The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-07-12

committee, and give an account of his Ia
bors and his votes during tho session tn.
had elapsed. :, :.
The committee listened to Montsee,uI
coldly. The apothecary, Mignonnet, aske,
permission to address the meeting. Brin
quart granted the permission, and Mignon
I net was very severe on Montsegur: III
had been weak, timid, irresolute; he ha
not heard the voice Of France, ANA ye
france had spoken clearly enough. Franc
wished to, be obeyed. Forward was he
world" Thus Mignonnet. Montsegur re-
Piled that he had gone forward until he wa
beginning to feel the need of a little repos,
and that he thought that the majority o.
the nation were of his opinion. This do
claration produced disastrous effect. The
apothecary manifested the most violent in
dignation at the idea that repose was pos
sible for France. Brinquart, seeing thai
Montsegur was going to plunge deeper in
to the mire, adjourned the meeting brusque-
", and taking Montsegur aside, said t.
him:
You are on the wrong track. Come
and dine with me tonight. We shall be
alone, and able to talk quietly"
Brlnqutat was by no means fool. He
might easily have supplanted Montsegur al
the election. only he felt no desire to leave
his business and go to Paris to potter
among the five hundred and fifty sovereignl
of France. He did not wish to be deputy
himself, but he did not wish Mignonnet to
be deputy either. He wish led to spare
Saint Chamand the disgrace of the election
OF the apothecary, who, although FREQ.
thinker was an ass.
| Montsegur went to dine with the Brin-
quarts in the evening. There were five at
table-M. and Madame Brinquaat, M. Lu.
Glen Brinquort, lieutenant in the Second
hussars, Mademoiselle Adrienne Brinquar
and Montsegur himself. During the din
ner Brinquart addressed long speeches to
Montsegur, impress;ng upon him the
nee essity of advancing in his ideas, OF
abandoning the Republican Left as lie had
| already abandoned the Left Centre. The
future was for the Republican Union; the
| man OF the future was Gambetta; one
ought always belong to the party Of the fu-
ture.
But Monsegur did not listen to Brin-
| quarts panegyric of the Republican Union
any more than he had listened on q certain
| evening 10 Madame Lambertines celebra
ton Of the glories of the Left Centre. He
was looking at Adrienne. He had Just
been smitten for the third time. Brinauart
went on talking and talking, Montsegur
went on admiring and admiring.
Still Brin quarts remarks could not re-
main without reply. Montsegur declared
simply that he had resolved not to take
| another step toward the Left. He did not
| nina If he lost his seat. Now that he was
installed in the country, he had recovered
the former way of living. He was happy to
| walk, and drive, and ride about more the
country.
do you ride, monsieur"
This was the first time that Adrienne had
spoken. The phrase seemed delicious to
Montsegur. He found her voice warm and
musical.
Yes, mademoiselle, he replied
do you like it,"
Every much, mademoiselle.
so do /, passionately: I ride every
morning with my brother"
Politics we're abandoned. and the CONVEX
sation turned on dogs, horses, and hunting,
subjects as inexhaustible as politics,
Montsegur. have told you, easily fel.
in love. It is great resource In life. In
an instant, as if by magic, the sweet and
restful vision of this young girl had driven
from Montsegur's mind the disturbing mem-
DRY of Madame Lambertin. One thing
alone cures love and that thing is love.
The day after the dinner; at seven o'clock
in the morning, Montsegur was in the sad
die, aud posted in the woods just opposite
the gate of Brinquart's park. He remained
there an hour, invisible, but himself seeing
very distinctly. Had she not said on the
previous night: II ride with my brother
every morning?" And about eight o'clock
Montsegur saw the brother and sister ap.
pear. They entered the wood. Montsegur
fol 1Nuo1 fhoyo or1 f,l 1
joined them. as if quite accidently, in the
bend of an alley, and the three went riding
together in the fine autumn morning.
Whist parties after dinner followed whist
parties, and rides succeeded rides. At the
moment Of the meeting Of the chambers,
Montsegur had asked for leave Of absence
on account of Ill health. Strange to say,
NJ. Brinquart had not said another word
about progress, or about joining the Re-
publican Union.
Three months passed in this way and
Mentsegur WAS thinking of sending for his
Aunt Caroline. from PARIS 10 make the
official offer OF marriage, when an event
happened which induced him to manage
matters brusquely, and to sin against the
rules of correctness. It was very small
event; simple pressing of hands. One
night, when Montsegur was going away,
Adrienne shook hands with him 80 sweetly,
SO caressingly, that ne suddenly felt him
self full of impatience and full of hope.
During three months not single word had
troubled the complete innocence of their
conversations; and yet, softly drawn tow
ards one another. they had found the means
or expressing their love merely by press
ing Of the hunds. There are so MANY ways
of talking love.
Those hand-pressings had passed
through many phases and many shades of
meaning. The first were rapid, uncertain,
hesitating: Then friendship came. and
then sort Of companionship. Then they
shook hands frankly, openly, cordially, in
a brotherly manner. But after that, and as
if fluid had circulated secretly in their
interlaced fingers. both on the same day had
felt the same confusion and the same en-
barrassment. The hand-pressings became
short. nervous, and agitated. The crisis
had been short. Sentiments of sweetness
and tranquility had, at the same time, won
their souls, and the hand DRESSINGS became
long, languid, tender, confiding, trustful,
to such degree that on that last night
Adrienne's hand remained in the hand of
Montsegur while they exchanged, in o
voice that was by no means shaken by
emotion, some words that were quite sig
nifcant. Adrienne suddenly blushed.
She must have said to herself: my
hand! Where is my hand? And how long
has it been there?" She disengaged herself
brusquely.
This was the reason why, the next morn
ing, Montsegur entered, serious and grave,
the stndy of Brinquart. He began by this
phrase, which he had long premeditated:
I" My dear Monsieur Brinquart, I have a
serious confession to make to you"
His voice trembled. Brinquart looked
at him, and said:
Il know whatit is. ..,s> 60.
"You know!"
"You are in love with Adriepne, and you
come to ask her hand. Do you think I
have my eyes in. my pocket? You are q
charming fellow, you have Mica fortune,
we are neighbors, and never has there been
the slightest discussion between us as to
boundaries and what not-a fact very much
to the credit of both of us. In short, T
shall be very happy to call you my son-in-
law, and SO will my wife. You won her
heart the first day she saw you. And as
We did not interfere when we saw you fall
ing in love with Adrienne, otherwise you
may rest assured that We should not have
authorized all those cavalcades and moon
light rides. As to Adrienne, do not ex-
pect to and any obstacle on ner side. I
will confess her; the confession is not like
ly to be long Go and take walk in tho
park fer half an hour. When you return
you shall have definite answer"
Montsegur obediently walked through the
park. As he approached the chateau, COM
ing back, he saw hundred yards ahead Of
him, in the bend Of. an avenue, white
dress. It Was Ad1ienne. She had come