The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

192 THE STEAM PACKET, ing, commanded the young lover to retire. Abashed and confused, Albert did not even think of inquiring of the bystanders the name of the gentleman who accompanied the lady in the elegant barouche ; but he returned to his hotel more wretched than before. On three or four different occasions, subsequent to the last-men- tioned one, did Albert encounter her whom he had known as’ Made- moiselle Tascher. Each time was she accompanied by her rude male companion; and each time was he unable to obtain one mo- ment’s conversation with her. She always bowed to him witha kind- ness—it might almost be said with a sisterly warmth of manner; and her companion as invariably appeared to be as indignant with her for bestowing that courtesy, as with Albert for receiving it. Neither on any of those occasions did Albert think of making such inquiries of the bystanders as should relieve him from his suspense relative to the © condition of her whom he loved, and the nature of her connexion with the rude gentleman by whom he was invariably insulted. Six weeks had thus passed away since the arrival of Henri Alvimar and Albert Michel in Paris; and at the expiration of that time the former had terminated the business which led him thither. A day was accordingly fixed upon for their return—in spite of Albert’s anxiety to procrastinate the moment when he must quit Paris—perhaps for ever; for Henri on his part was anxious to seek once more the spot inhabited by his much-loved Pauline. The day of departure dawned, and the hour arrived—but Albert was not true to his appointment. Henri proceeded to his friend’s chamber, where he found that Albert’s clothes were duly packed up, ready for the journey. An inquiry of the porter at the entrance of the hotel made him acquainted with the fact that Albert had sauntered out only half an hour previously, but not with the air of a person who was bent upon any particular business. Henri waited, and waited—and his friend did not return. The entire day passed—the morrow dawned, but with it came not young Michel. Henri now grew alarmed, and feared that some accident might have overtaken the absent one. Hevisited the Morgue—or receptacle for dead bodies found in the river or elsewhere ; he proceeded to the various hospitals ; he called upon the magistrates ; he made imquuiries of the police—but no where could he obtain the slightest trace, nor hear the most remote tidings of him whom he sought. He passed a week in these fruitless researches; and then ie a heavy heart he took his departure from Paris. It were vain to attempt to describe the grief of Pierre Michel, or thie anguish of Pauline, when Henri arrived at the cottage in the Basse- Ville, and communicated the extraordinary disappearance of Albert. Se GEomichbooks.co