Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-13

depend upon it, by tomorrow
or before, and he'll look into
and make good use OF 1t, too.
He's man that knows what he's about,
and that has no fine false feelings about
the arstocrats. Very likely he'll dis
tribute some of the plumber of the chat
eau among us poor folk.
"Fiiine looks grave and sad enough as
she walks by her dead mistress body,
remarked the other older woman.
"Nowonder. poor girl, answered Hose
"they were brought up together, and
loved each other more like sisters than
like mistress and servant.
But for all her sad looks I would wa
ger my silver earrings against your cats
necklace, Rose, that she is thinking more
of her lover Maurice than of the dead |
It's Il beautiful arrangement for her, III
faith, to have him for her companion i'll II
business like this All, she's sly one,
for all her demure ways, and her smooth
fnce, that seems to have no more III 1t
than an empty milk-pail" Babette made
n little expressive wink, which might i'm
ply more or less, according TO the fancy
of her companions, MS she spoke these
| last words.
"They will marry very soon now,
should think" said old Rose, taking up
her pitcher, which had been long brim-
ming over patiently at her side.
ooh, / won't say that it will ever come
to q marriage after ALL exclaimed Bah
cite, with such toss this time that the
folds of the red handkerchief got loose
and huttered in the breeze. does he
look like bridegroom rs he strides along
there, with Just the same grin a. usual
on his broad face? He cant get rid OF
it even at funeral, the blockhead. Does
he look like bridegroom that any SEN
sible girl would give an old tin Kettle
for?'
well, it's strangest of all that they
should bury her in this way, if, as you
say, there's money and riches of all sorts
lett in the old chateau still, said the
younger of the two women.
"Ah, Mollie, Fifine and NJ. Maurice
knew more about the matter, | suspect,
; than any one else," rejoined Babette,
with wink more saturated with mean.
ing than the last "They are master and
mistress at the chateau, now that the
count is in prison and the countess is
dead and they are making the most OF
their time, as the birds do in the vine
yards before the vintage begins.
After that the group around the foun.
tain broke up and the women dispersed
in different directions. As she went,
Babette had her own special train OF
thoughts, into which she probably would
e not exactly have liked any OF her friends
to look.
"As sure as the countess diamonds are
real, and not glass"-this was the way il
which her recollections ended-"Pierr,
shall try his luck tonight. | do not sc,
4 | ,,l,, poI 10 CHI
the fortunate pair, MS well as Fitine ant
G Maurice"
Meanwhile the young man and the girl
of whom their neighbors mouths ant
minds had just, all unconsciously to thei
two selves, been 20 full, had reached tn,
church for the completion of their sac
errand. No religious ceremonies of an.
kind We're permitted at this time il
France But still the servants of thi
= young Comtessc de Florion, perhaps re
# collecting that i'll her life she had secret
Il ly chung to the rites of her church, wer'
b, going to lay her remains i'll hallowct
S ground, and portion of the pavemen
# beneath the southern wall of the churcl
y and inside the building had been raiset
: to allow of the body being placed under
e meath it. The family vault Of the DE-
$ Florions was far away in n distant larg'
s town, but, rs the troublous times forbad,
II the countess's remains being Transported
Il thither, her servant and foster-sister ant
n companion, Fitinc dc Fouvriere, haC
l. chosen the interior Of Ncrrcville Churcl
y rs their resting place. As long as III
s religious rites were used, the civil au
q thorities of the little town had made NJ
g objection to this arrangement.
"Mauricc will do all the rest" said Fl
II fine, when the coffin had been lowere,
= into the place prepared for it, turning t.
$ the two men who had been helping then
Y in their mournful work. Il should Xix,
y my poor mistress own faithful servant t.
Il perform the very last offices for her"
/. at is strange that Fifinc de Fouv
d rier's grief at her mistress loss is no
e more evident in outward signs said thu
h elder Of the men to his companion, n
II they withdrew from the church in ODE
diencc to the girls words. 81 had ex
/, pected to see her drowned in tears. "
&c There must have been some coolnes
h between them before the lady died. 1t i
e always SO, sooner or later, when we son
W and daughters of the people form clos
bonds of intimacy and affection with a.
st aristocrat,' said the younger man, whit
- was none other than Babette's lover
6 Pierre, and who, as in duty bound, he'll
l. the same Red Republican opinions as hi
& future most emphatically better half
lie though, if truth must be told, nc wa
le often in very hazy state about them
g even when he expressed them the loud
TO est.
Of "Well, don't know" rejoined the oil
,e man thoughtfully. 81 cant say wha
e, may he the cause of it, but that girl
face and manner puzzle me more than til
ID change Of wind.
y, And the face of Fifine de Fourier
IS certainly was face that any man Nigh
IN have found it difficult to read the meal
y ing of as she stood there by the grave
She was 4 remarkably pretty brunett,
d, whose features were, generally, all sparl
~ ling with animated thought and feeling
in which went flashing in swift, brilliar
We play from the dark eyes to the rosebu
a mouth. But to-day the whole face wa
stamped with one fixed, settled exprei
f. sion, which might be interpreted in il
G. grrvity and intensity to mean sorrow G
II. anxiety, or deep, troubled thought Lool
lie ing at that fair face was, to-day, like lii
It. tening to n story told emphatically an
to eloquently in some musical foreign lai
I'd guage that We do not understand.
I'd "Maurice," said the girl, sharply,
Ii her companion, MS soon as they were lie
d. alone, "where are your brains gone
to Who ever saw any one at funeral with
ce face like yours? You'll have set til
r. whole town talking. / don't know that
ne shall ever forgive you"
OF "But, ma charmante," began Maurice
o, whose countenance still certainly did IL,
ID seem to correspond to his solemn task.
al Maurice" interrupted Fitine, "ha'
done with your pretty words and speeches
ga there's time for them, / dare say, b,
e. it's certainly not now. You Just mil
Oh ,,Lnt ,,o11 nrn about md ,lnn't rnnlra