FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   >>   >|  
ying, it seems, can have no peace. Prepare mustard poultices and apply them to the soles of Monsieur's feet." "Your uncle is not dead," said the abbe, "and he may live some time longer. He wishes for absolute silence, and no one beside him but his niece. What a difference between the conduct of that young girl and yours!" "Old hypocrite!" exclaimed Cremiere. "I shall keep watch of him. It is possible he's plotting something against our interests." The post master had already disappeared into the garden, intending to watch there and wait his chance to be admitted to the house as an assistant. He now returned to it very softly, his boots making no noise, for there were carpets on the stairs and corridors. He was able to reach the door of his uncle's room without being heard. The abbe and the doctor had left the house; La Bougival was making the poultices. "Are we quite alone?" said the old man to his godchild. Ursula stood on tiptoe and looked into the courtyard. "Yes," she said; "the abbe has just closed the gate after him." "My darling child," said the dying man, "my hours, my minutes even, are counted. I have not been a doctor for nothing; I shall not last till evening. Do not cry, my Ursula," he said, fearing to be interrupted by the child's weeping, "but listen to me carefully; it concerns your marriage to Savinien. As soon as La Bougival comes back go down to the pagoda,--here is the key,--lift the marble top of the Boule buffet and you will find a letter beneath it, sealed and addressed to you; take it and come back here, for I cannot die easy unless I see it in your hands. When I am dead do not let any one know of it immediately, but send for Monsieur de Portenduere; read the letter together; swear to me now, in his name and your own, that you will carry out my last wishes. When Savinien has obeyed me, then announce my death, but not till then. The comedy of the heirs will begin. God grant those monsters may not ill-treat you." "Yes godfather." The post master did not listen to the end of this scene; he slipped away on tip-toe, remembering that the lock of the study was on the library side of the door. He had been present in former days at an argument between the architect and a locksmith, the latter declaring that if the pagoda were entered by the window on the river it would be much safer to put the lock of the door opening into the library on the library side. Dazzled by his hopes, and his ea
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
library
 

master

 

doctor

 

making

 

pagoda

 
letter
 
Savinien
 

listen

 
Ursula
 

Bougival


wishes

 

poultices

 
Monsieur
 

immediately

 
obeyed
 

Portenduere

 
buffet
 
marble
 

mustard

 

beneath


Prepare

 

sealed

 

addressed

 

architect

 

locksmith

 

declaring

 

argument

 

present

 

entered

 

opening


Dazzled

 
window
 

monsters

 

comedy

 

godfather

 
remembering
 

slipped

 
announce
 

conduct

 
stairs

corridors
 

carpets

 
softly
 
difference
 

returned

 

disappeared

 
plotting
 

interests

 
garden
 

intending