Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-08-02
20 81
TIE HIsER's DAUGHTER
BY HOf2E DE BALZAc
- 49, - 49,
CHAPTER xIx.-tcop..:nued.,
BY HoERR DE BALzAc

CHATTER AlA.-tCoptanued.
'Nanon. we are alone, you and t.
Eyes, NAM selle; if / only knew where
he was, the charming young gentleman,
would set of on foot to find him."
The sea lies between u.s. said Eu-
genie.
When the poor lonely heiress, with
her faithful old servant for company,
was shedding tears in the old. dark
house, which was all the world she
knew, men talked from Orleans to Nan
ties Of nothing but Mile Grandet and her
seventeen millions. One of her first acts
was TO settle a pension of twelve hun
dred francs on Nanon. who, possessing
already an income Of six hundred francs
OF her own, at once became a great
match. In less than month she ex-
changed her condition of spinster for
that of wife, at the instance and through
the persuasion OF Antoine Cornoilier,
who was promoted to the position of
bailiff and keeper to Mile Grandet.
Eugene was a woman of thirty and as
yet had known none of the happiness
Of life. 1t seemed hardly probable that
she would marry while she still wore
mourning. Her sincere pietv as well
known. So the Cruchct family, coun-
seled by the astute old Able. was fain
TO be content with surrounding the
heiress with the most affectionate atten-
tons. Her dining room was filed every
evening with the warmest and most de-
voted Cruchotins. NJ lie President de
Bonfons was the hero of the circle; they
lauded his talents, his personal appear
Rnce. his learning, his amiabilIty; he
was an inexhaustible subject o. admir-
ing comment
m. lie President had sriveE y ncc
up to the part he wanted &c play. He
was 40 years old, his countensuce Was
dark and ill-favored, he had, moreover,
TIE wizened look which is frequently
seen in men of his profession; but he af-
fected the airs of youth, sported a ma
.iacca cane, and went to Mile. Grandet's
house arrayed in a white cravat and a
shirt with huge frills. He called the
fair heiress "our dear Eugenie," and
spoke as if he were an intimate friend
Of the family. The pack was still in
pursuit OF Eugenie's millions; it was a
more numerous pack now; they gave
tongue together, and hunted down their
prey more Systematically.
IL Charles had come back from the
far-of Indies, he would have found the
same motives at work and almost the
same people. Nine. des Grassins, for
whom Eugene had nothing but kindness
and pity, still remained to vex the CRU
shots. Eugenie's face still shone out
against the dark background, and
Charles, though invisible, reigned there
supreme as in other days.
Yet some advance had been made.
Eugenie's birthday bouquet was never
forgotten by the magistrate. Indeed,
evening he brought the heodilup*6N.
il had become an institution; every even
ing he brought the heiress d huge and
wonderful bouquet. Nine Cornoiller os-
tentatiously placed these offerings in a
vase, and promptly flung them into a
corner of the yard as soon as the visit
ors had departed.
In the early spring Nine. des Gras-
sins made a move, and sought TO trou-
BILE the felicity Of the Cruchotins by
talking to Eugene of the Marquis de
Froidfond, whose ruined fortunes might
be retrieved if the heiress would return
his estates to him by a marriage con-
tract. Nine. des Grassins lauded the
marquis and his title to the skies; and,
taking Eugenie's quiet smile for consent
she went about saying that NJ. lie Presi-
dent Cruchot's marriage was not such
settled thing as some people imagined.
M. de Froidfond may be fifty years
DID," she said, 'but he looks no older
than NJ. Cruchot; he is a widower, and
has a family, it is true; but he is mar
quis, he will be peer Of France one of
these days. it is not such bad match
as times go. l know of my own certain
knowledge that when old Grandet added
his own property to the Froidfond es-
tate he meant to graft his family into
the Froidfonds. He often told me as
much. Oh. he was a shrewd old man.
was Grandet."
"Ah! Nanon," Eugene said one even
ing, as she went to bed, why has he not
once written to me in seven years?'