Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-07-06


telegraph me to leave my business and come
down here on yours. come, ask the bust
ness, you say Find me this thicfN Well,
find him: say There he isl! You need not
like it, but you have no manner or right to
take offensen
"Wcll," returned the doctor, 81 grant that;
/ will even thank you for your mistaken zeal
But your hypothesis was so extravagantly
monstrous"-
"Look horc,' interrupted Casimir; twas it
you or Stasie"
''Certainly not" answered the doctor.
every WE'LL then it was the boy Say no
more about it," said the brother-in-law, and
he produced his cigar case.
II will say this much more" returned Des-
PREF: eff that boy came and told me so HIM
self 1 should not believe him; and if did be
lieve him. so implicit is my trust | should
conclude that be had acted for the best"
"Well, WE'LL" said Casimir, indulgently.
"Have you light9 must be going. And,
by the way, | wish you would let me sell
your Turks for you. l always told you it
meant smash. / tell you so again. Indeed,
it was partly that that brought me down.
You never acknowledge my letters-a most
objectionable habit"
"My good brother" replied the doctor
blandly, 81 have never denied your ability in
business; but l can perceive your limita-
tionsn
"Egad, my friend, I can return the compli-
ment." observed the man of business. Your
limitation is to be downright irrational"
"ObServe the relative position" returned
che doctor With smile. ut Is your attitude
TO believe through thick and thin in one
mans judgnent-your own. | follow the
/ same opinion, but critically and with open
eyes Which is the more irrational! leave
it to Yourself
"Oh, my dear fellow" cried Casimir, "sticb
to your Turks, stick to your stable boy, go tc
the devil in general in your own way and he
done with it. But don't ratiocinate with
mel cannot bear it. And so, ia ia. |
might as well have stayed away for any good
I've done. Say good-by from me to Stasie
and to the sullen hang dog of a stable boy, if
you insist on it; Pm Off"
And Casimir departed The doctor thai
night dissected his character before Anasta-
sic "One thing, my beautiful" he said, 'he
has learned one thing from his live long
acquaintance with your husband: the word
ratocnate 1t shines in his vocabulary like
jewel in muck heap. And, even so, he
continually misapplies it. For you must
have observed he uses it as a sort of taunt, in
the case of to ergotise, implying, as it were
the poor, dear fcllowl- vein of sophistry.
AS to his cruelty to Jean Marie, it must be
forgiven hint is not his nature, it is the
nature of his life. A man who deals with
money, my dear, is a man lost.
With Jean Marie the process of reconcilia-
ion had been somewhat slow. AT first he
was inconsolable, Insisted on leaving the
family, went from paroxysm to paroxysm of
Gears; and 1t was only after Anastasie had
been closeted for an hour with him, alone
that she came forth sought out the doctor,
and, with tears in her eyes, acquainted that
gentleman with what had passed
"At first my husband, he would hear Of
nothing,n She SAID. "Imagine! if he had left
us! what would the treasure be to thatl
Horrible treasure, it has brought all this
about At last, after he has sobbed his very
ueart out, he agrees TO stay on condition
we are not to mention this matter, this infa-
nous suspicion, not even to mention the rob
oery On that agreement only, the poor,
cruel boy will consent to remain among his
friends
"But this inhibition" said the doctor, "thii
.mbargo-it cannot possibly apply to meg
"To all of us" Anustase assured him.
"My cherished one Desprez protested,
''you must have misunderstood. 1t cannot
apply to me He would naturally come to
me.n
Henri" she said, sit does; swear to you
It does"
"This is painful, a very painful circum-
stance the doctor said, looking little
black 81 cannot affect, AnastaSe, to be
anything but Justly wounded feed this, |
| eel if my wife aCutplY.'
81 knew you would,n she said But if
you had seen his distress! We must make
allowances, we must sacrifice our feelings"
81 trust, my dear, you have never found
Ne averse to sacrifices" returned the doctor
very Stiy.
And you will let me go and tell him that
you have agreed! 1t will he like your noble
nature she cried.
So it would he perceived-it would be like
his noble nature! Up jumped his spirits,
triumphant at the thought. go, darling"
he said nobly, treasure him. The subject
S buried; more-I make an effort, l have
accustomed my will to these exertions-and
it is forgotten"
A little after, but still with swollen eyes
and looking mortally sheepish, sean-Mare
ceappeared and went Systematically about
dis business He was the only unhappy mem
Der of the party that sat down that night to
supper. AS for the doctor, he WAS radiant
He thus sang the requiem Of the treasure:
"This has been, on the whole, a most anus
ing episode" he said eve are not penny
the worse-nay, we are immensely gamers
Dur philosophy has been exercised; some o.
she turtle is still left-the most wholesome o.
ieicaces; | have my staff; Anastasie ha
1er new dress; Jean Marie is the proud pos
,essor of fashionable KEPT. Besides, ~
lad glass of Hermitage last night the GLOW
sutfuses my memory. | was growing
. sitively nggardly with that Hermitage
,ositively niggardly. Let me take the hint
We had one bottle to celebrate the appear
1nce of our visionary fortune; let us have
second to console us for its occultation. TIL
l third | hereby dedicate to Jean-Maries wed
ding breakfast
0 CHAPTER VII.
a THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF DESPREz.
4 ~