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

THI. tra JIM
hivrs very much that old innn. There is something so
nit him on one of 'he
Lncenl, thou alone
wn.' How >;ul if he died wit:' i, and all
(lie f'tnily with whom i
s,
whicli -..
le fixed Ji
it, powerful
'it. and Rose's tilled with
me, my chilli: what arc you going to do?" Mdlle. Les-
I. :iu 1 a.ivously Waite ! ihe answer.
"
i),i \o:i ihin'.;, Aunt M 'de, 1 nii ;!it go to La Pincde with
this good man who ha -
luo-.ight the message, and will you go on
"
to M-irseiIVs with Dominique?
"
By all means," Mise Mede "
replied. It was what 1 wanted
i to do, Rosette. Here, Dominique, give Madame de Vedelles
her !>au; sin N n-.iing the oilier way."
!!>.-( liad jumped oil her saddle, and coming close to Mise
- mule, she threw her arms round her, looked up in her
faee, and said: "Kiss me, Aunt Medc. "
IU, my dariing, " the old lady said, bending down
face to press her lips ou Rose's white forehead.
11 do your best with that poor old faithful servant, and
tell him that he must think of God first, and of his young master
afterwards. Get him to receive the last sacraments, and who
knows what may follow? Yes, yes, little woman, I know the
meaning of that beseeching look. Rely on your old Aunt Mede.
What can be done will be clone; but remember who it is that
holds the reins aloft, and knows better than we do every turn of
3 road. What He does is well done, Rosy; so be off, my
Ir.-avc child, and do your duty. Many a more dreary ride have I
taken than this one of thine in old days, when life and death
were at stake. Say your beads as you jog on, and hope for the
A fond embrace was given, and the old woman and the young
one parted, and went on their way, each with a holy purpose,
each with a silent prayer.
When some hours afterwards, Mdlle. Lescalle arrived at
;, she went straight from the diligence to Mdlle.
lard's house, but found her out. What next was to be done?
]t was quite uncertain when she would come home. There
is hard at such mo-
ied nothing to do but wait. Waiting
ments, and she determined to try and tiud George de Vedelles.
As Mdlle. Laniard's servants did not know where M. de Belmou;
Kv (!, Mise Mede walked to the Admiralty, and there ob-
tained his direction. Off she went to the house, the address of
id been given her, and rung the bell. She did not ask
herself what she should say to George de Vedelles if she should
limi him at home. She thought that the promise made to God's
that He will put into their mouths the words they
:!d speak when they appear before kings to bear witness to
truth, in a certain degree applies to all who plead the cause
of righ, against wrong, of justice against injustice, even in the
i of domestic life, and the obscure trials of indi-
She could form no plan, she could find no words
whi. h iniitht not prove entirely misplaced, according to the naand
state of mind of one she knew so little of as this strange
;g man, who had inspired once such aversion to the wife
,
in whom he had been forced, but for whom she now felt so
nt an a!Y'T,iion that if he did not return to her the bloom
young
The be'l was at la: t answered.
life would vanish.
M. de Belmont had left two
before, and gone on board his uncle's ship, which was to
" And the
ning. Mise Medr's heart beat very fast.
Baron "
George de Vedelles, is he at home? she
'I. with intense anxiety.
" Xo. madame; he is also on board the Jin. Hurt, that is to
lir> slept there last night. He culled here for his letters two
M. lr n.iron embarks also to-night for America, with
llclmout."
" How soon do you suppose will the ship sail? " Mdlle. Les-
-.ked.
" I rannot tell exactly, madame; but I suppose towards
sunset."
How long would it take to get to it?"
"I cannot tell, madame; i
,.me distance in the bay.
Dear me. M. le Comic's own servant was here just now. lie
would have known; but Ih. , the port, not far off, would
be able to inform madame."
.Mise Mede returned to Mdlle. Laniard's house, and there heard
ie would p i her at the military hospital, where
there was much sickness just then she helped the Sis!'
Charily to nurse the soldi
These words made the thought flash through her mind that
Denisc Soeur Denise might be found there also, and thither she
hurried with a speed wonderful at her age. Again, there was a
weary time spent in the waiting-room, after sending a me
to Mdlle. Lnutard to say that she was there, and wished to lee
her on pressing business. At last she came, that good, brave
woman, with her bright, fine face, her slightly hump-ba.
figure, so well-known in Ma.-scilles, and her cheering smile.
" My clear, dear old friend, is it you? 1 wrote to you \
day that I had discovered M. de Belmont's address, and would
try and see him on your business as soon as I could. Has :.
thing happened since you wrote? "
"Yes, my good Amelie, a letter from George Vedelles came,
announcing his immediate departure for America. He leaves
'
Marseilles this evening witli.M. de Belmont in the ,///; l!