The Portland daily press., 1880-10-18
THF PRESS.
A Substitute for a Lover.
Chambers journal.
CONCLUDED FROM SATURDAY.

lCocELUDED fhOM oAlOnD<A''J
"Ahr' says she with pleasant smile,
that is Marthe. She is the betrothed of
my son, who so loves her. dear Madame, that
it is pleasure to see. She is an orphan,
the daughter of my dear husbands brother
in-law, by his first wife; so that there is no
relationship, Madame sees. She has lived
with me all her life, since she was little
one. She has nice little dot; and when
they are married, will give over the Trois
Etoiles to my children, and nurse the babies
in the chimney corner"
'And does she love him?" l inquired in
nocently.
THAT goes without saying,"--says Ma
dame in a slightly offended tone-could any
one help loving her Oscar?-''but l have
never asked. My father and mother never
inquired whether l loved NJ. Petit. He
seemed to them to be proper pdrti for me,
that was enough. For the rest" she con-
tinues gravely, young girls ought not to
allow themselves to have any thoughts
about love until after they are married"
smile, but answer not, knowing that
this is a subject it is useless to discuss with
any Frenchwoman.
A few days afterward am sitting in the
courtyard, making little sketch-a bit of
old wall, pump, few pots and pans seen
through an open Doorway nothing in fact,
but somehow it looks pretty. Marthe is sit
ting beside.me knitting Tor rather pretending
to knit, for she is watching with the deepest
interest every stroke of my brush, and ex-
claiming vehemently as any familiar object
is added to the little pcture), when shad-
ow falls through the gateway, and is fol-
lowed by young man covered with dust,
and wearing knapsack. He is English
that see at glance; and something in the
Bohemianism of his dress, and the portfolio
which he carries under his arm, tells me
that he is member of the fraternity of the
brush. Madame comes fOreward in her
pleasant impressee manner, and in reply to
whether he can have a room, escorts him
upstairs, and, probably, looks after him
like a mother.
Presently he comes down, having got rid
of the dust of his walk, and seats himself at
a table in my vicinity, where he has meal
of some sort served to him. | see him steal
ing an occasional admiring glance at Mar
the from under his evelashes, so tell the
child to go in and see if she cannot help
Madame SIT will not do to have the little
things head turned by any wandering artist"
| say to myself severely, as l continue my
sketch. l have not made many more strokes,
when hear a voice behind me saying in
French: Excuse me, Madame-you have
dropped your shawl" and that garment,
which has slipped from my shoulders, is
SCAtly lCpidCCu Ol buclu
l look up, and laugh. 81 am English" /
say, "as can see you are, in spite of your
good French"
am no longer young, indeed am OF
''certain age,'' which Lord Byron says
mems certainly aged:' but am still sus-
ceptible to good looks in young man; and
the face which looks into mine is SO good
looking that I am afraid give gracious
and encouraging smile as if 1 should say:
Ill
terprets my facial expression; for he comes
round and seats himself on the bench be-
side me, and begins to comment on my
sketch, praising it where it deserves, and
making two or three criticisms with so
much acuteness and discrimination that
feel certain he is painter of no mean order
of merit. From my sketch the talk wanders
to art generally, then to artists. We dis
cover that we have many mutual friends,
and at length he tells me his name is Stir
ling l remember at once having seen
little picture of his at one of the winter ex-
hibitions in London, and having been very
much struck by its talent; and say so.
''Ah," he says, 81 hope may get some
thing into the Academy next year. 1 am
painting picture for it; but have no in
terest, and l am poor. 1 sold that little
picture you liked for eighty pounds, and
have been spending that in seeing all the
great art galleries in Europe. 1t is nearly
exhausted, now,' he concludes, laughing.
By the time Marthe comes back to tell me
that coffee is ready we seem to be quite old
friends. ''Who is that lovely little thing?"
he asks. ';She is perfect Greuze. That
must sketch her.
'Must you?" l say, dryly. 81 don't
think her aunt will allow it,
''But you will ask her for me, won't you?"
he pleads. "You don't know what a help
it will be to me. See! l will show you the
sketch for my picture, and you can judge"
And he fetches his portfolio and selecting a
drawing from it, places il before me. The
moment see it am ccnquered-I go over
to the enemy without struggle. 1t is full
, of genius; and see that Marines is just
the head he wants for one of his principal
figures.
So the following morning he takes his petit
ton to Madame, warmly seconded by me.
To my surprise, she consents at once. 1t
does not seem to enter her head that there
can be any possible danger to Marthe in be-
ing painted by good looking Englshman.
Is she not we'll brought-up young person?
And is she not engaged to Oscar?
So young Stirling sets up his easel among
the flowers of the sunny courtyard, and
begins to paint Marthes Greuze-like head
against background of vine-leaves.
generally come and sit by with my book or
work and play propriety; but in spite of this,
1 can see that Oscar does not like the ar
rangement; in fact l hear him remonstrat-
ing with his mother about it. She is gener-
ally slave to all his caprices; but Stirling
has brought her over entirely by pl omise
of copy of the picture be is painting of the
girl, to hang in her salon.
Nonsense, my son." she says, in answer
10 h ahiooti0pc ssWhora ic bo hor 7
am in and out of the courtyard all the time
and Madame is generally there with her
work.
eyes," Oscar says with a dark look in his
eyes; shut be admires her. Iknow he does.
by the way he looks at her."
"Cielp' cries Madame; ''only listen to the
child? Do you suppose he would want to
paint her if he did not admire her, great
baby?''
But Oscar looks unconvinced as he walks
away, and l see panied expression on his
face as he looks across to where Marthe is
laughing gaily at something the painter has
just said to her. AS he looks, Stirling goes
over to Marthe and, taking her chin in his
hand, turns her head into the right position,
from which it has slipped-a natural action
enough as every artist knows. But Oscar
does not know; and 1 think tits only my
presence which prevents his giving more
the muttered Sdcr-r-re. with which he
swings through the arch and down the vii
lage street.
Presently Madame Petit comes through
the courtyard with a visitor. Courage,
my good friend" hear her say, as she parts
with her; Creme will have good luck, 1 do
not doubt" She comes across to me and
SEATS herself beside me
"What lie the matter with Madame Com
el?'' l ask.
''Why, Madame knows the CONSUMPTION is
to be drawn at Gannat the day after to-mor-
row, and her boys have to draw; for though
she lost her husband and one son in the war
she has still two left, so one must take his
chance. All! Madame, that | should live to
thank God that have only one!'
''Can she not buy substitute?' ask.
'No; Madame, she is poor and cannot af-
ford it. If only had the money!" says the
kindly little woman, "she should not want
it; but times have been bad with me lately
and l have it not. However," she continues
cheerily, Creme may draw a good number,
Thy not?"
'sAnd even if not" l remark, ''there is no
war now; and it is but serving for three or
four years, and he is back with his mother