Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1844-07-06
CHAPTER II.
THE Trench MASTER.

sickness, unable to 60 out to give lessons.
That morning, on which Catherine wrote
the above mentioned letter, the following dis,
cussion had arisen between the father and
daughter.
II am cold" said The father.
1--WE have no more wood or charcoal, y re-.
piled the daughter.
Gould you not go buy sonnet"
81 have no money
''Fhen we must do without it"
"My poor father"
at is not for myself that | grievo but for
you, my poor Angclique. Bot it is the will
OF God, and / submit"
At this moment a knock was heard al the
door. AngeIique opened it, and a young girl
appeared, and ran up to the old man, throwing
her arms round his neck, and excIaiming, "My
old master!"
"Mademoiselle Sophia Augusta at Mos,
GOVT"
And tho little girl sat down on the offered
chair, saying, Il will tell you bye-and. bye how
| CANE here. All / want now is for you to
give me some more French lessons for !
have forgotten everything You taught me-
Everything, Mademoi ellie what d pltyt
for you learned so WE'LL
"But you know | have a very bad mcmory.
Let US begin now, if you please"
"Now let US talk a little while first"
"And the French ]lessong, Mr.. Marcel"
"We can begin Tomorrow"
"No, no, | must begin to-day, or | Should
lose an hour Of French, and you some money"
"The pleasure of talking with you is worth
all the roubles in the world"
"You are the same good old master az you
sver were. Well, we will wait until TO. NOR
row, but in the mean time here are some rou-
bIes," and she placed a purse III Angelique's
hand, saying, Give me come French Ia cx-
change"
"Ab, You should not pay in advance, Ma.
demoiselle Sophia said Mr.. Marcel.
"Masters always want money"
81 cannot contradict that, my dear scholar,
but / am old, and if | should die before"
ITO work, to work." exclaimed Catherine
gaily.
Tire lesson was begun.
"Bat you have not forgotten anything T! You
know everything / can teach YOU"
"And I tell you | will learn more"
Catherine now went regularly every MORN
ing to the house of Mr.. Marcel, and ono day
he said to her,
"You have brought mo good luck, 1haye
another scholar"
ny no IS IL :! asked CatherlnG.
IA very poor, very ugly young man and
he seems uhcommonly stupid, too, | am afraid
he will not understand the rules of the gram
mar for some time and really, if it were not
for Angetiquc, who will not let me refuse any
chance of making money, | do think / would
not teach him any longer"
"Angelique is very right said Catherine.
"Ab. madame-ab, father! if you knew!what !
| have just heard - and she inclined herself
respectfully towards the princess.
"Vhat is the matter?"
E:Madame, forgive our ignorance, but my
father and /, living in great solitude, never
hear anything at all, and The Empire of:Rns-
STA might change a thousand times, arid we
never hear of it but, father, you DO not
know that the young lady who comes here ev-
day, and whom We call Sophia Augusta, is
no less a parsonage than Catherine AIexiow-
ma, the betrothed of Peter the Third, the fu-
ture Empress Of all the Russias."
"You are mistaken, my dear Angelilue,'
said Catherine, laughing, "for | refused h
hand Of Peter tho Third and the Empire of
Russia a week ago"
"And why, my dear scholar forgive ME,
Madame"
Gall me your dear schoIar. ! refuse those
things because one cannot go without the
''FIow ID that -
II should have accepted the Empire of Rus
if | could have had it without the hand of
the Third"
"lie is said to be very handsome" said 1ir,
Marcel. I
"Too handsome that is the reason | will
have nothing to do with him"
"Nobody will ever refuse ME for that rea-
sons" said a strange voice, AMI a youth of a.
bout sixteen years of age, entered the room,
figure was good and majestic but his face
dreadfully %dis8gufed by marks Of the
"You are certainly Ypggome, my new
said Mr.. Marcos @IEa1p. not be
lowncasr; if you are rich and ora sEami-
y, that will rot prevent you from nafsyfng.'
"That is precisely what I am afraid Of, fdgsi
lear master. | am betrothed to a young lady
| love very much but she does not
Know that | have had the smallpox, and when
he sees me-she will be frightened !"
Enlightened, oh no! What do you think,
Catherine ="
"The gentleman's ugIiness would not fright.
IN mes
sob, say that over again, Madetnoise11e. /
'ntreat you, for the one | am to marry resem-
you in her beauty and the noble traits of
Ter character. She is born for a throne. She
s no less than Catherine AIexiowna."
"And you are then- :" exclaimed Ca.
herine, SO astonished that she was unable to
Irish her sentence. +,
"Peter the Third, who did not answer your
etter, because no letter can destroy a proceed
ng legitimated by my actions. You have not
,een told of my sickness but | shall rejoice
n the ugliness it has given me, ifyou will re-
ract your letter.
"With all my heart" exclaimed Catherine,
for her letter had been written To-
he Peter the Third of a month ago, not the
she saw before her.
During this conversation, the poor French
was in condition which it 10 ~impossil
lie to describe. He wanted to get up to rem
Ter homage to the two august personages be-
ore him, but his paralysed limbs refused him
his service. Catherine was the first who OBJ
.erved his embarrassment.
'sit still, dear master, am going back I'd
he palace, and will leave you to give #your
scholar a lesson . and, wrapping her (.
loak round her, she prepared to depart, say.
in a low voice az she passed by Peter.
ave are still betrothed."
"A thousand thanks ~ replied Peter, with
he deepest emotion.
And the Princess kept her word, and a wear
fterwads, on the first of September, I745.
heir marriage was celebrated with great
,omp.
Catherine ranked among the greatest sovero
of Europe and she deserved this by the
monuments and useful institutions which dis,
inguished her reign, and by her wise edicts
She favoured and reformed Iegis-
alton, founded hospitals, built cities, construc-
ed canals, and caused the arts to flourish IN