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"It would be rather a serious tiling for me, however." the
lawyer answered "You sec I cannot throw over the parly
which .supports Richer do Moutlouis, unless I had a good reason
for it."
" Always on Mdlle. Rose's account?" the Baron asked, in a
slightly satirical tone.
"
Yes. M. Ic Karon, I am quite above board with you. I do
not miud "
showing you the cards Artemon Richer
DC Montlouis," the Baron snecringly added.
'
Artemon Richer seems inclined to pay his addresses to Rose,
and upon my word, he is so good a match that I am not inclined
to put a spoke in the wheel by quarreling with his family and
"
opposing the election of his uncle
" You don't mean to say that you would give your daughter
to that heavy dolt of a man, who is always lounging in the
Estamiuets? "
"
Not if I could find a better match for her," the solicitor an-
' '
"
but
swered .
The Baron snatched up his hat, and walked out of the house
into the avenue He was determined not to- look as if he under-
stood M. Lescalle dropped the subject, and the two gentlemen
walked about the place calculating the worth of each acre of land,
and exulting over the neglect in which everything was left, which
certainly did seem likely to disgust any one who should visit it
before purchasing.
When this sort of approximate valuation was concluded, they
went back to the place where Silplude was leisurely grazing at
the foot of the Sugar-loaf hill The Baron mounted his steed
and turned its head towards Croixfonds. The solicitor walked
by his side for a few minutes, talking over some of the details
connected with La Pmede, and then somewhat abruptly said
am very much afraid that M Cesaire will not be elected."
1
Without giving the Baron time to answer he bowed and iefi
him and as lie hastened home with the fear ot Madame Lescallc
before his eyes, who could not bear to be kepi waiting for break-
fast, the linle man murmured between his teeth That old aris-
tocrat- I hope he understands that I can spoi.
'
his game.
31 de Croixfonds meanwhile was making the following mentai
ejaculations- 'The presumption of these ow born people is
becoming quite intolerable. To think of .his vulgar attorney'*
venturing to offer me his daughter tor my son And now I suppose
he will turn against us! But somehow or ither Cesaire
must be 'elected " -His pride and his ambition pulling in dif
it-rent directions, the descendant of King Rene s friend wen*
home in a very bad humor
Three weeks afterwards the Comte de Vedelles became the
owner of La Pinede. A bid of twenty thousand francs beyond
the sum the Baron could produce settled the matter When M
de Croixfonds was informed of this result he fell almost sorry
that he had so decidedly snubbed M. Lescallc's proposal for
unless his son could purchase a property in that part of the
country, he would not be eligible, and as M Lescalle took care
to point out, tliis was not an easy thing in an old-fashioned
locality where estates did not often change hands, the Baron
knew perfectly well that this was the case, to remind him of it
was like handling a smarting wound. It was with difficulty that
he concealed his vexation.
CHAPTER II.
THE FAMILY OP DE VEDELLES.
THE Comte de Vedelles and his family arrived at La Pinede
at the end of April, just at that moment so delightful in Provence,
when the full burst of a southern spring adorns the whoh;
ape wilh a profusion of flowers The lilo-M.ms of the
peach and almond trees clothe the country in pink and white
The yellow stock, the purple iris, the blue salvia, the red va-
:md the wild vine cover every bill wilh a rich m:n
gorgeous colors, fringe every wall with bright tufts of v.
THE NOTARY'S DAl'dllTE-R.
beauty, and embalm the air with an Indescribable perfume
The days were mild and lovely but the evenings somct n..
cold thanks to the mistral, that temul.
cal climate.
One night that this rough enemy was blowing with virulence
and had prevented the usual stroll after dinner three cl the new
inhabitants of La Pinede were sitting round the chimney where
some pine logs and burning cones were diffusing ttieir fragrant
perfume and not unweicome heat These three persons were
the Count and Countess de Vedelies and their eldest son, Jacques
de Vedelles. The Count was reading In a huge arm chair the
Countess working at a piece ct tapestry Jacques, halt sitting,
halt lying on a couch near his mother, poked the fire and watched
the sparks as they flew up the chimney with an rbsent expres
sion ot countenance which betokened either an idle or a dreamy
state ot mind which is by no means tBe sam< thing.
For some time no one spoke. The great buhl clock ticked,
the logs crackled, the wind made strange noises amongst the
pine trees.
At last Madame de Vedelles dropped .iball of worsted, and as
her sou stooped to pick it up she whispered to him. " Is George
still out of doors?"
I suppose sc '
Jacques answered in the same low voice
Madame ae Veuciies sighed ana ancther ,onr silence ensued.
Though she haa nrt meant her question tt be heard, ii hac
apparently caught her husband s ear t :r he ran? the bell, anu
soon the wnnkiea lace anu grey head of o.':. Vincent appeared :.'.
the door.
is M Geors-e at homer the Count asked, without raising hu
eyes trom his 1 ook
M Gecrffe is Lnishmg his supper in the little dining room
He has maae a very gooo meal ot it '
the old man added IL
significant manner, ana almost betore he had finished hi:- sen
tence, George de Vedeiies came into the room.
Though he was twenty his figure was so slight and his appealance
so youthful tha' he did not ,ook more than seventeen o
eighteen .years '-f age The pertect symmetry 1 his featureand
tht whiteness of his face gave it the appearance ol a marbli
bust il was only in his eyes that there was any animation
They were dark, sparkling and vet soft their dreamy ibscn;
expression added to the peculiarity of this young man e
countenance
Georges dress, unlike that ot the rest of the ramify, betokened
neglect. He had on that evening a shooting jacket and
trousers much the worse for wear heavy leathern gaiters and
shoes Had it not been for the fineness of his
thick clumsy
linen and his white and well-shaped hands, he might have been
taken for a young gamekeeper
After he had made a-bow to his father and kissed his mother's
hand he sat down on the couch near his brother As he did so
and turned towards him a bright smile lighted up his face, but
only for a minute.
'
What have you been doing, George?" the Count
" "
Why did you not come home in time for dinner?
asked-
'
I have been out shooting all
"
day. was the answer; '
and it
was later than I thought when I came back."
' We may conclude, then, that you have brought home
plenty of '
game.
The season is very bad, and game, I fancy, scarce in this
neighborhood '
'
Then why are you always going out shooting? What an
absurd fancy it is to be walking about all day with a gun on
or result. 1 '
your shoulder without object George made no answer,
and played with the ears of a fine spaniel which had foiloweil
him into the room. M dc Vedelles went on 'It was
just the same at Yalsec, where there was plenty of game of
every sort. You do not choose to exert yourself even as to idie
You never make an effort even for the sake of amuse
ment. You will
dreamer
always remain a listless unsociable obstinate
"
"But my excursions amuse me
'
George replid, '' evea