A Parisian Romance — page 100: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

rer A PARISIAN ROMANCE 91 “Monsieur de Fervieres had absolute confidence in him,” said Madame de Targy, “and your father deserved it—up to that time.” “Up to that time!” exclaimed Henri, more and more puzzled. There was a long pause, during which Madame de Targy was evidently nerving herself for the painful ordeal before her. Then, she proceeded a little less calmly than hitherto: “So your father received this inheritance, amount- ing to nearly three millions of francs, upon the con- dition, verbal but sacred, that he should transmit it to the daughter of Madame d’ Ambleuse, after the death of the husband. I knew nothing of all this at the time. Four years ago, Monsieur d’ Ambleuse, who had been very ill for a long time, died at Nice. This was while you were abroad. His wife did not long survive him. From that time, your father’s health was much impaired, until he was finally struck, on the day of Armande d’ Ambleuse’s wed- ding, by that attack from which he never recov- ered. It was not till then, in the last hours of his life, that he confided to me the terrible secret which had so weighed upon him. Do you begin to under- stand, my poor boy?” It was scarcely necessary to ask this question. ‘The look of horror, which had been gradually deep- ening upon Henri’s face, showed that he did. “Ts it possible!” he faltered. “He had squandered the fortune that had been intrusted to his care?” Gomichbooks (€@) im