L'Abbe Constantin -- Complete

Jean Reynaud. He was the son of a country do

the grandfather of Jean was residing in a pleasant cottage on the road to

ion, and had decided to fix his abode in Paris and tempt fortune there, and everything seemed to promise him the most prosperous and brilliant career, when, in 1852, he received the news of his father's death-he

said his mothe

. Do you think that I would leave you

ed? I could never do it, my child, never! Go alone; your life, your future, are there. I kno

e answered; "I

he s

e duty of not abandoning his aged mother. In duty, simply accepted and simply disch

had left it. He devoted himself without regret to the obscure career of a country doctor. His father had left him a little land and a littl

his onl

married her. This was in 1855, and the following year brought to Dr. Reynaud a gre

yers for the dead over the grave of the grandmother, and was pre

d the doctor had been strongly attracted to each other. They instinctively felt that they bel

industrious. He made so much progress that the two professors-particularly the Cure-found themselves at the end of a few years rather cast into the shade by their pupil. It was at this moment that the Countess, after the deat

gard for Dr. Reynaud, and one day

. Paul's tutor is a very accomplished man; he will make the children work toget

e little nobleman a most excellent example of industry and

ed in the great square of the town; their chaplain was the Abbe Constantin, their surgeon-major, Dr.

val, and which passed before the doctor's house. Madame Reynaud and Jean we

oo, papa! t

r held them both in a long emb

. The doctor turned, cast one long look at his wife

e Prussians, who had barricaded themselves. The firing began. A mobile who marched in the front

ward!" shoute

f their comrade, and under a h

h the troops; they stopped by the wounded man;

e," said the doctor. "He is

the air with both hands, and fell all at once to the ground. The priest ran to him; he was dead-killed on the spot by a bullet throug

m the church, walked an orphan. Jean had also lost his mother. At the news of her husband's death, Madame Reynaud had remained for t

tury all had been good and honest, there remained only a child kneeling beside a grave; but he, t

ry is in many respects calumniated by certain novelists, who draw exaggerated and distorted pictures of

l the Abbe Constantin took him home to the vicarage. The day had been rainy and cold. Jean was sitting by the

t a word, when Jean,

my father leav

at the old priest, stupefied, could s

if your

father left m

st have lef

en heard people say that my father was ri

n't know.

on at such a moment! Yet he thought he knew the boy's heart,

ntinued Jean, gently. "I will expla

r father had 200,00

s that

is a gr

is all

t is al

f a poor woman in Longueval-old Clemence, you know; and they killed, too, the brother of Rosalie, with whom I used to play when I

rms. The white head rested on the fair one. Two large tears escaped from the eyes of t

father's heir, he had not the right of disposing of his heritage as he

doubt, go

ardian. They will, I think, choose Monsieur Lenient, the lawyer in Souvigny, who was

ouchingly that the lawyer consented to deduct from the income a sum of 2,400 francs, whi

ame de Lavardens was perfect.

u. I cannot imagine any greater good fortune for my son than to have Jean for a companion. I must resign myself to leaving Lavardens for a time. Paul is bent upon being a soldier and going up to Saint-Cyr. It is on

him, and his heart was torn at the thought of this separation, but what was for the child's rea

"will you come and live with Paul and me fo

me, but I should have li

Cure, who turne

ntinued. "Why must you

es necessary to complete your studies. Paul will prepare for hi

ame. I wish t

ence, he has often spoken of your future, your career. You were to be a doctor, and, like him, doctor

ber, I r

at; you are your father's true son. You will be an honest and laborious man. One can not well be the one without the other. And some day, in your father's house, in the place where he has done so much good, the poor people of the country round will find another Doctor Reynaud, to whom th

s me, and hears me, I am certain that he unders

is ac

without any need of reflection, I said to myself that I would be a soldier, an

od of passionate tears. The Countess and

hey said; "anything that y

e it to time; Jean is only a c

Lavardens was rejected at Saint-Cyr, and Jean Reynaud passed eleventh at the Ecole Polytechnique. Th

nd not the civil service; however, if I keep my place in the school, t

pass-list showed his name seventh, but instead of entering 'l'Ecole des Po

his fortune, and the first act of the new administra

cs each. That cost him 70,000 francs, almost the sum that Paul de Lavardens, in his first

ght of choosing among the vacant places. There was one in the regiment quartered at Souv

ound himself once more in the place where his childhood had passed, and where every one had kept green the memory of the life and death of his father; thus the Abbe Consta

tremble under the rumbling cannon, he would stop, and, like a child, amuse himself with seeing the regiment pass, but to him the regi

his head toward the Cure, for he knew very well there was always a piece of sugar for him in the pocket of that old black soutane-rusty and wo

for to the old people of Longueval he was still little Jean. Certain wrinkled, broken-down, old peasants had nev

ed parchment skin of Clemence, and at another the smiling countenance of Rosalie. The latter had married during the

horse before the door of the vicarage of Longueval. He entered the gate, the horse obediently followed, and went by himsel

g, Pauline.

uld you like to know what you are going to have

all enjoy everything, fo

tly. Dinner will be at half-past six exactly, for at half-past

s my god

den. He is very sad on accoun

know,

ys so happy when you are here. Take care; Loulou i

ay by the wood, an

e shed, rubbed him down with a great handful of straw, after which he entered the house, relieved himself of his sword a

enerally slept so easily, so quietly, the sound sleep of a child. His soul was

t Paul had said t

ey, plenty of mone

hat she has red hair! I will certainly go for the sake of my poor-I will go-and she will give me the money, but she will give me nothing but money; the Marquise gave me something else-her life and her heart. Every week

d an immense earthenware salad-dish, on which blo

going to cut the salad. Jean, w

y. "It is a long time sin

ve some to-night. S

an bent down to receive the leaves in t

ard the jangling and creaking of its wheels. The Cure's little garden was only separ

es, and driven by an old coachman in a blouse. Beside this old coachman was seated a tall footman in livery, of the most severe an

he gate the coachman stopped his

aid he, "these ladies

ing toward

ieur le Cure

rested, not without astonishment, on the young officer, who stood there, a little embarrassed,

ut twenty-five-addressing the Abbe Constantin, said to him, w

I hope that I do not disturb you, and that you can spare me five minutes." Then, pointing to her travelling companion, "Miss Bettina Percival, my sist

l get

red to go for the two litt

allo

much trouble. The servant will give t

ily danced the light of the sun. She bowed to Jean with a pretty little smile, and he, having returned to Pauline the salad dish full of endive, went to