Volume V Part 8 (2/2)

”No, for her happiness is mine too, and I know she will ly beautiful every day

Possano and the abbe ca down to table, andordered two more plates I allowed them to dine with us

My brother's face was pitiful and yet ridiculous He could not walk any distance, so he had been obliged to come on horseback, probably for the first time in his life

”My skin is delicate,” said he, ”so I am all blistered But God's will be done! I do not think any of His servants have endured greater tor this journey My body is sore, and so is lance at Marcoline, and we had to hold our sides to prevent ourselves laughing My niece could bear it no more, and said,--

”How I pity you, dear uncle!”

At this he blushed, and began to address theher ”my dear niece” I told him to be silent, and not to speak French till he was able to express hi a fool of hiomas spoke no better than he did

I was curious to knohat had happened at Mentone after we had left, and Pogomas proceeded to tell the story

”When we careatly astonished not to find the felucca any more We went to the inn, where I knew you had ordered dinner; but the inn-keeper knew nothing except that he was expecting the prince and a young officer to dine with you I told hiht wait for you in vain, and just then the prince caone he ht look to you for his payentleman wanted to pay hness and would not take the race, and asked us ere I told hied to you, and that you had not waited for us either, which put us to great trouble 'You will get away easily enough,' said he; and then he began to laugh, and swore the jest was a pleasant one He then asked me who the ladies were I told hi of the other; but the abbe interfered, and said she was your cuisine The prince guessed he , in which he was joined by the young officer 'Greet him from me,' said he, as he went away, 'and tell hiain, and that I will pay hihed, too, when the prince had gone, and gave us a good dinner, saying that the prince's Louis would pay for it all When we had dined we hired two horses, and slept at Nice In theyou here” Marcoline told the abbe in a cold voice to take care not to tell anyone else that she was his cuisine, or his cousin, or else it would go ill with hiht either the one or the other I also advised him seriously not to speak French for the future, as the absurd way in which he had committed himselfpost-horses to take us to Frejus, a e of a carriage which I had left on his hands nearly three years ago This hen I was taking Rosalie to Italy I laughed, for the carriage itself was not worth five louis ”Friend,” said I, ”I make you a present of the article”

”I don't want your present I want the ten louis you owe et the ten louis I will see you further first”

”We will see about that;” and so saying he took his departure

I sent for horses that we eant suovernor's presence

I followed him, and was politely requested to pay the ten louis that reement I had entered into for six francs a th of the tere

”But supposing you were never to withdraw it?”

”Then the man could bequeath his claie you to withdraw it, or to allow it to be sold to defray expenses”

”You are right, sir, and I wish to spare hie”

”That's fair enough Friend, the carriage is yours”

”But sir,” said the plaintiff, ”it is not enough; the carriage is not worth ten louis, and I want the surplus”

”You are in the wrong I wish you a pleasant journey, sir, and I hope you will forgive the ignorance of these poor people, ould like to shape the laws according to their needs”

All this trouble had ood deal of time, and I determined to put off e for Possano and the abbe, and I got my secretary to buy the one I had abandoned for four louis It was in a deplorable state, and I had to have it repaired, which kept us till the afternoon of the next day; however, so far as pleasure was concerned, the time was not lost