The record-union., 1898-04-24

do any OF them, is what she SAID 10
her father. l knew we'll that she was
joking. but all the same l was glad to
hear her say it.
Well, things went all right at Bour-
dinot and there would have been no
change if NJ. de Bouglose had not
suddenly taken it into his head that
his throat was affected and if the doc
tor had not sent him to Cauterets. At
first l was well pleased to be left alone
with Mile. Paule. She had no desire
TO go to Cauterets, and so for three
weeks she and | We're virtually in con-
troi of the castle. She was at that time
Il years of age and | was 70. With
out her permission | would not have
ventured to touch even the tips of her
fingers.
Still, it was the month of August,
and with this young lady near me all
the time. l tell you sir, l lost my
senses. l became a regular fool;
could not even speak l was happy
and | longed to give vent to my joy
in tears She was highly amused when
she discovered that | was in this frame
of mind. Many time when we were
together in a hut like this one she let
her hair fall down near my face and
then | saw the back of her neck. where
there were hairs so fine that they
seemed like doves feathers and her
sole object was to see me tremble and
grow pale.
Yes, but as soon as he had spent
the necessary time in taking the cure,
back comes NJ. de Buglose bringing
with him two ladies, whose acquaint-
ance he had just made-one old lady,
who was also suffering from throat
trouble, and her daughter, who was a
widow and very nearly 40 years of
age. NJ. de Buglose who never saw
any one at Bourdinot, had become
greatly interested in this widow at
Cauterets, because she took her meals
beside him at the hotel Yet she was
not very rich, people said neither was
she very handsome being stout with
ruddy complexion. Neither was she
very amiable. Because she happened
to live at Auch. in a city, she soon
found out that there was nothing goou
enough at Bourdinot.
The service was bad the house was
not in proper order, Mile. Paule's
clothes were not becoming. it was not
right that she should go out alone
with me. You can imagine whether
Mademoisele liked such women as
these. She scarcely spoke to them;
never, indeed, except when they were
at table. If they do not soon go away
from here, CeSaire,' she said to me- I
Will not remain any longer at Bourdi-
not. They went away al the end Of
the month. But M de Buglose went to
pay them visit at Auch In short, |
invite you, you invite me-that sort
of business lasted for six months, at
the end of which M. de Buglose in
formed his daughter that he was going
to marry the stout widow. Mile. Paule
made no reply. The next morning we
went out to trap doves.
Listen, Cesaire' she said to me- L
do not want to stay at Bourdinot when
that woman is mistress. l am going
away with you
Going with me, Mademoiselle, and
where?'
" Wherever you like. 1 am of age.
I have NY mothers fortune | am fl ee
Let us go. We will not leave the
country, but we will go as far away
from Bourdinot as we can-aye, down
toward the Pyrenees. There are pines
also in that region, and one can trap
doves. l will buy a house in the for
est. We will live as we lived here
when my father was away
" oh. Mademoiselle!'
Why do you put on that silly air?'
Then she added. blushing all over:
of course, you will marry me. |
love you better than all those whom
they wanted me to marry
Remember, sir, that was young and
that mademoiselle was very pretty. AS
a matter of course. l lost my head.
said to her: All right Let us go away
to- morrow She embraced me. and
she let me embrace her All the doves
in the world might have passed on that
day over the net l gave hardly a
thought to the birds. / was in Paradise
Not until evening did we return to the
castle, and our abesence was not no.
ticed, as NJ. de Buglose, since he had
fallen in love, took no more interest in
his daughter than he did in me. Be
fore she left me Mile. Julie repeated her
lEstructions-namely, that | should wait
for her next morning at daybreak in the
glade at Caudeleon, the understanding
being that we should make our way
thence on foot to the nearest railroad
station. The fact that the distance was
twenty lxilometers caused us not the
least anxiety.
las soon as I was in my room |
threw myself on the bed without talk
ing any supper and l fell into a long,
dreamless sleep. When l awoke it was
O'Clock in the morning. L must begin
to pack up 1 said to myself. for l am
going away in the morning. Just at
the moment when l uttered those words
| thOlloh ho,
in two; I felt certain that | would go
away during that very night. but that
would go away all alone and would
never again see Bourdinot or Mile
Paue.
Not that I doubted Mademoiselle's
courage, or that she would keep her
word. She would surely have done as
she had promised! But the fact was |
that she ought not to do SOL Mademo-
sele ought not to marry Cesaire-a lad |
who could hardly read, who wasn't !
worth a cent, and who was the child
of peasants. Of course a match of
that kind could not take place! And |
as / knew we'll that l would marry
Mademoiselle if she ordered me to do |
so, l decided that my duty was to go
away at once and without speaking an
other word to her
Il lit my candle and began to tie up
my things in a parcel AS you can |
we'll imagine, my task was light. AS
a rule, | wore a green livery, which |
Mademoiselle had ordered to be made |
for me, and that, of course. I left be-
hind me at the castle. l began to cry |
AMI large tears fell on my clothes so |
that they became as wet as though
shower of rain had fallen on them. |