Samuel Brohl and Company

it might be to bear our misfortunes patiently, there was no law forbidding us to assuage them; that it was quite permissible to prefer to complete follies those of a modified character, and t

e best correctives of a dangerous marriage that cannot be prevented." His notary, M. Noirot, in whom he reposed entire confidence, was a

, to accede to his desires. She was too thoroughly pleased with his resignation not to be willing to reward him for it with a little complaisancy;

ppearances; do not let us appear to be in a hurry, or to have something to hide; let us act with due deliberation. Just at present no one is in Paris; let us give our friends time to return there. We will present Count Larinski to them. Great ha

ion would be mingled with cheerfuln

expect me to be in

have taken your part bravely, and that

ar it

ur weakness," she replied, and she

have time to recover from it; but he secretly promised himself to devise some artifice for abridging delays, for hastening the denoument. He was apprehensive of accidents, unforeseen occurrences, squalls, storms, tornadoes, sudden blights, in short everything that might damage or destroy a harvest; he impatiently longed to gather in his, and to have it carefully stowed away in his granary. In the interim he wrote to his old frien

to repose in his lap. In retaliation, the great, tawny spaniel belonging to Mlle. Moriaz treated the newcomer with the utmost severity and was continually looking askance at him; when Samuel attempted a caress, he would growl ominously and show his teeth, which called forth numerous stern corrections from his mistress. Dogs are born gendarmes or police agents; they have marvellous powers of divination and instinctive hatred of people whose social status is not orthodox, whose credentials are irregular, or who have borrowed the credentials of others. As to Mlle. Moiseney, who had not

hat his eyes took an inventory of her furniture? If he had forgotten himself at Maisons, he never forgot himself at Cormeilles. What cared he for the sordid affairs of the sublunary sphere? He floated in ether; heaven had opened to him its portals; the blessed are too absorbed in their ecstasy to pay heed to details or to take an inventory of paradise. Nevertheless, Samuel's ecstasies did not prevent him from embracing every opportunity to render himself useful or agreeable to M. Moriaz. He frequently asked permission to accompany him into his la

d, did not prevent his being a true count; in the course of his travels he had met specimens of them who cheated at cards and pocketed affronts. Mme. de Lorcy, in return, accused him of being a simpleton. She had written again to Vienna, in hopes of obtaining some further intelligence; she had been able to learn nothing satisfactory. She did not lose courage; she well kne

ave dropped some word that has wounded her. I shall be greatly obli

ion," she rejoined, "but I can refuse you

ainter, recently deceased, had attracted thither a great throng of people. Mme. de Lorcy moved to and fro, when suddenly she descried a little old woman, sixty years of age, with a snub nose

s, during the season of the baths, that she had made the acquaintance of the princess; she did not care to renew it. This haughty, capricious Rus

the entire continent of Europe, united by the mail-bags. The princess did not bear a very irreproachable record. She looked upon morality as pure matter of conventionality, and she made no secret of her thoughts. She was always on the alert for new discoveries, fresh experiences; she never waited to read a book to the end before flinging it into the waste-paper basket, most frequently the first chapter sufficed; she had met with many disappointments, she had wearied of many caprices, and she had arrived at the conclusion that man is, after all, of but small account. Nevertheless, there had come to her late in life a comparatively lasting caprice; during nearly five years she had flattered herself that she had found what she soug

wed her most amiable attentions upon her. Mme. de Lorcy had done her best to respond to her advances; but she found herself revolted by this old magpie whose prattling never ceased, and whose chief delight was in the recital of the secret chronicles of every capital of Europe; Mme. de Lorcy, in fact, soon grew disgusted with her cosmopolitan g

real home is a railroad-car; there is not a large city where she has failed to make a sojou

d, succeeded in approaching the princess, and, taking her by t

en her thumb and forefinger she rejoined with as little ceremony as though they had met the d

t have mourn

ill inco

h a shorter nose or whiter and more delicate hair. I am a great utilitarian, as you know. I only care for large dogs that are of some use.

g Paris in passing; that her hours were numbered; and two minutes later she announ

t of all with the lapdog, which was found charming and quite worthy to succeed to Moufflard I. Mme. de Lorcy watched all the

re a true cosmopolitan, have you ever heard of a myste

ear, although his name may no

t have encountered him somewhere; you hav

cial point of view Siberia scarcely can be called so, and it is the

t, unfortunately, he took the precaution to emigrate to America. The inconvenience of America is,

the princess pinching the ears of th

proposed to marry her to my nephew, M. Langis, a most highly accomplished young man. This

ty! Is he

ell the truth, i

ray eyes twinkled as she spoke. "There is nothing certa

ay as well confide to you my whole perplexity: I suspect Count Larinski of being neither a true Larinski nor

however; they are one of the most curious varieties of the human family. Let your goddaughter marry

an adventurer. I detest this Larinski, and I have

ted, my dear. What

e of the cats

led, and she cried: "An adventurer with green eyes! Wh

incomparable penetration, your experienced eye; that you would aid me in unmasking this Pole, in detecting in him some irremediable

n skilled in deception. I have found it the wisest way to judge by the labels, and never to ask any one to show me the contents of his sack, for I long ago discovered that sacks are very apt to be empty or at best only poorly filled. Let your goddaughter act according to her own head; if she deceives herself, it is because she wishes to be deceived, and she knows better than you what suits her. Eh! bon Dieu, what matters it if there be one more unhappy household

ully kept the promise she had made to her father. Mme. de Lorcy was strictly on her guard; she hastened to meet her, held out both hands, kissed her on both cheeks, and reproached her, in the most a

n who had played a certain role in a certain adventure that she undertook to narrate. She had scarcely finished this recital when she entered on another. Mme. de Lorcy was on thorns. She knew by experience that the anecdotes of Princess Gulof were ordinarily somewhat indelicate and ill-suited to maiden ears. She watched Antoinette anxiously, and, when she saw the approach of an espe

his, that, and the other, etc." Princess Gulof struck her as a very eccentric and unpleasantly brusque person; she even suspected her of being slightly deranged or at least rather crack-brai

antly multiplied the et ceteras, Princess Gulof suddenly turned the conversation to physiology: this science, whose depths she believed herself to have fathomed, was, in her estimation, the secret of everything, the Alpha and Omega of human life. She exposed certain materialistic views, making use of

n allowed his animal full liberty to take his own course. This young man trembled when a clear, soprano voic

, drew down his hat over his e

old woman there who says horrid things." Then Mlle. Moriaz ad

d alighted from her coupe, he had sprung from his sadd

and heart-broken to learn that Mlle. Moriaz was absent. Man is a strange combination of contradictions, especially a man who is in love. In the same way he had bestowed both blessings and imprecations upon Heaven for permitting him to meet Antoinette. During some moments he had lost countenance, but had

opped a remark that pained me, but I am plea

nd I smite myself upon the breast therefor

ad known, I would have appeased him by saying: 'Pardon th

uriosity to me. I know we should endeavour to conquer our prejudices; every country has its customs,

you with Count Larinski; stay and dine with us-he will be here very

is invitation; Antoinette insisted: he ended by bowing

"I do not wish M. Larinski any harm, and yet you must admit that I would have the right to detest him cordiall

eyes; "but I ought to avow to you that this fancy of yours

as forty-eight hours into the depths of despair-I mean one of those genuine

forty-eight hours

long time before asking your hand, because I thought, 'If she refuses m

n do you mea

Moriaz, being unable to win her, could not care for another woman. N

nder one from eating, drink

yes wander idly around for a moment, he added: "It seems to me that you have in some way changed the order of this t

u what I pleased. You revolted sometimes, but in his heart the slave adored his chains. Open your eyes. See! here is the sycamore you climbed one day to escape me when I wanted you to make beli

e rejoined. "When I was down in Transylvania I made

e your

well know; but I will consent to recite it to you.

oice, not daring to look her in

s not tell the truth, for here we are sitting togeth

e best woman's heart there was not a foundation of cruelty, of unconscious ferocity. He felt the tears start to his eyes; he scarcely could restrain them; he abruptly bowed his head, and began to examine a beautiful

mely ridiculous to you. This little playmate of old, this foolish little Camille,

ect to self-deceptions regarding their sentiments. Friendship and love, however, are two entirely different things! I once said to Mlle. Mois

d my role very modest, very insignificant. Open

lity of the very happiest married woman needing some advice or assistance that she could not ask of her husband

of embarrassment, I would run, if nec

ight hand, which

i appeared from the walk bordering the house. Antoinette hastened to meet him, and led h

need to present you to each oth

ved a total failure. Fortunately for all parties, M. Moriaz shortly made his appearance at the end of the terrace

intention of rema

just arrived,

ll send him

sked him to dinner, in order to give you an oppor

able intentions, but M. L

e you aga

y's, and he always has shown me a most du

from childhood up, and I have forewarned him tha

aid he, growing excited. "I should not wo

ding me, this youth, that two years ago he sought my hand, and he assu

ave, or the personage so dangerous. Tru

him; can

leave the place,"

was not yet acquainted, or rather it was Samuel Brohl who had just appeared to her-Samuel Brohl, who had entered upon the scene as suddenly as though he had emerged from a magic surprise-box. She could not remove her eyes from hi

ot always master o

d she; "and you will

"I should be cross, and

her entreaties with a po

e. "When shall I

the day after-

do you

of tears. Tenderly kissing her hand h

le that I may be wrong, but it seems to me that if I were a w

er eyes were humid, and then he left, charmed to ha

d M. Langis, the

Count Larinski to flight? If so,

"he came expressly to inform me

o find himself once more in company with his dear Camille; but he kept asking himself, mournfully, "Why is not he to be my son-in-law?" Antoinette had several attacks of abstraction; she did not, however

gis mounted his horse

the stars; the sky was without clouds, unless a little black speck above Mount-Valerien might be so called. Mlle. Moriaz's heart swelled wi