Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

is like, and the sort of society there : sailors and old dowagers,
activity. Our Provencales are rather inclined to the dolce far
nientt of their Italian neighbors."
"Then they would suit you, George," the Count said to his
tiful voice. Your talent can hardly admit of improvement.
Have you been singing much lately? "
" Has not she got up a choir in the Church of St. Ildegonde,"
M. Legrand exclaimed, "which is the admiration of the whole
town? It has become the fashion to go to Vespers since Mdlle.
Denise has begun to play the organ and to lead the choir."
"How odious it is," Denise exclaimed, " to think of fashion
having anything to do with the worship of God!"
"Better that it should be the fashion to go to church than to
stay away, my dear," Madame de Vedelles said.
" Ah," Denise rejoined, " I suppose you think like the English
poet who said that there are some 'who come to scoff and who
remain to pray.'"
George's eyes seemed to grow more eloquent every moment as
he. listened to this conversation, and it was like awaking from a
nit dream to be asked by his father to go to hia study and
fetch from it. some papers relating to the personal property and
nascs connected with the chateau and the estate,
which he wished to examine with M. Legrand.
AOVVIAT'N DAUGHTER.
He ;it once left the room; but on his way upstairs entirely
what he had been nit to do,
It was settled that the visitors should first take some refresh-
,-iud then the business was to be proceeded with. In the
meantime the following conversation was carried on.
Shall you come to Paris next winter?" Denise asked the
Countess.
"Oh, no; we have entirely iriven up Paris."
" "
On account of the climate?
"
Yes; I caunot spend the winter there."
"We sold Valse,; only because my wife's health required a
southern climate," the Count said.
And do you mean always to live in the country? Will you
not find it rather dull? "
"
Oh, no; we have made up our minds to retire from the world.
At your age you cannot understand such a resolution. You
would think it very tiresome always to remain here."
Denise smiled and said, " I do not think it would quite suit
forgot
door of the study, went into his mvn room, walk>
down for a few minutes, and then leaning against
me."
" "
How do you like Toulon?
"
I shall not be sorry to go back to Paris."
" "
Ah, I thought so," the Count said. I know what Toulon
the window,
fell into it lii of deep musing.
.Meanwhile Jacques, who had been out, came in a short time
afterwards, and M. de Vedelles presented him to the young
heiress with a feeling of conscious pride. The way in whielt
he spoke of Jacques as " my son," made her
"
ask, Is the young
man who was here a moment ago also your son "
'.'
"Yes; my youngest son," the Count answered, "an overgrown
school-boy, without any manners or conversation. He is
so shy that I was afraid of introducing him to you. By-thcbye,"
he added, turning to Jacques, "do go and see what
about. I sent him half an hour ago to my study for some papers.
I dare say he is quite puzzled to find them, lit 1
head for anything."
"He is not in the study," Jacques answered; "I saw him, as I
came in, at the window of his room, staring, as usual, at the
view. I called to him, but he did not answer, and disappeared."
"Go and tell him," the Countess said in a whisper, "to be
amusing enough to look at, but desperately dull to talk to. I
suppose you do not mean, mademoiselle, to vegetate long in that
dull seaport?"
"
I am going to remain there some time longer."
" And what can induce you to inhabit such a tiresome place? "
"
My aunt is very kind, and wishes me to stay with her as long
"
as possible.
Mdlle. do la Pinede invents all sorts of strange.amusements
for herself," M.
"
Legrand said. You would never guess how
she wiles away the time in that horrid seaport town."
George, who had been leaning on the back of his mother's
chair without joining in the conversation, but with his eyes and
cars intently engaged on every word that was uttered, ventured
lo say in a low voice, " How, I wonder! "
"
M. Legrand laughed. I shall get into a scrape, I suppose, if
I speak of taurre des petits matelots."
Denise turned to the Countess with a smile, and said, " It is
only to you, dear inadame, that I will let M. Legrand mention
my hobbies. We had sure to be in time for dinner. Mdlle. de la Pinede and her
guardian
many common interests in Paris. You
know that you were the first person who took me to one of the
meetings of the Sainte Famille."
"
Oh, that is another of Mdlle. Denise's enterprises at Toulon.
She leads the ladies of the town a weary life with her Parisian
will stay and dine with us."
Jacques went to give his brother this message, and then came
back and tried to make himself agreeable to his mother's young
guest. He evidently was as much struck with her as George,
Nothing could be more opposite in looks, in character, and in
but his admiration was evinced in quite a different manner.
manner than M. de Vedclles' sons. Jacques was eight years
older than George, and most people would have said much the
handsomest of the two.
The de Vedelles were originally of Norman extraction, and he
had all the distinctive characteristics of his father's
family.
Strong, tall, fair-haired, with a fine complexion and white teeth,
he presented a perfect type of the manly beauty of the race to
which he belonged, whereas George resembled his mother, who
was a Creole of the isle of Cuba.
Jacques new perfectly well how to set himself off to the best
advantage, both as to dress and as to manner. He had talents
and cleverness, and made the most of them. A general favorite
wherever he went, his confidence in his powers of pleasing was
very great, but not offensively displayed. With considerable
quickness he discerned that the light and chaffing tone which
was habitual to him when conversing with young ladies would
not suit Mdlle. de la Pinede, and without conscious
Irypocrisy
or affectation, he talked of things he thought likely to interest
her, and gave it to be understood that he might be induced even
to take some day a practical interest in many subjects he had
son, whose pale cheeks suddenly reddened at being thus addressed
in the presence of Mdlle. de la Pinede, whose dark, speaking
eyes turned upon him with an inquiring expression.
"
I shall tell you one advantage you may derive from your
residence in the south, my dear," the Countess said to her young
"
friend. The climate will still further improve your very beau-
hitherto little studied.
George scarcely opened his lips before or after dinner. lie
had made, under old Vincent's superintendence, a rather unsuccessful
attempt at dressing for the occasion: submitted to have
his hair brushed in a fashionable manner, and put on a white
waistcoat and a coat and trousers which showed him to have
grown considerably since those garments had been made. His
attire was not in keeping with his style or looks, and his exces-
sive shyness made him awkward and almost ridiculous, so that
Denise easily accepted the disparaging description his father had
given of him, and concluded that his mind was as deficient as
his manners were strange.
Still she seemed interested about him, and as she talked with
his brother, often turned towards him. and tried to make him
join in the conversation. But whenever she addressed a question
to the poor youth, he looked so distressed that at last she
thought it kinder not to speak to him.
When the meal was over, and coffee had been served on the
terrace, M. de Vedelles and M. Legrand retired to discus-; mat-
ters of business, and Madame de Vedelles and Mdlle. de la
Pinede, by the Count's desire, went over the house for the purpose
of marking out the pictures and the articles of furniture
which the latter was entitled to claim.
The Countess was not clever or observant, but full of sweet-