The Honor of the Name

ngth, shaded by a quadruple row of venerable elms,

stranger who beheld it could understand the naively vain proverb of the country: "He d

of a wooden bridge on leaving the village, and whose clea

changes. It is as if an enchanting panor

the breeze. Those imposing ruins on the other side of the river are all that remain of the feudal manor of the house of Br

an easily distinguish the spire

by M. Lacheneur after Chup

re for the beautie

g step, he dragged himself along like one of those poor soldiers, mortally wounded upon the

ll consciousness of previous events. He pursued his way,

y his side, addressed him; but an "Ah! let me alone!" uttered

, as often happens under such circumstances, the unfortuna

a poor ploughboy in the ser

beneath a tree at the hour of noonday rest, h

he would not refuse me." A hundred pistoles! A thousand francs!-an enormous sum for him who, in two years of toil and privat

He had read in Martha's

god-mother; and he thought, if he attacked her adroitly

orm of the revolutio

the Count d'Artois. They took refuge in foreign lands as a passer-by seeks shelte

he following year Mlle. Armande, w

district took possession of the keys in the name o

up his residenc

rgetic face, and an intelligence far above his station, it wa

acheneur was the t

ughout the district was immense, when it was ascertained that the former ploughb

carcely a twentieth part of its real value. The appraisement w

possessed it, since he had poured it in a flood of beautifu

cursed the capitalist. He discreetly left them to recover from their rage as best the

forget his past hopes at the mo

y to work out its own salvation without his assist

have felt certain that the man was bewild

o see him, would have supposed him a servant in co

nd his young wife in the cottage formerly occupied b

with the habit of pos

ry, the Empire succeeded the Consulate,

er, he left the cottage and t

assive plate, graven with their coat-of-arms; he received his visitors in the magnifi

e had adapted himself to his lofty station. Blushing at his own ignorance; he had fo

that his good fortune had become proverbial. That he took

m two lovely children

ty which the former owners had not possessed, yiel

have lost their heads! But he, M. Lacheneur,

ly to the improvement of his estate or to the purchase of more land. And yet, he was not avaricious. In all that concerned his wife or children, he did not count the cost. His son, Jean,

ordinate ambition for his children; but he

olly it is to count upon the future. Thirty years ago, who could have

but no one thought the better of him on that account. His fo

m without wishing his r

wife, the disasters of the year 1813 swept away a large portion of his

l himself for a time; and to cap the climax, the conduct of hi

he had thought himself th

acing him; a misfortune so terrible

Sairmeuse to this fatal Sunday in Augus

, blushing and trembling, he had laid those piles of l

dream

es and its miseries, its hopes and its fears, its unexpe

ncident, more powerful than the voice of his daughter, brought him back to the terrible re

eing unable to break the fastening, he

he gardener came runnin

th unwonted violence of manner. "By what right do yo

tried to make

M. Lacheneur. "I dismiss you;

crossed the court-yard-a court-yard worthy of the mansion, bor

nts sat awaiting him, for it was on Sunday that he alwa

d their hats deferentially. But he di

gely, "and what do you desire? They sent you to

and dismayed than the gardener had been, a

opened the door of the grand salon, and das

such a mood; and she trembled, her heart

me dire calamity, unfortunate men have suddenly lost their reaso

His eyes flashed, convulsive shudders shook his

st makes the circuit of his cage, uttering ha

trying the thickness of the carpet with the toe of his boot; sometim

or before a bronze. One might have supposed that he was taking an inventory, and appraising all th

ce all this!" he e

explained

a transport of rage; "never!

father's mind? She wished to know; and, leaving the low chai

at is the matter? What do you fear? Why do you not confid

e a sleeper suddenly aroused from the terrors of a nightma

uc de Sairmeuse is at Montaignac; he will soon be here; and we are dw

ich agitated France for thirty years, Marie underst

ven if we do hold the property? You have bought it and paid

itated a moment

ose crises in which a man, however strong he may b

ith drooping head, "if the money that I gave in e

the young girl turned p

s not yours, my father? To whom did

n had gone too

When the Sairmeuse family fled from France, I had only my hands to depend upon, and as

to tell me that Mademoiselle Armande de Sairmeuse, my godmothe

lle Armande was sick unto death. I felt this

ked at that moment. It was expressive of a strength of will and an energy that w

I saw a look of relief ap

re in coming!' sh

e motioned me to pause, and ordered the w

as we w

eople believe me to be poor, but they are mistaken. While my relatives were gayly ruining th

come nearer, and to

nde leaned toward me, almost glu

eighty thous

iness, but my godmoth

our honor and to your devotion. The estates belonging to the emigrants are to be sold, I hear. If such an act of injustice is committed, you will probably be able to purchase our property for seventy thousand francs. If the property is sold by the

sed herself in bed, and, holding the crucifi

that you will faithfully execute th

nd an expression of satisfac

ich you could remove it from my room, and from the chateau, without the knowledge of anyone; and I have found a way. The gold is here in this cupboard, at the head of my bed, in a stout oaken chest. You must find strength to move the chest-you must. You can fasten a sheet around it and let

heavy, but I

from the chateau was accomplished, without a single sou

done, go

she whispered; 'S

sigh. I turned

heneur was relating ro

uth, or to conceal any porti

r; he thought only of the dead wo

dead." It seemed to him that she was about to spea

ilence, he resumed

escribable confusion followed her death. I was able to withdraw, unnoticed, to run into the garden, and to carry away the oa

d, trembling, trying to read his s

hesitate?"

u do no

Sairmeuse mus

faint voice which speaks only in a whisper, bu

d. "If anyone suspected it, there is not a sing

eyes flashed with g

he exclaimed;

calmer tone

othing of this, c

to succumb to the torture of the te

consent. I will give the duke the eighty thousand francs; to this amount I will add

adly shook

"You know perfectly well that it was Sairmeuse which Mademoiselle Armande intended

man, who, at least, while the empire

el as a child who has never suffered-as cruel as one who, having never hims

lone can judge, since God alone can

me. It was, indeed, in this ligh

were not mine. I trembled lest I should yield to their seductions; I was afraid of myself. I felt as a gambler might feel who had the w

, and no one knew where he had gone or what had become of him. Ten years passed before I could make up my mind to inhabit

ttle. I took up my abode here. And from day to day, in proportion as the domain of Sairmeuse bec

alf of a bad cause produced no impr

de," she repeated. M. L

overty; idleness has not removed the callosities from my hands. What do I require to keep me alive until the day comes for me to take my place in the graveyard? A crust of bread and an o

t you are needlessly alarmed. I believe the duke is too noble-hearted ever

house of Sairmeuse laugh

said-will be the only recompense I shall receive; and you will see us, me, at my plough; you, out at service. And if I venture to speak of th

my fa

eloved in Sairmeuse? You are mistaken. We have been too fortunate not to be the victims of hatred and jealou

believed he had found

the disgrace. It will cost you the deadly anguish

r Marie-Anne's beautifu

ered voice, "I may, perhaps, die of sorrow; but I cannot fail

pon my returning Sairme

peaks, m

in which he was seated tremble

e," he exclaimed-"if I keep t

len wealth. I shall leave this chateau, which belongs to the Duc de Sa

. He knew his daughter's nature well enough to

r had won the battle. He had deci

airmeuse," he falter

y; a visitor was

age, of distinguished appearance, but w

ose of Marie-Anne; he blushed slightly, and the girl

nform you that the Duc de Sairmeuse and his son have jus

nable to conceal his

ce," he responded. "I shall have the honor of seeing him to-day, afte

glance, that his presence was inopport

ve, Marie-Anne found tim

t, Maurice; this evening