or five years there. And he found out also--how, is not
important--that she was Idalie Sainte Foy Mortemart des Islets. _La
grande demoiselle_! He had never known her in the old days, owing to
his uncomplimentary attitude toward women, but he knew of her,
of course, and of her family. It should have been said that his
plantation was about fifty miles higher up the river, and on the
opposite bank to Reine Sainte Foy. It seemed terrible. The old
gentleman had had reverses of his own, which would bear the telling,
but nothing was more shocking to him than this--that Idalie Sainte
Foy Mortemart des Islets should be teaching a public colored school
for--it makes one blush to name it--seven dollars and a half a month.
For seven dollars and a half a month to teach a set of--well! He found
out where she lived, a little cabin--not so much worse than his own,
for that matter--in the corner of a field; no companion, no servant,
nothing but food and shelter. Her clothes have been described.

Only the good God himself knows what passed in Champigny's mind on
the subject. We know only the results. He went and married _la grande
demoiselle_. How? Only the good God knows that too. Every first of the
month, when he goes to the city to buy provisions, he takes her with
him--in fact, he takes her everywhere with him.

Passengers on the railroad know them well, and they always have a
chance to see her face. When she passes her old plantation _la grande
demoiselle_ always lifts her veil for one instant--the inevitable
green barege veil. What a face! Thin, long, sallow, petrified! And the
neck! If she would only tie something around the neck! And her plain,
coarse cottonade gown! The negro women about her were better dressed
than she.

Poor old Champignon! It was not an act of charity to himself, no
doubt cross and disagreeable, besides being ugly. And as for love,
gratitude!

MIMI'S MARRIAGE

This how she told about it, sitting in her little room,--her bridal
chamber,--not larger, really not larger than sufficed for the bed
there, the armoire here, the bureau opposite, and the washstand behind
the door, the corners all touching. But a nice set of furniture, quite
_comme il faut_,--handsome, in fact,--as a bride of good family should
have. And she was dressed very prettily, too, in her long white
_negligee_, with plenty of lace and ruffles and blue ribbons,--such as
only the Creole girls can make, and brides, alas! wear,--the p