CHAPTER XX

Valentin de Bellegarde died, tranquilly, just as the cold, faint March dawn began to illumine the faces of the little knot of friends gathered about his bedside. An hour afterwards Newman left the inn and drove to Geneva; he was naturally unwilling to be present at the arrival of Madame de Bellegarde and her first-born. At Geneva, for the moment, he remained. He was like a man who has had a fall and wants to sit still and count his bruises. He instantly wrote to Madame de Cintre, relating to her the circumstances of her brother's death--with certain exceptions--and asking her what was the earliest moment at which he might hope that she would consent to see him. M. Ledoux had told him that he had reason to know that Valentin's will--Bellegarde had a great deal of elegant personal property to dispose of--contained a request that he should be buried near his father in the church-yard of Fleurieres, and Newman intended that the state of his own relations with the family should not deprive him of the satisfaction of helping to pay the last earthly honors to the best fellow in the world. He reflected that Valentin's friendship was older than Urbain's enmity, and that at a funeral it was easy to escape notice. Madame de Cintre's answer to his letter enabled him to time his arrival at Fleurieres. This answer was very brief; it ran as follows:--

"I thank you for your letter, and for your being with Valentin. It is a most inexpressible sorrow to me that I was not. To see you will be nothing but a distress to me; there is no need, therefore, to wait for what you call brighter days. It is all one now, and I shall have no brighter days. Come when you please; only notify me first. My brother is to be buried here on Friday, and my family is to remain here. C. de C."

Answer the following questions:
1. Who was similar to a man who fell?
2. Who did he write to?
3. Who was Valentin de Bellegarde's sister?
4. What did the letter include?
5. Anything else?
6. Come for what?
7. When did Valentin die?
8. Was it a tranquil death?
9. Who was there?
10. Where did Newman go?
11. When?
12. Who did he want to avoid?
13. What did Valentin need to get rid of?
14. Where was he to be buried?
15. Where?
16. When did his sister say the burial would be?
17. Would seeing Newman be a delight for her?
18. What did she say about it?
19. What did she say about brighter days?
20. Should he notify her of his arrival?

Numbered answers:
1. Newman
2. Madame de Cintre
3. Madame de Cintre
4. the circumstances of her brother's death
5. also asked her when she could come
6. to see him
7. in March
8. yes
9. friends
10. to Geneva
11. An hour after Valentin died
12. Madame de Bellegarde and her first-born
13. personal property
14. near his father
15. the church-yard of Fleurieres
16. Friday
17. no
18. that it will be nothing but a distress
19. that there is no need to wait for brighter days
20. yes