Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 286: what you’re looking at

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

236 PICKWICK ABRUAD. very circumstance only attached the young people the more to each other; and when, after a period of doubt and uncertainty that ex- tended to upwards of eighteen months, the chevalier seriously pro- posed to Eugenie, the astonished girl, in the embarrassment of the moment, and in accordance with her upright and correct ideas, cans didly acknowledged the prior engagement of her affections, an avowal which the chevalier received with no small degree of astonishment, but which he affected to treat as ‘‘a mere juvenile predilection, as evanescent as it was misplaced.” This repulse, instead of effectually causing De Valmont to desist from offering his addresses where they could now only assume the air of an unjust persecution, urged him on to more peremptory measures than he had as yet adopted; and in a few days after the memorable conversation he had with Eugenie relative to the state of her affections, he quietly——while they were both seated over a bottle of Chambertin —communicated the whole matter to Count de Lamoreau, who was thunderstruck at the conduct of his son, angry at the duplicity, as he called the silence, of Eugenie, and at the same time, for obvious reasons, delighted at the proposals of the chevalier. ‘‘ Chevalier de Valmont,”’ said the count after a considerable pause, during which he deliciously savoured the Chambertin, ‘‘ Eugenie shall be yours!” —. ‘I flatter myself,” began the chevalier, totally unruffled—for, ac- cording to his idea, the display of any emotion or ebullition of feelin was at variance with the placid equanimity a gentleman shoul invariably preserve—totally unruffled by the communication which De Lamoreau had just made, and which so nearly regarded his inte- rests, ‘‘T flatter myself that mademotselle might receive less eligible offers, and launch into the sea of matrimony under the control of a more fallible pilot. Not that I would vaunt my own merits; for you, De Lamoreau, being a person of considerable discernment,” added the chevalier, introducing, as if unintentionally, one of those flattering compliments which he knew were calculated to place a man on excel- lent terms with himself—‘‘ and having seen too much of the world to be deceived as to the intrinsic value of a friend—you, my dear Lamo- reau, can best judge whether Eugenie will be happy when placed under my care.”’ The count nodded assent, and sipped his wine with the importance of a man to the shrine of whose pride a most grateful incense has just been offered up. Had he deemed it necessary, the chevalier would have supplied him with whole hecatombs of compliments; but the int was gained at a less expensive rate; and, on the following morn- ing, Eugenie was duly informed of the approval her uncle had given to the ahevaies’ suit, and at the same time was desired to prepare for the nuptial ceremony in the course of a month. Time rolled onwards; and, while the chevalier was receiving with radiant and triumphant smiles the congratulations of his friends on his approaching marriage, Eugenie pined insecret. Hector de Lamoreau saw her but seldom—private interviews were guarded against by the vigilance of her parents; still the young lovers adored not each other the less, nor did they fail to communicate their hopes, their tender- ness, and their fears so often as opportunities occurred, But Eugenie did a S = a TOO <S (COUN