to
others, for it often occurs that useful occupations are perilous
undertakings. I understand perfectly all that you represent to me, and
am only surprised that you do not understand it yourself. Give him the
lady of Castelnau, and both will become reasonable, you will be a
grandfather and obtain another toy to amuse you."

"Never!" exclaimed the Counsellor of Parliament with the utmost
vehemence, "shall that take place as long as I live; it is she, who
bewilders him, who torments him, and yet nourishes all his prejudices.
Never speak to me of that again."

"You do the girl injustice," said the doctor, "strange she is, indeed,
but good, and out of the two excentricities a tolerable understanding
would arise." At this moment the garden-gate was closed violently,
Edmond entered, and the conversation ended. They saluted one another,
and seated themselves in the summerhouse with the little girl.
"Brother," cried Eveline, "it is all your fault, that my beautiful
house is knocked down. He causes nothing but misfortune." Edmond was in
a kindly mood, and said: "build it up again, my sister, and you will
have so much the more to do."--"Yes," answered she, "if I were allowed
to be as idle as you, it would matter very little, but I have yet to
sew to-day, and then to write and cipher, but you have nothing to care
for, and that is why you give so much trouble to people."

"What have I done besides upsetting your splendid card-house?" asked
Edmond.

"Look papa," cried the child, "he has already forgotten that he shot
dead his lady love; Oh, he will kill us all soon, and when he has done
that, he will be satisfied."

Edmond frowned; the father reprimanded the child's rudeness and the
doctor gave a different turn to the conversation. "Now, dear Edmond,"
said he, addressing the young man, "what do you say to the news, that
the Camisards, in spite of their late defeat, still hold out against
the king's troops, that they are masters of the plain, that an English
fleet will land in Getta, that a battle is said to have been lost in
Germany, and that, if only the half of all this be true, we are
thinking how we shall make friends with the rebels, that they may not
put an end to us."

"Do not jest," said Edmond, "our country has never yet been in such
danger, so long however as such gentle proceedings are used towards
these rebels, we are really standing on a precipice, if the foreign foe
should succeed in landing even a small army