A Parisian Romance — page 231: what you’re looking at

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

222 A PARISIAN ROMANCE. helped to bear my lot by the sympathy and pity of that angel, whose sufferings from the same hand were greater than mine. And yet you say that I do not like her.” Madame de Targy listened with a happy smile which the darkness hid. Surely this was encour- aging for her little plot, and she was emboldened to speak more clearly. “Then why do you treat her in such an icy fashion? Why not let her suspect the sentiments of gratitude you feel for her? She might be glad to know them.” “Why? Cannot you guess? Because I might be misunderstood; because she has influence, natur- ally, with the heads of the bank, and she might suspect me of an attempt to curry favor.” Madame de Targy was silent for a moment, and then she said, with sudden resolution. “There is no need for you to curry favor with her. She knows you, respects, and trusts you. Her life as well as yours has been a sad one, but it is not too late for you both to find happiness. Oh! Henri, my son, if that should come about, how overjoyed I should be. Do not let a foolish pride stand in the way.” | As he heard these words from his mother’s lips, De Targy was filled with a horrified astonishment. Was it possible that she so little understood him that she could conceive for a moment of his con- templating a second marriage? Painful as it was Eomichooks. co