The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-28

der of the chateau among uspoorfolk.
"Fifine looks grave and sad enough
as she walks by her dead mistress
body" remarked the other elder
woman.
mo wonder, poor GIRL" answered
Rose; "they were brought up together,
and loved each other more like sisters
than like mistress and servant"
''But for all her sad looks 1 would
wager my silver earrings against your
cats necklace, Rose, that she is think
ing more of her lover, Maurice, than of
the dead. It's beautiful arrange
ment for her, in faith, to have him for
her companion in business like this.
| All! she's sly one, for all her demure
ways, and her smooth face, that seems
to have no more in it than an empty
milk-pailp' Babette made little ex-
pressive wink, which might imply more
or less according to the fancy of her COM
panions, as she spoke these last words.
They will marry very soon now, l
should think" said old Rose, taking up
her pitcher, which had been long brim-
ming over patiently at her side.
30! won't say that it will ever come
| W u uldl tlttSC, dlucI dlls CACldlluSI
Babette, with such toss this time that
the folds of the red handkerchief got
loose and fluttered in the breeze. docs
he look like a bridegroom as he strides
along there, with just the same grin as
usual on his broad face; he can't get rid
of it, even if at funeral, the blockhead.
Does he look like bridegroom that any
scRsibie 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
leftin the chateau still, said the younger
of the two old women.
"Ah! Mdlle. Fitine and M. Maurice
knew more about that matter, suspect,
than any one else," rejoined Babette,
with a wink yet more saturated with
meaning than the last. ''They are mas
ter 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 vineyards before the vintage be-
gins"
After that the group round the foun-
tain broke up and the women dispersed
in different directions. As she went,
Babette had her own special train of
thought, into which she probably would
not exactly have liked any of her friends
to look.
Gas sure as the Countess diamonds
are real, and not glass was the
way in which her reflections ended
''Pierre shall try his luck tonight |
don't see why Babette and Pierre should
not be the fortunate pair, as well as
Fifine and Maurice"
Meanwhile, the young man and the
girl, of whom their neighbors' mouths
and minds had just, all unconsciouslv
to their two selves, been so full, had
reached the church for the completion
of their sad errand No religious cere-
monies of any kind were permitted at
this time in France. But still the SER
wants of the young Comtesse de Flor
ion, perhaps recollecting that in her life
she had secretly chung to the rites of
her church, were going to lay her re-
mains in hallowed ground, and por-
ton OF the pavement beneath the south
ern wall of the church and inside the
building had been raised to allow of the
body being placed underneath it. The
family vault of the De Florions was far
away in distant large town; but as the
troublous times forbade the Countess
remains being transported thither, her
servant and foster-sister and companion,
Fifne de Fouvriere, had chosen the in
terror of Verreville Church as their rest
ing place. AS long as no religious rites
were used the civil authorities of the
little town had made no objection to this
arrangement.
Maurice will do all the rest" said
Fifine, when the coffin had been lowered
into the place prepared for it, turning to
the two men who had been helping them
in their mournful work. q should like
my poor mistress own faithful servant
to perform the very last offices for her."
:" 1t is strange that Fifine de Fouvri-
ere's grief at her mistress loss is not
more evident in outward signs" said
the elder of the men to his companion
as they withdrew from the church in
obedience to the girls words. 81 had
expected to see her drowned in tears"
"There must have been some GOODNESS
between them before the lady died. 1t
is always so, sooner or later, when we
sons and daughters of the people form
close bonds of intimacy and affection
with an aristocrat," said the Younger
man, who was none other than Babette's
lover, Pierre, and who, as in duty bound,
held the same Red Republican opinions
as his future most emphatically better
half; though, if truth must be told, he
was often in a very hazy state about
them, even when he expressed them the
loudest.
"Well, don't know" reioined the
old man, thoughtfully. 81 can't say
what may be the cause of it, but that
girls face and manner puzzle me more
than the change of the wind"
And the face of Fifine de Louvriere
certainly was face that any man might
have found it difficult to read the mean
ing of as she stood there by the grave.
She was remarkably pretty brunette,
whose features were, generally, all
sparkling with animated thought and
feeling, which went flashing in swift,
brilliant play from the dark eyes to the
rosebud mouth. But to-day the whole
face was stamped with one fixed, settled
expression, which might be interpreted
in its gravity and intensity to mean
sorrow or anxiety or deep troubled