L'Abbe Constantin -- Complete

together up to the house. During the last month a perfect army of workmen had tak

ss, had wormed themselves into the castle, and the account they gave of the interior turned every one's head. The old furniture had disappeared, banished to the attics; one moved among a perfect accumulati

t, a rich and amiable prelate, who entertained rather largely. The Cure, till now, had, thought that there was not

l, that the luxury of the great houses of the present day must surpass to a si

had entered the avenue in the

f at home as I used to do: it will be too grand. I shall not find again my old brown velvet easy-chair, in which I so often fell asleep after dinner, and if I fall asleep this eve

certainly, I

e same as he had seen them in the little dining-room at the vicarage? Perhaps, instead of those two women, so perfectly simple and familiar, amusing themselves with this little improvised dinner, and who, the very first day, had treated him wit

y been a vast, frigid apartment, with bare stone walls. These walls were now covered with admirable tapestry, representing mythological subjects. The Cure dar

ere that one had generally found the old Marquise, on the right of the h

ced by a marvellous specimen of tapestry of the end of the last century. Then a crowd of little easy-chairs, and ottomans

Cure and Jean enter, she rose,

d you, too, Monsieur Jean. How pleased I am to

again. It was

cott, "to introduce my children t

a very charming little girl, five years old. They had

en, Harry, who was looking with admirati

, mamma, must we

ed Mrs. Scott, "and

ere installed upon Jean's knees, a

u an of

am an

at

e arti

who fire the cannon. Oh, how I should like

ay when they fire the ca

, but the muslin disappeared under a complete avalanche of little flounces of Valenciennes. The dress was cut out in front in a large square, her arms

t the children had taken entire p

our pardon.

et them sta

ting for dinner; my sister is

elicate mass of lace, the same red roses, the same grace, t

delighted to see you. Have you pardoned

ard Jean and offe

can not remember your name, and yet we s

Reyn

u faithfully that when we really are old friends-that is to say, in a

Bettina appeared Jea

tt is the

ip into his arm, and when she turned

ival is th

sisters. If he looked to the right, love threatened him from that direction, and

as their passion, their madness. It was also Jean's passion, so that after a quarter of an hour they begged him to join them the next day. There was no one who knew the country round bet

every day?" a

the morning on duty, and in the eve

in the

lf-pas

st five eve

xcept S

you ge

lf-pas

s it l

now, broad

e often finish our day just when yours is be

o have one's life plain before on

"not to be one's own master-

othing easier than to obey, and then to learn t

u say so, it

does not tell you that he is the most dis

ray do

n, was about to launch into a panegyric on

tell us, we have been so indiscreet as to make inquiries about Monsieur-oh, I was just going

us to know,

hing. I do not wish to make you blush

u, too, Monsieur l'Abbe, we have had some i

it is perfectly t

ch he had only ventured with a trembling hand. He was afraid of seeing the whole crumble beneath his touch; the trembling castles of jelly, the pyramids of truffles, the fortresses of cream, the bastions of pastry, the rocks of ice. Otherwise the Abbe Cons

the old village clock striking nine. Woods and fields were slumbering; the avenues in the park showed

igars from the table. "

iss Per

t be helped. I have said it. Take

voice, while offering

your guardian, came to see my sister in Paris, about the payment for the place; he told us what you did after your father's death, whe

ith so much pleasure. We should not have given such a reception to every on

in her two hands, her eyes fixed frankly on the countenance of Jean. At the mo

hat I see before

s sit here and enjoy this deliciou

e country, after the great noise and bustle of Paris, is delightful! Let us

r existence of yesterday, already felt a tenderness for the place which had just received them, and was going to keep them. Jean wa

of all was the

quisite joy, the Abbe bore his godson such affection. The most tender father never loved more warmly

kind; I am a priest

zy and confused, reverie became drowsiness, drowsiness became slumber, the disaster was soon complete, irreparable; the Cure slept, an

ced in front of their great wicker garden-chairs filled with cushions; then they had thrown themselves lazily back in their chairs, and their muslin skirts had become raised a little, a very little, bu

re the s

his problem, Bettina, all at o

Jean! Mons

Perc

e Cure, he

is my

asked Mrs. Scott,

prevent his falling asleep; when Madame de Longueval was here he very often had a nap afte

" said Bettina, "do not mak

Percival, but the air is

catch cold. Stay, I will g

o try and wake him skilfully, so that he shou

ng together, very softly at first, then we will

but what sha

chose d'enfantin,' th

Bettina be

ut two lit

little fe

in that profound silence. The Abbe heard nothing, did not m

my godfather may

ecame cleare

sleep to

with you

Abbe did

id Susie, "it is a

; louder, Su

gave free scope to th

ot, though a

o wake ere

hed again. Evidently no one had noticed that he had been asleep. He

little gate of the park, which opened into the village a few yards from the vi

hen we arrived, we met on the way a slight young man, with a fair m

ready had the honor of being introduced to you, but rat

g him one of these da

t you, it is very extraordinary, and I don't quite know how it has happened, you don't seem anybody to us. The compliment is perhap

u are, Mis

fortunate as to make myself understood

ercival returned slow

ina, "scold me well, I expe

d you

sure, that I have been too f

t young man has made the most favorable impressio

o he d

ld be well for us both to t

ed! Well! this is the first, positively the first, in whose eyes I have not clearly read, 'Oh, how glad I should be to marry the millions of that

see and kiss her

, leaning on the balu

e, "that I am going to be

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