Volume IV Part 105 (2/2)
”The funniest thing is,” said the eldest, ”that you have had my dress made so that it can be let out when necessary without destroying the shape But what a beautiful piece of tri! It is worth four times as much as the dress itself”
Clelass She fancied that in the colours of her dress, rose and green, I had indicated the characteristics of the youthful Hebe Eleanore still maintained that her dress was the prettiest of all
I was delighted with the pleasure of uests, and we sat down to table with excellent appetites The dinner was extremely choice; but the finest dish of all was a dish of oysters, which the landlord had dressed a la maitre d'hotel We enjoyed them immensely We finished off three hundred of them, for the ladies relished them extremely, and the canon seemed to have an insatiable appetite; and ashed down the dishes with nune We stayed at table for three hours, drinking, singing, and jesting, while uests, waited upon us
Towards the end of the meal the pastry-cook's wife came in with the countess's baby on her breast This was a dramatic stroke The mother burst into a cry of joy, and the wo suckled the scion of so illustrious a house for nearly four hours It is well known that woination Who can say that this woman, simple and honest like the majority of the lower classes, did not think that her own offspring would be ennobled by being suckled at the breast which had nourished a young count? Such an idea is, no doubt, foolish, but that is the very reason why it is dear to the hearts of the people
We spent another hour in taking coffee and punch, and then the ladies went to change their clothes again Zenobia took care that their new ones should be carefully packed in cardboard boxes and placed under the seat of e
Croce's abandonedme that she was very happy with Zenobia She asked o
”You will be at Marseilles,” said I, pressing her hand, ”a fortnight after Easter at latest”
Zenobia had told irl had an excellent heart, behaved very discreetly, and that she should be very sorry to see her go I gave Zenobia twelve sequins for the trouble she had taken
I was satisfied with everything and paid the worthy pastry-cook's bill
I noticed we had eh it is true that we drank very little of any other wine, as the ladies preferred it
I loved and was beloved, ood, I had plenty of money, which I spent freely; in fine, I was happy I loved to say so in defiance of those sour moralists who pretend that there is no true happiness on this earth It is the expression on this earth which o anywhere else in search of happiness 'Mors ultima linea rerum est' Yes, death is the end of all, for after death man has no senses; but I do not say that the soul shares the fate of the body No one should dog is doubtful
It was seven o'clock e began our journey hoht The journey was so pleasant that it seene, the punch, and the pleasure, had warmed my two fair companions, and by favour of the darkness I was able to ah I loved Clementine too well to carry hted ished each other good night, and everybody retired to his or her room, myself excepted, for I spent several happy hours with Cleet
”Do you think,” said she, ”that I shall be happy when you have left me all alone?”
”Dearest Hebe, both of us will be unhappy for the first few days, but then philosophy will step in and soften the bitterness of parting without lessening our love”
”Soften the bitterness! I do not think any philosophy can work such a miracle I know that you, dear sophist, will soon console yourself with other girls Don't think ht I was capable of so vile a passion, but I should despiseconsolation in your way”
”I shall be in despair if you entertain such ideas of me”
”They are natural, however”
”Possibly What you call 'other girls' can never expel your ie from my breast The chief of them is the wife of a tailor, and the other is a respectable young wo to take back to Marseilles, whence she has been decoyed by her wretched seducer
”Fron in my breast; and if, led astray by my senses, I ever press another in these arms, I shall soon be punished for an act of infidelity in which my mind will have no share”
”I at all events will never need to repent in that fashi+on But I cannot understand hoith your love forme in your ar unfaithful to me”
”I don't contemplate it, dearest, I merely take it as an hypothesis”