The Ink-Stain, Complete

il

k their ears at the sound of the first riding-parties. Off with you! Flowers line the pathways, the moors are pink with bloom, the undergrowth teems with darting wings. All the town troops out to see the country in its gala dress. The very poorest have a favorite nook, a recollection of the bygone year to be revived and renewed; a sheltered cor

summer days that smile to us in memory. He was in the mood for work, and hesi

country dotted with villas, to Montmartre blue in the distance-not these, but the forest. "Our forest," we call it; for we know all its young shoots, all its gi

t a depth of more than six feet you can distinguish the dead leaves at the bottom, the grass, the twigs, and here and there a stone's iridescent outline. They all lie asleep there, the waste of seasons gone by, soon to be covered by others in their turn. From time to time out of the depths of these submerged thickets an eft darts up. He comes circling up, quivering his yellowbanded tail, snatches a mouthful of air, and goes down again head

ed Lampron. "Keep sentry, Fabi

ows, waving like palms-meadowgrass, fescue, foxtail, brome-grass-each slender stalk crowned with a tuft. Others were budding, only half unfolded, amid the darker mass of spongy moss which gave them sustenance. Amid the numberless shafts thus raised toward heaven a thousand paths crisscrossed, each full of obstacles-chips of bark, juniper-berries, beech-nuts, tangled roots, hills raised by bur

swarm of gnats which hummed in a minor key around the sleeping Lampron, nothing

ear. I rose, and crept through the birc

g. At the distance they still were I could distinguish very little except that the man wore a frock-coat, and that the gi

iversite. She was looking before her with wide-open eyes. M. Charnot kept his eyes on his daughter, more interested in her than in all

you t

, n

my dear, we will sit down.

again, and laughed

ilight seemed to have closed down on me, an infinite sadness swelled in my

ntend me to play in all th

at p

tion to invite me to

place? I h

, perhaps, that you

tain

ery moment and the spot

That young lady is M

el

see there can be no question of trysting-places in this case. I was wondering at her appearance when you awoke. It is luck, or a friendly p

what fetche

ll,

t, t

n't k

I will tell you. You

and I took pleasure in contemplating it. Soon this phantom ceased to satisfy; I longed to see her in person. I sought her in the streets, the shops, the theatre. I still blinded myself, and pretended that I only wante

nd, not a doubt of it. I ha

those distant memories of his. A shadow rested on his strong face, but only for

erious,

very s

sed; she is a v

she l

riend; she is good. Wha

she is a

mething, t

t isn'

e rest, speak to her, declare your pas

Sylvestre, you

yls ought to be hurried on, either to a painless separation or an

not t

w s

m up, and see he

an to

my age! Well, well, it w

enue, and plunged

eft me behind. I saw him jumping over the heather, knocking off with his cane the young shoots on the oaks, or turning his head to look at me as I strugg

more careful; we are scaring the game. We should co

ignalling to me from behind

they

bent and his gold-knobbed cane stuck into the ground beside him, was reading out of a book which we could not see, while Jeanne, attentive, motionless, her face half turned toward hi

iness and grace and height I guess thee to be Artemis, daughter of high Zeus. If thou art a mortal dwelling upon earth, thrice blessed thy father and thy queenly mother, thrice blessed thy dear brothers! Surely their so

, and came forth from the shelter of a beech to get nearer to his model. In vain I made sign upon sign, and tried to remind him that we were not thereto paint or sketch. It was us

s sketch, Lampron shuffled his feet; a twig broke, some leaves rustle

with her? A little fright at first; then-when the idea of robbers is dismissed, and a second glance has shown her tha

exclamation; then her brows unbent, and the pleasure of finding herself admired, confusion at being taken unaw

vestre pulle

ot never

squirrel?

nk, father," she answ

t on r

call thee so since thou seemest not base nor fool

eat a retreat. I guessed it by the movement of her sunshade, which was nervously tracing figures in the turf. I

musical little cough

broke off h

e cold,

no, fa

say so before? Lord, Lord, these child

ick, glanced up a moment at the tree-tops. Then, side by side, they disappeared down the path,

atch the turning in the path

u thinking a

ard, where lurked

ay, at the time when we love it most, with a faint smile, and

urs to sketch them both

N

y n

called a sketch; i

, all th

te I have my reasons, like Balaam's ass. You will not see

with fool

urself; I

and I was rather cool with Lampr

to show me a sketch he had made befor

28th,

r your pockets; I care little, for I bear Jeanne's image in my heart

not tell. I hope without knowing what or

P.

walking fast with a portfolio under his arm. I went up to him. He looked annoyed

ood-by, then, since you don

ered a

ou like; I am going

ictu

ng of th

h I mustn't look at; to-day it's a picture. It is not

look of frien

tle chap!

usual clear,

would rather it were four days later; but as it

s to ask him questions. I gave myself up to meditati

. You can tell, from the simple seriousness of the man, his indifference to the noise and petty incidents of the streets, that he is a stout and noble soul

ler of those two there? T

alon two y

gun, yo

look

eft," sai

e framemaker's. The passage was dark, the walls were chipped by the innumerable removals of furniture they had witnessed. We went upstairs. On the fourth floor a s

newly-marri

e same little woman who came to Boule's office. Sh

pron, do you know M

ntly do, too,

im well; he won my

st the cabinet-maker.

n the worksh

e midst of his molders, gilders, burnishers, and framers-a little dark man wit

ng, M

ess, before she had tidied up her rooms. I could see it by her blushes

e room, into the obscure recesses of an alcove overcrowded with furniture. There she bent

looking up to me-"Monsieur Mou

er she drew one of the curtains aside. Under the blue muslin, between the pillow an

" she went on, and began

een talking to Plumet at

ame-maker; "we are up to our knees

o oblige me

Lampron; but if I made you a promis

as to have been hung with my two engravings. Poor Fabien!

Sylvestre opene

recogn

ctly like her; a forest nook; the parasol on the ground; the cane s

id you

t ni

want to e

he Sa

e to send in to the Salon. The

riguing all the morning. With a large picture I never should h

of offici

little sketch of underwoods not unlike this; one comes down, the other is hung instead-a little bit of jobbery

derstand; how on earth could she help it

d begged his forgiveness for

d and overcome by the pleasu

t with a professional eye. "This young man has even a greater interest than I in the matter. He is a suitor for

maker shoo

ng little voice, and Madame Plumet

d, that it was impossible; she declared it was not. He made a move for his wo

r marriage to Monsieur Mouillard; y

d. Still, a do

ready had his hand upon the door-handl

word to her: 'Mademoiselle Jeanne, your portrait is at the Salon.' If you kn

raid I

hen, and tr

e in little Madame Plumet, who certainly

s;

riend in the neighb

d name under the seal of secrecy;

rter's wife of advanced years, and quite safe; by means of her it might be possible to hint to Mademoiselle Jeanne that her p

pired when I did her that service. I never thought I shoul

ed. She snatc

Monsieur Mouillard, that she shall hear of it, and yo

unning, and at being employed in a conspiracy of love. In the street Lampron shook me by the hand. "Good-by, my friend," he said; "hap

elestial harmonies. I seemed to wear a halo. It abashed me somewhat; for there is something insolent in proclaimin

old palace where the senate sits, two little girls we

kissed her before the eyes of her astonished nurse, saying, "

y conversation with M. Legrand. He was standing

HOUSE; DRESSE

IN COLONIA

inctions. Well, to-day I called him "Dear Monsieur Legrand;" I addressed him, though I had nothing to buy; I asked af

, and looked down again at me, but re

oticed afterward that there w

r dinner, I passed a workman and his family in the

here goe

at is to say, the essence of youth freed from the parasitic growths of everyday life. I feel it roused and stirring. How

OK