Meantime the Prince of Conde had returned, and had met the Court at
Ruel. M. d'Aubepine and M. de Solivet both were coming with him, and
my poor little Cecile wrote letter after letter to her husband, quite
correct in grammar and orthography, asking whether she should have
the Hotel d'Aubepine prepared, and hire servants to receive him; but
she never received a line in reply. She was very anxious to know
whether the concierge had received any orders, and yet she could not
bear to betray her ignorance.
I had been startled by passing in the street a face which I was
almost sure belonged to poor Cecile's former enemy, Mademoiselle
Gringrimeau, now the wife of Croquelebois, the intendant of the
estate; and setting old Nicole to work, I ascertained that this same
agent and his wife were actually at the Hotel d'Aubepine, having come
to meet their master, but that no apartments were made ready for him,
as it was understood that being on the staff he would be lodge in the
Hotel de Conde.
'His duty!' said Cecile; 'he must fulfil his duty, but at least I
shall see him.'
But to hear of the intendant and his wife made me very uneasy.
The happier wives were going out in their carriages to meet their
husbands on the road, but Cecile did not even know when he was
coming, nor by what road.
'So much the better,' said our English Nan. 'If I had a husband, I
would never make him look foolish in the middle of the road with a
woman and a pack of children hanging on him!'
No one save myself understood her English bashfulness, shrinking from
all display of sentiment, and I--ah! I had known such blissful
meetings, when my Philippe had been full of joy to see me come out to
meet him.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205