Volume V Part 28 (2/2)
”What! Still a maid?”
”As much a maid as at the moment I was born They tell e, but besides the scandal that would arise, I unhappily love hiive him pain”
”You are a wonderful woman, but why do you not provide a substitute for hi to endure much remorse, but I prefer to bear it”
”You are very praiseworthy, but in the other ways you are happy?”
”He is overwhelive me back my dowry he would not have a shi+rt to his back Why did he marryto do”
”Yes, but you ive hie without enjoyment is a thorn without roses She was passionate, but her principles were stronger than her passions, or else she would have sought for what she wanted elsewhere My i that he loved her so well that he thought cohabitation with her would restore thefaculty; he deceived himself and her at the same time In time she died, and he married another woer than virtue, and his neife drove him away from Paris I shall say more of hi the abbe went off in the diligence, and I did not see hireed, outwardly, that young d'Aranda should return to Paris as a postillion I fixed our departure for the day after next
The following day, after dining with Madaeneration, I paid a visit to the Corticelli in her asylu, but content, and well pleased with the gentleness of the surgeon and his wife, who told ave her twelve louis, pro to send her twelve more as soon as I had received a letter frona She promised she would write to me, but the poor unfortunate was never able to keep her word, for she succueon wrote to me, when I was at London He asked what he should do with the twelve louis which she had left to one Madame Laura, as perhaps known to eon hastened to fulfil the last wishes of the deceased
All the persons who helped ical operations with Madame d'Urfe betrayed me, Marcoline excepted, and all save the fair Venetian died miserably Later on the reader will hear more of Possano and Costa
The day before I left for London I supped with Mada to return She added a sage reflection which pleased hly
”I should think,” she observed, ”that the careful living prescribed by the cabala ood effect on my health”
”Most certainly,” said I, ”and if you continue to observe the rules you will keep both your health and your voice”
I knew that it is often necessary to deceive before one can instruct; the shadows must come before the dawn
I took leave of my worthy Madame d'Urfe with an emotion which I had never experienced before; it ain I assured her that I would faithfully observe all my promises, and she replied that her happiness was complete, and that she knew she owed it all to me In fine, I took d'Aranda and his top-boots, which he was continually ad, as he had begged e dressed as a courier
When we reached Abbeville he asked me where his mother was
”We will see about it after dinner”
”But you can find out in a moment whether she is here or not?”
”Yes, but there is no hurry”
”And ill you do if she is not here?”
”We will go on till we o and see the famous manufactory of M Varobes before dinner”
”Go by yourself I aood”
I spent two hours in going over theit entle post,” replied the innkeeper, as also the post- after some dispatches you had left at Paris”