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

young gentleman would make a very good husband. A wife
would do what she liked with him, and have her own way about
everything. "
"
But, papa, this M. George is not like a child who would do
all he was told. lie has all sorts of straugu fancies and (Kid ob-
stinacies. He does not want his father to cultivate his land, be-
cause he likes the flowers of the caper-bushes. lie will not let
them cut down a branch that runs into his window, and he lives
in a sort of lumber-room, where he keeps all sorts of strange,
useless things. And he does not dress like other people, he
served; "but I maintain that it will be easy to find somebody
who would be glad enough to marry this youth. It is pleasant
to have a rich husband, and to be called La Baronne de
Vedelles."
"How can you talk in that way, Toussaint?" Madame Les-
calle exclaimed. "What, marry nfftda ! It is dreadful to think
of. It gives me quite a horror. I had rather beg my bread than
have such an idiot for my husband."
"
Well, well, Madame Lescalle, do not fly into a passion.
Nobody wants you to marry him."
The conversation then turned on some other subject, and
after dinner Mise Mode's relatives took leave of her. They were
all more or less thoughtful on 'heir way back to town. M. Lescalle
was turning over in his mind how he could make the most
of his position at La Pinede. His wife was occupied with the
idea of sending to Paris for a new gown. Rose involuntarily
dwelt on the recollection of Jacques' pleasant, animated coun-
tenance, and mused on the flattering words he had said to her.
She compared him in her mind with Artemon Richer de Montlouis,
the lion of La Ciotat, and came to Hie conclusion that the
son of the Comte de Vedelles was much better looking and more
agreeable than the said Artemon; but then with a sigh she
thought, " He is going back to Paris."
CHAPTER VI.
AN ACCIDENT.
SOME days after the first visit which Mdlle. de la Pinede had
paid to the de Vedelles, the Countess drove to Toulon to return
the compliment, and to make acquaintance with Denise's aunt,
a good-natured, commonplace, elderly lady, who was very fond
of her niece, of her pet dogs, and her little comforts. Deuise
was out, and so Madame de Vedelles had au opportunity of
spending an hour with Madame de Brissac, and availed herself
of it by trying to find out whether there w,-s any marriage in
question for the young lady, aud what were the ideas of her aunt
and her guardian on the subject. If she did not succeed in ob-
taining any positive information about it, at any rate she satis-
fled herself that at present there existed no definite obstacle to
the scheme which she had formed in her own mind.
Madame de Brissac said that her niece was to spend the fol-
lowing winter at her guardian's house in Paris, and would go out
in the world, as she had done before her father's death, under the
chaperonage of Madame Lecrand, who had daughters of her own,
and intimate connections in the
Faubourg St. Germain. She
had married a wealthy banker, but belonged herself to an old
Legitimist family.
"
She will not long remain unmarried," Madame do Vedelles
ventured to say.
"With her beauty, her birth, and her fortune,
Mdlle. de la Pinede's hand will be eagerly sought for."
"Ah, even now," Madame de l: .^r. Legrand often
receives proposals for her from various quarters. I?,;i
her father's death, Denisc derived that, for OB
she wished nothing to be said I" her on tin ,, K 1 neither
THK JVOY'.l AT'* DAffOHTJEX.
M. Legrand nor myself can get her to speak of her own inten-
an opinion as to the eligibility of an,
offered to her necc|ilance. "
" Perhaps she is a little romantic, and means to make a mar-
riage c/ ," Madame de Vedelle., ,,aui, "and has not yet
seen the person who may please her fancy."
"
It may be so. She is ;
very reserved about everything,
nise. 8he made, I believe, a promise to her father in
bed not to make any decision for a certain lime, and meanwhile
looks so untidy, not at all like the son of a count."
" What Rose says is perfectly true," Madame Lescalle rejoined;
"
and moreover, he does not seem to understand when people
speak to him."
"All this may be as I really think she is more occupied about her little sailor boys
than her suitors."
Then the conversation changed, and soon afterwards Mdlle.
de la Pinede came into the room. Madame de Yedell
she had many things to talk about. Deni e v. as much inn
you say, my dear," her husband ob- to hear of that lady's plans of opening a school in the
of Troistour, which was at a distance of about two miles from
the chateau, and also of obtaining a second priest, who would
assist the very old cure of that parish, and say mass every day
in the small chapel in the grounds of La Piuede, which, like
everything else in the place, had been shut up and left in utter
neglect.
Denise had all the savoir faire and energy in practical matters
which Madame de Vedelles was totally deficient in. Her cooperation
in these plans was therefore singularly useful. She
promised to see the vicar-general of the diocese, to write to the
superior of an order which sends out religious school-mis-
tresses, one by one, into, remote and poor localities, and finally
to go again herself to La Pinede to report progress and confer
with the Countess, as soon as the answers reached her.
" You know there is nothing, my dear, like talking over these
things together," the Countess artfully observed. "More business
is done in a quarter of an hour's conversation than by
twenty letters."
They were still eagerly discussing these projects when Jacques
de Vedelles called for his mother, with whom he had driven
into Toulon. He was presented to Madame de Brissac, and
quite won that lady's heart. The advice he gave her about the
proper diet for her dogs was proffered in that good humored,
playful manner which had a great charm for persons of all sorts
and all ages.
Chariot himself looked up into his handsome face as if he appreciated
the interest evinced in his health, and Denise, seeing him
so amiable and good-natured, ventured to ask him if he could
recommend anything for the cure of a sick poodle she had undertaken
that morning to prescribe for.
" Is he a pet of yours, mademoiselle? Could I see him?"
Jacques eagerly inquired.
" He is the friend and companion, "she answered, " of a poor
blind man who sits on the quay, a few doors from the corner of
this street, and who is in despair at his illness. I would have
taken him to a veterinary surgeon, but his master could not bear
to be without him even for a short time; so I promised
some one to look at the old dog, and see what could be done for
him."
" If my mother can wait a few moments I will go at once, and
give master and dog the benefit of my advice. I consider myself
clever at doctoring animals. At Valsec I had quite a reputation
amongst our farm laborers. They said M. Jacques hud
for curing beasts. Have you not heard them say so. moth
"I know that has been one of your pretensions, dear. I;
and I will wait with pleasure whilst you do Mdlle. de la Pii
commission."
Jacques was absent about twenty minuter When he can n
he related with a great deal of fun and animation the result of
his exertions. How the case, had seemed to him beyond his own
powers; how he had ascertained the direction of the dog-doctor,
dragged him out of his den, and brought him in presence of the
dejected poodle. ITow the very voice of the canine JEsculapius
had raised the spirits of the patient and made him wag Install
How he had prescribed for him a certain powder mixed with his
food, and a more generous diet. Aud that not bcnur quite
aware, in spite of his knowledge on the subject, what constituted