Volume V Part 65 (1/2)
”But you ought to have told ot you an excellent supper, and I aht exceed my means, so I did not dare to offer to pay it I took Sara aside, and on hearing that all his trouble was on account of a debt of a hundred and fifty pounds, I asked the bailiff whether we could go away if the debt was paid
”Certainly,” said he, shewing e
I took out three bank notes of fifty pounds each, and gave the the bill I said to the poor Swiss,--
”You shall pay land”
The whole fa theet the troubles of life
We drove off to h the worthy et her sadness After supper I took them to the rooms which had been prepared for theood night, telling them that they should be well entertained till their departure, and that I hoped to follow them into Switzerland
When I awoke the next day I was in a happy frarown too strong to be overcome, but I did not wish to overco her that I put all desires out of my mind; desires are born only of doubt, and doubt toriven herself to me out of pure passion, without any shadow of self-interest
I went to the father's roo his trunks His wife looked sad, so I asked her if she were not well She replied that her health was perfect, but that the thought of the sea voyage troubled her sorely The father begged me to excuse hi ladies came down, and after we had breakfast I asked thetheir trunks so short a ti She smiled and said that one trunk would be ample for all their possessions, as they had resolved to sell all superfluities As I had seen some beautiful dresses, fine linen, and exquisite lace, I could not refrain froreat pity to sell cheaply ould have to be replaced dearly
”You are right,” she said, ”but, nevertheless, there is no pleasure so great as the consciousness of having paid one's debts”
”You ,” I replied, in a livelyto Switzerland with you I can pay your debts, and you shall repay me when you can”
At these words astonishment was depicted on her face
”I did not think you were speaking seriously,” said she
”Perfectly seriously, and here is the object of my vows”
With these words I seized Sara's hand and covered it with kisses
Sara blushed, said nothing, and the mother looked kindly at us; but after a th, and with the utave me circumstantial information as to the position of the fa that under the circu into debt, but that he had done wrong to bring them all with him to London
”If he had been by hih with only one servant, but with a family to provide for the two thousand crowns per annum provided by the Government are quite insufficient My old father has succeeded in persuading the State to discharge my husband's debts, but to e d'affaires; a banker with the title of agent will collect the interest on their English securities”
She ended by saying that she thought Sara was fortunate to have pleased me, but that she was not sure whether her husband would consent to the e” h it was evident there would be difficulties in the way
M---- F---- came back and told his wife that two clothes dealers would come to purchase their superfluous clothes in the afternoon; but after explaininghim that it would be better not to sell them, and that he could become my debtor to the amount of two hundred pounds, on which he could pay interest till he was able to return reement ritten out the sae question, as his wife had told me she would discuss it with him in private
On the third day he caan, ”has told reat honour, I assure you; but I cannot give you my Sara, as she is pro back from my word Besides my old father, a strict Calvinist, would object to the difference in religion He would never believe that his dear little grandchild would be happy with a Roman Catholic”
As a matter of fact I was not at all displeased at what he said I was certainly very fond of Sara, but the word ”reeable sound to e in time, and that in the meanwhile I should be quite content if he would allow me to be the friend of the family and to take upon myself all the responsibility of the journey He prohted at his daughter having won ave Sara as warm marks of my love as decency would allow in the presence of her father and ht of was love