L'Abbe Constantin -- Complete

d of May all the recruits in the army are sufficiently instructed to be capable of sharing in the general evolutions. Almost every day manoeuvres of the mounted artillery are ex

wed but scant attention on all

as one of those the solution of which is not given at the Ecole Polytechnique. Jean co

accustom them to the management of six field-pieces. It happened on this day that the command was intrusted to the hands of Jean. To the great surprise of the Captain, in whose estimation his Lieutenant

matter with you this morning? It is the fir

en anything at the butts at Souvigny but ca

ttery of the 9th Regiment of artillery, but the distinct images of two Americans with black eyes and golden hair; and, at t

tier is M

he officers gathered together and talked; Jean remained apart, alone with his recollections

e two sisters is Mrs. Scott;

r, very fascinating voice, still enchanted his ear. He was again in the church; she was there before him, bending over her prie-Dieu, her prett

s she only

direction, now drawn out in a long line, again collected into a compact group. All stopped at the same instant along the whole extent of the ground; the gunners sprang from their horses, ran to their pieces, detached each f

her floating hair. Monsieur Jean, she had called him, Monsieur Jean, and never had his name sounded so sweet. And that last pressure of the hand on t

ught Jean; "the prett

and intermingled in his recollection that they melted the one in the other, and became in some measure the image of one and the same person. Any parallel became impossible between them, thanks to this singular confusion of the two points of comparison. Mrs. Sco

een guilty of the folly of falling in love madly at first sight? No;

and he had read but few of them. But he was no angel; he could find plenty of attractions in the grisettes of Souvigny, and when they would allow him to tell them that they were charmin

there in perfect harmony. Paul had been so clever as to discover, in this little town of 15,000 souls, numbers of pretty girls, all made to be

cluded that these pleasures were not made for him. His tastes were simple, serious. He loved solitude, work, long walks, open space, horses, and books. He was rather savage-a son of the soil. He loved his village, and all the old f

fection of their costly surroundings, he would have looked at them from afar, with curiosity, as exquisite works

st of a circle with which he was familiar, and which had been, if only for this reason, singularly favorable to them. Simple, good, frank, cordial, such they had sho

an had not slept much, but he had not slept at all. He had risen very early, and with closed doors, alone with Pauline, he had counted and recounted his money, spreading out his

aid Pauline; "be economical. I think that i

ve one such day in my life, but one I will ha

, Monsieu

ousand

ousand

ures of America, and you talk about economy? Not to-day

way. All had a share-the poor who acknowledged their poverty and those

l-two American ladies, Mrs. Scott and Miss Perc

s brain. Everywhere were cries of joy and astonishment. All these louis-d'or fell, as if by a miracle, into the poor hands accustomed to receive little pieces of silver. The Curb

s arms at Sebastopol. He was growing gray-nay, white; for tim

ure, "I have twent

ked for anything; I don't want

! Seven hun

omething to buy you cigar

be's little speech about

woman whose son

is your son

mplain; he is very well; only he says there are no Kroomirs. Poor boy! I have be

him thirty fra

ieur le Cure, you gi

hat is

my

from whom it comes, and you must take car

he adjuration to remember them in their prayers. At six o'clock he ret

e cried, as soon as he saw

sual service for the month of Mary. But this time, the

editating which of these two frocks she would wear to the opera that evening. After long hesitation she fixed on the blue. At half-past nine the two sisters ascended the

ladies of the corps de ballet had not yet appeared, and these gentlemen, having no occupation, were amusing

in, "there she is, the

t," continued Martillet. "Look at her, at the line of her neck, t

, and tolerably well

r own, and the silver m

e millions, and he is very

ions! A pretty ha

Roman

will be a match; that

h Montessan, not with Romanelli.

d respectfully, religiously, for there is that peculiarity among a number of the habitues of the opera, that they chatter like magpies when

ore the great sphinxes under the green foliage of the palm-trees, the dancers advan

but Bettina had suddenly become thoughtful, on perceiving in a box, on the other si

be your wife,' and then all would be settled! I should be Princess! Princess Romanelli! Princess Bettina! Bettina Romanelli! The names go well together; they sound very pretty. Would it amuse me to be a princess? Yes-and no! Among all the young men in Paris, who, during the l

sk with a great book under the shade of his lamp, looked through, and took notes of, the campaigns of Turenne. He had been directed to

woman's portrait, which all at once appeared under his pen. What was she doing there, in the middle of Turenne's victories, this pretty little woman? And then who

strength of his soul, the blessings of Heaven on the two women through whose bounty he had passed such a sweet and ha