FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   >>   >|  
is faults by this resolution." After dinner Savinien presented himself, and found the doctor walking with Ursula by the balustrade of the terrace overlooking the river. The viscount had received his clothes from Paris, and had not missed heightening his natural advantages by a careful toilet, as elegant as though he were striving to please the proud and beautiful Comtesse de Kergarouet. Seeing him approach her from the portico, the poor girl clung to her uncle's arm as though she were saving herself from a fall over a precipice, and the doctor heard the beating of her heart, which made him shudder. "Leave us, my child," he said to the girl, who went to the pagoda and sat upon the steps, after allowing Savinien to take her hand and kiss it respectfully. "Monsieur, will you give this dear hand to a naval captain?" he said to the doctor in a low voice. "No," said Minoret, smiling; "we might have to wait too long, but--I will give her to a lieutenant." Tears of joy filled the young man's eyes as he pressed the doctor's hand affectionately. "I am about to leave," he said, "to study hard and try to learn in six months what the pupils of the Naval School take six years to acquire." "You are going?" said Ursula, springing towards them from the pavilion. "Yes, mademoiselle, to deserve you. Therefore the more eager I am to go, the more I prove to you my affection." "This is the 3rd of October," she said, looking at him with infinite tenderness; "do not go till after the 19th." "Yes," said the old man, "we will celebrate Saint-Savinien's day." "Good-by, then," cried the young man. "I must spend this week in Paris, to take the preliminary steps, buy books and mathematical instruments, and try to conciliate the minister and get the best terms that I can for myself." Ursula and her godfather accompanied Savinien to the gate. Soon after he entered his mother's house they saw him come out again, followed by Tiennette carrying his valise. "If you are rich," said Ursula to her uncle, "why do you make him serve in the navy?" "Presently it will be I who incurred his debts," said the doctor, smiling. "I don't oblige him to do anything; but the uniform, my dear, and the cross of the Legion of honor, won in battle, will wipe out many stains. Before six years are over he may be in command of a ship, and that's all I ask of him." "But he may be killed," she said, turning a pale face upon the doctor. "Lovers,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
doctor
 

Savinien

 

Ursula

 

smiling

 

minister

 
preliminary
 
conciliate
 

instruments

 
mathematical
 

entered


accompanied

 

godfather

 
infinite
 

tenderness

 
October
 

presented

 
affection
 
dinner
 

mother

 

celebrate


battle

 

stains

 

uniform

 

Legion

 

Before

 

command

 

turning

 

Lovers

 

killed

 

oblige


Tiennette

 
carrying
 

valise

 

resolution

 

faults

 
incurred
 

Presently

 
mademoiselle
 

elegant

 
toilet

allowing
 

careful

 
pagoda
 
striving
 

advantages

 

captain

 
clothes
 

missed

 
heightening
 

natural