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Ised me Hint if I came to the Chapel of La Pinrde on the last
day of .May. you would grant anv rcqiie
nil-: ^TARY'X DAUGHTKI:.
I ol mine', whatever it.
U be. I "was I Urn:, ;uul I uow claim your promise.
DKNISI: I>K I.A I'INKDE,
Fille de Cburite.
Hopital Militaire.
"God blcs-i you, Somr. Denise," Mise Mode exclaimed with
tears in her eyes; " but let me just tell you that I nm afraid of
ing straight to La Pinede, and tluding Rose, without liavard
anything lo enlighten him as to her present feelings
towards liini."
the Jean Hurt.
The bells of Notre Dame de la Garde were ringing the An-
f/elus; the softened sound of their chimes floated in the transparent
air as the setting sun was sinking into a bed of rosy-colored
clouds, leaving behind it that bright, lingering light which is so
striking on a summer's evening on the Mediterranean Sea.
George de Vedelles was standing on the deck of the vessel,
which in another hour was to weigh anchor. Sunk into a deep
reverie, he was thinking at that moment of three persons, two
of whom would grieve at his departure, and one who would not
know of it, or if she did, never give it a thought. There was
liis mother. He loved her very much. When she had been ill
after her accident, his misery had showed him how strong was
that love. But there had been a bitter feeling in his heart for
many a Ions: day, which had saddened his affection for her. She
had been ti-.udar, very tender, to him, very gentle and kind ; she
h id grieved at his father's .harshness, and tried to make up for
it; but she had not the least understood either his character, his
of health, or his sufferings of mind.
newspaper, and read the news of his brother's election as Deputy
des Bouches du Rhone, his heart had hardened again for a while.
They nil had what they had striven for, and schemed for-
Jacques his seat, his parents the full gratification of their pride
in him, M. Lescalle a good settlement and the title of Baronne
for his daughter. It was all as it should be, and no one had any
right to complain.
"
Poor old Vincent will be sorry ," he thought.
"
Except my
mother, he is the only creature in the world who really cares for
me. I shall write to him from the first place we stop at." His
vhich were wandering over the busy town he was about to
leave, fixed themselves at that moment on a square ugly building
which he knew well
"
by sight, flic military hospital. Well,
who knows but 1 may tread in her footsteps; who knows thai 1
may not some day do as she is doing, live for God alone and the
poor."
It was not the first time that thought had struck him since h*
.
la not
had left Belbousquet. The fact was that hi .
completely satisfied with hi-i reasoning, and had now and then
given signs of protesting, which it wa.-, nece-sary to lull and the
dream ol' a sublime vocal ion to be hereafter followed, proved use-
ful as an anodyne to troublesome doubts.
These deep musings were interrupted by M de Belmont'a
voice, who cried to him from the opposite side of the deck.
" George, here is a sailor-boy who has brought a letter for you
with
'
immediate' written upon it.'"
The blood rushed to George's face and brow. He had no
doubt some of his family, or his wife's relations, had written to
stop his departure, and all the combativcncss of his nature was
roused. He felt almost inclined not to read the letter before the
So?ur Denise took up a pen, and added this postscript:
"
Come
first to the hospital. There are important reasons for this."
"
Will you speak to him, Soeur Denise? Will you he the angel
of peace that will reconcile him to his young wife? He never
could resist you, I feel sure of that."
"
I am not going to he an angel at all in the matter " Soeur
Denise answered, with that playful simplicity so common
amongst the Sisters of Charity. "If ma sceur approves of it, I
Lave no objection to see the young Baron, and to give him a
good scolding. Oh, here comes our messenger. Shall the note
go as it "
is, Mdlle. Lescalle, or will you add anything to it?
"Oh, no," both Mise Mede and Mdlle. Lautard exclaimed;
and the missive was placed in the hands of a young sailor belonging
to one of Soeur Denise's poor families, who promised
not to lose a minute in conveying it to the gentleman on board
ship sailed. Then the fear that his mother might be ill crossed
him.
" '
Good God! he
"
immediately exclaimed, I cannot run
such a risk," and he advanced to meet the boy, who held out the
letter to him.
The instant he saw the handwriting- his heart began to beat
violently. When he had read the few lines addressed to him, he
looked pale and agitated, but did not for a moment hesitate.
Going straight up to M. de Belmont, he said, " Aloys, 3~ou will
think me a very strange person, but. I must go back. I cannot
start with you. I have had bad news."
" Your parents? "
"
No; our old servant Vincent is dangerously ill, and asks for
me. I must be with him before he dies."
" Well, if it had been one of your family, my dear fellow but.
really, I cannot see . After you had made up your mind
that you had such strong reasons for leaving France, it does seem
rather changeable. I am afraid my uncle will be annoyed. He
did not want to take you. I had to argue, to urge, even to exag-
gerate the importance of your absenting yourself for some time,
to induce him to consent ; and now, half an hour before
"
sailing
"
I cannot help it, Aloys."
"
Oh, of course, poels are endowed with wonderful sensibility,
and are very wayward also; but I think this is really an exaggerated
amount of feeling. If all you have tried to convince me
of is the case if you are determined not to return to your
"
wife
" "
Quite as determined as ever
"
Why, then, you are preparing for yourself and her all sorts
of disagreeable scenes, which you so strongly argued you wished
to avoid. Come, write a kind note to this poor old man, and do
Just as much as M. de Vedelles and Jacques, she had looked
upon him since his illness as a sort of grown-up child, or a nervous
invalid, without energy or will or intellect. She had plotted
with the others too to bring about his marriage, that marriage
which had caused him such bitter humiliations. She bad, indeed,
had scruples on the subject, but they had been expressed too laic to
avail. But after resolving to abandon his home and the wife
that had been forced upon him, and on whom he had been
forced, now, at the last moment, the thought of his mother's
sorrow haunted him. It had done so the whole of that day, but
when in a caff, where he had breakfasted, he had taken up the
not in a moment give up what you took days to decide on."
"I cannot explaiujo you, Aloys, all the circumstances of the
case. There is a promise in question, and I am bound in honor
as well as feeling to go this very moment on shore."
"Who sent this note?"
" A Sister of Charity," George replied, commanding his emotion.
Turning to the young sailor, he said, " I will return with
you in your boat. Aloys, let my portmanteau and bag he handed
clown. Goodbye, dear and kind friend; do not judge me severely
; I am not as wayward as you think."
"
Well, stop a minute; I must give you, if you are really going,
a letter I received just now from Paris. It contains some good
news, enough to turn your head. Good heaven! there is the first
signal given; we shall be off in a few minutes. God bless you,
old fellow 1 Write to me."
In half an hour George de Vedelles entered the waiting-room
of the military hospital. It was full of people, and sisters in
white eornett.es flitted across it now and then, speaking one moment
to one person and then to another. Someone came up to
him and asked him whom he was waiting to see. He stammered
out, " "
Soeur Deuise." She will be here in a moment," was the
reply, and he sat down again with a strange sort of wonder that
he was going to see Denise again, in such a new scene and under
such different circumstances. Each cnnn-ttf. I hat appeared at the
door he walrhed with anxiety. At last one did appear, and un-
der it the beautiful face he had so worshipped. It was not
changed not at all changed, and yet it looked different, or else