis sive reached its

was to destin ation . It brought up the Campagne

’ M ersac n HOtel d O r ien t de by a messe ger from the , and was handed to Jeann e as she sat at the

ak - a as ill - bre fast t ble , round which , luck would

a D h ve it , were grouped the uchess , M . de Font

t - a - ll . No viei e , and Léon half dozen times in as many weeks did the Duchess leave her room before the afternoon was well advanced scarcely more often was M . de Fontvieille wont to demand

as hospitality of his neighbours ; while , for the

of f re young master the house , his avocations quently led him miles away from home at the

on i breakfast hour . But this part cular morning of all i others , Madame de Breu l had woke up feel

’ u F ing nusually brisk and strong ; M . de on tvieille s cat h ad made a raid upon the fried soles and the dish of small birds to which that gentleman had been looking f or his mid- day s ustenance ; and M AD E M oIS E L L E M E R S A 68 DE C .

h ad Léon , being in sore trouble of mind , fallen out with Pierre Cauvin; and had ridden back in

’ l e ~ the sulks , leaving his day s duties ha f a com plish ed. Thus it came to pass that Jeanne h ad to O pen her letter in the presence o f three witnesses

‘ h ad and , what was worse still , to read it with six

inquiring eyes fixed upon her face . People wh o have intelligence of a startling nature to impart ought to send their c ommdn ic a m t . tions in the ordinary anner, through the pos

on e In these days , everybody gets or two letters

- at breakfast time , and may, by exercising a little

- self command , make shift to receive a sharp epis

t lar w m o y blo. . without displaying unbeco ing emo

t or wh o ion , exciting the attention of those sit — at meat with him especially if, as is to be

anticipated , the latter be busy over the study of

n their ow correspondence . But a note delivered

' - t n after post hours must , in the nature of hi gs , create some slight stir of curiosity in the least in

u isitiv e - q and best bred circles , which is sometimes

u u apt to be a little hard pon the recipient , pon whom the consciousness of bein g more or less furtively watched can hardly fail to produce a

sen sation of discomfort. Had Barrington been possessed of that nice consideration for the feelings

A R A 7 0 M DEMOISELLE DE M E S C .

’ of b n - s patiou , reaki g up dog biscuit for Turco

a breakf st . If there was on e thing that irritated the

D r was uchess more than anothe , it conduct of

this kind . She was an inquisitive old bOdy, Who

’ a n d liked to have a finger in everyone s business , e to be consulted in every emergency . She hat d

x of o wn sh e secrets (e cept , course , her , which d r made a pro igious fuss over), and could not bea the thought that anything in the shape of a mystery should exist under the same roof with

her . Sooner , indeed , than that matters should remain in so unsatisfactory a condition she would clear them u p by means of direct question s ; but this was a h u militatin g mode of procedure to d which she seldom . resorted until she had essaye to work round to her end through a series of ar t

u less circ mlocutions . Upon the present occasion she drummed upon l the tab e impatiently with her withered, j ewelled

for i O r two ad fingers a m nute , and then ,

t r e dressing herself to nobody, in par icular , marked that it was a strange thing that people

a . never c me to see her now And yet , she resumed ,

’ erh a s it after a momentary break , p p was not such a very strange thing after all; She was a very A D E M ER S AC M DEMOISELLE . old on e of n ec es woman , and loneliness was the

f old . ! ou e l o . sary evi s age and I , my d ar M de

i ou t of Fontvie lle , have been the race for many

e s to o y ars pa t ; and , perhaps , it is much to expect that young people should take the trouble to

T own amuse us . hey have their interests and

own s hi to their plea ures , w ch they keep them

in k too selves , without th ing , perhaps , that we , , like to have ou r share in -what goes on around

. r . W us Ve y likely they find us in the way ell , they have the consolation of knowing that we

’ cannot interfere with them long .

' ‘

M r. n My letter is from Barringto . Wou l d

i to ? a you l ke read it , madame sked Jeanne , who

n t n did o like circumlocutio s .

‘ ' I make it a rul e n ever to read c orr esp on ’ dence which is not addressed to me , answered

‘ r e the old lady , with dignity , particula ly wh n it is written in a langu age which I do n ot under

’ s ta nd .

d on i ill h Whereat M . e F tv e e had a little laug

all to himself behind his napkin . ‘ He writes to say that he has been suddenly

a E ll of c lled away to ngland by the i ness his sister, and to apologi se for not having been able to call

’ - H n n . e and say good bye to us , co tinued Jean e 2 M M L M E A 7 AD E O IS E L E DE R S C .

a particul rly begs me to make his excuses to you ,

’ madame . I D And so he is really gone said the uchess .

‘ I regret it very sincerely . He was an amiable

en ter tamm man I and g young , and had become

‘ accustomed to seeing him here . The house will

’ s eem quite dull at first without him .

’ Bar r m n We . to shall all miss Mr g , observed

‘ ’ n a d L eo ; n Jeanne more than any of us .

‘ ’ l s v r mu h e c , I shal mis him y ' said Jeanne, steadily ; but in any case h e could hardly have remained he re mu ch longer at this season of the

of year . That is the worst making friends with

A s n birds of pa ssage . soon as o e has got to

w off on e kno them tolerably well they are , and

’ probably never sees them again . “I should be sorry to think that we had seen

’ a D the last of Mr . B rrington , remarked the uchess .

D h e’ ? oes not speak of returning , Jeanne

I n Oh , no He says something about meeti g

’ us in Switzerland in the summer . I shall never be able to drag myself as far as

’ old d I Switzerland , sighed the la y never , am

y I convinced . The next journe shall undertake

' — will be a short one only as far as the cemetery .

bu t I w r un I dread the hot season here , ill not the M ER S A C 7 MADEMOISELLE DE . 3 risk of dying in an hotel and leaving Jeanne with all the trouble and inconvenience of arran ging

u u l w I about the f neral . If Léon co d be ith me ,

’ so c should not mu h mind .

‘ ou e I will certainly accompany y , madam ; ’ s w if you wish it , aid Léon , speaking ithout much alacrity .

‘ No n o man en a n t ou own , , f , y have your aff i I a rs to attend to ; and , besides , prefer to be

of r ormd buried here . I have my piece g wait

f or ou n as I ing me , as y k ow , and as soon have arran ged on e or two little matters I shall be

B - - ready enough to occupy it . y the bye , what

f - ? has become o M . de Saint Luc It is a century f m ’ since I have heard o hi .

’ In this way Barrington s depart u re escaped

f or e 0 further remark ; and , the next quart r an hour, the conversation turn ed chiefly upon matters of loc al gossip . Jeanne took her share in it from

n or a time to time , and was neither more less t ci l . was turn than usual but M de Fontviei le , who

old t an observant person , noticed that she lef the

of a remainder her breakf st untouched .

I or suppose that everybody is , in a greater

of less degree , dowered with that blessed gift self deception without which the in finite sadn ess of 4 L M A 7 MADEMOISE LE DE E R S C . life would become almost u nendurable but some

re no doubt , are more highly favoured in this spect than others . Jeanne , for instance , though

- THIS 7 quite able, and even rather prone , to form a h taken estimate of c aracters and motives , had a singularly clear vision and defective imagination where facts were concerned ; and it was upon the

s he * was basis of facts , and not hypotheses . that

’ n accustomed to shape her actions . Barringto s letter left her no room f or pleasant delusions

as s either as to his meaning or to her own de tiny . She had said to herself the day bef or e that he

' should decide her fate ; and now he had eme ff phatically done so , though in a di erent manner from that which she had anticipated . For her she knew that there could h en ceforth be no more

c . un ertainty The die was cast , and the remainder of her life must be spent n o t with the man whom but she loved , with one for whom , at that time , she t felt an absolute abhorrence . At he first momen t the on e thing that seemed to her most necessary was that she should So bear herself as that no on e shou l d guess at th e ' woun d she had received ;

o f and this task , as we have seen , she acquitted

‘ ” e ‘ di on e hers lf not screditably , failing only in that

' point of inability to swallow food . 5 MADEMOISELLE DE NER SAC . 7 W hen breakfast was at an end , she betook

own an d herself to her room , , sitting down before

n - her dressi g table , took the letter from her pocket , and read it over again fr om beginnin g to end .

din There was no misunderstan g it, she thought , as she laid it gently aside without a shadow of r e

n m n t se t e against the writer . She was a hundred

n miles from interpreti g it correctly, and never

’ doubted of the necessity of Barrin gton s journey

E in to ngland ; but she plainly saw that , had he

n ot tended asking her to be his wife , he would have left Al geria without doing so . How co u l d she have made so terrible a mistake 9 That was

u the question which was ppermost in her mind, and which she asked herself over and over again

“ " m r tific ati n — a w in h with bitter o o . She oman er

- — a too n ot twenty third year woman , , who was

of by nature romantic , and had seen more the world and of men than nin ety- nine French girls out of a hundr ed are permitted to do—she to

n to a co found intimacy with love , and t ke a few

’ li a n r a n d semeu x ght words g , like any child of seventeen just released from the conven t !

It was not an agreeable thought.

’

l . I have only myse f to blame , she murmured ‘ — I have allowed myself to love him Heaven 7 6 M E R S AC MADEMOISELLE DE . grant I may not have allowed him to see that

hi I— n I love m a d now I must suff er for it . What

an d is done cannot be undone ; , if it could , I am not sure that I should wish it to be so ; all that remains f or me to do is to save the family

a n d to w from disaster , gratify the ishes of all my friends . It is a sort of consolation ; and

I n ow t care so little what becomes of me , tha there is no fear of my courage failing Only

I - wish M . de Saint Luc were a little less con

’ t i l empt b e .

n n t was Jea ne was o altogether heroic . She ready and willin g to make the great sacrifice

ff r e which , as she conceived , duty and a ection quired of her ; bu t there she stopped short . Of what she might owe to her future husband she did ” not think at all . He had played a game of cards f or her , and had won his stake let him be satis I fi e d. What more could such a man claim from her than that she should carry his name u n — tarnished to her grave ? As for affection a llow

‘ don e ! I may forgive you in time , but him I

’ shall never forgive , she had said to Léon the day before ; and her altered circumstances had produced no change in her sentiments . She had already , in some sort , pardoned her brother, but

E E D E M E R SA C MAD MOISELL .

’ r oté ee w ri d grees, his hope of seeing his p g ell mar e to one of her own countrymen had yielded to a k indly desire that her hand might follow where

h ad a n d her heart lready bee given ; and, un er

‘

a . of w standing , as he did , the cruel n ture the blo

n ow e wa s which had fallen upon her , h deter mined that a t least she should not lack such solace as it is in the power of a sympathetic spirit to bestow

e th e afir ail If Barrington , l aning over t of the

n the steamer, and gazi g sentimentally up at

s E i wooded height of l B ar , had . been provided

h f o wit a su ficiently powerful telesc pe , he would e have mad out, not the tall graceful form which , he fondly hoped might be stationed there , but a — grotesque little straw batted figure gesticu lating like a marionette , and from time to time shaking a pu ny fist towards the sea . I er fidiou s ZEn eas ; Go, p cried the old gentle man , apostrophising the faithless one in the style

1 8 10 . the n of the year Go , and leave oble and unhappy Dido to consume upon the pyre of u n requited love ! Go back to the chill fogs of thy t melancholy island , and languish here , a prey to

— ' remorse and the spleen ! Go and the devil go with thee I F M E R S A C 4 MADEMOISELLE DE . 9

w e i Some hat r lieved by th s outburst , M . de

ll u t Fontviei e str tted back owards the house , whence

D a little - poor ido , pale and heavy lidded , had just

Bemovm a . b issued g his Panam hat , and owing more profoundly than usual in homage alike to

‘ ’ beauty and misfortune , Mademoiselle , said he

‘ t f u I come o beg a favour o yo . My collection of gems

r But , monsieur, I inspected them f om the

’ r to n l a o fi st the last o y two days g , pleaded poor

Jean n e,who wanted to be left al one .

l was on e Pardon me , mademoisel e , there d ou n ot rawer which y did see then , and have

to never seen yet . It is that which I propose

t - show you o day .

‘ But I must go to the dairy ; and I have th e linen to count , and

c on v mc ed ? Mademoiselle , I am that your ad mir able Fanchette is capable of replacing you f or

F r u an . o o hour the rest , I will not detain y long ; but I have a fancy to display my greatest

- ou too to treasures to you to day , and y are kind

’ ’ thwart an old ma n s whim .

Not a seeing her way to resisting this ppeal ,

ar asol an d Jeanne resignedly put up her p , accepted F n l ’ . o tv i i l ff M de e e s pro ered arm . She would 80 M ER S A C MADEMOISELLE DE .

v wa ha e walked more comfortably alone , for she s a good head taller than her companion and age , together with the u nconscionable tightness of his v d of arnished boots , had eprived him absolute

d al control over his legs , so that it took a good e of humouring and management to keep his head

in v olu n a straight , and preserve him from sudden tary inroads into the fl ower - beds ; but to decline such an equivocal support would have been to

ff n wh o grievously a ront the old ge tleman , held it an essential point of courtesy to conduct all lady visitors to his door in this slightly ridiculous

- fashion , and who to day seemed anxious to sur pass himself in small marks of attention towards his young guest . When he had led Jeanne into his little dark sa lon m , and had made her seat herself in the ost c - omfortable arm chair that the room contained , he trotted away , and returned presently, bearing

- in his arms a worsted work footstool , which he placed under her feet , and , recovering his per

en dicu lar n ot ff triu m p without an e ort , remarked

h an tl we ! p y, Now are at our ease Then he unlocked the folding doors of the old-fashioned cabinet w hich held his precious

th e collection , and rapidly pulled out first few M N R ADEMOISELLE DE E SAC . 8 1

n drawers , closi g them again without daring to glance at their contents lest the temptation to

his u l too moun t hobby sho d prove strong for him .

’ Al l alr eadv these we have seen , he said , and I will not fatigue you by going over them again , though I have some rubies here which well merit

— ! ou but no matter , let us proceed . may perhaps have noticed that I have never Opened the lowest drawer m your presence . There is nothing in it ,

old as you perceive , but an leather case , which , to

t n ot in tell you the ruth , is worth five francs ,

ou cluding what it contains . But now I will tell y something that will give you a little interest in it . That leather case was made for me half a century

to ago ; and from that day this , nobody has ever

n looked i side it but myself. If I may say so with ou t chdsses profanity, it is , in a manner, like those

ma a an d which you y see in cert in cathedrals , which ar e only opened once in every ten or twenty years . They contain nothing more than

al of the usu frag ments the true cross , or garments

Vir in of the Blessed g , or whatever it may be ; but when the day ” comes for the exhibition of the

Gr a n des R eli u es mm g , people flock fro iles round m wh 9‘ to contemplate the . And y Because they

’ cannot do so every day .

v oL . G II . 2 M E R S AC MADEMOISELLE DE .

He had been ‘ fumbling at his watch -chain

was d d while he speaking, and now he etache therefrom a small gold key , which he pressed into the lock of the case .

’ Voila mes Gr a n des R eli u es ma demoiselle q , \ t lid a n d to said he , lif ing the , drawing back a step h allow her to approac .

saw Jeanne bent forward , and very much — what she had expected to see two or three

w1th er ed brown , flowers, which had once been roses, a long kid glove yellow with age , a scrap

of ribbon , and a miniature representing a lady

f o with a high rehead , an enormous pair of black

rim ‘ smilin m n th o . eyes , and a little p , g

’ ‘ u You do not find her beautif l , remarked

M D i u ! . on e M . de Fontvieille , you are right she never was so ; although I must say that that miniature gives no more idea of wh at she was than the photographs of the present day will do

I n of you and your contemporaries . t is o ly great

wh o artists can produce a faithful likeness , and my poor Madeleine had not the means of paying

or a great artist , even a mediocre one . She was only the dau ghter of a country gentleman of good

wh o family, but small fortune , lived all the year

h e r ound upon his property in t Bourbonnais , and ! N R MADEMOISELLE DE E SAC . 8 3

e cultivat d his vines , and knew little and cared less about the outer world . His estate adjoined

of imcle o f that an mine , and it was while upon t h a visit o him t at I first met Madeleine . I was

- - at that time about eight and twenty , and in many

s re pects an older man than I am now , when my age may be nearly represented by the same figures I in reversed order . had lived in Paris from the day I h ad left my college I had tried every form of h pleasure , I had made myself acquainted wit

of f every grade society, and I lattered myself that the world had n o new sensation left to bestow upon f . o me I was more than half tired life , as young men often are when their health begins to give

m ff of way fro the e ects dissipation , and when they are up to the eyes in debt . I was sick of

a d — dicing n brawling, and and the rest of it ; and yet I did n ot see how I was to kill time without

of . the help these amusements In short , I was so disheartened an d disgusted with myself and mv prospects that I had more than once gravely de bated the advisability of entering a Trappist

on e monastery when I encountered Madeleine , sunny morning , in the village , and abandoned all idea of taking vows f or which I was perhaps hardly fitted by nature . D E M E R S A MADEMOISELLE C .

‘ A s I have already said , she Was no great

was as ; beauty ; but she innocent as an angel , as

a a a g y as l rk, and her manners had an easy, naive

n grace which came from atural good breeding , not from the acquired elegances of an artificial

‘ ' a society . There was a ch rm about her which exceeded the charms of the gr an d mon de to which I was accustomed , as the fresh scent of a tuft of wild thyme excel s the sickly odour of the

was f or stephanotis . It not , however, these

b was I reasons , but simply ecause she herself, that

' fell in love with her ; and if all the philosophers in the world were to lecture to you u pon the origin of love , for hours together, they could give you no clearer explanation of th e phenomenon than this . There are people , I firmly believe , wh o go down to their graves , after a long life , without ever having been in love at all . For

o t . h myself, alth ugh I was at one ime somew at notorious for adventures of a kind which I can do

u in no more than all de to conversation with you , madem0 1selle u I ma l , and altho gh y have fe t for

n certain ladies a se timent which , for want of a

we of better word , dignify by the name love , I can assure you in all seriousness that I have only been in love once .

A N R 8 6 M DEMOISELLE DE E SAC . s trictly religious groove into which his parents h ad pushed him . M ypoor little fi a n cée yielded without making much r esistan c em sh e would as soon have thought

’ ’ of cuttin g her father s throat a s of disobeying him

— I to and went back Paris , crazy with despair,

and ready to put an end to myself. As you per

c eiv e . , however, I did not do this I continued t o exist and eventually married Madame de

wh om. I r Fontvieille , with lived in perfect ha mony f r o twenty years . She was an excellent woman ;

’ sh e brought me a handsome dot ; and I never dis t u rbed her peace of mind by showing her the f p oor relicswhich n ow lie before you . The act of my having preserved them is sufficient evi dence that through all that h as come and gone

through sorrow and mirth , sickness and health , — marriage an d old age I have remained faithful

in my heart to my only love . Perhaps if my

n l dream had been realised , I might have bee ess

I n c onstant ; can ot tell . It is a common saying

a m c on v mc ed that marriage kills love , but I not

that it does so in all cases . However that may b e I owe n , I have always felt that Madelei e not

on . ly eternal love , but eternal gratitude But for h er I might have never suspected the existence of 7 MADEMOISELLE DE M ER SAC . 8 that divin e spark in my nature which is common

n to all human bei gs . I might have lived and died like a beast, as thousands do . Having known I and loved her , could never fall back again under

of n or the sway my five senses , persuade myself that the object of life was to gratif y them . I cannot boas t of having performed many good actions ; but if I have helped a fellow- creature

I n here and there , if have forgiven an i jury or t two , and abs ained occasionally from harming

I to those whom have been tempted wrong ,

’ ’ is mon en a n t ! the credit Madeleine s . Ah , j this

“ u l of an d world is a dismal purgatory , f l liars

t f all thieves and traitors and wre ches o kinds . It would be impossible to believe in the perfectibility of the species if we did n ot know that we are

’ - of on e . capable loving another Such , at least , is my notion ; and that is why I conclude that to

‘ have loved another is a thing to be than kfu l for

on e or in itself, whether succeed fail in gaining the

’ of object one s desire .

‘ Why have I told you this long his tory to day ? Partly because I have bequeathed my

' I ou jewels to you , and wish y , as soon as I am

to ou w of dead , take the case that y kno , and , d n t to without saying a y hing to anybo y , slip it 88 R AC MADEMOISELLE DE ME S . quietly into my coffin ; and partly because the experiences of the old are sometimes a comfort to

man the young . If, by any chance , a finds him self in the midst of a sandy desert an d is not very

a . sure whether he will , ever esc pe from it , it is something to come across the traces of others wh o

b wa wh o have passed y the same y, and have neither fainted n or died . It is something sh . e M de Fontvieille stopped short , fearing le t might have said too much ; but Jeanne was not f of ended . She had perceived from the outset

d and that her old friend had iscovered her secret ,

w s she a not altogether sorry that it should be so . Few peoplelike to be openly pitied ; but there are “ extremities in which even the proudest are glad to think that some discreet person can under

m. stand their trouble , and secretly feel for the ’ n ieill s Jeanne had listened to M . de Fo tv e narrative with genuine inte rest . This octogenarian weeping v n o er a withered rose , dilating upo the divine m origin of love , ixing up sentiment, vanity , and

- bathos with the most innocent unself consciousness ,

a li had not ppeared to her ridiculous . His fide ty

in c him . in touched her ; his ideas some sort ed _ with her own . If the mere delight of memory ffi wh had . su ced to brighten his whole life , y should E M E R S A C 9 MADEMOIS LLE DE . 8

not the same source of consolation be op en t o her ? It was true that as yet she could hardly

bring herself to fancy that it could be so . Her wound was too fresh ; her heart ached with too

n bitter a longi g to see Barrington again , were it but for an hour but time would doubtless bring

f of her more calmness . A ter all, the worst part th e ordeal which lay before her was that of which

- her wou l d be consoler knew nothing . The pros — pec t of a lonely life of devotin g herself to the

or of — service of others , entering a convent would have had no terrors f or her ; but to be chained for

n a the rest of her days to an unco geni l companion , as the unhappy convicts used to be at the Toulon — bagn e to know that no escape from him was

to l f- possible , and be forced , in sheer se defence , to treat him at least as a friend— what more unhappy destiny than this cou l d any woman accept ? Fol

t of u lowing out this rain tho ght , she spoke at length :

‘ Wh did ou m ? y y arry , monsieur You were d ’ not obliged to o so .

u M . de Fontvieille shr gged his shoulders . I— Wh Obliged no but it seemed expedient . en I gave up my old mode of life and my old c om

wa s ti I panions I very dull . After a me thought 90 O DE M E R S A C MADEM ISELLE . the best thing I could do would be to ally myself

wh o , to a good , sensible woman could contribute her share towards the payment of the household expenses ; and I assure you I never regretted having taken the step . Marriage is an admirable

’ in stitu tl on f h e , but a tri le prosaic t essential thing is that the husband ‘ and wife should start by u n d r tan din n e s g o e another . I never pretended to

ff f or d any romantic a ection Ma ame de Fontvieille , nor did she ever look for anything of the kind

wh o from me . You , have been educated a little ‘ ’ ' ct l a n la z se con v e g , probably regard marriages of n ien c e own I with horror ; for my part , think

’ they are very good things . In every man s life there comes a time when he feels the necessity of

of own . having a home his , and domestic interests

W u of omen , from the nat re their position , must

» experience the same want far more keenly . If

lov ers ar e better ' f or able to marry, so much the them ; but I see no reason why two people wh o esteem one another should not live toge ther quite

. I contentedly without an y warmer feeling .

I r e married Madame de Fontvieille because ,

I , quired a home , and told her so honestly . I

never let her know that my heart belonged , and

bu t . would always belong, to another woman if L M E R S A C 9 MADEMOISE LE DE . 1

ou t u l she had happened to find it , she wo d have

’ had no right to complain .

! ou do n ot i r f or th nk , then , that it is w ong a

to ar on e man woman m ry , and continue to love another

ill . M . de Fon tvie e made a grimace This was not exactly the doctrine he h ad intended t o in

cu l cate o , and he felt that he was getting up n

dangerous ground . l ‘ Zf on D ieu ! . he said , that depends a little In matters of this kind it is impossible to lay down

, a. general rule which will fit all cases . My object in relating my own experience to you was to show — that it is a good thing to have loved even in

’ vai n .

‘ ’ ‘ e . No doubt , answered J anne , gravely I

’ ou a - r e have understood what y have me nt , she

s ‘ r sumed, after a short pau e ; it would be absu d to t u to pre end that I have not , and I am gratef l

f or c on fi din you g in me , and sympathising with me ; bu t

’

. dé My dear child , cried M Fontvieille ,

- waving his yellow silk pocket handkerchief, it. has been a sweet consolation to me to reopen my

old wh o wounds in your presence . Only those have suffered themselves ca n truly feel f or the 92 LL M E R S A C M ADEMOISE E DE .

suffering . In future you will freely confide your — troubles to me we will mingle our tears ’ N I a m o, broke in Jeanne not one of those

Wh o enjoy shedding tears . Then seeing that the

old n . a ! ou gentlema looked hurt , she dded , know that if I could speak to anybody upon— the sub

ec t j you have alluded to , I would speak to you but you must see that , for the future, the less said about it the better . I shall not forget what you I have said , and you may be sure that will carry out your instructions about the little leather case

n ow I when the time comes . And must really ’ th e go to dairy . M ar véllou s is the power of love I ejaculated h . n t e M de Fo tvieille , after he had seen Jeanne to door, and had carefully locked up his precious

‘ wh o cabinet . Here is a woman is told that jewels to the value of some hundred thousand

’ francs will be hers m a few years time at furthest, and wh o does not think the announcement worth

“ so much as a word of notice . Ah , animal of an Englishma n ! what have you ever done to merit such devotion ? ’

94 M E R S AC MADEMOISELLE DE .

de M er sac as that they should not clash with those

of the inevitable Englishman . He rode up the same afternoon to inquir e whether Mademoiselle de M er sac had recovered

’ from her indisposition but h e on ly left a card at

‘ di a too the door, without smounting , fe ring lest a spe edy appearance upon the field so lately vacated by the enemy might savour of undue precipita f tion . In a like prudent spirit he refrained rom any endeavour to meet Jeanne until th e return of ’ Madame de Br eu il s weekly r ec eptl on - day afforded him an excuse for once more turning his horse ’s

in of E head the direction l Biar and even then ,

it d a to as turne out, he f iled obtain the interview

he had hoped for . Madame la Duchesse had discontinued her

receptions for the summer months , the servant

told him , in answer to his inquiry but he would r a sk whethe she was well enough to see monsieur .

Mademoiselle Jeanne had already gone out . Under

- n ot the circumstances , Saint Luc did much care about being admitted ; but as he could hardly say so consistently with politeness , he waited at the door, in a broiling sun , while the man departed

was on his mission , and presently rewarded by a request that he would be so kind as to walk NE R 5 MADEMOISELLE DE SAC . 9

ai D u n upst rs , the chess bei g unable to leave her bedr oom . ’ D s r The uches s bedroom was spacious , ai y , and luxuriously furn ished . It belonged to the

of modern portion the house , and had nothing Moorish either in its construction or in its ap

oin tmen ts . p The low bedstead , with its lace

rin - of all bordered cove g , the soft cushioned chairs

- XI V. a shapes and sizes , the Louis writing t ble , the

kn ickn acks inlaid cabinets , and the numberless were as evidently of Parisian origin as was the

of wh o owner all these pretty things , , from the

sofa upon which she lay, with her quilted silk

ai - peignoir wrapped about her, greeted S nt Luc in

u l feeble and rather quer ous accents .

I n ot Come in , monsieur , and sit down . do apologis e f or receiving you here the bedr oom of a dyin g old woman is as much Open to the world

’ r t as a chap elle a den e.

n - Sai t Luc , with the best possible intention , de

clar ed that , if he might j udge by appearances , he was in the room of a lady wh o had a great many years of life and health before her ; but his obser

vation was n ot well received .

‘ E ! w is u se of n h , eh hat the repeati g such

’ ba n a lités D as that , cried the uchess , petulantly. 6 S M E R S AC 9 MADEMOI ELLE DE .

an d m I am hundreds of years old, I have ail ents h ’ . to t at er etu al enough to kill a Hercules Add , p p

f or an anxiety and worry , which you are chiefly l ’ swer a b e . ? ’ I , madame ’ w Certainly . You kno that my one Wl S h is to provide a home for Jeanne before I take my f leave o her and of this troublesome world . How

‘ man mon th s I n y is it that have been waiti g , wait ing to hear that you have arranged matters with her ? ’

w I as Madame , you will allo that am just anxious as you can be to arrive at the result which we b oth desire . But you will also allow

n that the case is an exceptional one . And o

” r I doubt , too , ou will remembe that when for

’ M er sac s mally requested Mademoiselle de hand , shortly after my arrival in Algiers, you yourself told me that I could never h O pe to obtain it in

affec that simple fashion , but that I must gain her ’ tions before her consent .

M on D ieu , yes ; I told you that it would

’ be necessary to woo her a l a n gla ise ; but I suppose that even th e English put some limit ‘ to

We their wooing . do not live in the days of the patriarchs ; and if you are content to play the

z M LL D E M E R SAC . 98 MADE OISE E ;

n o ot Vicomte , and you ought to k w it . It is n ! by

; eou s will co tair sighing and looking pit that you r b i A lover who understands his

- — u s es n e t . e n s h e m b in s i her , argues nor treat si ply ’ takes wh at h e wants . I doubt whether that meth odw ou ld s ucceed

’ i M ademoiselle M ersac with , de

Wh s it n ot h y hould ~ succeed as well with er as with a nother ? At least you might give it a f b or . e n trial , it would better than your prese t method-s -gdmittin g f that y ou have on e ; I f you

n k h w u tf o ot n as . o o ex ec t ? will eve , can y p receive

h alr ead asked a dh ad Supposing that I ad y , n been refu sed ?

W at ! c h ried the old lady , starting up from D t her recumbent position . o you mean me o

h as e u nderstand that she actually r fused you , and

n t . t ! ever said . a word to me about i ? I is too bad Bu t in that case there is -no more to be -said ; and

n s h o I have been wasting, Heaven only k ow , w much g ood time and p atience ! ! ou are aware

e s . that J anne , is completely her own mistre s If sh e ff has declined your o er , it is apparently becau se

h av e you failed to please h er . deplore her de c ision o ow , but I can assure you , if you d not j kn

th e , h . o it already , at I ave no p wer , to mak her ’ alter it . D M E R MA EMOISELLE DE S A C . 9 9

ll I have no i usions upon that point , madame .

— a on e i — I have only a hope faint , I adm t still

of l just a hope that , in process time , she herse f

may reconsider h er choice . I am in every respect

of for unworthy her ; but all that , I think I can offer her a more complete devotion than she is

i to l l kely meet with e sewhere . All that I have to trust to is the chance that she may sooner or later

a n d discover this , that it may have some influence

’ upon her . The Duchess did n ot seem to think much of this forlorn hope . She pursed up her lips , wrinkled her brow , and reflected .

’ ! n ou . are too modest , she said at le gth Keep on repeating to a girl that you are unworthy “ of w her, and the chances are that she ill end by

ou ou ou . believing y It is possible that , as y say, y may make her love you at last by mere force of lov

f of . o ing her I have heard cases that kind , though I cannot say that I have ever personally known of

n such a o e . But the truth is that the experiment

ou or demands more time than we can give y , than

- ' ou a . n y have right to ask . Come , M de Sai t Luc ,

ou ar e of ou n ot y a man the world , and y will be

ff ! ou ; ou . o ended if I speak to y frankly , very il naturally and very prett y , look at this matter

11 2 100 M E R S AC MADEMOISELLE DE .

mthe w fro romantic point of Vie . I, as naturally,

w ; if not quite as prettily, vie it in its practical aspect . I have no ambitious or selfish aims to serve all I wish is that Jeanne should get a good husband and a comfortable home ; and I know;

v th e that , so long as I li e , connections which I have still kept up will enable me to put such

wa . W chances in her y hen I am gone , the case will be very different. Only this morning I had a letter from France, telling me of two young

wa wh o men, highly suitable in every y , are anxious to settle down , and form an alliance with i some lady of good b rth and moderate fortune .

own For my part , if I could see any reasonable probability that your hopes would be realised , I should ask nothi n g better than to send these

n gentleme about their business but candidly , do you think I ou ght to do so ? ’ ‘ ! ou mu ac t st as you think best , madame ,

- answered Saint Luc with a sigh .

’ Yes ; bu t don t you see that if another suitor

u is to appear pon the scene , your presence would become a little embarrassing ? I think I may f airly ask that this question should be settled now , h R t e . one way or other epeat your proposal , and ’ let there be an end of it .

1 2 D M E S AC 0 MADEMOISELLE E R .

d . s it with h t ocility, but you hall have , , all my ear — m ’ and , y best wishes into the bargain . So Saint - Luc went his way sorrowfully ; and

U being disposed neither for sleep nor society , sat p

al l . u . nearly the night thro gh , with dull care to k ’ eep him company . In the Duchess s powers of

c persuasion he had no onfidence at all , and he was far indeed from suspecting what fruit his care l m ess suggestion , thrown out merely as a eans of i hi q u eting what , appeared to man absurd and e ’ boyish scruple on L on s part, had already borne . o All the more prof und was his stupefaction when , early the next morning , he received the following brief note

W a h t possessed you, mydear monsieur , to give me v iolent emotions and upset my health without any reason ? I should be tempted to call you hard n ames if I were not too contented to be vexed with a ff n . ybody Jeanne , dear child , o ers no opposi tion whatever to our wishes and if you will look in upon us this afternoon , you shall hear from her own lips what I hope you will consider good news . To think that you should have reached your time of life without discovering that when a woman

a ! says no , she , almost invariably me ns yes I

u . felicitate yo , and press your hand cordially LOUISE DE BR EUIL L L A C 10 MADEMOISE E DE M E R S . 3

If these few lines had been wri tten in Chinese instead of in the clearest and most explicit

r - F ench , they could not have puzzled Saint Luc B more utterly. etween the time when they were handed to him by his servant and that which he deemed the earliest permissible f or obeyin g the in vitation to they conveyed , he had ample leisure peruse and r e-peruse them till he had got them by heart ; but at the end of all he cou ld extract from them no more magreeable deduction than that there must be some istake somewhere . It was all very well f or Madame de Breuil to reite rate the old dictum that feminine negatives are usually

affir mativ es equivalent to , but this , like most gene

o to e ral prop sitions , failed hold wat r when applied to a particu lar instan ce and Saint -Luc was neither foolish enough to believe that Jeanne was in love with himnor clever enough to guess at the tr u e

f ff s o ir . wa state a a s He , therefore, in no wise

u or sang ine jubilant , and spent the greater part of th e w his o day in pacing up and do n r om , and in e n I xclaimi g at intervals , It is impossible

- Thus it came about that M . de Saint Luc dis played less ease and ap lomb upon the occas ion of his first meeting with his futur e bride than might have been expecte d from-a gentleman so renowned 04 M E R SAC MADEMOISELLE DE .

a for good breeding . For when he w s shown into

- in the drawing room , Jeanne rose , her slow, stately wa c y, from the sofa upon whi h she had been seated, and advanced a few steps towards him,

ou t th e holding her hand, and behind her stood

D L eon uchess . all smiles , and , smiling too , but looking a little puzzled and anxious withal and it was evident that he , on his part , was expected to do or say something , and that nobody was

him ou t 0 going to help with his task . N form of d him polite dismissal would have foun unprepared , and he would have known how , in such a case , to retire without loss of dignity ; but so little had he believed in his good fortune that he had omitted to rehearse any scene in which he might be called upon to act the part of an accepted l n ow su r r l se over, and , in his p and perplexity , he

. searched in , vain for some appropriate words

At length , after a pause, during which Jeanne t contemplated him with perfect impassibili y , and th e D fid et uchess began to g a little, he did what was , perhaps , upon the whole , the best thing he could have done , he took the cool white hand ff e o ered to him , and bent resp ctfully over it , just

w . touching it ith his lips And as he did so , he noticed that Jeanne shivered ever so slightly .

E ’ 106 M ADEMOISELLE DE M R S AC .

? 23 13 3 s pretty name , do you not think so of cour e

a you do . I am a silly old wom n to ask such a

’ question . Under cover of this artillery of prattle Saint

Luc man aged to c ollect his scattered ideas . By the time that the old lady h ad paused f or want of b reath , he had got his little speech ready, and he delivered it in straightforward and unaffected language . — e You know, madame and so do you , L on and so also does mademoiselle herself— how little I have ventured to expect the happiness that has w come to me . All I can say is that I ill do my

shdw best to myself worthy of it . It would be ridiculous presumption on my part to assume that mademoiselle has any such feeling for me as I — have for her indeed , I know that it is not so .

c an ou But this I promise to her, and to y all , that if she ever comes to repent of her choice, it shall h ’ not be throug any fa ult of mine . He looked a little wistfully at Jeanne a she

spoke the last words , but she only inclined her li t head s ghtly, without speaking , and he urned ,

wh o with a half sigh , towards Léon , p romptly grasped him by the hand , thinking that the

n s proper thi g to do under the circumstance , and E 10 MAD EM OIS LLE DE M E RS A C . 7

remarked felicitously that he had always known

things would come right in the end, and had said

- le n Na o o . so , if Saint Luc remembered , at Fort p

h n n i T en , murmuri g somethi g about being obl ged

to i u to go the stables , he sl pped q ietly away, and i O when he was fa rly out in the pen air , drew a

n im long breath , and co gratulated h self in that he had passed over an uncertain piece of ground

without making any false steps . In the drawing -room an awkward period of

- silence supervened . Saint Luc had said his say Jeann e did n ot choose to speak at all ; and the Duchess ’ s spirits were somewhat damped by the

n i of solem ty the younger people .

’ i i f or I th nk I w ll go upstairs and rest a little ,

( n she said , gatheri g up her shawl , her book , and her other belongin gs ; all this excitement h a s m tired e . I shall find you here when I come

’ i to - down aga n no doubt , she added Saint Luc ,

wh o f rose to open the door or her . If mademoiselle will put up with my c om f ’ or to . pany so long , he answered , trying smile

ot Jeanne had g up , when he turned round

f n was h er a ter closi g the door , and standing , with t elbow resting upon the man elpiece , fanning her self leis urely with on e of t hose dr ied palmetto 08 E E R 1 MADEMOIS LLE DE M S AC .

leaves which n o Algerian lady is Wi thout du rmg

the hot months . ‘ Wh ? ’ y not she asked , replying to his last

to remark , although it had not been addressed

We u her . shall have to put p with one another

’ now until one of us dies . The prospect is not an agreeable on e to

’ d -L u c you , ma emoiselle , I fear, said Saint , stung

through all his humility by her cool contempt .

Not very ; but it does not much signify . It is unfortunate for me that I was brought u p to think that girls should choose their own husbands,

as they do in England. In my case it has turned out a mistake ; and in truth I suppose it is better

that every n ation should kee p to its own customs . Let u s endeavour to think that I am altogether

b on e r French , and that our etrothal is of the o di

nary kind . You marry me because you wish to

n settle dow , and I marry you because my family

n o e desire it . There need be qu stion of love w ’ bet een us .

‘ of Pardon me , there is a great deal love but

it is all on one side . I do not complain of that

but, mademoiselle , I love you so dearly that I

n ow would far rather go away , and never see you

u . again , than condemn you to a life of nhappiness

1 10 O E M E R S A C MADEM IS LLE DE .

’ I cannot in the least understand you I she m exclaimed half involuntarily . It see s to me that you ar e doing a very foolish thing ; but I suppose you must be the best judge of your own , h t a av e n o ou . ctions , and at any rate I deceived y And now I have somethin g to say which had

' b e s a t . better aid once and done with , for it is about a disagreeable matter which I do n ot in

‘ tend to allude to again . I wish you to know that Léon has told me about the money which he lost o to you at cards , and ab ut the manner in which you and he seemto have agreed that it should be

’ paid .

- ) Saint Luc looked vexed . I wish Léon had

’ ff r not spoken to you about that silly a ai , he said . t I was all a misunderstanding. There is no real debt at all ; but he took an absurd notion into his head that he was bound to pay me an im mense sum which I never had the remotest in tention of accepting from him ; and he was so

n e obsti ate ov r it that , to quiet him, I suggested the first way out of the difficulty that occurred to

n ow me . I am sorry that I did not happen to

- " hit upon some other solution , because , as things had have turned out , it may look to you as if I presumed too much upon the probability of your M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE . 1 11

ff accepting my second o er . Nothing could be

r a ou further from the t uth , I ssure y and I need i hardly say :that I never imag ned that any a c

' ’ of s wou ld r each count the tran action your ears . I should have thought you must have kn own that Léon has no secrets from me . But that does

n ot mu c h matter . a In any c se, I must have been

’ told before the money could have been paid .

I had hoped that , as there need be no actual

of to transfer coin , he and I would have been able

ou u arrange the matter without troubling y abo t it .

n ot But , to tell you the truth, mademoiselle , I did give much thought to the details as I told you

’ u before , the debt is a p rely imaginary one .

“ li bit . v d1d Jeanne her p Belie ing , as she that her present unlucky plight was the result Of a i — del berate plan laid by Saint Luc , it cost her an effort to refrai n fromopenly charging him with

u l needless duplicity . Nothing co d justify his be haviou r ; but if he had thr own himself upon her mercy , pleading his love for her as his excuse , he might perhaps have been allowed the benefit of

n . an extenuati g circumstance As it was . there

Was nothing to be said for him . I do not understand how a debt can be

’ L e n dl . o imaginary, she answered col y If lost M E R S A C 112 MADEMOISELLE DE .

e ou the money to you , he ow s it to y , and will

L et a s r of pay it . us treat it simply a matte t business , if you please . I am not quite cer ain as to what legal rights our marriage may gi v e

is n ot you over my property , and it desirable that

’ anyone but ou r selv es sh ou ld know of this u n f or

tu n ate . business I desire , therefore , to have your solemn assurance that you give up all claim to

’ francs of my dowry . The business—like air with which this very unbusiness -like demand wa s enunciated might have provoked Saint-Luc to a smile if he had not been too much hurt to see the comical side of the situation .

m w u I pledge you y ord of hono r . made

’ moiselle l , that it shal be so , he said and I will bind mys elf by an oath if you feel any fear of

. a t my robbing you But, believe me , you are taching a great deal too much importance to a stupid blunder . Will you permit me to give

’ you my version of the story ?

‘ ou . No , thank y I have your promise that you will not oppose my handing over the r e

m L e n u isite su o . f q to and that is su ficient . I do not wish to hear another word about the

’ matter .

E LL M E R A 1 14 MADEMOIS E DE S C . was re l justified befo the event , and her respectfu

- admiration for M . de Saint Luc would probably ff t e . Wh o n ed have su er d some diminu ion , i de , respects humility in this world ? The virtue is so rare a one that most people fail to recognise it w a s hen they see it , and usually set it down

on e of the meaner vices . It must be admitted

that Jeanne , who ought perhaps to have known

’ was s better, in no wise propitiated by her lover submissiveness . She did not understand that it

was an exaggerated sense of his own u n wor thi~ ness that made Saint-Luc mentally prostrate him

aw self before her ; she s only the ignoble , crouch t t ing atti ude , and trod him under foot withou compunction

Why will you ; insist u pon it that I am al

’ in ? r ways the right she exclaimed once , rathe

s ! cruelly . Surely I must be wrong sometime Let us try to discover some point u pon which ff ’ we . can di er, or we shall never agree

was d e But this some ays later, after Jeann had h ad to put up with a lon g course of u n i broken acqu escence . Upon this first afternoon

’ she bore two hours of Saint - Luc s society with

ou t m u an d ff t open urm ring , su ered him to depar M ER S A C 1 5 MADEMOISELLE DE . 1 at las t with no worse punishment than a some what curt dismissal .

’ f or to f or di It is time me go and dress nner, mi she said . I suppose you be co ng here every day now . I am always busy in the morn

’ in g, but after three o clock you will generally

’ - find me disengaged . Good bye . AC MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S .

“

CHAPTER XIX .

J NN R R W F N A ND E N EA E QUA ELS ITH A CHETTE, L O

’ T E ‘ R E w a s H MA SEILLAIS .

N n HUMA nature , eve m its moods of highest self l t f t abnegation , is stil apt to re ain a su ficient remnan of love f or self to long for the applau se or grati ,

f l - l o . tude fe low morta s Curtius , when he resolved upon immolating himself upon the altar of patriotism , arrayed himself, it will be remembered ,

n in a suit of shini g armour, mounted a prancing war- an d l horse, disappeared into the gu f with the

e - a n d ey s of the awe struck citizens upon him , their murmurs of mingled admiration and pity in his ears . The sacrifice would have been equally ffi e cacious , it is to be presumed , and the chasm as permanently closed , if he had walked quietly f w down to it, a ter nightfall , and slipped in , ithout saying a word to anybody . But he probably felt

m t n an d hi self en itled to a more dramatic endi g ,

L D E N ER . 118 MADEM OISEL E SAC .

n ' consolatio in . that thought ; and , moreover, Jeann e could have found it in her ‘ heart to wish that he should at least hav e guessed at what s eemed so obvious , were it only that she might have had the satisfaction of quieting his fears :

h e a " But app rently felt no anxiety, and , at all

' dis la an h l . s S events , did not p y y As far as ister

‘ u was could nderstand his feelings, he satisfied

’ w t th e ov er o ed at i h arrangement , though not j y it , a n d desirous chiefly to avoid meeting Saint - Luc

or mentioning his name .

It was, perhaps , in some degree through J eaune ’ s own fault that a certain coolness and

‘ estrangement sprang up at ; this time between her

and her brother . She informed him of her eu

a emen t g g briefly and without comment , speaking

- of - in a certain cold , matter fact voice , the sound of

as w ll i to L e n w w e . o hich known , and which had , f o ff from his boyh od up , always had the e ect of

overawing him . He looked surprised , but did not

: s ay. very much in reply ; nor was it u ntil Jeanne had b egun to ' talk about something else that he r emarked hesitatingly

w ou t . I thought , after what y said the o her day a bout Saint-L u e

f ’ md I e sh i Never in what said the oth r day, e M ADEMOISELL E DE a rmamen t

‘ in " c - mo t h inte rrupted . I was a romanti o d e

— in t moo r ‘ I . d other day am not often a romantic , am I ? -and I dar esay I tal ked a good dea l of

' v ou ld n ot! M : nons ense . I told you that marry

de Saint- Luc becaus e ;I did n ot love him ; bu t)

' now I think that objection -n eed not s tand in my

' ” way. If I could have loved him it woul d have

as a t -be s been better ; but I c nnot , I mus sati fied with knowing th at « my marriage " with him w ’ will be a good thing in other ays . L eon ought undoubtedl y to have inquired in

did n t n hi . t m what ways , but he o He conte ed ?

’ self with murmuring something about Saint- Luc s

li i s e excellent qua t es , and almo t immediately Jeann

How f ar left him . he was aware of the true

’ causes of his sister s chan ge of Opinion it would be difficult to say ; probably he managed to persuade

' himself that his own embarrassed position was only

n o e of them . Partly froma long- standing habit of ac qu ies

’ ' cence in a ll Jeanne s decisions; partly becau se it was so v er v desirable t hat sh e s hould marry:

- s ‘ xr eall ' believ ed Saint Luc , and partly becau e he y

that s u ch a mar riage ' woul d ten d v to s ecure h en

own a i ' i f ri happiness , he refr ned from ask ng urth e u q estions , and dismissed the subject from his mind 20 E M E R C 1 MADEMOISELL DE S A .

. with an inward declaration that everything had happened for the best . w All this did not , ho ever, prevent him from feeling guilty and uncomfortable in his sister’ s

o company , nor her from n ticing his altered n manner , and resenti g it ; and as Jeanne , for all h er - was at self possession , no adept concealing her displeasure from those whom she loved , home soon became rather a dreary place to the young m who arquis , liked laughter and soft speeches , f and pleasant, smiling aces to welcome him , and who had been so accustomed all his life to these agreeable surroundings that he had come to look m u pon the almost as his right . The upshot of it was that he absented himself as frequently an d

n as for as lo g periods he was able . Thus Jeanne found that she must bear h er burden in solitude , or in society that was worse M u e. . than solit d de Fontvieille , good man , had been a little shocked by the precipitancy with which his philosophical teaching had been acted w a u pon . He ould h ve preferred that Jeanne should have consecrated at least a year to tears an d regret ; an d though he was always kind to her

wa m a fussy, rather troublesome y, made no

further allusion to sentimental topics . The

L 122 MADEMOISE LE DE M E R S AC .

‘ s s ‘ mean actions , and good men to heartle s one ,

wh o thereby sorely perplexing their biographers , seem to think that inconsistency requires some

‘ th e explanation . In the everlasting fight between

of ‘ ou r a good and evil parts n ture , the victory;

’ e th e of us t w the ev n in best , canno al ays be for

right side .

n n Long afterwards . Jea ne , looking back upo those s ultry summer weeks during which she h ad

to a stood with her back the w ll , fighting against

r —l a n d » despai ooking back , viewing men and

events in the changed light which time . had — thrown upon them knew not which to wonder;

m h er r at ost , own un emitting virulence or Saint ’ Sh Luc s forbearing gentleness . e had learnt then h to appreciate that kind , faithful eart , and could never think of the remorseless stabs w hich she '

had in flic tedw upon it witho u t an ac hin g ' pain a t m her own . Even at the time her conscience s ote . her occasionally when her victim winced u n der?

— ; her sharp speeches for, after all , it is but poor

—L S port to attack on e who Will n ot retaliate bu t df she was only after his bac k was

" turned ; The sound of his step in the hall wa s sufficient t o chase awav an y rising compassion

from h er breast . M ER S AC MADEMOISELLE DE . 123

’ ’ C es t lu s or t u e moi on e p f g , she said day , in

n s a wer to a remonstrance from Fanchette , who had overheard part of a conversation between the

of betrothed couple , and who was in the habit

’ using an old servant s pri vilege of speakin g plain l y

n ot to her mistress when so minded . I do want — — to be rude I despise myself for bein g ru de but help it I ca n not . He ir rita tes my nerves beyond

all bearing . I sit still and listen to himas long as I can ; I bite my tongue to make it keep silent ; an d then at las t he gives me an opportunity of saying something that I kn ow will hurt his feelings

’ and I feel that I must say it or die . The old woman held up her wrinkled hands

z in ama ement .

’ n i ou n n (3x I do not recog se y , Jea e , she

claimed . You to take a delight in hurting ’ i — another s feel ngs it is not like you . And that

too o — so poor gentleman , , who is so go d gene

? ’ Generous interrupted Jeanne , with a short

. s laugh Oh , if he has been generou to you ,

ou a Fanchette , y have , of course , a good re son for l i ik ng him . He has never given me any money,

ou so n ot y see , that he has the same claim upon

’ my gratitude . ‘ 124 M E R S A MADEMOISELLE DE C .

h w He has given you his heart, whic is orth

’ o n u r se r edden in : more than m ney, cried the old , g

And it is not at my age , and after thirty years of service in one family, that I should be accused

of of taking bribes , mademoiselle . And a pair s pectacles is not money , even if they be mounted in gold . Never, since I have been in this house , ff has any gentleman dared to o er me a present ,

e I' except as a mark of esteem . Money , inde d I

own ou have money of my in the bank , as y know very well ; and I could treat myself to fifty pairs

- w u if of spectacles to morro without being r ined , D I felt so inclined . ecidedly , Jeanne , you are losing your head if you believe that old friends ’ and honest folks are capable of such baseness . ff And Fanchette hobbled o in deep dudgeon . Poor Jeanne was like a wounded animal ; her first impulse was to turn upon those who laid a

n w finger upo her hurts , and she could not al ays

n restrai herself fromyielding to it . Her temper at this time was certainly not angelic ; but the worst that could have been said of her has now

0 - been said . N one, except Saint Luc , had much

r el» cause to complain of her conduct . Outsiders

h er marked no change in , unless it were a slight

was su s increase of taciturnity, nor it generally

126 A M E R S A C M DEMOISELLE DE .

Saint-L u c with the additional respect due to a

n man of such evide t ability ; but the majority ,

an d especially the old ladies , were not going to let so delicious a bit of scandal die out without

x m r T e a mn g into its details . aking the news of

’ Leon s heavy losses in conjunction with that of

’ his sister s engagement to the winner, they were unanimously of opinion that th er e w as more in it

all than met the eye ; and , further, that the sub

ec t was j one which demanded , and would repay ,

careful sifting . Their congratulatory visits , there

-l fore , were marked by sundry hints and insinua tions which mystified the Duchess while they l greatly a armed Jeanne , in whom an incapacity for prevarication and a fine belief in the wicked n ess of lying had been implanted by her father ,

much to her subsequent inconvenience . That the gossips would ere long have wormed

' h ou t the trut of her is beyond a doubt , had not Saint -Luc luckily got wind of their su spic iou s and

ea . taken prompt m sures to suppress them He , l w poor fel o , had lived in a society which takes e broad vi ws of morality, and he had no scruple

ou t whatever in seeking those old ladies , ques tion in g them as to the information they had re - i d r c e ve , and meeting their statements with a cate S M E R S C 12 MADEMOI ELLE DE A . 7

H e . u x orical n . g de ial then went to M de Moncea , and made use of such brief and pithy argu ments as to convin ce that gentleman that his life depended upon his contradiction of the reports which he admitted having had some share in spreading . D e Monceaux made a wry face , but as he was always willing to oblig e a fri end in an in exp en

wa n i sive y, and , besides infi tely preferred eating h is to e words b ing run through the body , he took occa sion to pay a round of visits on the following da n of y , and to mentio , in the course conversa

of tion , that he had been made the victim a

’ f oolish hoax in the matter of young de M ersac s s s — upposed los es the stakes being, in reality , pay

in s ou s able and not in napoleons , as had been preten ded . Among those Who experience d a natural feel ing of disa ppo intment at this announ cement was

Tr émon v ill e Madame de , whom de Monceaux met at her door in the act of alighting from her car r a i ge . She had just returned from the Campagne

M er sac w de , hither she had betaken herself

- n s to primed with acid sweet congratulatio , only

be refused admittance , and was consequently in

n o to i mood w sh her neighbours well .

’ ? e A hoax she repeat d incredulously , when de ’ 128 M E R A MADEMOISELLE DE S C .

Monceaux had concluded his brief explanation . ‘ s m That sound very i probable . Why shou ld they have wished to make you think that they

’ were playin g for gold instead of copper ?

‘

n ot th e ' Oh , as for that , I was only one taken ’ n in , replied de Mo ceaux , with ready mendacity .

‘ De Mer sac himself fully believed at the time that I t he was ruined ; and a fine fright he had . was Saint-Luc wh o contrived to deceiv e him about the

s stakes , and to make him suppose that he had lo t about four h u ndred times as much as he reall y

was w had . His object to induce the young fello to renounce gambling ‘ by sh owin g h im what it might lead him to; as th e Spartans used to exhibit

wa a drunken man to their sons, by y of disgusting

r them with intempe ance . And I understand that ’ he has succeeded . ‘ ! What kindness and what morality ! M . de Saint-Luc is really becoming too good for the

a society of such sinners s you and I . And to — think that. his pupil has also been mine I with a

For t differen ce . while he has been s riving to wean the pOO r little Marquis from the amuse e

n ments of this life , I have bee doing my small

’ best to introduce him to them .

' - m r e Saint Luc has more than once , in y p

1 30 MADEMOISELLE DE . M E R S AC . terr u ted Tr émon ville p Madame de , disregarding m this flattering avowal . But she eant that it

be - u would worth while if it annoyed Saint L c .

M . de Monceaux cared very little whether Léon were subjugated or no ; but he liked a good

e Tr émon v ille dinn r , and knew that Madame de had a chef (passin g rich upon thirty pounds a year) whom many a London club might have n envied . Moreover, he thought it more tha likely that a game of baccarat would be proposed before

the evening was at an end , and baccarat was a

formof gambling which usually brought him luck .

- w As the dinner hour dre near , three young

" oflicer s ev iden tl habitu és of , y the house, entered ; and shortly afterwards the whole party sat down

Tr émon ville t . o table , without waiting for M de , m wh o had not yet returned fro his bureau .

’ My husband is very busy j ust now , the lady

of the house remarked casually, as she finished

her soup . One can never tell at what hour he

s may come in . For the la t three days he has ! been perpetually receiving and sen ding off tele

B - —b grams . y the y, messieurs , I hope you are all f R ond of hine wine , for I think you will drink ’ very little else this autumn . ‘ ! ’ Bah there will be no war, said one of the

officers . M MADEMOISELLE DE E R SA C . 1 31

? ’ And why not , pray asked Madame de

mon v ill e m Tr é , s iling in the superior fashion of one behind the scenes .

‘ Firstly, because I have no luck ; secondly , dl because the Prussians are not ready ; and thir y , becaus e it is impossible to declare war without a E pretext . Besides , the mperor is growing old , and the Mexican affair h as damped his ardour for

We r fl glory . have al eady in icted a humiliation upon the Prussians by making them withdraw

f or their Prince Leopold , and , my part , I scarcely see what more we should gain by a successfu l

’ campaign . ” ‘ of R Prestige , and the left bank the hine , di . i answered M de Monceaux , hol ng up his w ne to the glow of the suns et .

’ The of revenge Sadowa , said another .

’ A n d ikolsbu r of N g , added a third .

’ ! ou of d none you understan the situation ,

‘ Tr émon v ill e E said Madame de . If the mperor

n ot f or of declares war , it will be the sake glory — — or prestige France has enough of both nor to

n th e avenge fancied slights , nor eve to rectify eastern frontier—though that may become a poli — E tical necessity but to ensure peace . The mpire

We sh l is peace ; the country desires peace . a l

1: 2 A 1 32 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S C . have it ; but to obtain it we must make u p ou r minds to pass through a short struggle When ou r victorious armies enter Berlin , the tranquillity of Europe will be assured for the next h alf

’ century . Madame de Tr émon v ille was as ignorant of th e history of pa st campaigns as she was of politics and of the art of war but she was not more ignorant than the newspaper writers from whom she deri ved

wa s her information , such as it and , in common

with the immense majority of her compatriots , she h d a a blind confidence in the reigning dynasty . As ’ for a pretext , she resumed , that is easily found we d c and if cannot is over one , we shall take the

War n u liberty of goin g to war without any . is

we a s avoidable , and must take advant ge of the fir t

’ favourable moment to declare it .

’ Ah , there is the question , remarked the

h o officer w had spoken first . Is the present moment a favourable on e for u s Madame de Tr émon v ille turned upon him with

’ n sovereign contempt . Mo sieur de Marcy, said E she , do you take his Majesty the mperor for an imbecile ? Is it likely that he would declare war

’ f he were not sure of success ? ’ War d x is not yet declare , said de Monceau

N R 1 3 4 MADEMOISELLE DE E SAC .

er d on to h au ience , went expatiate upon the pro n Em bable future policy of the conqueri g peror.

W u ith her enemies cr shed, with the temporal

u r p ower of the Pope ass red , with religion f eed f an d rom disturbing influences , the machinations of disaff ected plotters re ndered abortive by the

contentment of the nation , France would be at liberty to devote herself to the f u lfihn en t of ) her destiny— that of leading the world in the t path of civilisation . The standing army migh

n ew be reduced, taxation diminished , and a

o era of g vernment, combining the blessings of constitutional freedom with those of order and

n n v o ae . be e discipli e, inaugur t d Under the

of a a lent sway a dynasty secure like against o g

ression i g abroad and treason at home , ndustry

eu would take a fresh start, science would be

c ou r a ed a n d g , the arts fostered , , lastly, a Court

w f or ould gather at the Tuileries which brilliancy,

an d l r refinement , e egance would su pass any known

Tr émon v ille to history or tradition . Madame de waxed so enthusiastic over this portion o f her subject that she pursued it without intermission

until dinner was at an end , and carried it with

a - was her into the dr wing room afterwards . She predicting th e speedy advent of a somewhat equi C 1 5 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S A . 3

vocal millennium when the entrance of Léon

t n diverted her though s i to another channel , and

recalled her to actualities .

’ How ou ! i late y are she cried , greet ng the infatuated youth with a reproachfu l look which

set his silly heart beating .

ar d On the contr y , ma ame , I am ten minutes

’

l s . before my usua time , he an wered innocently But when I tell you that you are late Do

M er sac - you not know , M . de , that a well bred man never contradicts a lady ? ! ou are u n par d l ’ on ab y rude this evening .

’ Madame , I apologise most humbly .

or n ot On your knees , then , I will forgive

The youn g idiot actually plumped down upon

n dl of his k ees in the mid e the room , and Madame

Tr émon v ill e i i de , darting a m sch evous glance over

u l her sho der at de Monceaux , gravely accorded the desired pardon . But we must have no disloyal subjects here ’ in ‘ n . W this eve g , she added hen you came in ,

. l e we c M Marquis , were discussing the prospe ts of war . At such a time as this you mus t waive

’ of Vic e l E m considerations party , and cry

” ’ er eu r or a p , we shall send you home gain . E M E RS A C 13 6 MADEMOIS LLE DE .

Madame I

‘ D . a o as I command you , or retire Our p ’ tr iotismwill be content with nothing less . I ’ ’ Vic e l E mp er eu r I ejaculated Léon in such lugubrious accents that there was a general out

burst of laughter .

! m Tr émon v ill e Bravo cried Mada e de , pat

ting him approvingly on the shoulder . You have

a n d said your lesson well , you shall have y our

' Will in w . s re ard I g to you , and you shall turn

’ ov er my music for me . What fascination was there about this vulgar

L eon wh o little woman that could induce , , after

was . m on e all , a gentle an , though a foolish , to parade his subjection to her in so public a fashion ? There is no answer to such questions ; bu t the phenomena which suggest them may be witnessed

an da l y y nearer home than A geria . The young

was n ot marquis the first man who , falling a victim

m n i h ad to the enchant e ts of th s Circe , been forced by h er to exhibit himself to the world in a shape

half melancholy , half contemptible . It soothed her self - love to see h e r admirers grovelling before

. an d her ; on this particular evening, the boast which she had made to de Monceaux caused her

m th an u su al to be more capricious and i perious .

M E R S A C 13 8 MADEMOISELLE DE .

‘ n de handkerchief, I bri g you the news of the

lar a n war c tio of . A volley of exclamations an d questions greeted this announcement . Everybody began to speak

n ? Was at once . When had the ews arrived it certainly true ? Had France or Prussia declared — war ? What was the cause assigned and so f Tr émon v ille orth . When M . de could get a hearing , he satisfied the impatience of his ques tion r s e to the best of his ability . The Governor General had received a telegram announcing that the King of Prussia having ref used to give audience

. m to M Benedetti , diplo atic relations between the

o h ad O E two c untries been broken , and that an

- - aide de camp was now on his .way to Berlin with

w r The s the formal declaration of a . Chasseur ’ d A friqu e were under orders to proceed imme diatel y to France , and other regiments were to follow as soon as transports could be got ready

m rn r e en er al f to embark the . The Gov e o G himsel was - m to take com and of an army corps, and would probably leave in the course of a few days . It was said that the Emperor would assume the com

-in - Tr émon ville mand chief in person . M . de com mu n ic ated all this intelligence soberly, almost

aff dolorously, for the turn that airs had taken L S AC 1 9 MADEMOISEL E DE M E R . 3

was n ot inspired him with some anxiety . He a

a - speci lly far sighted man , but he had a keen eye

to his own interests , and he perceived that , what ever brilliant prospects an appeal to arms might mil ff hold out to itary men , it could o er none

a whatever to bu reaucrats . To the latte r cl ss

u l n o victory wo d bring advancement , whereas a

as u l E dis ter , which wo d undoubtedly hurl the m

er or f r u l p Napoleon om his throne , wo d only too certainl y sweep away a large proportion of his

’ ’ t a h x . C cs c eu civilian employés with him f , mur

Tr ém n v l . o il e u as mured M de in concl sion , he rubbed his spec ta cles — But nobody paid any attention to him least

all his of wife . That patriotic lady had seated

e fo n ow e hers lf be re the piano , and , aft r striking a

ri s i few stir ng chord , broke forth nto the first

rds H wo of the Marseillaise . er shrill voice rang through the hou se

A s n f n ts la. a t llon e a de p rie , L e j our de gloire es t arrivé I

’ of of Join all you , at the end the verse , she cried ; and her enthusiasm gained the company .

They arranged themselves in a group behind her, and presently the ears of the passers - by on the M E R 140 MADEMOISELLE DE S AC . high road caught the first sound of a chor u s which , was soon to become very familiar to them

A u x s t s I arme , ci oyen ’ F z v os at s orme b aillon . e Léon , to whom this r volutionary song was — M . anathema de Monceaux , who was past the

a e Tr émon v ill e g for enthusiasm Madame de ,

in n who her heart cared for neither dy asty, nor r count y, nor any person or thing except herself, all forgot themselves in a sudden access of exalt

ation , and sang at the highest pitch of their voices . concluding with a tremendous shout of Vic e la

Fr a n ce !

e . Tr émon ville in M anwhile , M de , unmoved

m c on tin u ed ' to r u b the midst of all this excite ent , his spectacles in the corner where he was seated

’ ’ t est a heu w C c . apar , murmuring f

M E R S A C 142 MADEMOISELLE DE . temper of the people by the evidence of his own

no r e senses , would have been a man of ordina y p n etr ation if he had discovered that the coming

wa s conflict in any special sense an unpopular one . M If, here and , a bureaucrat , like . de ‘ there Tr émon v ille or , shook his head , a shopkeeper or t wo or sighed , a merchant looked grave , it was not that their minds were harassed by doubts as to whether an attack upon Prussia were j ustifiable or no and such isolated persons were hardly dis tin gu ish able among the crowds that thronged the c af es a n d , night and day , haranguing , cheering

of toasting the success the army , or paraded

s atrim the streets in gang , while they bawled out p

of otic songs with more unanimity than of unison .

Indeed , what with those whose enthusiasm was aroused by the gentle stimulus of official prompt d ings , what with the idlers who are ever attracte by the sight of regiments on the march towards

a n the frontier, and what with a cert i number of

of honest folks who , to use the words Uncle Toby , believed that this war was ‘ but the getting together of quiet and harmless people , with their swords in

a their hands , to keep the ambitious and the t rbu ’ was lent within bounds , there no lack of citizens ready to do the requisite amount of shouting . A 14 MADEMOISELLE D E M E R S C . 3

E l ven in Algiers , where repub icanism was

lebiscite of tolerably strong , and where the p May had revealed the existence of a growin g dislike to

of the established form government , there were no public demonstration s save such as were of a

‘ warlike kindz Farewell dinn ers and eloquent speeches were not wanting ; the newspapers forgot their political differences while publishing

of i n denunciations the nfamous Bismarck , relati g startling anecdotes bearing upon his private lif e

l di n and that of his roya master , and pre cti g the speedy disc omfitu r e of the barbarian host ; an d every day an assemblage composed of all class es of the inh abitants collected upon the quays to see

s of - to the la t the homeward bound regiments , and raise a parting cheer as the huge transports glided

ou t slowly to sea , with flags flying and bands i play ng . It is true that a great many of thes e worthy people afterwards averred that they had deprecated from the outset a war dictated solely by aims of selfish ambition ; but they disguised

their feelings very successfully at the time . In the mids t of all this bustle and excitement the Algerian world almost forgot Mademoiselle

’ M ersac s r de approaching ma riage . Congratula tory visits ceased ; the tong ues of the gossips 44 S L L E ER S A C 1 MADEMOI E DE M . busied themselves with other topics ; even in the

’ bride - elect s own household the coming event ’ wa s less spoken of than Marshal L eboeu f s plan and the unexpected defection of the South- German m states . To Jeanne this was an i mense relief ; and a still g reater was a slackening 1n the atten

- . was tions of M de Saint Luc , who at this time much occupied in bidding adieu to old friends an d W comrades , and in watching , a little istfully , their departure to take part in the great game of

wh o which he could now only be a spectator , and was seldom able to leave the town before night

E v c n fall . when he did come , he could talk of

t War no hing but the , the prospect of a rising

n of amo g the more turbulent the Arab tribes , and the appearance of the tr oops who were being

n hurried out of the colo y . And so long as he

u b confined himself to s ch su jects as these , he was a as pleas nt a companion as anyone else , and a

more intelligent one than the generality . -A t length the last of the transports cleared ou t of the harbour ; the streets were no longer blocked by ou t- going regiments and long trains of Z m baggage waggons ; ouaves , Turcos , Lines en , ’ d A f ri u e Chasseurs q , and Spahis , all were gone ;

and the town resumed its normal aspect, and more

4 S M E R SAC 1 6 MADEMOI ELLE DE .

’ — n l as a examp e of empty bombast . I don t know that an ybody thought it specially ridiculous e ’ at the time . Certainly L on s small audience did n ot

’ We n begin well, said the you g man compla c en tl th e his y, folding up paper and replacing it in

. n t pocket . M de Fontvieille will believe ow tha E ’ the mperor knows what he is about . A man may be a bad ru l er and a good ’

. u s soldier, I suppose, remarked Jeanne Let ma hope that it is so in his case , and that he y

war finish this as soon as possible . It is horrible to think that no victory can be won without thou sands e f homes being made miserable Thousands of people die every day in their ’ L on l e . beds , said There wi l always be plenty of misery so lon g as the world lasts ; and what happier end could a man ‘ wish for than to be killed in battle ? I am not sure that war is an u nmi xed evil The good God would not have permitted war ’ to exist if there were not some necessity for it , l rou s . put in Pierre Cauvin, p y It is sad to think of b th e the poor folks whose crops are destroyed y _ — a rmies ; but if they lose , others gain particularly those wh o have horses to sell . There is no beast A C MAD E MOISEL LE DE M E R S . 147

’ l e n ot di ose in M . Marquis stable that I could sp of r cmon tc to- i e 800 for the , morrow, at the pr c of

’ s franc . ’ é t i mom Apropos , said L on , I had a let er th s

in . e g from Mr Barrington , to whom I had writt n , forwardin g him the price of the horse which he

f o had left here to be sold . Un ortunately I to k ff him the first good o er I had for . If I had only

u l n ot foreseen that we should have war, I sho d him l M r . t e . have par ed with so r adi y However , t d Barring on seems satisfie . He writes in a very

l o u to ou friend y way , and sends his c ngrat lations y

- n w a . o hin k of and S int Luc And I t it , there

ou hi was an enclosure for y , w ch I must have put ’ s e u n somewhere , continued this exa p rating yo g man his s n l ss , searching vainly in all pocket u e

or e . I have torn it up by mistake , dropp d it Oh ,

’ here it is . Jeanne took her lette r with an unmoved coun ten an ce se r e n e e , and pre ntly car i d it, still u op n d , indoors with her . I hope nobody will thin k the worse of Jea nne

s c of s o becau e it must be re orded her that , as o n as she h ad put four solid stone walls be tween her

’ e o e and the out r world , she took Barringt n s lett r ou t of its i - n envelope and k ssed it be fore readi g it .

L 2 E M E R S AC 148 MADEMOIS LLE DE .

No dou bt sheforgot h er s elf-respect an d her du ty

“ t o? her affian c ed husband in so doing but it must be remembered that she was quite alon e a t

-l— h n w a the time w ich , as everyo e will allo , m kes

n ’ diablc boiteu x k a difler e c e . If a prying could loo

‘ ri in upon us , and exhibit us to our f ends at such

' times n s wc deemed ourselves most secure from

observation , should we not be fortunate indeed to escape conviction of an y worse sin than that of r ai smg a sheet of n ote - paper to ou r lips ? More

v er ' J ean n e c o , did not onsider her love for Bar

th e rington a sin at all , but at most a humiliation - a weakness to be concealed from the world at

n ot large , by any means to be cast out from her

in H h ear t su os . OW , g that to be possible she , pp

a wi E arranged m tters th the Curé of l Biar, to whom she confessed her peccadilloes with devou t

v o regularity and without conscious reser ati n , I ’ w don t kno . Possibly she may not have thought it incumbent upon h er to inform that holy man

of matters which , to her mind , did not come within the category of off ences against God

or man .

' ' S o she kissed the unconscious sheet , and it sighed over it , and then read . The letter was as little worthy of so much

0 M E R S A C 15 MADEMOISELLE DE .

li f ew have any foundation in rea ty . It is so weeks since my‘ own eyes and ears convinced me of your positive dislike to this man that I can h b ardly ring myself to believe in your having ,

w s n of your own free ill , cho e him to be your

a s me husb nd . The whole busine s strikes as

so preposterous that , as I sit writing here in my

u cl b in London , I keep asking myself whether the

gloomy stillness of this big room , the rattle of the

t - cabs ou side , the peculiar , all pervading London smell of smoke and stables and the gleam of

w l u r sallo sunlight which fa ls pon my pape , and

’ upon your brother s letter lying open before me ,

"

are not part and parcel of some horrid dream , and whether I shall not presently awake to see th e glorious African sun streaming through my

er s i n n cs I— -r - r - i I p c , and hear the shrill Arri ar

of - my old , friends the donkey drivers, and those

i - plaint ve , drawling street cries of the Arabs , which used to rouse me every mornin g in dear

old Algiers . Or is London the reality , and Algiers the dream ? I begin to suspect that my

f w s l li e there a nothing e se . Of the happy illu

n s sio , the groundless fancies , the foolish hopes

which . I built up for myself in that delicious

t . dreamland , I had , perhaps , bet er not speak E MADEMOISELLE DE M R S A C . 15 1

a n ow They are all fading away f st , dispersed by d the pitiless palpable presence of that letter , date

M er sac Campagne de , Algiers , which stares me

e in the face , and will not be ignored . I suppos

n h as t I ought not to complai . No man a righ

of s to expect more than a certain meed happines , and perhaps I have had my share . And memory ,

me at least remains to , and can never be taken

. hi t from me Memory , w ch restores to us all tha is sweet and beautiful in the past , without its anxieties and petty cares—the roses without the

s . thorns ; the sun hine without the rain Memory , i wh ch , in this world of constant change and decay, is a more real and permanent fri end than hap

in ess hi &c . p . Memory , w ch There was of Th e a good deal more of this kind thing . writer; losing himself gradually in the mists of a complacent sentimentalism , wandered farther and

an d farther from his point , entirely forgot his

’ original intention of piercing Jc anne s faithless breast by thrusts of polished sarcasm . He wound t w up , quite conten edly , at length ith a poetical ,

of but rather obscure paragraph , the import

which appeared to be that , miserable though he

was his an d above all other men , yet sensibility culture were such that he could draw from atfiic 15 2 L E R A MADEMOISE LE DE M S C .

’ tion s self sources of delight undreamt of by less refined natures .

n wh o To Jean e , understood but very imper f ec tl m y the character of the man who she loved , ff s h l all this poor stu was the mo t pat etic e oquence .

a was Her own ch racter drawn in clear, firm h decided lines , and had none of the s ifting shades and gradations which enabled Barrington to look at a subject from fifty diff erent points of

of view , and to change his mode action with

reference to it a dozen times in as many hours .

was . Black black to her, and white , white If Barrington ’s letter did not mean that he loved

h e saw - her, and that she did not love Saint Luc , what did it mean ? At that moment it was as clear as daylight to her that she had made a terrible mistake ; and she could n ot help asking

herself whether , even now , it were an irreparable on e . Her first duty , she conceived , was to save Léon ; but if she could accomplish this end as well by marryin g Barrin gton as by marrying

- sh e u e n u Saint Luc , wo ld throw ov r the latter d f o hesitatingly . The i ficulty was that , Barringt n w not having avowed his love in so many ords , and it being impossible for her to let him understand that

h e ' mi ht n ot g venture to do so , she could free herself

15 4 M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE .

mile of road between herself and home before she

was well settled in her seat .

Westward she drove , along the hilly road

Koléah e which leads to , r gardless of the sultry

u e heat and blinding g lare , rg d on by the goad of

an d a n her feverish regrets , c ri g little whither she

went, so that she were able to move swiftly . There was an oppressive hush and still ness in the

. a atmosphere Over the Atlas mount ins , towards ll the south , brooded a su en , coppery haze , veiling w the sno northward the sea heaved with a slow , glassy swell ; the dusty olive trees that bordered

the road , the creepers that hung among the cac

— n the - tus hedges eve tough , sharp pointed aloes themselves— seemed to droop and sicken under

the fierce rays of the sun . Jeanne looked neither to right nor left ; but whirled on through the i chok ng , dust and the hot simmering air, past

parched fields and silent farmhouses , and many a r dry ravine and stony watercou se ; till, rattling h ' i t rough the village of Cheragas , where the wh te

houses were all closely shuttered , and neither man

a was nor be st stirring, she emerged, at length , e upon the upland of Staou li , and the fertile acres s urrounding the monastery of La Trappe .

r en This plain , once a sterile waste, has been A M 15 5 M DEMOISELLE DE E R S A C .

dered productive , after years of labour, by the

te monks , assis d by some Government subventions A ll and private donations . around their lonely dwelling the air is heavy with the perfume of the

n i m on e of sweet gera u fields , which form their

f F m al of chief sour ces o revenue . ro the s e a scent

s t of di tilled from these plants , from hat a liqueur

on is manufactured the prem es , and from the pro

of duce its own fields , orange groves , and orchards , the silent brotherhood is now able to support it self and to dispense a fairly large annual amou nt

l in in charity . It is a community high y respected

a s l the neighbourhood , living hard and bitter a ife as the most determined self- tormentor could wish

— on for but not a useless e .

a — a low The sight of the mon stery long , ,

e a di whit w shed buil ng, standing close to the road , — and faced by a clump of stunted palms reminded Jeanne that she had accomplis hed a distance of — twelve kilometres without slackening speed a fact to which the heavin g flanks and streaming coats of her ponies added their mute testimony .

w of She drew up in the shado a wall , and , drop

w s ing her reins , allo ed the tired beast to rest for a while .

e Pres ntly a lay brother waddled out, shading 15 6 M AD E M O IS E L L E M E R S A C DE . his eyes from the glare with his hand , and took a

- leisurely survey of the new comer . He recognised

M er sac Mademoiselle de , with whom he had had dealings from time to time on behalf of his Supe riors , and welcomed her With all the warmth of a

naturally garrulous soul, whose lot had been cast

n W by ironical desti y among the living dead . hile the good man chattered about the crops and th e

of prospects a sirocco , and the news from the seat

’ war of , and what not , sponging the horses noses m as he talked , and feeding the with slices of black l bread , Jeanne let her eyes roam over the me an

c h ol y white facade of the building , wondering vaguely what manner of existence was led by the

c e ghastly , mysterious figures whom it onceal d , an d almost finding it in her heart to envy them their immunity from all earthly cares and per

lexities p In her present mood , she was inclined to underrate physical suffering as compared with

in wh o mental . There are people out the world undergo a daily penance as severe as that of La

Trappe , and get no credit for it ; a penance not

' of of —of of silence but speech forced smiles,

feigned sympathies , of perpetual righteous ;dissi

mu l tion s a . The monk at least have the consolation

t s of working owards a definite end , and of eeing

M E S A C 15 8 MADEMOISELLE DE R .

0

b ou r after breathing the aspiration recorded a ove ,

s s heroine had occasion to appreciate thi di tinction .

in own h For while , lost her sad thoug ts , she

s u w a hurried her steed pon their homeward y ,

a l there met her suddenly, upon the brow of hi l ,

s to a long string of laden camels , moving lowly th w be e westward , their ild Arab drivers pacing side them , and their black , misshapen shadows

f ar ' thrown beyond the road by the sinking su n .

' To the hu man eye nothing can be more pleasing

than the quaint , unexpected pictures of desert life

n ow a in z which thus start up , every and gain , the midst of th e European c ivilisation of Algiers ; to

o . I the equine , nothing is m re odious suppose

f ew ' or that there are very living horses , Arab

wh o other , can look with perfect equanimity upon a w im a c mel , hich , in truth , when viewed in an di partial light , and divested of all tra tional associ

ation s as as i , is hideous a brute , and l ke the

n l creatio of a nightmare , as can wel be conceived . ’ i u was Ca d, Jea ne s near pony, a most worthy,

- well meaning little beast free from any kind of .

e vice , and , albeit of a somewhat nervous temp ra

ment, too conscious of the responsibilities which rested upon him when in harness to indulge in anythin g beyond a sober shy at the sight of A MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S C . 5 9

n k s do eys , wheelbarrows , veiled Maure ques , and other spectacles of an alarmin g nature ; but he drew the line at camels . In the presence of these un gainly monsters he lost all courage and self

as on e respect, and became possessed ; and now , perceiving the approach of his old enemies , he

an d w gave a snort , a plunge, a s erve , which shook

hl ou t of l r his driver roug y dream and , and ve y

ou t n . r e nearly of her seat into the bargai She ,

n i n i o senti g th s abrupt show of i subord nati n , and

u l of f oolishl acting upon the imp se the moment , v

him u l cut sharply over the sho der with her whip .

i fitm h was . l T at final Ca d g up his hee s , threw his himself into collar , and made a clean bolt for

f or n it . As Sheikh , he , fi ding himself tearing

-n ill e of ex along the road , willy y, at the rat an

s r ai l n pre s t n, natura ly concluded that somethi g

df was m very drea ul the matter , and beca e as

n i - s An d th e pa c stricken as his companion so , in

of course a few seconds , Jeanne came to a clear sense of the fact that she h ad lost all contr ol over t wi her horses . She sted the reins round and

d l of round her han s , and pul ed with all the force a tolerably strong pair of arms ; but she might a s

was well have tugged at a stone wall . There

n it i nothi g for but to sit still , and let the pon es 60 M E R S A C 1 MADEMOISELLE DE .

u l o e run ntil they shou d be exhausted , or until s m thin g should st0 p them . w Jeanne did not like it . She kne that she

was in imminent danger of being dashed , head a first , gainst a road as hard as granite , and the

prospect had nothing inviting for her . To be killed outright might be a blessing— though even

’ that did not seem quite so clear as it h ad don e to n n five minutes before but be ma gled , stu ned ,

' ar m battered, to break an or a leg , to spend the r the S est of long , hot ummer in bed , and probably

n ot t s o i it die of it at all , he e were p ss bil ies before

sh e was h er which Jeanne , courageous as , felt

heart fail , and a cold. chill creep through her veins .

her t Swa m i Meanwhile , ligh carriage was y g , lurch

a n d ing, bumping onwards at a pace too good to

h r a . e w s last Before a stretch of flat , straight

' road but at the end of it was an awkward sharp

she w was a: corner that kne of, and beyond that

was if bridge with stone parapets . It true that , by any miracle she should happen to pass safely u through these perils , she wo ld shortly reach a

ff was sti piece of rising ground , upon which it likely enough that she might succeed in pulling up the runaways but she plainly perceived that

was a her chance of ever seeing that hill but _ poor

L M E R S A C ’ 1 62 M ADEM OISEL E DE .

’ r m u i drop by d op , fro an gly scrape upon Ca d s

shoulder . ! i How unfortunate she ej aculated , po nting ’ t o this wound he is marked for life . Wh o ? That wretched l ittle beast ? As if " -« — it signified l c ried S aint L 110 ; bu t you are you sure you ar e n ot h urt ?

t h e Yes , there is nothing matter with me

"G od ! a be praised he excl imed piously,

n off b ’ taki g is hat . Jeanne looked at him with a vague s urprise; but said nothing ; Her ideas we re still a little

confused; an d she d id n ot yet realise that Saint

- aL c u li a n d u had j st saved her fe; might possibly

expect some words ofi than ks » Wh at a mer c y it f was that I chanced to meet ’ " ou of : » y just in the nick time ! h e went on . I am

“ sorry I h ad to give you such a terrible fish akin g ; but it was th e only thing to be d one, and the

’ h ' th ' mu c e I . ponies will not be worse , think I should have stopped them ~ when I ‘ got to

’ -h a w v : the ill , ns ered Jeanne , not ery g raciously

a Ws h at c ou ld h ave made you place yourself just

: in ou r , path ? I shall never be able to under ’ ‘ was - n ot a stand how it that we were both killed . E A C MA DEMOISELLE DE M R S . 16 3

'

A horse will never run into another horse , or or hi a man , indeed anyt ng , unless he cannot

’ l -L u c possibly stop himse f, said Saint , with some modest satisfaction in the success of his rather hazardous exploit I knew that your runaways woul d see me from a su fficient distance to make

ou t of s m I an attempt at getting y way , and thought it very likely that they would do what , — i . in fact , they did do swerve , and sl p up There was the chance of your bein g thr own ou t and I k hurt , no doubt ; but thin you would have had I a worse accident if had not stopped you . It makes me shudder to think of what might have happened if your carriage had been dashed , as it

n l almost certai y would have been , against the

’ parapet of that bridge . ‘ I ’ .Yes , had been dreading the bridge , con fessed Jeanne . I dare say you were qu ite right

n l mi to do as you did . The o y sfortune is that

’ Caid should be so terribly marked ; for I know L eon will be very much an n oyed when he sees ’ him . However , it can t be helped . The best thing we can do now is to get him home as li w quickly as possible , poor ttle fello , and have t ’ him attended o .

ot - So saying , she g into the pony carriage ‘ A M E R A C 164 M DEMOISELLE DE S .

an d d ain - again , resume the reins , while S t Luc admiringly complimented her upon her courage . ’ ‘ M si ost ladies , he said , would have in sted

“ ’ upon walkin g home .

‘ ’ tir ed as I Not if they were as am , answered

' ean n e with f J , a aint smile , as she drew her whip

’ a gently across Sheikh s b ck . The remainder of thehomeward j ourney an

n it — was i terminable distance , as seemed to her

’ performed , of necessity, at a foot s pace , her lover riding beside her with an air of watchful solici w tude , hich , considering that one of her ponies

‘ was dead lame a n d that both were thoroughl y

d an d exhauste subdued , was perhaps slightly

( of absurd . At ordinary times , such a display care and implied proprietorship would have irri

tated h er n n beyo d beari g , but now she was too

’ '

dispirited to mind it . In her a dventure and its

n t a commonplace ending , she fa cied she could r ce an answer to those questioning hopes and fears as to her fu ture with which she had set out some t hours before . Apparently there were bu t wo

b — - alternatives efore her death , or Saint Luc ; and since the former destiny was evidently not to be

wh was the hers , ere use of quarrelling with the latter ?

16 6 MAD EM O IS E L L E DE M E R S A C

A CH PTER xxx.

A N NR N R U OMA TIC PA TING .

THE did very first thing that Jeanne , on waking ’ t the next morning , was to read Barrington s let er over again from beginning to end ; for mere courtesy required of her that she should return some answer to it ; and though her ‘ half- formed hopes of yesterday were all faded and dead now; she h ad not yet quite made up her mind as to l the shape which that answer shou d take . A reperusal of the letter did not help her

o much . Wh does not know what it is to pore

a - and puzzle over carelessly written page , and h to turn the words this way and t at , with an

’ i ntense longi n g to get at t h e writer s real thought and meaning ? And who has n ot learnt the fu tility of such efforts ? How much do those nearest and dearest to us know of what is passing

s i s in in our mind , or we of what passing theirs , even when we sit side by side ? We ‘ oan but sus N R MADEMOISELLE DE E SAC. 1 67 Z

ec t an d as as e p and guess , , often not , gu ss t wrongly ; and if voice , face , and gesture canno

ou r n answer unspoke questions , what but mere be wilderment and vexation can be expected from a prolonged scrutiny of paper and in k ? J eanne

’ worried herself for a n hour over Barrin gton s

s al ff u rhap odic e usion , and was a good deal f rther from u nderstandin g it at the end of that tim e

nn n — than she had been at the begi i g though , to

its n ot be sure , meaning would have presented

d f u l to iff much i fic ty a more ind erent reader. In the end it seemed to her at once the wisest and most dign ified to leave the hints it contained

to c on ra without response, and reply only to its g

tu l ation s . s at d She down , therefore , and penne

~ n k M r a short , formal note , in which she tha ed . r Ba rington for his good wishes , referred , in a few

- ds h a d well chosen wor , to the pleasant days she spent in his company during the past winter and

f h er spring , and expressed a riendly hope that acquaintance with him might be renewed at some t future ime . This was all ver y well ; and had

’ Jeanne s letter been suff ered to end with her sig

it a nature , would have conveyed a s lutary snub to a quarter where such gentle correctives . were t much needed . But unfortunately she though ’ 6 M LL M E 1 8 ADEMOISE E D E R S AC .

fit to add , after a good deal of hesitation , a post t wh scrip which spoilt all . I do not know y you

s -L a u c . should y that I dislike M . de Saint He is ,

a a and lways has been, very kind to me . In Fr nce ,

w s s as you kno , marriages are u ually arrangement

a of family convenience ; but in my c se , at least,

'

t i . m c on sen . y was asked , and g ven I suppose that

f ew or E people , either in France ngland , can choose exactly the life they would prefer ; an d

no doubt everybody has dreams and fancies , M such as you write of, which end in nothing . y

d Cu re E l who old frien , the of Biar, likes to phi

IO S O hise p , says that all earthly happiness is imagi

nary, and that the more it is confined to dreams ’ the nearer it approaches to reality . Having made this unwise addition to h er

letter, Jeanne folded and addressed it ; and then ,

’ ta u king p Barrington s two sheets, resolutely tore

an d o them across and across , dropped them int the waste -paper basket ‘ I have done with th e

’ as to past , quoth she , she descended the stairs h d f t e . e ace present , which , in the person of M

- to Saint Luc , might, as she knew, be expected

manifest itself at any moment .

was e An unexpected respite , however, in stor

e t - of f or . a her At that mom n S int Luc, instead

17 0 MADEMOISELLE DE

' ‘ ~ I f or et ou r . ki and , if I live , will never g , y nd ’ ness .

- - Saint Luc, who was as kind hearted a creature

as ever walked the earth in the disguise of . a?

é wh o h av m h ad Parisian rou , and , , g Algerian

! h m old da s ' was d - th fever i self in y , acquainte with e

’ ups 1and downs of th at wearisome and depressing

u . malady, began to pack p his clothes forthwith

. u n o h e h is He wo ld , doubt , av responded to

’ ’ frie nd s call in any case b u t at th at p artic u lar»

'

‘ h e did so time. with the more alacrity , by reason

m a n a on an d of a el ncholy convictio th t , private

n s it d be ‘ ' perso al ground , woul well that he should ‘a A take short leave of absence from lgiers . For

’ some days pa st ‘ it had been evident ' to him that

' e was irksome ' to his pr sence Jeanne , that he was

a h er t m king no progress with , and tha there Was n ot the faintest chance of h is gaining her aff ections

' o It ‘ n d n o a bef re marriage . wa te w but few weeks

to « - "a n d ; had a his wedding day , he come , r ther

' sadl to th e n t t e eks yg co clusion hat , during hos we ;

‘ ‘ his f best policy would -be to keep h imself as much

’ ‘ J O n i h is wa ‘ s n e é y to the tatio he ncountered L on ,

' wh o 'r eCeiv ed th e n ews of h is intended departu re N MADEMOIS ELLE DE ERS AC . 17 1

e u ammi t to a with perfect q y, and undertook m ke the necessary explanations at home .

I u l of If were you , I wo d make a longer trip

on - el - d it, and go to Teniet Haad and the ce ar ’ l . A forest , said that unsympathetic youth giers

i to is detestable in August , and you have noth ng

I u l ff to a c c om keep you here . I wish co d o er pan y you but I have an engagement to- morrow

’ e Tr émon v ille s— in f or at Madam de fact, several

’

s n w o n ow . rea ons , I ca not very ell g away just

’ - li ! ou I see , answered Saint Luc , smi ng .

n ot . are wanted here , and I am It is consolatory l to know that, if I shou d be detained longer than l ’ I expect , nobody wi l miss me . Léon began to protest ; but Saint- Luc cut him

f or short, saying that he was late his train , and so

on hurried his way , laughing a little under his breath but without much genuine mirth .

di u A te o s , hot railway journey brought him

of - f at length to the little village Bou Med a , where h e l on his hired a horse , and strapping his va ise

ou t of saddle before him , set , in the cool the

i to u r of even ng , mount the sp the lesser Atlas , li upon which Mi anah stands . Delicious little gusts of fresh air came swirling 2 M 17 MADEMOISELLE DE E R S A C.

- d down the hill si e to meet him , as he rode , and

n roused a soft , musical stir amo g the evergreen

m . oaks and firs , the yrtles , lentisks and brushwood which bordered the way ; beneath him the parched plain lay swelterin g in a hazy heat ; but high

s ir es ou t above , bare peaks and rocky h p stood ,

r black and clear , against the fie y glow of the

n ow sunset , and every and then his ear caught the sound of distant falling water . After a time he came upon a small modern village of the universal

Algerian type , with detached white houses on

r ow either side of its single broad street , a double of - plane trees to keep the sun from the windows ,

n o f - and a fountai , r und which some hal dozen

r chatte ing women were clustered . Presently a

low- - a company of browed , thin lipped Spani rds , d with laden mules , came stri ing down the moun

n tain side , singi g a nasal , plaintive chorus as they

an d “ walked , passed on , leaving a fine odour of garlic behind them . On a wall , in the outskirts o f of the village , lay a couple lazy negroes sucking n . o e oranges of them , a stalwart fellow , whose shapely black limbs were scantily clad in white linen , and who had stuck a scarlet pomegranate

- blossom behind his ear, turned round , with a grin, ff as the horseman approached , and o ered him a

17 4 A L D M E R S AC M DEMOISE LE E .

having had a little change of air . You have th e ? heard last news , of course ’ - There is no news , said Saint Luc . You mean to say that there was none when

mn you left Algiers , this or ing ; but a telegram

‘ has arrived here wh ich must h ave passed you on m ’ a I . a w oi . the y, suppose And, f continued

M . Lasalle , with a light shrug of his shoulders;

of to tell the truth , it is not precisely a telegram

’ o the right kind . Here it is , if y u wish to see it .

“ Dismounting before the door of the modest

’ 6 d I sl - th e f little H tel y, Saint Luc read o ficial despatch announcing the combat of Wissembourg . ’ M acM ah on s left wing defeated , General Abel D li W ouai killed , the nes of issembourg stormed

- - “ an d by the enemy Saint Luc pursed up his lips , o l oked very grave over it but his companion , being in a humour to view all thin gs in a rosy a ff aspect , m de light of the a air . Bah ! said he, there is no great harm done . Our men fought like lion s ; but they were out D numbered . And the Maréchal is no fool . e

u on ‘ it pend p , he has his plan , and is only draw

’ ing back that he may spring the more surely . ’ - Perhaps so , answered Saint Luc , folding up

. f t th e paper but I con ess that, for my own par , M M ER S A M ADE OISELLE DE C . 1 7 5

I do not like plans which begin by accepting a

of defeat . In the meantime , I am dying hunger .

f or Come in, and let us see what they can do us

’ in the way of dinner .

‘

ou . I c ff No , no ; y are my guest annot o er

ou D men u u y a Maison orée , but s ch as the food is

ou l of here , y sha l have plenty it and we will finish the las t bottle of champagne that I shall

’ drink in this accursed place .

i n or n or But neither d nner, champagne , any

n of i l to i i co tagion h gh spirits , avai ed d spel Sa nt ’ i . to Luc s gloom He left all the talk ng his friend ,

i of e ate l ttle , in spite the hung r he had professed , and while the other fought battles in anticipation

u m i i routing the enemy , and tri phantly d ctat ng

e of of dr e t rms peace under the walls Berlin , umm d

‘ ‘ ac t dl th e tabl e abstr e y upon , oppressed by a vague dissatisfaction which he could not altogether lay mi to the charge of public sfortune .

‘ Later in th e ev en in g the two men strolled ou t to the ramparts to smoke a las t cigar before tu rn in ' n g in for the night . Beneath and arou d the

f n of Z a on rocky la k Mount kkar , which Milianah s tands , a f ar - stretchin g panorama unfolded itself

‘ — l of e l e n the ferti e valley the Ch lif, dim y s e

i - s through the blue n ght mi ts that hung over it, 6 M ER S AC 17 MADEMOISELLE DE .

d n r omon sha owy hills and woods , and jutti g p

m u n - tories , and outlines of rugged o ntai ranges lying solemn and silent under the stars . M .

I n salle h t , w ose finer feelings were s irred, and

" whose tongue was loosened by the effects of champagne and excitement u pon a frame weakened b malar ia y , felt the influence of the scene in such limited degree as induced speech rather than more

fitting silence .

’ ‘ — it n It is beautiful is eve sublime , said he , nodding at the landscape with the air of an im partial man resolved to give th e devil his du e ;

‘ but it is desperately melancholy . Yes ; rest and peace make up a very pretty picture ; but when m one is forced to for a part of the tableau , one begins to ask oneself whether life is worth havin g . They may say what they please about th e misery of f war , but there is no game like it , and no li e

’ ‘ d n like a sol ier s . It is better to risk losi g a leg or an ar m at the wars than to sit in plenty and

’ dulness at home , and read the newspapers .

a - th e S int Luc grunted . This was very thought which had been disturbing his own mind for the h h last two ours , or more ; but it vexed him to ear

in was it expressed plain language , and there a ’ c ertain tinge of exultation in his friend s tone

A C ‘ 17 8 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S .

”

' L — hav e an un cle at the War O ffic e which is as much ' ’ ’ ’ as to say ‘th at you are r ein stated' in your old‘ gra de s ’ i . as soon as you please . Let us cons der it as ettled ’ i f ! ou -Duo " a ’an i forget, answered Saint , th t I

’ to be married next month . ! " — e the Postpone it , my dear friend postpon

‘ ' ‘ ceremony there is never any cause ff or h u r ry in

‘ mar r iedhat i f such matters . You can be the end o

r ‘ the year , or next year, or the year afte Whereas I may never have another chan ce

‘ I do n ot d n » of dying on the field of battle . e y

some ir eason s d like f v er to that , for , I shoul y much

" ‘ ‘ have a look at mess ieu r s les P r u ssiefis ; bu t e on e cannot arrange everything exac tly f as O n e would

’ - wish ; a n d my Wedding day is fixed . Mademoiselle will excuse y ou f or a h few

' O u [will b rin bac k some l u months , if y g her a rels ’ h r - flower to mix with e orange s .

N0 n o e , she will t ; for I shall not propos any " h er e a - thing of the sort to , answ red S int Luc;

e e h owlittle ‘ o oi r memb ring; with a secret pang , pp sitiou Jeann e would be likely to offer to h is

departure . And I do not want to be excused;

war ha d ou t a o I s If the broken a year g , hould

- ou have joined the army as a simple trooper, with t

’ ’ a m a r e imen t lwill mo ent s hesit tion as it is , the g R MADEMOISELLE DE ME SAC . 17 9

‘ ? have to do without me . Shall we go in now If you linger out here in the night air much

l ou et of a n d onger, y may g a return your fever,

’ never see Berlin at all . l a l n o . e M . L sa e said more He was a littl

of - afraid Saint Luc , and remembered to have hea rd that there was some romantic history c on n ec ted with his engagement which might possibly

on e . render the subject a delicate Only , the

u P a r ta n t whole way back to the inn , he h mmed

' ou r la S r t e was n p y , under his breath , which either f him kind n or considerate o .

- s d Saint Luc pa sed an uneasy night , divide between' troubled dreams and scarcely less troubled

' A ? s . waking thought few months earlier , to be the aflian c ed husband of Jeanne de M ersac would have seemed to him the very summit of earthlv happiness and the satisfaction of all wildest hope but now that Fortune had granted hi mwhat he had always looked upon as nearly , if not quite ,

‘ m c on beyond his reach , he was far fro being

’ ou t of i s t tented , and fretted himself a n ght s re because he could dis cover no practicable way of exchan ging his imminent happiness against th e

of v chance wounds , pri ations , and death Such

of ou r is the perversity mortal nature .

x 2 LL M E R S AC 180 MADEMOISE E DE .

m a f or him At the sa e time , it must be s id that his desire to proceed to the seat of wararose less out of martial ardour (though of that he had as large a share as might reasonably be expected to linger in the breast of a man whose brightest memories were connected with fighting) than from a longing to show Jeanne that he was not quite b the contempti le fellow she took him for . He was perfectly aware that she had a poor opinion w it— of him , and did not onder at his own self

ma esti te being so modest a one ; but he knew that ,

‘ whatever virtues he might lack, he at least pos

e t a sess d h t of physical courage ; and he fancied, pardonably enough , that he might conquer her t respec , if not her love , by doughty deeds .

was ou t of The thing , however, entirely the question, and there was no use in thinking about it . Scores of times he repeated this conclusion to

h n himself during the nig t and morni g, and then proceeded to think about it more than ever . In

a - ou r n e fact , throughout the long r ilway j y back to

was h Algiers , his mind occupied wit no other subject .

a M . L salle , meanwhile, continued to ‘ behave bu t badly . Of nothing would he speak of pro — f ession al matters of the important part destined

82 O N R S 1 MADEM ISELLE DE E AC .

“ a s s asked l much for any particu a rs . For t he m was oment , it really not in him to feel for his

’ o or a n d e? country s j ys woes , Jeanne might hav a nnounced the ?r esult of the battle of Armageddon to him and left him equally u a v ed ; f or all his

r th e exerc ise of pe ceptions seemed , by some force c beyond his control , to have be ome concentrated

- m u pon her , and there was no room his mind for a n y thou ght unconnected with her . S he stood

in the dim o f th » before him light e evening, a tall ,

‘ h fi all in white a lit e gure , dressed , with sh pely,

th a - a n d l head eut little forwards , large , melancho y

‘ that v looked d ; eyes beyon him Turco , stationed

‘

i d e . at her s de , Wagge his tail in grave w lcome D ‘ I n s . the shadowy background, the uche s M de

n le L eon r Fo tvieil , and we e grouped close together , r pee ing over a slip of newspaper, and talking , all

- e three of them at once , in their high pitch d

wa s th at ' ma de - French voices . What it Saint Luc see s e , with a udden , vivid clearness , the impassabl gulf that . lay between hi m and the girl whose

‘ a c h nd he held , and smote him with a hill certainty o h that, c me What mig t , they could never be more than virtual strangers to each other ? It was no — s ense of his own un worthiness that had been

him v in an f ’ with , e en exaggerated degree , rom M E R S A C 83 MADEMOISELLE DE . 1

the outset —nor was it that her manner evinced

mdifl er en c e the utmost to him ; for , that was

“ a point upon which he h ad never harbou r ed

s of illusions . It was a swift , unaccountable fla h

as r conviction , such eve yone experiences occa

sion all an d tmex ec te d y, mostly at p times ; and whether it ar ose from some o c cult touch of sym

or eflor t pathy , from a baffled thereat , whether it

or or d were real visionary , well ill founde , it made

his heart ache with a hopeless yearning , the like f h e o w ich he had never felt befor .

' — t o r And all this time that is say , du ing some

sec on dsfi l ea n n e i thirty left her hand ly ng in his ,

‘ just as she might have allowed it to rest u pon a

i n h se a . ow cha r or a t ble But , remembering er lf,

s ! ou u she drew back a little , and aying , wo ld

’ to see a to like the telegram , perh ps , gently ok

“ of r e wh o away the slip newspaper f om the oth rs ,

u o continued their disc ssi n without noticing her,

and handed it to him.

was on e of - n It those hastily pri ted scraps ,

e a s e oflic e hi issu d from a loc l new pap r , with w ch the inhabitants of the French provinces were soon

to w a s n ot become ell acquainted . There w much

’ in it beyond the admission that M ac M a h on s army

‘ R of all had received a heavy blow . umours M E R AC 18 4 MADEMOISE LLE DE S .

. ad kinds were abro and were duly reported ,

’ under all reserves . But, concluded the docu a ’ ment, det ils are absolutely wanting . The E ’ mperor s own despatch , indeed , forwarded from

was k aflair Paris , showed how little nown of the

‘ ’ - was l A i l at hea d quarters . It the General de g e wh o announced to me that the Maréchal M acM ah on had lost a battle on the Sarre— I am about to — plac e myself in the centre of the position Tou t ’ ’ p ea t se r ep a r er .

- wh o h a d Saint Luc , now recovered possession of his senses , perused these confessions of impotent

of a ignorance with a mixture nger and dismay .

“ What was there to hope for from a commander in - chief capable of such foolish candour ?

r in au s i M . de Fontvieille , whose g ief at the p ciou s opening of the campaign was in some degree

tempered by the, recollection that he had always

' prophesied ill of it, uttered but one comment upon

H in ' the unlucky despatch . e the centre of the o ! ! ’ p sition what a menace he ejaculated , with uplifted hands ; and then withdrew to a window ,

and looked out at the sunset, fearing lest he might be tempted to weaken the severity of his stricture by further speech .

E ! all That poor mperor it is over with him ,

M E R AC MADEMOISELLE DE S .

d already at work , and that a solution woul shortly be found which would bring about an honourable peace . Something in the shape of a victory would certainly be necessar y to satisfy th e na tion al a mou r p r op r e ; but after the first success

obtained by the French troops , negotiations might

th e n begin . Let one nation be permitted to co

an d solidate itself into a great empire , the other — to extend its frontier a little say in a n orth — easterly direction and all would be well . The

two t h armies migh t en shake hands , and march

’ off e D m to th ir respective homes , singing Te eu

a u mz eu a: meu x g t i .

' ’ a Tr emon v ille s I Th t is Madame de View ,

’ n - n e presume , said Sai t Luc , divini g at onc the

origin of this specious plan .

A n d a Tr émon v ille pr y , who is Madame de D inquired the uchess . Oh , that amusing and

h —n z w o in ce e . impertinent little person , wears a p W o ? wh o hat can she know of dipl macy I , have

c an been a little behind the scenes in my time,

assure you that diplomatists have some . difficulty in making their voices heard above the thunder of

! ou s the cannon . cannot bring a victoriou army f to a standstill by flourishing a protocol in its ace . I have no pretension to say h ow or wh en this war L M E R S A C MADEMOISEL E DE . 187

n or w t n or will end , ha we may gai lose by it , but I am tolerably certain that it will deprive us of

' i n which l — on e possess o we can very wel spare the. t m is . Bonaparte fa ily . There consola ion in that

’ ‘ ' Provided we do n ot get. the d O rléan s in ’ ll ‘ exchange , sighed M . de Fontviei e . Those pe ople ar e only awaiting their opportunity

’ ’ d O rléa n s e The hav no party , said the

Duchess decisively . They represent nothin g n ot n h as eve constitutional government, which h m E be en fil c ed fro them by the mpire . In the comin g crisis there can only be two parties — R epublicans and Legitimists and whichever of them c an gain the a rmy must win the day . We

' have nearly reached the time when all loyal siib h t j ec ts f s ou l d declare themselves . Do you n o

- e me . ? agre with , M de Saint Luc

’ ‘ " e —L u c it s s to Madame, answer d Saint , eem ‘ ' I me that the question of dyn as ties can wait . think that all loyal Frenchmen shoul d be content

’ to serve Fr ance now .

’ S o - do I, said Jeanne .

‘ - a t e Saint Luc glanced her gratefully , not b ing accu stomed - to hearing his sentiments so cordially

in t If -I endorsed tha quarter ; and she added ,

' ' ’ e man - “ - wer a I would go to the war to morrow . 188 E LL D M E R S A C MAD MOISE E E .

- This speech , which gave Saint Luc matter for

u m reflection , elicited a vigoro s protest fro the

D who uchess , , ever since the beginning of the

n struggle , had bee haunted by a terror that,

L eon d be . sooner or later, woul drawn into it

Such ideas , she said , were altogether childish

t o u not say npatriotic . Of those brought up to the military profession she did not speak ; but a civilian of talent and education could serve his cou ntry in almost any way better than by stop

- — ping a cannon ball a feat which could be ao complished quite as effectually by any hewer of wood or drawer of water . In h er eagerness sh e made the personal appli

cation of her . remarks so evident that M . de

wh o was Fontvieille , quite as anxious as she to

L eon keep safely at home , hastened to lead the conversation back into the less dangerous chann el

c ff of publi a airs , down which it flowed quietly

and without interruption for the next two hours . D The uchess , M . de Fontvieille and Léon had it all their own way for Jeanne was even more silent

S ain tL u c was than usual , and , whose brow dark

with clouds of preoccupation , scarcely opened his lips from the announcement of dinner to the end of e a n c e. that repast, and never once spoke to his fi

0 S M E R 1 9 MADEMOI ELLE DE S A C . wh o has n ot any very bindin g ties to keep h imat

‘ ou n ot n e ! who home . And y are the o ly p rson

’

“ ‘ “ “ fi— has expressed th e same opin ion tome Within the

’ last f ew days .

’ She stopped s h ort; with a quick gesture - of

do L eon apprehension . You not mean ? she

‘ ‘ ‘ exclaimed : Has he said anything to you upon

' the subject ? Surely you would never be so w c ruel as to encou rage him to leave-u s ! R emem — ber what he is- the last of his name a n only m son , one might al ost say ; for indeed the

D h is an d u uchess is as good as mother , wo ld break her heart if anything h appened to him; I

a f o an diI spoke h stily and o lishly, did not really mean what I said ’ ‘ D o in - not be alarmed , broke Saint Luc gently ; I am sure that Léon will do his duty b etter by remaining where he is than by fighting the Prussians . I had a far less important p erson — ’ in my mind myself . You ! ’

e bu t There was som surprise in her tone , no inflection of dismay ; and Saint- Luc was u n r ea e s on able enough to feel pained by her composur .

’ h e r esu med striv in Yes , , g to assume a cheerful

’ an d matter- of -fact air ; I learnt the sabre - e xercise M E R S A C 19 1 MADEMOISELLE DE .

~ when I was a lad,and : I believe it is the only

' I t c an I thin g in the world that do really well . — can eas ily j oin my old r egiment now most likely f I ’ t — as an o ficer, though don hold to that and I know that my death wou l d -not cause so much grief to anybody that I n eed hesitate on that

c ou rse v if ou r score ; but of , I went , marriage

u W ou wo l d have to be postponed . ould y object to that ? ’

’ N a e I u l o , answered Je nn slowly sho d not

f or She debated within herself, a moment, whether she ought not to make some reference to

’ of e i the payment L on s debt , which would thus also require to be postponed but finally decided

was that it not her business to do so .

‘ n And now , there is another thi g which I

’ shou ldilike to - ask you , resumed Saint Luc , after

” l - a on g pause ; Would s you n ot prefer that our marriage shou l d never ta ke place at all

. i _ J a i e nne turned away, and stood st ll , with

t o da h clasped hands , gazing hr ugh the rk branc es of a belt of cypress -trees at the star -studded sky

i sea o e n . hi -a and the free , w de , w ch path of silver

th e i i How from r sing moon sh mmered . gladly oh h ow — sh e , gladly , would have answered Yes , M AD E M O IS E D E M E R S A C 192 LLE .

- t w and regained her longed for liber y . But it as

and too late to falter now , she thought , it would be as cowardly in her to abandon her purpose as

w s in a soldier to run away under fire . She a not in the least grateful to Saint-Luc for offering her a means of retreat which he must know in his heart that she could not accept with honour , and it was in particularly icy accents that she replied at last You remember what I told you in the

- . . I beginning , M de Saint Luc have never de

' c eived you . I never pretended that I should have chosen you for a husband I had only had myself to think of but I consented to marry

“ you for the reasons which I mentioned at th e

W . time . hat I said then I say still Indeed I a mmore bound to you than I was ; for you have been very kind to me ; and I suppose that when h ' you stopped the ponies the ot er day , you saved my life— which most people would reckon a kin d

a ness . If you h ve changed your mind , and wish our engagement to come to an end , I shall be

ff am neither surprised nor o ended but for me , I ’ I w s as content now as a then .

- h Saint Luc sig ed . Almost he felt inclined to

‘ was give up the game . He still u nder the in flu en c e of that discouraging impression of hopeless

M E R AC 194 MADEMOISELLE DE S .

f I amnot sure . So ew people are prepared ’ to die . Do you mean that I a m not ? That is true enough , I dare say ; but I am as prepared as I

am ever likely to be . I cannot see beyond the

’ grave . ’ ? a Are you a sceptic then sked Jeanne , with

e wh o bat d breath , as should say , Are you a murderer ?

I have scarcely the right to call myself so . I neither believe nor disbelieve ; I have never

wa or thought about religion at all , one y the

s other , and eldom heard it mentioned , except as e a pretty fabl or allegory , supported chiefly by

social necessities . If it be all true , I have no

’ doubt allowances will be made for me .

’ f or ou I shall pray y , said Jeanne gravely . Will you ? Will you really do that ? ’ cried

- h Saint Luc eagerly, attac ing more importance , it

is of to be feared , to the act intercession than to

its possible results . Then you will think of me sometimes when I am away I should pray for anybody wh o did not be ’ lieve in God , answered Jeanne ; and as for

thinking of you , of course I should do that in any

n case . I ever forget people . When do you mean to start ? M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE . 19 5

’ - I n . To morrow , thi k So soon as that

, Wh ? ffli y not My departure Will a ct nobody,

an d ri . my f end Lasalle sails at midday Besides, I must n ot lose time if I am to take part in the f ’ battle o Chalons . The battle of Chalons

l or It wi l be there , thereabouts , I fancy . t At all even s , I shall have to hurry in order to E I get to the regiment in time . ven as it is , may

’ be detained by useless formalities .

‘ ’ What will the Duchess say ? I don t know

’ h ow to I am tell her, murmured Jeanne , growing a little alarmed as the serious nature of the situa tion revealed itself to her .

I will undertake that . What does it signify what she says ? What does anything signify ?

u s . n ow Let go in at once , and get it over And ,

n ot ou as I shall see y alone again , I will say

’ - good bye .

f or He took her passive hand , and , the second t his ime since their betrothal , pressed it to lips ; and she , withdrawing it presently , said , in her low,

’ - b . grave voice , Good ye This was all their leave -taking ; and Jeanne

hi ar t nking it over afterw ds , reproached herself for

0 2 M R S A C 196 MADEMOISELLE DE E . having let the poor fellow go without a sin gle E kind word to cheer him on his way . ven at the time her heart was a little softened towards

n ot but she would show it , being restrained by a f t oolish apprehension les at this supreme moment , encouragement might lead him into some less f deferential expression o regard . So they r e - entered the house together ; and D m the unsuspecting uchess called out gaily , fro W her corner, ell , young people , here you are at last ! We were thinkin g of sending Léon ou t

’ with a lantern to look for you .

M E R S A C 198 MADEMOISELLE DE .

they still seemed to throb and glow as they had

o done at noon . N faintest stir of breeze found its way among those closely- packed dwellings ;

out of doors the streets were untenanted , save by

here and there an , exhausted Arab , lying half asleep in the shade ; a u niversal silence and

th e h lassitude hung over place , and was not wit di out its influence on those busy French la es , whose occupation was not in itself of a cheering

wh o nature , and had all , besides , good reasons

of their own for feelin g anxious and dispirited . w Ho ever, they chatted away over their work ,

bravely making the best of bad times , as their l people a ways do .

‘ D n ever oes it rain here in September, madame ? ’ asked one of them of the mistress

of n A n dr e the house , a certai Madame , whose husband had held an appointment in Algiers e longer than any of thos present could remember .

‘ ’ The old lady shook her head . Never, she

answered unless , as sometimes happens , we get a few drops from a passing storm ; and that

' ‘ is not enough to cool the air . September is our worst month ; but one lives throu gh it; and

it only lasts thirty days , when all is said and done? M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE . 19 9 — Live through it that remains to be seen .

I u r r u Never , if do s vive this , will I mu m r at the

of ! to in all sight rain again And th k that , if had

l I t o gone wel , was have been at Baden now for

! I of the races Alas , I fear have seen the last

’ Baden . f ’ Not o . a doubt it , said another Germany is closed to u s f or a generation at least and I am sorry f or it ; f or what shall I do n ow with my summers ? ’ One must make shift with Trouv ille and

n ot if Vichy and such places . I do feel as I coul d

of an as I n ot to complain y fate , so long am left l spend the hot weather in A g eria again . But

’ that is what it is to have a general f or one s

’ husband . f Al on D ieu ou of . , madame , y might be worse Generals are too valuable to be put in dangerous

wh o bu t of a . pl ces My husband , is a colonel l his . I u infantry, carries life in his hand co d

l n ot fi eld- oflic er a most wish that he were a , so

’ g that he mi ht be less conspicuous .

‘ ’ ff su fl er of r e The sta most all , they say ,

of marked another lady . Think those who used to form our own little circle las t winter . Poor l — ! M . de Monceaux kil ed and so many others 0 A M E R S AC 20 M DEMOISELLE DE .

Is it not astonishing how coolly we take it all ? I thin k one of the saddest things about war is that it so soon accustoms people to read quite calmly Of wounds and sufferings which would make them f shudder in time o peace . One comes to look

as upon it a sort of game , and thinks much more of which side wins an en gagement than of all the

’ -field horr ors of the battle and the hospitals . It does not do to let the mind dwell upon

’ A n dr w e. t o such subjects , said Madame I have

a I sons with the rmy , and if were to allow myself

o n to to brood ver what may be happeni g them , I

should soon be good for nothing . But I do not . I commend them to the protection of the Blessed

s Virgin three time a day, and work as hard as I e can for the wound d , and comfort myself by thinkin g that every hour brin gs us nearer to I peace . And sometimes get a letter from them not so Often as I could wish ; but that on e must

. son ou so not grumble at A , y see , be he never

m or good a one , is not the sa e thing as a husband Now . o M er sa c I a lover Madem iselle de , dare

. D say, gets a letter by every mail o you continue

f - o . to have good news M de Saint Luc , made

moiselle

on e Madame André was of those amiable ,

202 A M E R S A C ! M DEMOISELLE DE . sh e did not in the least care . M . de Fontvieille ,

' to whomthis unpopularity of his p r otegée caused

d of i u a great eal secret vexat on , sed to say that Jeanne would never have many friends among the

su fli c ien t Algerian ladies , for three reasons

was far Firstly , because she handsomer than any of sec on dl be au se , c them ; y, she was better edu c ated of than all them put together ; and thirdly,

Th e because she despised gossip . first of the

i i causes assigned was , of course , r d culous , since everybody knows that the notion of feminine j ealousy on the score of personal beauty is a mere l vu gar calumny, only believed in by silly and

‘ ign orant p eople ; bu t it is possible that the other two may have been less imaginary ; for there is unquestionably something a little galling in inter course with a person who is not only infinitely

bu t your superior, is also , in a placid , polite way, th perfectly aware of e fact .

Be this as it may, these excellent ladies had no love f or ou r poor heroine and when she pre sen tl - y rose , and bade them all a very good evening, they began to breathe more freely . I am never comfortable when that girl is in

’ th e r oon i of , said one them , as soon as the door

n i . a had closed behi d her She w ll not spe k , and L A C 203 MADEM OISEL E DE M E R S .

o to scarcely listens when she is sp ken , and I defy a nybody to know what is pa ssing in her mind . I am n ot aware that there is an ything particul arly

or o contemptible laughable ab ut me , and yet she always gives me the impression that sh e thinks

7 so . ‘ i ’ i l She is a good g rl , said k nd y Madame

A n dr e; she does a great deal f or the poor . But

i t c a she is eccentr c , which is a errible defe t in woman . One must remember , however, that her E i mother was an n glishwoman . That expla ns

’ much . t Jeanne , meanwhile , as she oiled up the stair

- of t case like streets the Arab quar er , felt her cons cience stirred by that chance question of

’ Madame A n dres and the surp rised silence which i n to . o c had followed her a swer it Up n refle t on , it certain ly did sound odd that she shou ld n ot be in direc t communication with her future husband ; and the annoying part of it was that sh e need n ot

w n ot have made the fact public , and indeed ould d w . i have one so if hea t and ear ness and the ex

’ asperating arch smile of good Madame An dre had n ot r combined to ove power all pr udence . Per

too b s as haps , , it would have een more wi e , it

e sh e certainly would have be n kinder, if had let 2 4 M E R A 0 MADEMOISELLE DE S C .

S - m aint Luc hear fro her every now and then . Almost his last words had been a timid su ggestion w t i h reference to this subject, but she had not responded favourably to the hint , having , in truth ,

of his no desire to be remin ded existence , and not seeing that she was in any way bound to burden herself with an irksome task . At the time , her one wish had been that he would go away as b quickly as possi le, and let her neither see nor hear more of him until the day should come for the completion of her sacrifice ; for it will easily t i ill ’ M . Fon v e e s be believed that, what with de

’ u D eu expost lations , and the uchess s scoldings ,

the treaties and tears , evening of separation had n ot been an altogether agreeable on e for either f member o the betrothed couple . But now all these preliminary troubles were

’ ' - a n d . u over, well nigh forgotten Jea ne s home circle had gradually accepted the inevitable with

or more less of philosophy, and four weeks had elapsed since Saint - Luc had bidden a long farewell l to A giers . Four weeks , stormy and eventful on

the other side of the Mediterranean , and big with the fate of empires and of generations yet unborn , but quiet and peaceful enough here in remote

Africa . Four weeks which had seen the fertile

M E R S AC 206 MADEMOISELLE DE .

return . But she dismissed him from her mind , together with the remembrance of her sins and

- other unpleasant subjects , at the church door ,

deeming, with King Solomon , that there is a time

for every purpose under the heaven . W m hen , as would so etimes happen , some tri fling incident like Madame André ’ s unlucky

speech cropped up to remind her of her chains , she made haste to escape from the odious remembrance with such despatch as she could command ; and

now , acting upon this rule , she soon persuaded herself that the epistolary question was one which

was n it altogether u necessary to consider, after so

of long a period silence , and had recovered her ordinary equanimity by the time that she had

was passed through the gates of the town , and

out in the open country . A cool breath of evening air met her as she

emerged upon this higher ground , where nature was beginning to show signs of returning anima

tion , where the grasshoppers were in full chorus , and where bright -eyed lizards were darting swiftly

from every chink and crevice of the rocks . Jeanne

n drew a long breath , and paused , upon the bri k

th e ff of cli , to cast a glance of pity upon the poor, W stifled town at her feet . hite , glaring , and M E RS A MADEMOIS ELLE DE C . 207

- to to silent , it sloped from brown hill p burning

r its h of w sapphi e sea , all touc es inter greenery vanished— a diff erent Algiers indeed from that

’ is hi . w ch had gratified Mr Barrington s art tic eye , when he had stood u pon this same spot some six Whi i months before le Jeanne looked , a l ttle cloud of du s t rose h‘ om the lower gates of the

w ou t of fi to n , and it appeared a cavalry of cer , whose steel scabbard fl as hed in the su n as he galloped helter- skelter up the zig z ag road at a pace worthy of John Gilpin . Jeanne recognised

of the seat this impetuous horseman , and smiled . Léon will never learn that a horse ’ s legs are

’ n ot of . made cast iron , she sighed

of Léon indeed it was , in the uniform the

’ - al l Al érie r Francs Cav iers de g , a patriotic co ps organised for purposes of local defence during the

of absence the regular army, and which no doubt made up in valour what it lacked in numerical

to strength . Léon had been urged enrol himself l . n in it by M de Fontvieil e , who saw therei a

’ safety-valve for the letting ofl of warlike hanker in gs and so far it had answered its purpose very

e an d h ad O tm man w ll , kept the y g in tolerable h l good humour wit himself and his ot . But now news had come from France of suc h 208 M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE . a nature as to eff ectually r ob mock soldiering of its solace , and to render inaction more than ever

of grievous to all true lovers their country . Léon ,

u of as he stormed p the hill , regardless the wind

own of his charger, was so wrapped in his dis tu r bed th oughts that he would have passed his w if sister ithout noticing her , she had not called

of VO i c e to him . At the sound her he pulled up , with a clatter and a jingle , and breathlessly ! shouted ou t his evil tidings . All is lost The

’ whole of M ac M ah on s forces ave capitulated to E the enemy , the mperor is taken prisoner , Bazaine

u n d n ot is sh t up in Metz , a France has a regular d ’ army left in the fiel . It is impossible

’ tr - s It is u e. I had it from the Sub Governor own a in lips . And to crown all , they say P ris is

’ mo the hands of the b .

W n ow ? hat will happen , then Shall we have peace Wh o knows ? It will depend upon what the

'

of . I Prussians may ask us , I suppose But can t stop Where are you going in such a hurry ?

‘ s I t To Mu tapha . promised o let Madame de Tr émon v ille know as soon as there was any

’ A bien tet ! n ews .

M A C 2 10 MADEMOISELLE DE E R S . de m u x n ie . He had been deeply smitte , as we

m his have seen , onths before ; but now subjuga tion w as complete ; and perhaps no more con v in cin g proof of his devotion cou ld have been

‘ found than in the fact that , even when he had such news as the wreck of the Empire to an ' m d nounce , he should have dis ounte at the fair

’ u lady s gates , and led his horse gingerly p the

a short avenue , fearing to disturb the siest which ordinarily occupied the best part of her after noon .

On the present occasion , however, he might have dispensed with this precaution for Madame

Tr émon ville m a de , arrayed di phanous white

- muslin , and holding a rose lined parasol over her

on golden locks , met him the threshold . ! ou are come to tell me of the battle of ’ n f u . o ou Seda , she said How kind y to hurry p

’ in the heat , and to tire your poor, pretty horse so ! B u t I have heard all about it from my hus

who m Of band , returned fro his fice half an hour ago in a pitiable state of agitation . He has weak

Tr m n v il . é l o e . W nerves , this poor M de hat ~ a lamentable spectacle is a man with weak nerves ! ’

’ ’ ! ou n ot su fler ' wa r e , at least , do in that y, marked Léon admiringly . All the way from th e D E M E R S A C 21 1 MADEMOISELLE .

town I was thinking how I should prepare you

I fin d for this terrible catastrophe , and now that you take it far more calmly than I can profess to ’ do . I My dear friend , have foreseen it for so long . What else could be expected from an army rotten

— li c to the very core demora sed by loose dis ipline , commanded by generals whose merit consisted in

v their ser ility and venality , and headed by that grotesque imbecile of an Emperor ?

' Imbecile of an Emperor ! echoed Leon aghast at this diatribe from on e of the staunchest adherents of the late r egime .

ou n ot Certainly . Have y heard me call him

? 0 ? Ah on e so scores of times N , well , has to

of be careful in speaking constituted authorities , but I have always thought that the Emperor was

- half witted , and the event proves that I was right . If a man who declares war withou t knowing whe

wh o ther he is prepared or not, gets himself beaten

fi his s in every engagement , and nally hurries la t a - rmy into a mouse trap , be not an imbecile , I do

’ n ot f know the meaning o the word .

l r You do not think , then , that he wil eve return to power ? asked L eon with innocent M I E E E R S A 212 MAD E O S LL DE M C .

Never - never in the world ! The Empire is as dead as Henri IV The only thing to be

t it of done wi h it is to bury out sight , and to ’ forget , if possible , all its blunders and infamies . t This was really a little oo bad. Mindful of the evening when he had been forced to humiliate

‘ ’ himself publicly by shouting Vive l E mp er eu r ! Léon cou ld not suffer such sentiments as these to

pass without a gentle protest . Surely you did n ot think so badly of the E ? . mpire six weeks ago , madame said he ‘ ’ Six weeks ago ! returned - Madame de Tr e

monville impatiently . Six weeks ago everything The f was different . wife o an official cannot always say exactly what she thinks ; I should h ave thought anybody would have understood

. war that And besides , if the had ended success:

I t ' fully , that would have atoned for many sins . would n ot have been generous to condemn a h government whic was upon its trial . But are you n ot coming in ? It would be very amiable

ou ou of y if y would stay and dine , and amuse me

’ for part of the eveni ng .

ou I will come in for a few minutes , if y will ’ L eon permit me , madame , answered but I am afraid they will expect me to dine at home toé

AD E R S A C 2 14 M EMOISELLE DE M .

was of th e s Of it only the defeat army , the los

of prestige , or even the conclusion a humiliating

of peace , one would not need to despair the future ;

a ! we but , las are only at the beginning of our misfortunes . I greatly fear that we are about to

n enter upon a period of a archy , and it may be of

war R u m civil . A ep blican govern ent , monsieur - for it is with that that we are menaced—is capable of an y enormity . It will revolutionise everything ; it will throw the whole machinery of the State ou t of gear ; it will dismiss old and tried pu blic fu nctionaries

‘ ’ Bah ! interrupted Madame de Tr émon v ille ; you always look u pon the black side of things l It is only the timid who wil retire . A brave l civi ian , like a brave soldier, remains at his

’ post . How is a man to remain at his post when he is turned ou t fromit ?

‘ He must not let h imself be turned ou t;

wh o lik Those , e you , have always held Liberal

’ opinions , should have nothing to fear .

’ I have always supported the Government ,

Tr émon v ille said M . de , looking a little bewil dered. A O S D E M E A M DEM I ELLE R S C . 2 15

But when I tell you that you have always held Liberal opinions !

Tr émon v ill e M . de sighed deeply, but said n n his othi g , and wife continued

ou h ad of ou ou If y a grain spirit in y , y would know h ow to keep what you have got ;

ou t to but as it is , y had better leave every hing

’

as . me , usual

’ Leave everything to you ! groaned M . de

Tr émon v ill e n , rubbing his bald head desp airi gly .

! es — c on , that is what I have done and see the

! of ou c on se sequences Look , I beg y , at the ! qu en c es . ou have nearly ru ined me by you r extravagance ; you have compromised my futur e by your ostentatious Imperialism ; you have made me hin - to a laug g stock by your coquetry , use no harsher word

‘ llon s a llon s men a mt ! A , ,

‘ n . l e I i sist upon being heard M . Marq

For may take note of what I say if he pleases .

t ou owe once I will speak . It is o y that I all my mi f u n e . or o sfortu s But y , should I ever have

Bou rbeville - - left sur Creuse , where I enjoyed a higher sa lary and more con sideration than I do ? here Were we n ot compelled to solicit a change M E R AC 2 16 MAD EMOISELLE DE S .

wm of of appointment o g to the constant Visits M . ’ l e Pr éfete s n Préfet, and to Madame la declaratio

’ that she would tolerate such conduct n o lon ger ?

— e Continue pray continue . You humiliat

’ ‘ you rself in insulting me . ‘ wh d it o . No , is you have humiliate me I

’ have always loved respectability myself, added

Tr émon v ille of poor M . de , with a touch pathos respectability and a quiet life— and I abhor

wh o scandals . If I had had a wife had shared my

I u b man ideas , sho ld perhaps have been a etter

- — to day certainly I should have been a richer one .

But you , madame, you have blighted for ever a career which might have ended in honourable — ’ distinction , and and a comfortable competence . t And with tha he trotted out of the room , head first , feeling probably that his courage would not hold out much longer . What coarseness ! what ingratitude sighed

T m n v ill h e was r é o e as . Madame de , soon as gone I You perceive , my friend , what have to submit

m n ow to . Shall we have so e music , and try to forget this unpleasant scene ? But Léon said he must go and took his leave

n r ather stiffly . The little conjugal discussio to which he had just listened had in some degree

D E M E AC MADEMOISELLE R S .

ER CHAPT XXIII .

I N W H E N R HIS N N HIC L O ASSE TS I DEPE DENCE .

’ E H bien ma demois elle o la u e n ou s s o mes u n e , , g m R ej ou bligu e w Jeanne , aking in the morning with these words in her ears , sat up in bed, and became b aware of Fanchette , who had brought in her ath

- a full half hour earlier than usual, fearing to be anticipated in the announcement of this startlin g piece of news , and who stood at the foot of the bed , grinning from ear to ear , as if the whole thing was the best joke in the world .

’ How terrible ! exclaimed Jeanne ; for she had been brought up to regard republicans with

m n ill Tr é o v e . as holy a horror as did M . de himself ? Are you sure there is no mistake , Fanchette

i Mademo selle, it is positive . Pierre Cauvin heard all about it down at the market, and says

n e m the whole town is e f te. It see s that a tele t gram came, abou midnight , to say that the O M E R S A C MADEM ISELLE DE . 2 19

E was mperor deposed , and that there was to be a

of of new Government , composed a number indi

v idu als n n whose names I ca ot recollect, only I

on e of a know that Jules Favre is them . M de

moiselle e wh o rememb rs Jules Favre, was here

s —an of la t year avocat , with a tangled head hair —to think of his being in the Government ! is

n ot ? W it amusing ell , when the people in the

of did town heard this , the first thing they was to have a salute fi red ; and then they went

l - . e u up to the Palace , where M Sous Gouverne r was him in bed and asleep , and they marched

to du G ov er n emen t h ad down the Place , where he

of Vic e la R e u b to plant a tree liberty , and cry , p ligu e ! Poor gentleman ! they say he pulled a long face over it ; but what could he do ? If he

d of had refuse , they would have been capable

o w . n o throwing him int the harbour And , Pierre

u l i Cauvin says , they are p l ng down all the eagles

- from above the shop windows , and they have scratched ou t the names of the Boulevard de

’ l I m ér atrice R u e a oléon p and the N p , and every body declares that we are to have no more mil l i . e itary Governors , and that very l kely M — Sous Gouverneur will be sent away to France at

’ once . 220 M ADEMOISELLE DE M E R S AC .

Fanchette ’ s political opinions were those of her master and mistress . She was a staunch royalist , and wou ld have been very much off ended at

n f r o . I n bei g taken anything else principle ,

s therefore , she con idered a republic as a far m worse for of government than an empire . But, ’ notwithstanding this , she had all a Frenchwoman s

w of mischievous glee at the overthro her rulers , an d could not refrain from exclaiming a second

n of time , at the conclusio her narrative , Is it n ot amusing ?

To a large proportion of the French people ,

indeed , all revolutions , are much what a successful barring - out of the masters u sed to be to English schoolboys ; an d it was with a strong admixture of this feeling that the Algerian republicans r e 4 j oic ed over the events of September . They

- u were good humoured enough , pon the whole ;

fl tmf etter ed and though , in the first ush of speech ,

’ some truculent menaces were h u rled at the heads

’ ’ of r ea ctton n a z r es Bonapartists and , nobody was

n i jured . This forbearance was probably owing in part to the fact that for several months after Sedan no s uch thing as a Bonapartist was discoverable , and, partly also to the silent arguments of a couple of

222 M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE .

‘ a cigarette . That the man should have been

‘ capable of enj oying tobacco at that supreme moment seemed to him almost more infamous than his failure to find death at the head of his army ; and when later intelligence announced that the royal residence of Wilhelmsho‘ he had

n e bee assigned to the captiv , and that Queen

A u u st h ad g a sent him her own cook , what further proof could anyone want that France had been deliberately sold to the enemy ? — The crop of queerly named , and still more

- queerly written journals which , in Algeria as in

all other parts of French territory , sprang up after

R as the declaration of the epublic , thickly as mush

a th u n der stor m u rooms after , unanimo sly adopted

’ i i da P eu le S olida r ite A . Cr l e this V ew The p , the g

r ien n e Colon en Coler e l , and the , were all able to tel

t c en tiin e t h e their readers , down to the las , sum

’ received by the man of Sedan and his aecom

lic es p for their treachery, and were , in fact, so full of information u pon this and other subjects

of a like interesting nature , that they had but

little s ac e p left for recording the movements . of

m h ! the. German ar ies , whic all this time were w on . i plodding steadily to ards Paris And so , n du e c co s t ourse , came the mplete inve tmen t of “ he M E R S A C 223 MADEMOISELLE DE .

’

al . r capit , and M Jules Fav e s proclamation , de scribing his futile interview with Prince Bismarck

e - a t Ferri res , which , as it was a high sounding com

in xten A e s o. position , the lgerian papers published This artless eflii sion of the unlucky Min ister for Foreign A flair s h as been sufficiently laughed

an d of over in its time , , by reason a striking

h or of p rase two, has little chance obtaining a

wh o kindly oblivion . A statesman , , not content with displayin g his hopeless ineptitude in the

Cabinet , must needs blazon it forth to the world ; wh o of to , by way reply suggested conditions for

‘ as t an armistice , turns ide to devour the tears hat choke him who imagines that glowing language is lik ely to have the smallest effect upon a su c c essf u l - n , hard headed Prussian , and whose notio s of propitiatory sacrifice do not include an inch of

’ ou r e o of ou r s t rritory , nor a st ne fortresse , is perhaps a legitimate subject f or the mirth of

all practical people ; but , for that , there was a simple eloquence about the composition which

n a of fou d its way to the he rts the French people .

’ Ju l es Favre s words were caught u p an d echoed throughout the length and breadth of the land ;

h u mou r . of . th m and in truth the , e (if humour

th e there be), consists less in despairing defiance 2 M LL M E R S AC 2 4 ADEMOISE E DE . they breathed than in the fact that those stones

in th e and inches had to be ceded , sequel, by the very man wh o had so ardently vowed to

an retain them ; while as for tears , they are but expression of emotion held to be unseemly by northern nations , but not so considered by the

n of Lati races our own day, nor by the Greeks of old time .

’

. was Léon , when he read M Favre s circular,

n ou t very nearly cryi g over it himself, of sheer mor tification E 4 . ver since September he had been keenly alive to the shame of his present life u ; n h ad of inglor—ious sec rity and if a ything been e wanting to complete his discontent , it would hav been supplied by the hastily written lines in

' which ! Saint- Luc recounted his escape from th e rm captured a y at Sedan , and his safe reception ,,

s after many perils and adventures , into the corp

in o u s L eon of General V y . Th far had been pre v l u wa s ai ed pon to remain where he , less by the

’ Duchess s piteous pleadings than by the assurance of all his friends that peace was imminent and inevitable ; but n ow he was determined that h e

wa . would be cajoled in this y no longer . That the struggle would be prolonged to the utter

‘ most was beyond a doubt . People were already.

L R A 2 26 MADEMOISEL E DE M E S C . against my being killed ; anybody will tell you?

at can that and, in point of fact , all th be urged — against my going simply ameu n ts to this that y ou an d the Duchess will be uneasy and anxious about me while I am away . You know quite well that I do n ot think that a matter of no im portance ; but su rely you will allow that it is more important still that I should not be disgraced e in the y es of every man of my acquaintance ,

N0 on e would dare to insinuate that you had ’ n disgraced yourself, interposed Jea ne , quickly . You have your regiment here ; and you might be called upon to serve , any day, if the Arabs s u ho ld rise , as I am told they are very likely ’ to do .

; They are n ot in the least likely to do any . ’ h h L eon 1m suc t ing, returned , slapping his leg

t a pa iently with his c ne ; and even if they did , I believe the Duchess would at on ce find some

’ excellent reason for my staying at home .

D - - v er old. The uchess is ill , and is growing y

ou u s she She is convinced that , if y left now,

would never see you again . It is only natural that she should feel so and I think you ought to ’ t a ke that into cons ideration . E R S A ~ MADEMOISELLE DE M C. 227

So I do ; but I have myself to consider as

wa well . One or other of us must give y ; and , a h as r ar dmitting that she eve y ground for her fe s ,

u s u l a fi t — which of wo d s cri ce mos she , by bidding

- e me good bye now inst ad of a few months hence ,

o wh o or I, by giving every shopb y in France , o had carried a chassep t during the war , the right to sneer at me for the rest of my days ? The

D to i uchess means be k nd , but she is a little

ar e selfish , as all old people , and it is useless for me to try and make her understand that I do not choose to undergo all the hardships of a private ’ W soldier s lif e for my own amusement . ith you it is different You have good sense enough to — see that it is simmy my duty and a rather 1 1n — pleasant duty too to go and fig ht ; and I thin k f h to t o . W you ought help ins ead opposing me y,

’ you let Saint-Luc go without a wor d ! This was an argument to which Jeanne found

f fi to i it rather di cult reply ; and ndeed , though

wi n ot dl sorely against her ll , she could but inwar y acknowledge that the young man ’ s instincts were

in . was right She weak enough , however , to put

of the old plea the probability of pea ce .

That chance is finally disposed of, as the

’ l d in papers wi l convince you , answere Léon , pull g . M E R S A C 228 MADEMOISELLE DE .

i da P eu le of Ur , the p out his pocket, and dropping

R ou on . it to her lap ead that, and y will see that we do n ot mean to give in until we are exter i t n a ed. m Now I must go , for I have a great

' many instructions to give to Pierre Cauvin ; but

' ‘ wh en I of remember , Jeanne , broach the subject my joining the army , at dinner this evening, I shall expect you to support me and if you really ’

ou . love me , y will do so

t of A a f . And wi h that he marched ye r ago, he would hardly have ventured to speak so per c m tor il was - p y but he out of leading strings now, a n d had begu n to f eel all the conscious superiority of a very young man over the womankind of his household

n o ff Jeanne made e ort to retain him . She — sa w that he would go to Fran ce perhaps even — t hat he ought to go and that combating his r e

ve solution would but ser to strengthen it . But that did not prevent her heart from“ sinking with

a n apprehension , nor her im gination from co juring u p a host of dire possibilities for though in most

u matters she had courage eno gh for any two , she

’ was a veritable coward where Leon s saf ety was

concerned . If the destinies of France had been

t n entrusted to her hands at hat mome t , it is to be

A 230 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S C .

thereon ; and th e third contained an article written by a gentleman of most u n c ompr oml smg

wh o own views , , to use his forcible words , was convinced that the peace of the world could only

a be secured by the final extinction of the tr itors , w co ards , and bandits who have too long usurped

’

. m the proud position of rulers of ankind . In the sad circumstances in which Europe

’ s now find itself, continued this moderate reformer, we believe that we are fulfilling a high duty of morality and hu manity in suggesting to . ou r Go v ern men t that the f ollowmg prices be placed upon the heads of the monsters whose names we ap pend

Charles-L ou is -Napoléon B on aparte Bismarck (th e enemy of th e hu man race) W K of Pr ss illiam , ing u ia M oltke Werder (la bou r r ea u de S tr a sbomg ) th rt E mile O llivier (of e light hea ) . Clemen t D s r t n is w rt bu t uvernoi (mo e ha he o h , ’ n o hon est citi z en wou ld soil his hands by touching the wre tch f or le ss )

wa From the above excerpt (which , by the y, is no caricature) it will be seen that th e tigerish element which , according to Voltaire , enters so l n argely i to the disposition of his countrymen , R S A C 2 MADEMOISELLE DE M E . 3 1

was not wanting among the contributors to the

u l of ri Ur i da P e p e. The last page that spi ted print off ered a very fair example of the simious

of s did side the national character , consi ting , as it , of a series of mischievous and gleeful attacks upon

the reputa tion of local dignitaries . Under the

' ‘ ’ title of L es F on ctz on n a ir es de l E mp ir e leu r s

’ ha u ts a its et es tes r f g , Jeanne came upon a pa a

' B on ea n s oi—dz sa n t de Tr émon ville graph headed j , , in which our old friend was somewhat roughly

‘ s f wh o . on o handled The a simple peasant , earned his living in the hamlet of Tr émon v ill e in

D e f a o l auphin , some fi ty years g , partly by the sa e

of a n his own pigs and fowls , and partly by ste li g

of u r i Bon those his neighbo s , the young Bapt ste

f or j ean early displayed an aptitude thieving ,

n lying, and fawni g upon his superiors . Under the r egime from which we have just escaped he could have possessed no better credentials f or ad

’ vancement in life .

Such were the Opening sentences of - a concise

e l biography, which , aft r fo lowing the juvenile de lin qu en t throu gh the various phases of his suc

c essf u l to ri to career , imputing him enough c mes have merited a sentence of penal servitude f or

’ l of ife , and incidentally disposing his wife s cha 2 32 M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE . r ac ter in terms whose plainness left nothing to be

n desired , wound up with a significant warni g that the rule of ad v enturers of this s tamp would be

’

. We tolerated no longer are the more desirous ,

‘ r concluded the write , that the citizen Bonjean should at once learn the necessity f or withdrawing

ou r t h his dishonoured person from own , inasmuc as we have been given to understand that he n ow

r i s sedu professes epublican pr nciple , and has been e lou sly exertin g the occult influences which such reptiles know how to use to get himself confirmed in the appointment which he at present disgrac

S o in h uld he succeed his design , the people of i Algiers will, w thout any doubt , find a summary f ’ means of getting rid o him . W ith a smile that ended in a sigh , Jeanne let the paper slide to the ground . The truculent absurdities of a h alf- educated scribbler were of no great importance in them w selves , but they served to sho which way the

was wind blew , and that republican as little dis posed as imperial France to look truth in the face . There could be n o question bu t that the war u d wo ld be prosecuted indefinitely , nor any oubt

a but that Léon would have to t ke his part in it .

Oddly enough , it was not death nor wounds

23 4 M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE .

! which northern people c an ~h ar dly u n derstand as

associated with fair weather .

After a time , there came an audible stir from the direction of the h ouse ; a sound of hurrying

‘ footsteps , of eager , subdued voices ; and then a horse was led out from the stable , and somebody

mounted him and galloped away , along the high

t r t d t . s a e t o road , towards the own Jeanne her f n eet at once , feeli g instinctively that something had gone wrong . There was nothing unusual in

h ad dl what she heard in fact , har y a day passed without a groom being despatched to Algiers upon some commission or o th er ; but when misfortune

in 1 wa n s is the a r , it has a y of maki g it elf felt

n through the most ordinary chan els , and Jeanne was scarcely surprised when Fanchette came hast en in ! g out to meet her , wringing her hands and apostrophising all the saints in the calendar .

Oh , mademoiselle gasped the old woman ,

e ! Wh o incoherently, what a misfortun could — have f oreseen it —ah h ow terrible I Madame la D u chesse

u t Jeanne p her aside , and stepped into the house . At the foot of the staircase Léon met her , l ookin g very pale and grave .

’ ‘ e ot W have g her into bed , he said , but I M E R S A C 23 5 MADEMOISELLE DE .

’ don t know what we ought to do till the doctor — comes . No do not go up yet ; you would be

shocked perhaps , and you can do no good . Her

so on e face is horribly changed , and side

a n to bu t r Je n e waited hear no more , hur ied

s up tairs into the bedroom , where , with a group of frightened and helpless women -servan ts round

old Du r her bed , the poor chess lay , st icken down by. paralysis . 23 6 ’ ' M E R S AC MADEMOISELLE DE .

ER CHAPT XXIV.

N S CHA GE .

POOR old Duchess ! her long life -journey was

n d n t drawi g towar s a close at last . For her o many more suns would rise and set . For her

wa s n an d of there an end of planni g plotting ,

- gossip and tittle tattle , of j ewels and laces , of

-m a s of well e nt , ostentatiou charities , patronising

an d humble folks smiling upon great ones . Yet a few days , and she would have passed over into

of u the ranks that silent , nseen multitude to whom

‘ ’ oak u the reed is as the . The doctor came p

- wa s post haste , but she beyond help of doctors,

man f wa s the as the good himsel first to admit, blowing his nose loudly the while, with a many

‘ - coloured pocket handkerchief.

’ ‘ u l e a Ah , Monsie r M rquis , said he sorrow

u n fully , I am completely pset . A lady so oble , so v enerable Our consolation must be that she has been spared to reach a great age ; and that in

23 M E R S AC ’ 8 MADEMOISELLE DE .

s s bu t next, and gradually recovered con ciousne s,

w s . a d not speech The household disorganise , as

all households are at such times . There was not t much to be done , yet nobody liked to go abou

his ordinary avocations . The servants collected

aw in the corridors , and talked together in e

struck undertones M . de Fontvieille hurried in

and out, upon one needless errand or another ;

s and Léon wandered unea ily about the house ,

th e stealing on tiptoe , every now and then , into

darkened room where Jeanne sat , night and day ,

th e by the bedside of dying woman .

was Of what the poor old soul thinking , as

h er she lay there through the long , hot hours , .

eyes wandering restlessly over wall and ceiling , an d one withered hand for ever plucking at th e

- ? was bed clothes More than once , when Léon

h er beside , she struggled hard to speak, and

“ e looked at him with a piteous , entreating gaz

which troubled the lad a little . ’ ‘ What is it ? What does she mean ? he whispered to his sister : but Jeanne avoided i answering the question . She had a feeling that t ti would be hardly generous to urge , at this me , D ’ what she believed to be the uchess s wish , seeing that it was identical with her own . M . de Font D E L M E R S A C 3 9 MA MOISEL E DE . 2

s vieill e was less scrupulou . The cause of her

’ ‘ a . gitation is evident enough , he said Promise

ou r a her that y will emain at home , and take c re of your sister, when she is gone , poor, dear lady , and you will see that she will bec ome tranqu il at

ou n once . Come , my boy , y ca not refuse to per

an of form so simple act duty, and to soothe the last moments of on e wh o has been as much as a ’ mother to you .

did u l Léon , however , ref se . Certain y , he

do his said , he would promise to his duty towards

f his i sister to the best o ab lity. More than that he could not do , and more ought not to be asked

f n n of him. o o o e n or For the sake , livi g dead , would he bind himself to abstain from strikin g a hi blow for s country .

old So , if that were what poor Madame de

l do as Breui wanted , she had to without it , she had had to do without many another thin g in the course of her long pilgrimage .

’ w a old This orld is but a poor pl ce , sighed

‘ h — n o Fanc ette , with her apron up to her eyes

i n thing but vexation and d sappointment and pai ,

r to D f om beginning end . Madame la uchesse is

a more to be envied than we who rem in behind . A h i , if we had all l ved as she has done , there 240 M ER S A C MADEMOISELLE DE . would be little need to say masses for th e repose of

n ou r souls when our ow time came . Heaven be ! s ’ praised she will soon be an angel in Paradi e .

’ I do n t know whether the Duchess was very

’ n x or a ious to be an angel , in any great hurry to

. e enter Paradise Once , when J anne , in a de

s on den t e b p mood , had expr ssed a dou t whether

life was worth having , the old lady had assured ’ her that in a few years time she would . certainly f answer the question in the a firmative . You f young people are fractious and impatient . I life

d a oes not bring you exactly what you w nt , you

is cry out that you are tired O f it . For me life like an old friend from whom I can take occa

s u r u io al o gh usage without murmuring , and whom

I sh ou ld k love for old acquaintance sa e , if for no

’

other reason . Now she had to bid adieu to her, old friend for ever ; to leave the warm precincts

’ O a n d f the cheerful day , set out , shivering and

a . lone , for some unknown land Very possibly the outlook may not have seemed to her an altogether

'

s . miling one However, as she never spoke again , nobody had any Opportunity of arriving at the

th e wh o s tate of her mind , and priests came to a dminister the v iaticum to her declared that her e xemplary life had found a fitting concl u sion in

f n of a - th e most edi yi g de th beds .

AC 242 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S .

t shabby acts , rose up before her in propor ions which they would undoubtedly never have as sumed if the subj ect of them had been alive and

E . well . verybody knows the sensation It passes

e n away with time , lik all huma sensations , good

of and bad, and I dare say a great many us manage to get over it in the course of a week . Jeanne , wh o d felt more eeply than most , did not rally so l quick y . Had she been less unhappy on her own d score , at this time , no oubt the blow would not

v have fallen so hea ily upon her ; as it was , she seemed utterly crushed and altered by it . She

sit would for hours , silent and motionless, with her hands before her , unable to settle down to a n y occupation , and forgetful even of the house hold duties which had hitherto been as a second n ature to her ; she could hardly be prevailed upon — to eat anything ; and a n y trifl e a passing allu ’ -of D of sion , the sight the uchess s emp ty chair, or a sunshade lyin g where the O ld lady had laid it

t table fi su ffic ed down , for the las time , on the hall to send he r into a paroxysm of hysterical weep ing . e — Léon , alb it profoundly touched to use — h is own expression by the spectacle of so much s n n e sibility , ended by finding it a little irritati g . N R 43 MAD EMOISELLE DE E SAC . 2

O Grief over their j oint bereavement was , f course, — highly bec oming h e himself had shed a torrent — Of tears on the day of the funeral but that grief

should be thus prolonged , day after day , and week

u r after week , was surely neither nat al nor need f u l ; and what made it especially in c onvenient

hi of was that , w le Jeanne continued in this frame

n t ieille n or . o v mind , neither he M de F liked to trouble her with those discussions as to her future manner Of life which the cir cumstances rendere d u rgent, and in which both Of them felt that h er

of voice ought to be heard . The upshot it was

r own of d n that they took thei line action , eemi g

th e it , upon the whole , most advisable to keep person principally concerned in the dark until they should be able to lay some definite propo i i s t on before her . This moment came towards the end of O c tober, when M . Gambetta , newly descended from m his balloon , was working with might and ain at the formation Of a n ew national army ; when

- wh o Saint Luc , had turned up at Tours in the

’ to nick of time receive a colonel s commission , was collecting and drilling a rough corps of éc la ir eu rs d- chev a l when a sudden revival of hope was spreading through the length and breadth of the

E 2 A 244 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S C .

! wa s to its land , and when Metz , alas tottering f all . Algiers and its neighbourhood lay quivering and gasping under the scorchin g heat of a sirocco a which had already l sted two days , blowing not ,

u ri as in the winter time, in f ous gusts , but in

- of - — if steady , slowly moving waves red hot air m such a n expression be per issible . The sky over head was O f a dull coppery hue ; the mou n tains were veiled ; the su n shone dimly through an atmosphere impregnated with a hovering mist O f

fin e sand , which settled and penetrated every — where even through the closed windows and

h s a lon s utters of the where Jeanne , utterly pros tr ated m both in ind and body, lay idly stretched f T l o . O . up n a so a her entered M de Fontviei le ,

an d exhausted but unconquered , seating himself at her side , drew a bundle of letters from his

n u pocket , and cleared his voice with the mis

o takable air of one wh has a statement to make .

’ ‘ d n I fear , my ear child , he bega , that I do not find ‘ you much disposed to talk over some

’ matters of importance . ’ Not much , murmured Jeanne faintly .

NO it is not expected that you should be .

s Still , business is bu iness , and correspondence must

R A C 2 46 MADEMOISELLE DE M E S . would be necessary to place you u nder t h e care of some relation or friend up to the time of your

s marriage , I wrote to your cou ins in Auvergne , m laying the case before them , and asking the whether they would be prepared to offer you a

a temporary home , adding , at the s me time , that you would willingly contribute whatever sum they might think fit towards the defrayal of any in creased household expenditure which your v isit

n ot might entail . Their answer was of the most m cordial . They said it would give the great

ou pleasure to receive y , but that you would be

. at u wa s badly lodg ed, as the ch ea unfortunately under repair . They thought it only right to add

of th e that, in the present lamentable state coun tr t own y, heir plans must be very uncertain , and that they might be compelled to leave France at any moment . Finally , they assured me that , poor as they were , and heavy as the cost would pro bably be of entertaining one wh o Was n ot accus tomed to n ot their rough country fare , it was L their habit to send in a bill to their guests . eon a n d I agreed that , before continuing negotiations

- we with these civil spoken people , would address

’ ourselves to your mother s sister , Madame Ashley .

Ah , this time , for example , we fell upon a human MADEMOISELLE DE ME R SAC . 2 47

! being Here is her response , which arrived this

its . n ot morning Its French is original , style is

of precisely that the Academy , but its sentiments

n O E l are those of a woma f heart . xce lent and respectable lady ! Here is her letter ; read it f or

yourself.

‘ H lmh u r s t u O t 1 o S 87 O . , rrey, c ober

M O N R N R CHE MO SIEU ,

’ J e et viens de recevoir votre lettre , j ap prends avec sincere regret la mort de Madame la

’ ’ l an ta Duchesse de Breuil . Je n ai jamais eu av ge

c on n a itr e de cette dame personnellement , mais

’ ’ et e n e j ai bien souvent entendu parler d elle , j

’ n e en tr ee doute point qu elle soit , comme vous

le ou e dites , dans royaume des cieux , j compte

u n rencontrer, jour, tous les bons chrétiens ,

— - quoique pas catholique romaine moi meme . Quant a la chere niece que j e n e connais que

’ ’ n om e assu r emen t de , j n ai pas besoin de vous dire

’ ll l la qu e e sera mi le fois bien venue chez nous , que mes filles ont grande envie de fair e sa con

et l naissance , que plus longtemps e le restera avec

nous , plus nous serons contents . Je voudrais bien

’ qu il f ut possible que son marriage eut lien de

e e cette maison . Ce serait pour nous une belle f t , 4 M ER S A C 2 8 MADEMOISELLE DE .

et nous avons meme dans la voisinage une tres gentille petite c hapelle catholique - romaine oh la

is cérémonie pourrait etre solemn ée . Mais pour ca il faudra attendre la fin de cette malheureus e

- D . r e guerre . ieu veuille que M de Saint Luc en

et mon vienne sain sauf, ainsi que bon neveu

a a Léon , que nous avons tous ppris aimer pendant

n l r son séjour en A g eter e .

‘ E a n ttendant , Jeanne sera ici comme chez

elle . Nous ferons de notre mieux pour la rendre

’ ’ ’ et a confortable , j ose promettre qu elle n aura se

’ de c c da m du plaindre rien , si n est cli at, qui,

’

. n e le r eten d reste , est moins mauvais qu on p .

’ D - lu i me n ites , avec meilleur amour (c est une ex pression anglaise qui se comprend mais n e se tra

oe duit pas) que nous la recevrons de grand c ur .

E m n o . xcusez , monsieur, mauvais francais Du temps de ma j eunesse j e parlais passablement e ’ bien votre langue , mais d puis lors j ai oublié bien

‘ ’ et c e le n des choses , qui est plus e nuyeux c est

c n e v d c e n i que j puis trou er, ans moment, mon .

’ n i mon 0 61 et O h a sal dictionnaire N p . O est égal — ’ ’ vous 11 en comprendrez pas moins qu il me tarde .

’ d embrasser fille é oe et la de ma pauvre ch re s ur, que j e vous suis bien reconnais sante de tOu te la

. bonté que, vous avez eue pour elle

25 0 M E R S A C MADEMOISELLE DE .

I was not thinking O f anything of that kind interrupted Jeanne . It seems to me that my aunt is as charming as she is kind ) But I could

’ H l h r t not stay at o m u s . ‘ i f ’ ? . And why not , you please asked M de

O f Fontvieille , with a shade impatience m his voice . ’ Because I had rather not .

’ That is not a reason . Is it necessary that I should give my reason for disliking to go to England ? No but it would at least show some c on si

h o o a re deration for those w love y u , and trying

"

ou did. to do their best for you , if y And then I should be glad to know what alternative course

’ you can propose . W l el , there is an alternative . The convent is Open to me ; and I should be very happy with the good sisters till—till I was Wanted in the

’ world again .

i n Imposs ble exclaimed M . de Fo tvieille;

o with a gesture of horror . You , to wh m liberty

as a and the free air are meat and drink, to p ss in ter mmable days between the four White wall s - Wh . of that prison house y, you would die of it N0 one can accuse me of undervaluin g th e bene M E A C MADEMOISELLE DE R S . 25 1

fits Of religious life and Of occasional periods of

seclusion . I admit that , by stretching a point or

ou of two , y might get through a month matins , l comp ines , vespers , needlework and the rest , with

ou t a — a pining away , like sky lark in a c ge ; but

of or when it came to be a question six months , a

—; year for wh o can say h ow long 1t may take ou r armies to dr ive the Prussians over the frontier ? — when this house was shut up , and you had no ref uge to escape to

’ l n t u o l . I sho d mind , answered Jeanne weari y W ’ hat I want is rest and peace .

N0 ; you want change and amusement . But

s let that pa s . The fact is that neither Léon nor I

“ like the idea of you r remain ing in Africa at all d . an wi just now The times are bad , ll be worse , if D O ou I am not mistaken and misinformed . y know how many trained soldiers we have in the country ? I do not f or troops have been moved

l s hither and thither , during the a t few weeks , m embarking here , dise barking there , marching in

ou t thi and marching , till nobody can say any ng

n o n . about them , except that they are lo ger visible W t O ha I do know is , that in the province f Oran ,

of d in the province Constantine , and over yon er

i messieu r s les in di en es w in Kabyl a , g are gro ing 2 5 2 L D E . M E R S A C MADEMOISE LE . r E estless . They have heard that the mpire has

' f n m t E alle , and to their si ple no ions the mpire is

. own France For my part, I have always liked

we the Arabs ; they are a brave race , and have been educating them into a loyal one ; bu t they

h l ear n é— in ave still many things to such as , for

of stance , the possible existence a government

without a head , the criminal folly of insurrection ,

an d f perhaps also the inviolability o convents . E ver since the news of Sedan came , I have

o observed that , the natives have ad pted a certain

n wh o manner of looki g at me as I pass . I, am

h th e but an old man , wit one foot in grave , shrug

my shoulders , and look at them in return but I e have tak n to carrying a revolver, and I have sent

‘ away my jewels into a place of safety . It is a

measure of precaution for which I hope you will , live to than k me one day ; and that is why I must strenuou sly oppose your project of immuring yourself at E 1 Biar

’ an n As you please , swered Jea ne , too tired

' and too indifferent to argu e . I will go to my ’ cousins in Auvergne , then . ‘ Where you will be as welcome as snow in

! I . June thought you more reasonable , Jeanne What objection c an you possibly have to availing

2 5 4 S M E RS A C MADEMOI ELLE DE .

D l ’ ’ ’ ' ’ L a mou r n eLst a a n la is z r Zhon n eu r est u n g p , ” devoir as r , Co neille says ; and I would answer

f or ' it ou with my life that y will never forget , in

. ou the presence of Mr Barrington , that y are the

’ flian c ed of e - a bride the Vicomt de Saint Luc .

’ Either Jean n e s dormant pride was aroused by

of or was this little piece fanfaronnade , else she

too weary to resist pressure . She promised to

write to Mrs . Ashley by the next post, and to

make immediate preparations for her journey . mi So M . de Fontvieille went home with his nd

at ease , and meeting Léon on the threshold, told

him that all was satisfactorily arranged . With a l ittle tact and discretion one can always bring reasonable people to u nderstand ’ O their duty , said the ld gentleman , modestly

exultant .

’ ’ I m very much obliged to you , monsieur ,

n L eon n a swered , as he e tered the house, and bade

his valuable ally good evening . He , too , had his

preparations to make , his last instructions to give ,

h is old last words to say, before leaving the home

to which it might well be that . he would never return again . A C 25 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S . 5

I N WHICH LEON PLA! S THE PAR T O F BA! AR D TO

N E A LIMITED AUD IE C .

PR EPAR ATIONS for a prolonged absence from home

— a n of in p cki g up clothes , sorting and burn g of

di an d all papers , paying of outstan ng bills , the other troublesome little duties which crop up

s s— thick and fa t at such time are not , in them

as selves , very enjoyable ; but in so far they to i a n dull the pa n of p rti g , they must be acknow

t u is L eon ledged o be blessings in disg e . had his hands so full durin g the brief remaining period of his b r li e ty, that neither he nor Jeanne had much

s i s lei ure for reflection ; and th s was , perhap , just a s well for both of them .

r t The time , indeed, proved sho er even than the embryo soldier had anticipated ; for on the

te on very day af r that which M . de Fontvieille had

v u his n s di lged intentio , he received orders from Tours to join his new regiment within a week ; 2 5 6 MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S A C;

and thus a great deal of business had to be crowded

n ot into a very few hours , while a little had to be

neglected altogether .

Pierre Cauvin , an honest but obstinate and

O ld m punctilious person , did not help uch to ex

edi m p te atters . He insisted upon it that he must have categorical instructions from his youn g master

' f u pon a variety o . points which might easily h av e been left to his own discretion where difficulties did not already exist he managed to create them

’ and it was owin g to his representations that L eon s

was last day spent far away from home , upon the

- a at Koléa stud f rm h , inspecting horses , and author isin g the sale of all such as were in a fit condition to fetch their proper value .

was It not until after nightfall that Léon , dusty

an d - weary, rode into the stable yard of the Cam pagne de M er sac . Jeanne saw him arrive from

of r the window her bed oom , where she had been

‘ a th e h o eless busy , all the fternoon , over p task of compressing every article of necessity and luxury she could think of into the modest limits of a

’

di . sol er s kit She saw him dismount , and hastily w his an d s h a ash face hand at the pump , w ile h e groom brus ed him down and th n , to her great

d a was ou t an d is ppointment , a fresh horse led , he

. O E R A 2 5 8 MADEM ISEL L DE M E S O .

‘ w - tapha . There were lights in the dra ing room of the villa before which he drew rein at length “ and the servant wh o answered his ring informed

him that madame was alone , and would receive .

‘ wh o was Madame , seated at the piano, did not

' t of r is e upon the en rance her admirer . ’ n Ah , it is you , said she , smili g and nodding

war at him . And so you are really going to the ,

- D and you have come to bid me good bye . o you know that is very pretty of you ? s And , striking a few chord , she began to sing , half mockin gly

B u i t z eau chevalier, q par e pour la g uerre, ’ Qu a llez vou s f aire ’ S i loin d ici ? V z - s a s u e t est f oye vou p q la nui pro onde, E t qu e l e mon de ’ N est qu e s ouci ?

Bu t as Léon put a very grave face upon it, she

off . n broke , took him by both ha ds , and forcing

on him gently to a footstool at her feet , looked

h w mI h t straig t into his eyes , ith a gaze that g have

h n troubled an older man , sig i g ever so slightly

w e the hil , ’ a ll , So then it is over, she murmured Go ,

n le r o an d f u f n ds. Mo sieur Ma quis , g , , orget yo r rie M E R S A C 2 5 9 MADEMOISELLE DE .

W n ou r to ou too e o . , side , shall try forget y That

’ ou n ot ? is what y wish , is it

‘ ’ I i ou ! e ac u w sh y to forget me, madame j

u ! ou d . late Léon , reproachf lly cannot be speak

’ in g seriously .

‘ ou at If y cared about the matter all , you

’ n ot u to r e would be in such a h rry go away ,

m Tr émon v il le turned Mada e de , averting her

head . t I am n o in a hurry . I have remained here f l so long already that I am ashamed o myse f. If

o a u n o I g now at l st , it is beca se honourable man

u l w co d act other ise . It is because

r Ah , bah inter upted the lady, with a sud

r of den change of mood . Spa e me the rest the

a O speech , I h ve heard it so ften I see you coming with your patriotic hymns Mourir pour ” t A ll la patrie , Aux armes , ci oyens that is

l - very we l for the cafés chantants , but it has gone

’ ou t f in - l o et . fashion drawing rooms , me tell you

e ou si I hav heard y ng the air yourself, ’ madame , remarked Léon , rather hurt .

u l r or In J y last ? Very likely . It was mo e

of h ad less a novelty then , and we an army which

. b wa s : n to to ta mbou r a tta n t. goi g march Berlin ,

Now . that every man in the country has b een

S 2 2 6 0 MADEMOISELLE DE NER SAC .

shouting, every woman screeching , every little

a n d boy whistling , every dog barking the Mar seillal se f or m be Incessantly three onths , I am ginning to grow a little tired of it ; and instead of

x we the army , which e ists no longer , have the

n h ou undisciplined , mutino s rabble w ich y are so

’

a . o r s e ger to join I wish you j y of you comrade .

Such as they are , they have taken up arms

’ against the I nvader .

‘ And they S how their contempt f or him by turning their backs upon him whenever he a p

D c n ot . pears . o not s owl at me , it is polite I

an d know that there are brave men , men of family

' n c a n a z lle f or an amo gst this but , y good they are likely to do , they might as well have remained at h eme was . The game lost long ago ; and it is

we n . time that stopped playi g , and paid the stakes

’ B th e wa t was m u to y y, here a ru o r in the town day that Bazaine had capitulated to the Prince

’ - Frederick Charles . Impossible — F Not in the least nor even improbable . or

ma m . y part , I hope the news y be true It will ’ brin g us nearer to the end .

This was more than Léon could endure . M any

t n h ad ma him a hi gs combined to ke doubt, of l te ,

I M E R S A C 262 MADEMO SELLE DE .

' 1 e h w s people to have friends in all parties . W O could tell what fut u re might lie hidden behind th e ! be mists of the present ? Henri V . might

e e reigning , by the grace of God , in Franc befor . the year was out ; an d then the Marquis de Mer m sac ight have a nice little appointment , or pos sibl ff wh o y a big one , to o er to anyone should have been fortunate enough to gain his g ood O pinion . ’ i Sit down , my brave knight , sa d she , in a

of n ot tone soft raillery , and do quarrel with a

‘ o wh o t poor , ignorant w man , knows very li tle about battles and politics . The Seigneur de

Bayard , whom you resemble in many points , , would never "have permitted himself to speak so roughly to a lady . But he has been dead these four hundred years ; and since his time we h av e forgotten much , and also learnt some few things

— I S amongst others , that it a crime to sacrifice life uselessly . I am as good a patriot as another — — as M . Gambetta , for instance, or yourself but

’ it is not forbidden , while loving one s country, to — love also— what a m I saying to feel some ’ ’ of anxiety about the safety one s friends . ‘ ! — Oh , madame do you mean can you mean ? M E RS A C MADEMOISELLE DE . 26 3

What ? That I shou ld be sorry if you were w ’ ? ’ ’ to meet ith Bayard s fate I don t say no . Léon was seated a bare thr ee inches above the

of r ormd level the g , his long legs gathered up t him uncomfor ably before , and his nose resting

n or on his knees , It was neither an easy a

l to gracefu attitude , and it occurred to him change it .

Tr . e A moment later , the unsuspecting M de l monvil e , hurrying into the room in search of

to — some papers , was privileged behold through

— a ff his spectacles highly e ective tableau . His

if - was di w e , seated upon a music stool , hol ng a lace - bordered pocket- handkerchief to her eyes

v with her left hand , while her right was passi ely receiving the ardent kisses Of an exceedingly handsome young man who knelt before her .

’ Cr é n omde n om ejaculated the astounded

of husband , forgetful acquired good breeding , and

S falling back , in his surprise , upon the imple f expletives o his youth .

his Léon scrambled to feet , looking very

to sheepish , and , truth tell , wishing most devoutly in his heart that he had never come to th e villa at all ; and Madame de Tr émon v ille bur st into a f peal o uncontrollable laughter . The situation . E R A C 264 MADEMOISELLE DE M S .

was on e , perhaps , not so entirely novel a to her

as to c ause her any special embarrassment . w The more she laughed , the blacker gre the h countenances of the two men , bot of whom

might , indeed , be excused for failing to appreciate

the joke . When you have quite conquered your merri

’ Tr émon v ille ment , madame , said M . de in a tone

u o f of suppressed f ry , y u will perhaps of er me

f A S M some explanation o your conduct . for on sieur le Marquis I am ready to give you an y satisfaction you

’ may demand , monsieur , said poor Léon , dole fully

’ Tr émon v ille s Madame de gaiety redoubled .

‘ ’ ’ ! sh e c r ic d ec stati A duel , clapping her hands

’ ! ! ! h ow cally . Charming perfect Ah , Baptiste many times have I n ot entreated you to take a f ew n lessons in fenci g, and to practise with a

n ow ? e pistol , every and then , in the garden Som thing has always told me t hat you were destined

ff n ow ou se e to have an a air, and y that I was

D ’ uelling is contrary to my principles , replied

Tr m ll . é on vi e M de , who had turned a trifle pale ; also I d ecline to risk my life for the sake of one

D M E R S A C 26 6 MA EMOISELLE DE .

ted— c ep your excuses . You have spoilt a pretty — little piece of acting ; but we forgive you and ’ Will detain you no longer . And, as the door

wa closed upon the mystified husband , she gave y to another outburst of mirth . What a ridiculous incident she exclaimed “

, It has killed roman ce for the remainder of the W evening , that is certain . ith the best will in the world I could not begin again where I left

we n of f. What shall do ow to amuse ourselves ?

or we Shall I sing to you , shall have a game of écarté ? Or would you like to take a walk round the garden ? I am dying for a mouthful of fresh

’ air . But Léon replied gravely that he must resist all these temptations . He had promised to l return home within an hour , and had a ready

- considerably over stayed his time . In truth , the scene in which he had just taken par t had dis concerted him not a little . He was not sure e that he had been any l ss ridiculous than M . de

Tr émon v ille s , or even that he had been any le s laughed at . S Adieu , madame aid he , in melancholy accents ; and he contrived to infuse a tinge of reproach into his ton e . AD L M E R S AC 26 1 M EMOISE LE DE . 7

‘ ’ di . s A eu, monsieur she replied careles ly ,

ri executing a flou sh upon the piano . She never raised her eyes from the keys until

Léon had reached the door then she jumped up , l t . ran af er him , and aid her hand upon his arm

’

? . Can you leave me like that she cried . Have you nothin g more to say to me ?

ou Nothing that y would care to hear,

’ madame , answered Léon , hesitatingly.

‘ Wh o k ? nows But you are right , perhaps , to keep silence if you desire to be remembered . You will al ways live in my memory n ow as the most discreet young man I have ever met . Let me — on l y give you a little forecast of your fate it will — not take a minute and then you shall go in She took up a pack of cards which lay on the

n table as she spoke , and began rapidly deali g them ou t . — — A long j ourney danger honour and suc

’ ‘ ! n of cess , she muttered Ah there is the ki g

hi l of spades , w ch spoi s all . Ace hearts , that is — better a crisis but you will come ou t of it — safely two of diamonds— two of clubs The jewels on her plump white hands flashed as she deftly shifted the cards hither and thither ; the lines about h er mouth deepened an anxious 268 M ADEMOISELLE DE NER SAC . f u l- w rown gathered pon her wel po dered brow . Madame de Tr émon v ille had next to no con

- ff , o science and very little religion ; but as a set , h she had a r ic store of misdirected faith .

- ’ . e an Things might be wors for you , she n ou nc ed ou at length , quite seriously but y will

an d have troubles and dangers to pass through , it is well to be prepared against every emergency .

Take this , and wear it always round your neck ;

wh o it is an Arab amulet , which a General is dead now , gave me years ago . They say it is a protection against mortal wounds . For the rest, I will pray the blessed Virgin and your patron

S aint to watch over you . Now go ; I permit you

’ to kiss my hand .

The next minute she was back at the piano , and had resumed her ordinary light manner .

‘ ’ Beau chevalier , qui partez pour la guerre , S h e sang again

B u i t z u r eau chevalier, q par e po r la gue re , ’ Qu allez vou s faire S i loin de nou s ’ J en s r u i ss s r vai pleure , moi q me lai ai di e , Qu e mon sourire

E ta it si doux.

The refrain hung in Leon ’ s head long after

2 7 0 O S M E R SA C MADEM I ELLE DE .

ER CHAPT XXVI .

T H E L N N A S T E V E I G .

WIII L E L eon was spending his valuable time in

the edifying manner described in the last chapter , Jeanne was waiting for himon the verandah with ‘

such patience as she could command . Her long

’ day s Work was finished ; her back was aching with stooping over trunks and folding u p clothes ; her eyes were tired and heavy ; and to sit thus idly in the still night air would have been per d haps the most sensible thing she could have one, w ‘ if inaction were , hat it unfortunately is not ,

synonymous with rest . So lovely and quiet a night might have

u bro ght her peace , had she been in a mood

n susceptible to exter al influences . All the world a round her lay wrapped in a dreamy silence, b enhanced , rather than broken , y the snoring croak of the frogs in th e pool hard by the wind C 2 1 MADEMOIS ELLE DE M E R S A . 7

fitf u l had dropped to a breeze , which , every now

to and again , wafted faint aromatic odours her from the dewy shrubs ; the luminous southern w stars looked calmly . do n upon her from their immeasurable height

A s a little thi n g beholdin g his f M an long career un olding . But Jeanne had no ears just then for the

of soothing voices Nature , nor could she derive any of the comfort which some people profess to feel from a philosophic contemplation of her own

in si n ifi n e c a c . g On the contrary , her mind was so fil led and harassed with thoughts of herself and o f to — those dearest her with doubts , and fears ,

s — and anxietie that she could hardly have said,

ff r without an e ort , whether the night were star y

or clouded .

is How, indeed , could it have been otherw e

S h e a with her , seeing that had re ched , and knew she

ea ri s had r ched , the term of a pe od in her exi tence , the end of a long stage in her jour ney thr ou gh

the world , the last words of the first chapter of her life ? Soon she must turn over the leaf ; and who could tell what the next page might reveal ?

tal r e of . A dismal . anxiety an d disappointment very

i b -b r l kely, or, worse still the brief, lack o dered 2 2 M E R S A C 7 MADEMOISELLE DE .

“ “r ecord of a misfortune too terrible to be named

in as yet , even thought . Jeanne shuddered , and turned resolutely away from the mental picture ‘ which rose before her . What is the use of tormenting oneself a bout troubles which do not exist ? The present is bad enou gh ; I will not

’ think any more about the future , she deter

n b . h mined , very se si ly Immediately after whic h s e went back to her gloomy forecasts . The mind is like a ship ; it must be under way before it c an be steered into this or that l channel . Let it lie idle , and it wi l drift hither and thither , at the mercy of any chance current ,

' n n h a . ea e w o was and refuse to nswer the helm J ,

of out of health out spirits , and very tired , had lost all self- control for the time ; and what with

n the horrors conj ured up by her imaginatio , what with the irritability which prolonged waitin g f or

wa n anybody or anything al ys engenders , had soo fretted herself into a condition of n ervousness in which all conceivable calamities seemed probable , and good fortune a thing past hoping for .

wa s When at last Léon arrived , he startled

’ and shocked by the glimpse of his sister s face which he caught as he stepped out on to the v erandah it looked so sad and wan and drawn .

M M R A 274 MADE OISELLE DE E S C .

her face on his shoulder , and sobbed like any child .

’ n Love me a little , Léo , she murmured ; you

’ are all I have in the world .

e ! w ! Jeanne , Jeann you kno I love you Something has come b etween us lately ; it h as been all my fault , I know . It has been ever

S ince that accursed night when I lost the money . I fancied you despised ‘ me—you would have been

n ! quite right if you had , Heave knows And then Saint-Luc

’ n a ‘ No, interrupted Jea ne , h stily if anybody

n has been to blame , it is I . I have bee unhappy m and anxious , and that has often made ymanner disagreeable , though indeed I have never wished

‘

. We it to be so . Let us forget what has passed

we ? we are good friends now, are not and will never be anything else again . I am sorry I should have treated you to a scene on your last ’ n night, dear, she added , straighte ing herself in

ch aIr . her , and drying her eyes I think it must be the heat that makes me so silly , and takes

a away all my cour ge and strength . Now sit

' w a ar m—ch air th at do n in th t is waiting for you ,

n d th e a tell me news from the farm . Have you

e s e sold all the colts , and is Pi rre as di satisfi d as MADEMOISELLE DE M E R S A C . 27 5 usual with the price you have got f or them ? W hat bargains he will drive for us , and what a bad name we shall get in the country while we are away ! Jeanne was always a little shy after having e displayed emotion , even b fore her brother ; and

‘ wh o Léon , understood her, accepted the change f o subject . I have disposed of nearly everything that h as

’ to a l four legs st nd upon , he answered cheerfu ly , and I have told Pierre he must get rid of the I ' cripples upon the best terms he can obtain .

’ don t choose to leave my farm ready stocked f or

’ the Arabs to plunder .

‘ Do you think there wil l be an insurrection then ? ’

I hope there will n ot but on e never can tell . Wh t at is cer ain is that , if the Arabs do rise now , or i r u a short time hence , they w ll ove r n the whole

f or we n o province , have troops to send against them . I mean to h ave everything valuable sent away even from this house as soon as you are dl i gone , though I har y think they w ll get as near

’ a the town s this . W hat are you going to do with the ponies ,

’ n L eo ? I wish you would sell them . E M R A 27 6 MADEMOIS LLE DE E S C .

- ou The ponies I bought from Saint Luc , do y mean ? I was thinking of sending themto stables

’ m Algiers .

’ Don t do that ; what is the use of going to ’ such an expense ? I should be so glad if you f ’ would get rid o them . ‘ W ell , you see , it is not a very good time

’ f or selling ponies , said Léon stroking his chin

thoughtfully . The Government is buying up

of an d every sort and kind horse , sound unsound , bu t they have a certain standard of size u n f or tu l n ate . y, and nobody else has any money to spend And then ther e is that scrape on the shoulder ’i ’ that Ca d got the day you let him down . w ’ I did not let him do n , interrupted Jeanne ,

‘ indignantly . I never let a horse down in my

’ life . ‘ W ca me . ell , the day he down It has not done him a n atom of harm ; still purchasers will

n h l look at these thi gs . W y do you want to sel the ponies

Oh , it does not much matter . But you know

’ I never liked driving them.

’ ‘ Jeanne , said Léon , suddenly, if I ask you a

ou ? question , will y answer me truly ’ Yes .

8 OI E D E M ER S A C 27 MADEM SELL .

’ v ieille , and the Cure , and one or two other relics of antiquity but when it comes to you n g men

ff a ! a ah , that is another a ir I declare th t I cannot call to mind a single one whom you have not d positively deteste , except Mr . Barrington and I believe you only made friends with him because he was an Englishman . You are not like other girls , you dear old Jeanne ; you will never be in h ’ love wit anybody .

- I do not love M . de Saint Luc , and he knows

’

. n o it, said Jeanne He has right to complain of

’ me .

’ ’ I don t know , said Léon , musingly . It seems a little strange that you should never have written him a line , nor even sent him a message ,

h as : after all he been through . Not that he does complain , only I fancy he is rather hurt about

’ it . w If I had kno n that he expected me to write ,

’ n in I would have writte , answered Jeanne,

d ff . c an or i erently I easily send him a line two ,

a from time to time , in future , though I h rdly

w e know wh at I am to say to him . No w will waste no more of our last evening in discussing

’ the subj ect . ’ n to But , Jean e , persisted Léon , I want know M E R S A C 2 9 MADEMOISELLE DE . 7

on e — ou of own r - thing do y really, your f ee will wish to marry Saint- Luc ? I don ’ t know exactly what you mean by my own free - will ; nobody forces me into marrying him ! ou a . know how the eng gement came

w e about ; everybody ished it , and it seem d de

’ on e sirable in more ways than .

‘ ’ u i L eon ‘ Yes , acq esced , with a sigh it seemed desirable , but there have been changes D since then . o you know , Jeanne , I am afraid you wou l d never have consented to the arran ge m ’ ent if I had not lost that money .

Jeanne remained silent . ‘ What a selfish wretch I have been ! ’ ex

u of claimed the young man , with a gen ine access

n ot penitence . Happily the mischief is irre

ou r D parable . Now that poor uchess has been taken from us , there is no longer any need for w ll our keeping this house, and before I leave , I i write instructions t o have the whole of my pro

in n ot perty Algeri a S old . The moment is very propitious ; but no matter ! I shall always realise

to S - ff enough pay aint Luc , and keep a su icient

a al amount of c pit to live upon ; and perhaps ,

war ma a when the is over , we y come b ck to

ri a a s Af ca and make a fresh st rt . In any c e 2 0 M E R S AC 8 MADEMOISELLE DE .

n my good , kind Jean e , you are free ; and the interest of your own fortune will morethan meet m a . your expenses , wherever you y be I will

’ - explain everything to Saint Luc when I see him .

c her r J anne rose slowly from chai , and , bend

in on g over her brother , kissed him the forehead .

n Then she took both his hands , and , drawi g back

a little , surveyed him , with a proud , happy light h s ining through her moist eyes , while he, on his

r e o1c1n I n his side , smiled back at her , j g heart that he was able once more to look his sister ff " in the face without an e ort .

’ u n Do yo forgive me ? he asked at le gth . Forgive you ! It is I wh o ought to ask f or

ou forgiveness . I have been wronging y all this — L eon . n ot time , I have thought but it does matter what I have thought ; I know now that you

own n h are still my generous , foolish Léo , and t at you are ready to ruin you rself rather than let me

of run any risk unhappiness . If our dear father f ’ a o . were alive , he would not be shamed his son There is every reason to su ppose that these flattering words found a ready echo in the breast f o the person to whom they were addressed . Léon was always prone to estimate himself at the value

' set upon him by others , and although he had just

M E R S A 282 MADEMOISELLE DE C.

might be diff erent ; but that is out of ! the ques tion . Some day you yourself will marry , and then what is to become of me ?

D ou u o y s ppose that I will . ever let you have any other home than mine ? I promise you that my

‘ she be wife , whoever may prove to , will be made to understand , from the first, that her entrance into the family is to make no diff erence in your f position . But the act is that I shall certainly not marry for a great many years , and perhaps never .

’ m n The women of our ti e , conti ued Léon , with

e the solemnity of a man of varied experienc s ,

are not to my taste They are artificial , hypo d critical , worldly , and heartless (you will understan — that I do not speak of you you are exceptional), h and honest men are no matc for them . They conceal their private lives by means of a pre tence of religious fervour j ust as they cover their f aces with white and red paint ; and who is to h r tell what is beneat either I, unfo tunately , very easily deceived ; and f or that reason I am resolved never to marry a pretty or fashion able

o lady . N ; my wife , if ever I have one, will be a

wh o plain , sensible person , not very young , will accept her position quietly , and not disturb you

' in . the least But upon the whole, I think I

a . would rather live and die bachelor After all , A S M ER S A C 28 M DEMOI ELLE DE . 3

there is barely one woman in a hundred whom

’ one can trust. Without inquiring into the cause of this sweep

of ing condemnation her sex , Jeanne expressed a i conviction that time would mod fy it . In the course of a f ew years you will undoubtedly meet

’ w of the one oman out a hundred , she said ; and though I know you would always make me wel

to h come , still I should not like be t ird in the

s - hou ehold, and upon your wedding day I S hou l d find myself oblig ed to choose between two alter

n s — ar ative m riage and the convent . Probably I

f or am better fitted the former , and therefore I ought to be very glad that I have the chance of

i - taking M . de Sa nt Luc , who has proved that he

l sl is rea ly fond of me , and whom I do not di ike

’ indeed , I sometimes almost like him .

’ s e It is no use , Jeanne , an wer d Léon . You say al l this because you wish me to keep my money ; but I have made up my mind that , l having lost, I wi l pay ; and you need not give

to yourself the trouble argue the point any more ,

’ n ou ou for I war y beforehand that y will fail . w It ill scarcely , however, surprise the reader

t of di to learn that , af er another half hour scus

as sion , he had so far yielded to promise that he would neither issue immediate ins tructions for O D E NE R 284 MADEM ISELLE SAC .

sale t the of his proper y, nor take any steps

’ off r towards breaking his siste s engagement .

on a Jeanne , her side , greed to leave the question of her marriage open f or the present . There was a kind of tacit understanding between the two young people that nothing definite was to be f settled until after the conclusion o peace . Very h likely both of them felt, thoug neither may have actually faced the thought , that it was needless to form plans which powder and shot might dispose of at any moment . So they settled it between themin the star

m v light, and were contented with the sel es and

n with one another . It may have bee observed

n that , in the unselfish contest, the i terests and

- wishes of M . de Saint Luc had not received much

’ s attention ; but he , like the poet in Schiller s ong , had been g u ilty of the unpardonable fault of ab s m ence at the critical oment , and could not t o . therefore , expect be remembered To be sure ,

’ the poet s consolation of subs tituting heavenly for O e arthly joys remained pen to him .

E ND O F THE N SECO D VOLUME .