Puck — May 1877 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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reo faves and a ues. AN ENGLISH STORY. (This Story was begun in No. ¢. Back Numbers can be obtained at the office of PUCK, 13 North William st.) (Continued.) ATHY of course? It is not of course at | X all. ‘This matter is not one of money now; it is one of affection. I will offer this poor one all you can and more; I will give her clothes and food and affect- ion, though I am a stranger ani a man; and she is beautiful—ah, so beautiful and young, and a woman; and the world is censorious, and may say wicked lies and dam scandal. I will work till my fingers are bone and my eyes are blind, that she may have food and clothes and shelter. You can offer her no more. But this I will offer her, which you do not: I will offer her a kind companion, a true friend, a honest heart, and the society of a gentleman who can speak the English decently. And it is for you, my poor little cat, to say whether you will accept this proud man’s money or this poor Frenchman's brotherhood.” “She can’t live with you, man.” “She shail live with me if she choose, and who shall say No? Mademoiselle, it is not of use to prolong this exciting scene. Tell me what you will do.” René’s eyes had filled with tears over the de- votion of her small protector —she was taller than he—and now she turned to him without hesitation, and said, + “Twill trust you, and I will work. like the theatre.” “Then, Mr. Biron, we will say to you fare- well. thank the good Mr. Silas Fox, and have nothing whatever to be grateful to you. Farewell.” He made a stately bow, which Gregory was too absorbed in reflection to observe, and with- drew with René. But before they had reached the hall-door, Gregory, following, said in an altered tone—it was dogged and sullen, “T will ask the favor of two words more with you.” “A thousand, if they will benefit my sweet friend. But though I am strong, she is fatigued, and she is brokeft-hearted; for she came here hoping to find in you the shadow of her father, as her father was the shadow of herself.” Gregory looked for the first time at the face of the girl who had wished to love him, with a sensation which had for many years been alien. He must have seen something in the great soft eyes recalling memories, mayhap two genera- tions old, for he said quiet softly, “Did you hope to find me a lovable old man?” The electric chain of sympathy was con- nected; that kinder voice had the deep mellow- ness of her father’s. Instantly the tears flooded her eyes, and she caught his white thin hand to her lips. “Here, Harriet,” cried Gregory, “take this young lady into the drawing-room. Is there a fire there? Right. Sherry and biscuits: and dinner will not be ready for an hour, my—my dear.” René pressed the hand and followed the maid willingly, whilst M. de Gaillefontaine, vainly striving to conceal his tears, seemingly followed Mr. Biron into the room he had recently left. I shall The two gentlemen were closeted for some | time, and then went away together over the | house, with the recalled secretary at their heels, “Now do you think these three rooms will do for Miss Biron?” asked Gregory. “If I might be allowed to speak for the young lady, I would of a truth say, Yes, ad- mirably.” We came to thank you, but find we must | with his arms folded in the Napoleonic manner. | thing she asked for; and she asked for most of PUCK. “Do you hear, Mr. Fox? These three rooms | are in future to be devoted to the use of Miss René Biron, my granddaughter. You had | better beg Miss Biron to inform you in what manner she will have them furnished after din- ner. Where are your rooms?” Mr. Fox led the way to his apartments. Gregory Biron had never interested himself in | the house, and knew nothing of the internal ar- rangements beyond the rooms he used. “Upon my soul, you know how to take care of yourself, Mr. Fox. Well, M. de Gaillefon- taine, are these rooms good enough for you?” “Superb! magnificent!” “Very well. They are: yours from this mo- ment. Fox, clear out your private rubbish -at once. ‘These apartments are in future M. de Gaillefontaine’s, and you will obey him as you would me. You understand? Speak up, fool!” “T understand you, Mr. Biron.” “Now that is settled you had best send down to the village for your luggage, and inform Miss Biron of the arrangement you have made. By the way,-she will not object now, I suppose?” “Now that you have bestowed a kind regard upon her she will never, never leave you,” said M. de Gaillefontaine, with a thorough belief in the truth of his own words. He told René that her grandfather was soft- ened, was great, was good, was magnificent and princely in his goodness, as he had been kingly in his wrath. She was to have a suite of rooms | for her especial use, and was to furnish them according to her own taste; and he, M. de Gaillefontaine, was to dwell under the same roof as her educational preceptor. After dinner M. Antoine de Gaillefontaine walked out alone to enjoy his cigar and the evening breeze. He walked down to the lodge, and looked out into the road through the gates, It was pleasant to look at the rates from the in- side, and he said, with a sigh of calm exultation, “T have done it, it is true; but it was a tough job!” CHAPTER VIII. Berore a month had passed M. de Gaille- fontaine saw one of his predictions verified. Gregory Biron was proud of the newly-acquired ornament to his house. ‘To say that he loved Reaé would be to abuse the sweetest verb there | is. Swift transient flashes of a high emotion occasionally thrilled him, but his prevailing re- gard for her was no more than the satisfaction he felt in possessing a grandchild who bade fair to eclipse every beauty in the county, and re- flect some of her lustre upon himself. She availed herself without hesitation of the carte blanche given her, furnishing her rooms | with the costliest things the upholsterer could | suggest, and dressing herself with consistent | splendor. This boldness delighted Gregory. He took her to London, and bought her every- the things she admired. She sailed into the dining-room like a young queen, and Gregory set her at the head of the table. She demanded that, M. de Gaillefontaine, as a friend and a chevalier, should have a seat at the table; and | Gregory acceding to her wishes, the chevalier henceforth took ‘his place at the board in be- coming habiliments. His coat was of the finest cloth, and had been returned to the tailor for reconstruction six times before the proper fall was expressed in the back. His shirt seemed to overflow with excessive purity; the cuffs ran down to his knuckles, the collar turned over and flowed outwards from his throat, his bosom swelled | hemispherically from his margin of white tie | and waistcoat. His shoes were exquisite. He | met Mr. Fox with a sigh, a shrug, a smile; and | | and called at the top of his voice, biddin; that gentleman, like a fallen angel, dined in so- litude, and ate the cold mutton of remorse. Feeling her power, René exercised it tho- roughly and became a tyrant, and her grand- father a protesting yet yielding subject to her will; and had she been less exacting, Gregory would have treated her simply as a necessary evil; he would have shunned her, and granted her no more than she asked or he chose to concede. He would have been glad to know as little of her as possible, and used her and M. de Gaillefontaine no better than he used Mr. Fox. Human society is made up of des- pots and slaves, aad it is questionable whether those who obey the one they admire are not happier than the one who commands those he despises. regory was pleased to be ruled by the im- perious René, He could see she was more beautiful than any creature he had ever seen, and he recognized the vigor and independent will of the fresh full-blooded young girl. She was yet maturing; every day brought her nearer to the standard of perfection. Gregory fretted whenever she was from his sight. He scolded her for leaving him without his sanction, and she withdrew to her rooms and would not go near him for a week. After. that, when she absented herself, he sat by the window watching for her return, with intervals spent in tormenting and worrying the unhappy Mr. Fox. Her waywardness delighted him. He had the eager devotion of a lover who has not entire possession of his mistress. He ex- ulted in the tie which connected him with one so paramountly admirable; she altered his ex- istence, and made him happier than he had ever been before, When his fine old aristo- cratic ailments confined him to the drawing- room in the winter, he watched from the win- dow his beautiful René learning horsemanship upon the wide sweeping lawn. “She'll play the deuce with the men in a couple of years—before that, perhaps. I should like to hear old Clinker groan when his dowdy girls are all left in the cold. The women will hate her—he, he, he! Lord, what a devil there is in her! Look at her now—she’ll break her neck! ‘The Frenchman can't keep up with her. She will surely not take that fence yet awhile; she means it though, by George! I wouldn’t have her injure her beauty for all the money in the world—she must not try it.”” He tapped on the window and cracked it, her not to attempt too much. René turned her face, all sparkling with excitement and flushed with exercise, and nodded. She threw her hat aside, and her long black hair tumbled down | upon her shoulder; she shook it back im- patiently, gave the mare a slash over the neck, and went at the fence. Gregory clenched his teeth and hands. M. de Gaillefontaine sat his horse like an emperor reviewing his choicest troops, and René went over the fence like a swallow. “Bravo!” shrieked Gregory; “bravo! well done! You're a queen of women, a Venus of beauties, my granddaughter René! Hang the gout!” He was more impatient than she was to go into society, but he restrained himself, like one who holds back in his hands the winning card until the proper time comes for playing it to the general astonishment. Her seventeenth birth- day was to be the occasion of a first state visit. On that day Gregory presented her with the finest landau that could be built, with the noblest arms emblazoned on its panels which the heralds could paint. It was sent from Long Acre, swathed in cloths, and was brought to the door for her formal acceptance at breakfast- time the following morning. At the proj time the old gentleman took his seat by her side, and, mantled with the richest of furs, they ™Comicbooks.com