The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-12-26
Translated by Susan n. Tabor.

A1ter my 1atners death, rather to the
general establishment Of his friends, it
was found that he had left me barely
enough to wind up all his affairs and
settle for myself very modestly in
Paris. We had always lived very COM
tortably, but fortunately I did not care
for luxury and rather rejoiced at the
thought of living by my own pen.
One evening, a little before my de-
parture from my native village, I was
sitting in my fathers private library,
looking over his books. when to my
astonishment, tucked behind a beauti-
tul volume of Voltaire, I found a little
black portfolio that I had never seen
before. Inside, among other papers
relating to our family, was an old let
ter, carefully folded in the fashion of
thirty years ago when envelopes were
little used, and addressed to my father.
It read thus:
Algiers, 1887.
MY Dear Frederic:
Il have just learned with keen emo
ton Of the birth of your son. Thank
you for telling me of this. You treat
me, l who am ruined, overwhelmed,
broken and all but disgraced, as if I
were rich and powerful, as if all your
hopes depended upon me when it is
you, on the contrary, who have rescued
me from the lowest depths. Such a
deed lis rare in this world I will not
say that it does you honor because
that would make you angry. You for
bid me to send you a receipt for the
ten thousand francs that you loaned
me when you saved me from utter ruin
You have not the right to do this and
l have the honor to disobey you. This,
then, is receipt in form for the sum
of ten thousand francs loaned by YOU.
Frederic Delaney, the second of Co.
tober, 1887. and payable when Provi-
dence shall see fit, if possible before
my death, or if not by my heirs.
Your devoted
JEAN, COUNT DE VILLERBOIS."
This letter caused me the greatest
astonishment. I could not explain how
my father, himself a simple, provincial
man and the son Of peasants, surround
ed all his life by people entirely of his
own class, should ever have received
a letter expressing so lively and keen
an affection from a man who signed
himself the Count de Villerbois. I re-
allied that T was the legitimate owner
Of these 10000 francs whenever they
were to be paid. For certainly, if any
restitution had already been made, my
father, in his overwhelming love of or
der, would have recorded it. TO be
sure, it was purely friendly trans
action and for moment I was sur
prised that my father had kept the let
ter. But presently I thought of an
explanation. Doubtless since the ar
rival of this letter in 1857, my father
had heard nothing further from M. de
Villerbois, and from the tone of that
gentleman's writing, I was forced to
conclude that he must now be dead,
otherwise nothing would have prevent
ed him from visiting my father or at
least writing to him.
/ resolved to find out all could con-
cerning the author of this extraordi-
nary letter, but in spite of. the most
di1igent search during the time before
I left for Paris. I could learn nothing
of this devoted friend of my fathers.
After my return to the city, the rush
of work drove all other thoughts from
my mind and presently they were still
more deeply buried beneath the great
love that sprang up in my heart for
young girl: Matilda Fernandis, who
had exhibited several highly praised
landscapes in the last salon. I had met
her for the first time at the house of
an intimate friend of mine, whose wife
was taking lessons in water color Of
her.
One Sunday my friend L. came into
my rooms and invited me to- dine with
him that evening, saying:
MAKE yourself particularly hand
some tonight, old man-there are going
to be ladies. There won't be any mu-
sic, but it will be very pleasant for
you because one Of your readers, a
young enthusiast who blushed when I
told her knew you, is coming. She
is ready to worship you, think
I fastened to accept his invitation and
my curiosity was fairly aroused when
I entered the drawing-room that even
ing. 1t was empty, however, except
for his charming and beautiful wife.
where is George?" l asked, when
had greeted her.
Don't look so worried" she replied
6dAy, AC WILL NC 11SIe Ill d lllOl1CHL. 1
sent him to escort some ladies who are
to dine with us. Although she has
never met you, one of them feels that
she knows you already through your
books
/ should have thought the most with
cred bag beautiful after such words as
these, for his vanity is large part Of
All author. was all the more delighted
therefore, when George presently en-
tered the room with two ladies. The
elder was, indeed, sufficiently homely.
but behind her stood a young girl with
wonderful black hair and face of the
greatest beauty. I had always been a.
scoffer in the idea of love at first sight.
but that evening I recognized it's birth.
I gave myself up utterly and completely
to the sway of her charm and beauty:
and that evening, when we went home
it was I and not George who escorted
the ladies.
It was not many weeks later that T
came to George and asked him to go
and ask for Mathilde's hand for me.
T