A Parisian Romance — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

A PARISIAN ROMANCE. 71 It was not strange, therefore, that Armande, in — her loveliness, should have been strongly attracted to Marcelle de Targy. Henri had been her friend from childhood, and, moreover, Marcelle’s clinging, sensitive nature appealed powerfully to her own more self-reliant one. Her happiest moments were those spent in the peace and sunshine of the De Targy household. Sunshine? Yes, but—and unfortunately there is always a but—there was one cloud upon the other- wise clear horizon. since the sudden death of her husband, the dowager Madame de Targy, as we have already heard Chevrial relate; had become a changed woman. Formerly devoted in her piety and strict in the observance of her religion, she now never entered a church. Her melancholy increased more and more, reaching at times what seemed absolute despair. Although she wished and indeed insisted that Henri and Marcelle should join in all the pleasures that the world could give them, she reso- lutely eschewed all society herself and saw no one outside of her own family, save Doctor Chesnel and occasionally Madame Chevrial. When Henri had asked her permission to marry Mademoiselle Rigaud, she had at once given her consent and had even urged that the marriage take place at once. She seemed fond of Marcelle, but her usual condition was one of apathetic indiffer- ence, 5 Gomicbooksrco im