Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-26
denly burst ont crying, and kissed her baby
arain and amin

frilled, with string tied to its muzzle. /
had pink eyes, and an innocent black nos
like button. Its widespread paws wer
ornamented with elegant little tufts; it
tail ended in a tassel. The old peasan
woman who had brought it was gain:
wistfully at the foolish, blinking eyes tha
returned her glanees with so much truthful
affection
The poodle slept in n corner of Hugh
bedroom all that night; about two o'clocl
in the morning, to the CONSERVATION of th'
household. he reused the whole place witt
his howls. Hugh quieted him as best HI
could, but the consequences were serious
Mademoiselle had been awakened he
Indignation was not to be described.
When Hugh came down to breakfast hi
D found Mathilde pale, with red eyes, as rec
as Bismarck's own Blanche nervous, un
easy, starting at every sound. No one
could describe the scene that Mademoisellt
had given them NJ le Cure had been seni
for. They had been up all night.
"0h, sir ~ said Mathilde, giving him HI:
coffee with a trembling hand chow am
to tell YOU ?''
Il will tell him. said little Blanche,
coming up. my aunt is cruel; she says
that You must not stay, that You must take
Bismarck, and that am never to see YOU
again. said the girl in cold, dull voice.
Nonsense - said Hugh. "Of course |
must 20 if your aunt wishes it. | shall %
home with Bismarck for many reasons it is
the best thing can DO. Bat if you will let
me come back he said. looking at her
steadily al Will come this day
week
Blanche's eyes were cast down she
flushed up, said something unintelligible,
and ran out Of the room. as the priest enter
ed with blande>t politeness. MademoiSelle
de Latouches indisposition was 50 grave
that She regretted being obliged to inform
her friend that She should not be able to
transact the business upon which he had
come. The coach leaves at three, | be
licve, - said the cure.
Hugh got up and bowed very stiilly
Il had already made up my mind to leave
the chateau said be. perhaps. as YOU
pass the village, you would kindly secure
NV place. 80
with the greatest pleasure" said the
Cure.
While Hugh was travelling back to his
home, little Blanche was fitting away under
the trees towards the meadow She was pac-
ing reStlessly on and on. no longer lingering
in the autumnal sunshine, scarcely taking
pains to hold up her long white dress as it
flowed upon the ground. But the place was
- trim and crisply kept that there was but
little to soil her skirt. She was not herself
somehow. less to-day than she had ever
been its radiance and peaceful complete
ness seemed long way from her; some sud
den revulsion Of feeling had filled her gray
eyes with tears She seemed to belong to the
| place as she had never belonged to it before.
to feel that she had never been conscious
enough Of ali the beautiful things, the memo
rieS, the childish hopes. which had come to
| her there NeS. there in that hollow She
had once come with her father, holding his
hand, and she could remember him standing
| in the gateway and calling to her Ii was
| his wish that She was following now. NJ. le
Cure de St. Rambert had told her 50. How
| could She Judge? \ poor girl who has
| known nothing of life, who has seen no one,
/ been nowhere: And vet they might have
waited, - said little Blanche bitterly to her
self. My aunt is unhappy at parting from
me she Is too good To care for mere person
al feeling: but it will be terrible for Ma
| thilde when | am gone Then she began
/ to think about the convent; she could see
it all quite plain, and hear the nuns voices
/ through the rustling Of the trees, and the
noyiceS' parlor with its two or three books,
! the altar to the Virgin. the cupboards, the
straw cLairS, and the window into the
passage.
''Good-by,' sister Marie Alba had said,
the morning she came away, in her mean-
choly voice "have you seen the good moth
er and taken leaye?''
Then three noyices had come in, and SIS
ter Angelique. with a long flying veil. all
saving farewell I'VE shall see YOU again.
my beloved. and then YOU will stay with
| US the two nuns had said
Sister Franchise had been putting linen
in the cupboard, great heavy sheets with
blue lines the doors were open with the
crosses on the corner panels. Francoise had
turned her pale nose (''Will mine look ike
/ that?" wondered Blanche) Before You
90. dear angel, your eyes are 50 clear, look
/ at nv silver ring; tell me whether il Is
bent. showed it to Sister Catherine. but
! She cannot sec anything amiSs, and yet, by
| holding it to the light, does it not appear
somewhat nattened, Just by the silver
| heart -
Blanche had taken the ring and the chain
with It's mythical symbols of hearts and
flames into her hand. Nv hat does it sig
nifty whether it is bent or not, Sister Fran
| coise ," she asked.
at matters-it matters great deal
why. the good mother herself shall ask
NJ. lie Cure next time he comes. Dear
child. YOU are not going away in the con
vent dress -
''She has leave to wear it, said the sister
Angelique. at Is n special grace, for her
own clothes are not come from the dress
makers" "
So it all came back to her, Blanche
thought, with sting of seli-reproach how
familiar and kind those worn faces were
Perhaps that was why Mathilde, with her
worn looks, seemed more like home to her
than her aunt. herself comfortable and
handsome in that well-appointed room and
then Blanche thought of a life devoted. of
highest impulse ON earth leading to glorious
reward in heaven, 50 they told her, 50 the
Cure had told her lust now but wonld
there not still he time in another year? she
wanted to wait for the fete next month she
wanted leave to keep dog in the convent :;
she wanted-what did She want? She
thought of the iisherman's wife the night be-
fore, oI the sea. of the moonlight; every
thing seemed to hurt, to tear her in every
direction she need not determine vet, not
yet-not yet.
The Cure was still on the terrace. bat
she brushed past him without speaking.
This much Blanche felt that She must do I:
she must see him again, to say good-by to
her friend, and give him the thing that he
wished for this much was her right She
had not talked to Hugh all those long hours
without being somehow carried away from
her old boundaries, never to return to them.
never again.
Had Blanche chosen? She knew not
what she had chosen She was in miser-
able state of doubt and indecision. She felt
herself watched: Denise was for ever in her
way: the Cure of st. Rambert was ALWAYS
there.
One day Bismarck's former owner, who
had been lowering about the terrace for
some time, came up to Blanche as she passed
on her way from mass. Denise sharply
told her to make way, but Madame Roullot
persisted. The gentleman who had bought
the dog was come back, and had he brought
good news of poor Bib?
Blanche had sent message to our child
ren to come up and walk in the garden of
the chateau whenever they liked they were
English-that was enough to make them
her friends. One day the whole company
struggled up along the dusty road, Albinia
fitting ahead with her Binnie clinging to
her skirts. The Major carried the little one,
and Marjory and Anne proudly bore their
= provisions in their little baskets; the
homeliest fare. short bread and rolls, and
. milk in stone jug. They found a tea
table, an old leaEbesprinkled bench among
crisp autumnal avenues; they made cen
tre-piece of daisies in a saucer. \ few
brown leaves dropped into their cups, but
they rendered them all the more intoxicat-
ing. Children love open air, they love play
and they love their elders to look on at their
: ,ha1a A. oll ra,,1 off