Volume V Part 24 (2/2)
This piece of sian to ask Moreau, as he called himself, several questions He told me he was a er, that Adele was his only child, that he was going to set up in business at Louviers, and so on
In the course of an hour the farce turned into a tragedy, in the following manner Tomen, one of them with a baby at her breast, and followed by four brats, all of whoht have been put under a bushel uess the reason of this pitiful sight They were the wife, the mother, and the children of the delinquent
My heart was soon eance had been complete, and I did not harbour resent that her husband was an innocent man, and that they who had accused hi the stor that her son uilty, but that he ot no bread ith to feed his children She added:
”My good sir, take pity on us, for he is our only support Do a good deed and set him free, for he would stay in prison all his days unless we sold our beds to pay you”
”My worthy woive hiistrate and all will be well”
At the sa to be troubled with her thanks A few nature for the al costs My lamps cost twelve francs tospent four or five louis for nothing
Adele was obliged to sit between s, but she was ill at ease I told her to sit further back, but as she would have had to lean on erous situation to begin with Moreau sat at the back of the carriage, Clairmont went on in front, and ere thus neck and neck, or rather neck and back, the whole way
We got down to change horses, and as ere getting into the carriage again Adele had to lift her leg, and shewed me a pair of black breeches
I have always had a horror of women with breeches, but above all of black breeches
”Sir,” said I to her father, ”your daughter has shewn me her black breeches”
”It's unco else”
I liked the reply, but the cursed breeches had so offended me that I became quite sulky It seemed to me that such clothes were a kind of raht a young girl should know nothing of the danger, or, at all events, pretend ignorance if she did not possess it As I could neither scold her nor overco polite, but I did not speak again till we got to St Simphorien, unless it was to ask her to sit ot to St Siood supper at Roanne, and to sleep there When ere about half-way Adele told ay as I had been I assured her that it was not so, and that I only kept silence that she ht be able to rest
”You are very kind,” she answered, ”but it is quite aAllowthe real cause of your silence”
”Do you know the real cause?”
”Yes, I think I do”
”Well, what is it?”
”You have changed since you saw ht, this black attire has clothed loom”
”I am very sorry, but you must allow that in the first place I was not to suppose that you were going to see my breeches, and in the second place that I could not be aware that the colour would be distasteful to you”
”True again, but as I chanced to see the articles you ust This black has filled es, just as white would have cheered me Do you alear those dreadful breeches?”
”I a them for the first time to-day”
”Then youaction”