, 1872-10-27

| i.11- 1NA|A4tA
eala VII my nephew about his affairs. As 70,
| yon, M,anemo1sele Eugenie, II it is for thai
uan9{ t1at you are crying, enough of that, my
iii e naf Is go1g presently to the great nde
The father took his gloves fro,o tho h,;n, =,
MS nat, pm then on with his ordinary com
posure, making them 1T closely by infer}ockinn
bis fingers, and wento ~'@N00S
"oh, haa mamma, H. L. l an ehoking!" ezclaimed
81 hare never suffered so.'' MADAME Grandet
seeing her daughter grow pale. opened tha win
! dow, and let her breathe The open air. II an ar
better, said Eugenie, after minute,
This nervous emotion in nature Till then an,
parently calm and cold, reacted On Madame
Grandet, who looked at her daughter With that
sympathetic intuition with, which mothers arc
endowed for the object Of their tenderness
and devined all. But, in fact, the life Of the
another by a hlunder Of Nature, had not been
mora intimate than that OF Eugenie and he1
mother, always together in that window-embra-
sure together at church, and sleeping together,
in the same atmosphere.
ssMy poor child" said Madame Grandet, tal1,
ing Eugenie's hand to rest it on her bosom.
At these words, the girl lifted up her head
questioned her mother with look, discernec
her hidden thoughts, and said to her: '' Why
| send him to the Indies? II he is unhappy
should he not stay here? Is he not our nearest
! relation 2"
Yes, my child; it would be very natural
but your father has his reasons, and We must
respect them"
| The mother and daughter sat down in silence,
one on her raised chair, the other on her little
armchair and both resumed their work. Bur-
| dened with gratitude for the admirable unison
! OF heart that her mother had shown her Eu-
genie kissed her hand saying, How good you
are, my dear mammal" THESE words brought q
glow on the old maternal face. withered by long
| suffering.
.'Do you like him ?" said Eugenie.
/ Madame Grandet replied only by . smile !;
| then, after moments silence, she said in .
10, low voies npo you " love him already, then7
s'Bad!" said Eugene, "why? He pleaaes you !;
he pleases Eauon; why should not he please me !?
Come, mamma, let us set the table for his
| breakfast" She threw aside her work. The
mother did the same, saying to her, ''You are
foolish" But she took pleasure in justifying
her daughters folly by sharing it. Eugenie
called Nanon.
"What do you want now, Mademoiselle?"
"Nanon, will you have some cream at noon 2"
sob at noon? yes" replied the old servant.
"Well, give him very strong coffee; have
very strong at Paris. Put in good deal"
s.And where do you expect me to get it,"
"Buy it."
"supposing Mr. Grandet we're to meet me- 2"
81 He is out in his fields"
"1 run. But Mr.. Fessnrd has already asked
when he gave me the wa1-ight. The whole
town will know our extrayagauces.
'sIf your father were to notice anything" said
Madame Grandet, s'he is capable OF beating u.s."
'sVery well, he may; VIC will take his blows
meelng-"
The sole answer OF Madame Grandet was to
raise her eyes to Heaven. Nanon took her
hood, and went out. Eugenie spread . white
grapes which she had amused herself by hang
ing up on cords in the garret ; she walked Light
" along the corridor, 80 as not 10 Waken her
cousin, and could not keep herself from LISTEN
fortune wakes while he sleeps" said she. She
plucked the greenest leaves from the grape
vine arranged her grapes as coquettishfy as an
old butler could have done, and carried them
triumphantly to the table. She made foray
b7 n fs sss hs on .ns ni pepfs ea '0qRtsa s
up in . pyramid among the leaves. She
went and came, ran and skipped. She would will
ingly have sacked her fathers house; but he had
the keys to everything. Nanon came back with
two freeh eggs. As ahe saw them, Eugenie felt
like hugging her.
The tenant Of the Lande had some in his
basket. asked him for them; and be gave
them to me, so as to oblige me,-the dear!"
Eugenie left har work twenty times to see the
coffee boil or to hear the noise that her cousin
made in dressing, she succeeded in preparing
very simple and inexpensive breakfast, but
which deranged terribly the inveterate ways of
the house. The noon-mea1 was eaten standing
Each one took morsel Of bread, some fruit or
butter, and glass OF wine. AS she looked
at the table placed near tho fire, at the two
diahes Of fruit the egg-cup, the bottle Of white
wine, and the sugar piled up in saucer, Eu-
the looks which her father would give her were
he to come in then. So she glanced repeatedly
at the clock, to calculate whether her cousin
could breakfast before the goodman's return.
uBe easy, Eugenie; It your father comes, I
Tll take it all on myself" eald Madame Gram
det.
Edgenie could not restrain tear.
sob, my good mother!" exclaimed she, II
have never loved you enough
Charles, after having walked g. thousand times
came down stairs. Fortunately, it was only II
o'clock. The Partisan! he had paid asmuch at
tentlon to his toilet as if he had been at the
chateau OF tho noble lady who was travelling
smiling air which becomes youth 30 we'll, and
which caused Eugenie q sorrowful Joy. He had
taken the destruction OF his castles in Aujou
good-naturedly, and approached his aunt geily.
Did you spend the night we'll, my dear aunt7
"Quite well, sir; did you7" said Madame
Grandet.
al? Perfectly"
Yoa must 3s be sdaG hqng e H. ny 5a COUSIN" eaid
*'But i do not breakfast before noon,-the
time when I get up. However, I Jared 30 poorly
on the way that I will accept your invitation |
Besides - he pulled out the most delicious |
fat watch Brequet ever made. ssWhy! it is
eleven o'cIoc:z. / ],a7o been an early riser" I
"Early," said Madame Grandet.
'ssYes, but wanted to unpack my baggage.
Well, shall be glad to eat something, "a mere I
tri1e.-a fowl, q partridge"
"Holy Virgin!" exclaimed Nanon, as she |
heard those words"
IA partridge!" said Eugenie to herself, aud
one.
ssPray sit down." said his aunt.
The dandy sank upon the armchair, like a I
pretty woman striking an attitude on 4 divan.
Eugenie and her mother took chairs, and seated |
themselves nenr him, before the fire.
''Do you always live here? :" said Charles, |
rho found the sitting-room uglier in the day
time than by candle-Gght.
Always" said Eugenie, 1ooknga at him, &c ex-
cept during the vintage season. Then We 80 to |
nelp Nanon, and stop at the Abbey of Noyers."
''Do you never walk p
"Sometimes on Sunday after vespers, when it
Is pleasant" said Madame Grandet, sswe walk
IN the bridge, or to see the hay when it is
moved"
s'Heve you thcatre?''
HT0 ca to n1ay!" exclaimed Madame Gram |