CHAPTER II.—(Continued).

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 September 1886, Page 6

CHAPTER ll.—(Continued).

••It's very easy to cay • calm yourself,' but I'm lost in a fog. How Bhall I employ any last few single momenta. Once married, I shall no longer be allowed to say— Acre's a pretty little girl coming," and in fact, at this moment Cecile came sobbing into the room, her handkerchief to her eyes. i "-Iteon'i go to school again, I'm determined," ehe/ said, not seeing the Marquis, whose innate gallantry prompted him t console beauty in distress. " Who can possibly weep on this day of (ahem !) happiness V ." I* sir," said Cecile, a little ashamed *of being seen in tears, but reasauied by tho gentle manner of the Marquis. -♦• And. who ami!" queried he. " Me, sir ; I'm very miserable, and don't <**ra who knows it." •* Miserable, and so young ?" " Yes, sir," said the girl with a little gasp. , ao pretty," suggested the Marjquis. " Yes, sir," ingenuously answered Cecile. «• Poor little candid thinj?," said Frontignac with a smile', '* can I help you ?" .*' You can't,Bir; it'a my aunt, sir, my aunt Hortense, who says, she'll send me back to school again, after I thought I had leit for good," , ." Be pacified, little one," said the Marquis ; " your aunt shall change her mind." " What?" and Cecile looked up in astonishment ; " after she has made up her mind ? I see, sir, you don't know her ; she's a wonderful woman." " Yes, I do, and I also know somebody who will induce her to change her mind." «• Whp's that, sir?' "Your uncle." "My uncle ! I haven't got such a thing," said Cecile wondering more than ever, "But you will have— your aunt ingoing to be married " "Ko such good fortune, sir," said Cecile, and she pouted dolefully "She ia," said Frontignae, "and in a quarter of an hour. I ought to know," here the nobleman smiled half ruefully, half in merriment; "she's going to be married to me." " You !" Cecile. said turning round and looking at Frontignac in amaze ; " thon she can't marry Rodolphe. Oh ! wfafat fun !" and she clapped her hands with joy. " Ah," said Frontignac, with a certain clouding of front, "fun to you may be death to me. But— ah — who is jßodolphe?" " Oh, such a nice young man " " I daresay, and has your aunt any affect ion for him ?" "I don't know," answered Cecile, and with simplicity added, "but I have."' Assuming with difficulty, a magisterial air, Frontignac said, " Well, if the character of this young man should prove good " Don't say ' if,' sir," protested Cecile ; •* he's everything he ought to be " "No doubt," assented the Marquis, ** however,subject to that, your uncle gives his consent," and the air of the Marquis was that ot a grandee. *• Oh how kind of you ! you're something like an uncle," ejaculated Cecile, her eyes gleaming and cheeks glowing with delight, *'and I'm sure I shall love you very much," and she was about to throw her arms round his neck and kisa him, but she suddenly stopped and her colour became higher still. " Don't restrain yourself, my dear, " he said; "don't restrain yourself." " Well then, I won't," Bhe said, and she Mseed him twice, and the Marquis looked as if he liked it, aa no doubt he did, for he was but human after all. Now, of all persons in the world, who should stick his nose in at the doorway but our old acquaintance Crepin *'Oh, good gracious, there's somebody there !" eaid Cecile, and she vanished into an adjoining room in a twinkling. ." Go, my dear niece," quoth Frontignac patriarchally, bat the cobbler looked at him doubtingly. The nobleman met his glance and repeated, " Go, my dear niece, I said. Didn't you hear what I said ? Go, my dear niece." " Oh !" said Crepin dropping his eyes and lifting them again, "your niece, is she, Marqnis ?" "Well, my wife's niece, it's the same thing." Crepin'^ arch look became one of surprise ; and be said, " You've got a wife, too ?" "Yes," said Frontignae laughing, "and all since I saw you last." Crepin looked as if he could not quite take it all ia. "Doe 3 your lordship know who your lordship's lady is?" he inquired. "Perfectly ; the mistress of this house." ** What, the wealthy widow?" " The same. " "Then I wish," said Crepin, "that my bill was twice as large as it is." " You have your wish," said Frontignac. • C I mean to pay you double the amount. She said she didn't care what my debts were, " he added privately. "My lord, your kindness—" commenced the cobbler. "I?," interrupted the Marquip, "a simple act of justice from one who is rich,— ah — that is to say about to be rich, to one who ehowed compassion for him when poor." Further colloquy between the pair was broken off by the entrance of a servant bearing a hat and sword, and followed hy & tailor and his man with an embroidered coat and waiscoat, the two last individuals bowing obsequiously. * " Your lordship's tailor," explained the servant politely. **. My lord," said the tailor, "your lordship's,, coat, my lord." very one," said Frontignao, with severity, - c ,thati, you refused to leave last week without the money." V Nay, my lord, I " "Silence, sir,' broke in the nobleman ; • "although you had received hundreds, almost thousands, from me before." , " A' mistake of my man's, I assure you 1" glibly, ran on the man of cloth. "I am here to receive your lordship's orders." " You shall; have them : leave the coat and" go ;" ! then turning to the servant, Frbritignac said, "Let him be paid and shdw him the' door." * <«My' lord," 'faltered the tailor, "it's very bard — " " You have nothing to complain of," said the Marquis, "you: will .be paid both for your work and your .insolence." < The cobbler took position as a finger-post Hud indicated' the way iOut wifh a whimsical assumption of authority'; the crestfallen,, tailor and- bis man left the apart, raent, and the servant brought up the rear. The Marquis; '.took up the coat (he, had" already "donned the waistcoat), and acoepting; with a nog, iV th>; faletsbip which Crepin offered,, put £he coat pia alap, . „, * , \ ' 12$ l^^pade'ihort wiark irf w£i" said Crepin with * chuokle. „! ♦ ,

" I've no time to lose, my meftflr^laid and he yawned behind hand tQjseep SbShM'MfSigVfoYhKdltarfp^eM on^hich weft a s wa"t# with* epntt fifefe ' pins',* and 1 * «gW^rledf^ibb*6y/ Hl MakWg; the parse and gnve *'$ ieee^Bf gold . w{*!° r maid, who curtsiedher thunfcs rind r&tirted". , * ' There's no occasion* to waSte anything ,* said Oreptn quietly, taking tha'disca^ae^ ooat to himself: ""•"'<; l ? " '"^ M*" , "How do I look, Cropinf^iaid Tro'ri: tignac. " Splendid; my lord* splendid,"*' was Crepin's vordict. • M ' , " «♦ Stand back,"" sHid Fronti^bao in' an undertone : "my wife approaches. Blosb us all," he added sotto vocc, <l I tremble like an anpen." , ( Hortense swept into the room in a vyodding drees of the moat pronounced stylo and answered the 'bow of the Marquis with, an imperial curtsey. Ono of the servants'who came in attendance upon her announced' the arrival of the invited f rienijs. > 11 Is my carriage at the door?" inquired Hortenße. "Yes, madamo." . • 41 And a second for the Marquis ?" > ' - " Yes, madame," ••Your hand, then, Marquis," said the widow and with no more' ado, the Marquis and the relict of the merchant, preceded by the servants, desoended to the courtyard and were driven away. , Crepin watched the departing couple from the room ,and went over, in pantorainoe,^the scene between his two customers. ; 14 Is that the way they do it ?" said he. "-Why, I remember when I went to fetch my miesua to church, I gave her a jolly good bus?, and said * Come along, old gal.' I don't half like this widow.for all her wealth. I'll follow them to church, and ace that they don't play my poor Marquis any tricks. ' And, still sticking to the old cont of the Marquis, the cobbler hastened off to the church.