Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-06-03

ame," feebly articulated Mederic, who
very well comprehended that he must
hurry up the denouement if he did not
wish his comedy to be changed to melo-
drama. The genuine professor was liable
to enter at any moment.
Good heavens! my dear sir, what is
the matter: Are you going to faint
away" cried Mn. Arabella.
MADAME, i have a confession to make. y
"a confession? To me-"
"Madame, love you"
Then Mederic talked to her for an
hour by the watch. He executed a
thousand variations upon the same theme
81 love YOU" And what is surprising,
his declaration was not idiotic, in spite
of his loving sincerity. The lady was
naturally disturbed, but she was too much
of a Partisan woman to show her emotion.
"If I loved you, SIR she said, raising
her beautiful eyes to his, "what would
become of us. | am not good at con-
structing high-sounding phrases. | will
only repeat what probably you know
now. l was an orphan when | married.
| had a great name and small dowry
and my husband was very little richer
than |. endured our moderated circum-
stances without complaining, but he
guessed the trouble, and undertook TO IN
crease our means by spcculations, which
ended disastrously, so that when he died
he owed lO0,0 francs. | did not hcsi-
tate a second to give up my small fortune
in order to bcqucath to my daughter an
unblemishcd name. \ rich relation set
tied an income on me on condition Of my
never marrying again. Tell me, sir, can
| deprive this little daughter Of those
luxurics which are necessities to so deli
cate a child; | said, and | repeat, what
would become of us, if | loved You,
since YOU are dependent on teaching
German for your liying:"
1T is in that, Madame, that my crime
looms up in gigantic proportions. | do
not know a word of German.
"You have not even that resource: -
NO" said Mcdcric smiling, "but |
have an income of 200, 900 francs, which,
perhaps, will partly make up for it.
Then he confessed cverything-his
name, his visit to the church and his
talk with his friend.
doubtless" she said gayly, lit is one
of my bankers friends, who persists in
thinking | have done fine thing, as the
world goes. We live in time so NOR
ally disturbed that they who do their
plain duty are regarded as heroes.
Mcdcric went home intoxicated with
Joy, yet the lady had by no means said
yes" Still less mad she said 'no.
The Marquis found his friend Paul at
his house.
my dear Medcric," said Paul, 81
have a confession to make. When |
came here three weeks ago, swear by
my hoary-headcd ancestors that had the
most disintcrcsted desire to see You mar
ricd. had a pearl in my hand that |
would have given YOU on the spot; but
it is we'll to distrust your first thought,
because that is only good-it is second
thoughts which are best. When found
myself alone, still said. Yes, Med
eric shall be happy. | haven't better
friend in the world. But as | was walk
ing along, | began to reflect; Yes,
have better friend now than Mcderic-
that friend is myself. | returned to the
beautiful widows and begged her not to
20 to the church Of Saint Roch, or if
she couldn't possibly stay away at least
not to wear the pretty hat she wanted to
wear the first time for good luck. She
laughed, she blushed, she laughed again.
Then | mustered up my courage. | said
to her, 4 love you, my cousin. And so
nv dear Nederic, i have come to invite you
to the wedding. But, now, take my
hand, for | have betrayed friendship.
One word, however, | have come and
come again several times in hopes of
meeting you. | believed you had closed
Your doors on me, and felt like taking
ofense, but finally contented myself with
writing to you"
81 did not get your letter"
81 thought you were furious at not
meeting the lady in the blue hat"
II did meet her, and met her to such
purpose that am engaged to her and
now ask you to my wedding. Only it
was white and blue hat"
Il don't understand it," cried the two
friends in chorus, as if they had been
actors at the Opera Comiquc.
Il want to own up" muttered the
valet, falling on his knees before his
master. There is only one culprit here,
that's me- First, | told Monsieur the
Marquis that Monsieur the Viscount was
out of town; second, | closed the door
on Monsieur the Viscount. suppressed
the letters of both gentlemen. To be
brief, | acted like rascal, aud what is
harder to admit, like a fool. | wanted
to prevent my master from marrying, and
l was ass enough to put him in the way
of it. If it hadn't been for my folly you
two gentlemen would have met the next
day after the fatal Sunday. You'd
laughed a little about it at the club.
Monsieur the Marquis would have retired
from the affair as soon as he perceived
the feelings of the Viscount toward his
cousin, and there would have been an
end of it."
"The rascal is right" cried Paul. "He
has been the necessary obstacle which
makes these things successful"