Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

PICKWICK ABROAD, 237 not find the same facilities of continuing an epistolary correspondence that Hector enjoyed; and the ingenuity of the lovers, in proportion as the survetilance of the count and countess increased in vigilance, became the more fertile. They recollected that in eastern climes manimate objects were emblematic of certain feelings; and they at fength had recourse to one of those symbolic languages—the | of flowers. In the morning Hector sent, by a faithful valet, a leaf of wormwood, expressive of ‘“‘ Grief!" To this Eugenie replied by a daisy—‘‘ Your grief is shared by me!” In the afternoon, the unhapp youth despatched a wall-flower, the symbol of ‘* Constancy ;” to whieh was returned a hyacinth—‘“‘ Your love kills me.” Then, when the shades of night were spread over the earth, ere he retired to his sleep- less couch, Hector once more expressed his tenderness towards Eugenie by means of no other missive than the rose—and he received in return a slip of sweet basil, importing the ‘‘ Reminiscences of early love.” It is hardly necessary to state that the close confinement in which the suffering girl was detained, and the rigid watchfulness of her cruel guardians, thus obliged the lovers to encourage each other with hope and reciprocal assurances of permanent affection. Tn the meantime, the chevalier, proud at his imagined triumph, and delighted at the prospect of so shortly leading a beauteous bride to the altar, made all necessary preparations for the marriage, pur- chased new furniture, adorned his hotel in a sumptuous manner, and expended incredible sums on an entirely new (foilette, which he thought would be more suitable to the sobriety of the hymeneal state, than the gay and elegant attire he usually wore. The appointed morning arrived; the weather was tempestuous and gloomy; and occasional showers of rain precluded the possibility of giving a féte champt¢tre at St. Cloud or Versailles, as the chevalier had at first intended. A train of carriages drew up at an early hour opposite the count’s dwelling in the Rue de l'Université; and, when the clock struck eleven, the noble party, consisting-of the bride, her uncle and aunt, her unfortunate lover, the chevalief, and a crowd of friends, proceeded to the Mairie of the arrondissement, where the civil rights were speedily performed in presence of the Mayor and his. subordinates. Eugenie’s countenance was deadly pale—she seemed scarcely conscious of the nature of the ceremony in which she played so important a part—and Hector, on his side, maintained a moody and desperate silence. The chevalier was all gaiety, and even smiles, in spite of the solemnity of the occasion. From the Mairie the party proceeded to the church of St. Sulpice, where the priests were prepared to sanction, in the name of heaven, a rite already consecrated by man. Eugenie trembled violently when she entered the sacred edifice, at the principal gate of which crowds. were collected to witness the chevalier’s nuptials; and as she lenguidl walked up the aisle towards the grand altar-piece, so justly renowned for its beauty, she ventured to cast a momentary glance at Hector He caught her eye—and hastily pointed to a flower that he had placed conspicuously above the rest in his bouguet. Eugenie recognised it but too well—it was a small branch of the eglantine, expressive of ‘Unhappy love!” Eugenie, with a sinking heart, murmured to herself a few words ex- a S 5} a 6)(0)() .S (c@O)