Moreover, M. Darpent had been chosen as a deputy of the Town Council
at the Hotel de Ville. This council consisted of the mayor and
echevins, as they called them, who were something like our aldermen,
all the parish priests, deputies from the trades, and from all the
sixteen quarters of the city, and more besides. They had the
management of the affairs of the city in their hands, and Clement
Darpent, owning a house, and being respected by the respectable
citizens of his department of St. Antoine, was chosen to represent
it. Thus he felt himself of use, which always rejoiced him. As to
me, I only saw him once that whole autumn, and then I met him by
accident as I was walking with Eustace and Margaret in the Cours de
la Reine. [footnote: the Champs-Elysees]
We were in high spirits, for our own King had marched into England
while Cromwell was beating the covenanting rogues in Scotland, and
Eustace was walking and riding out every day to persuade himself that
he was in perfect health and fit to join his standard. That dear
brother had promised that if he went to England I should come with
him, and be left with old Mrs. Merrycourt, Harry's mother, till
Clement could come for me. then Eustace, with his own lands again,
could marry his Millicent, and throw over the Dutchman's hoards, and
thus we were full to the brim of joyous plans, and were walking out
in the long avenue discussing them most gladly together, when, to add
to our delight, Clement met us in his sober lawyer's suit, which
became him so well, coming home from a consultation.
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