The Argosy — page 311: what you’re looking at

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

The Début of Mademorselle Agathe. 207 ‘*My ANGEL,—Thy note found me in the midst of preparations for a sudden departure, which will unhappily prevent my seeing thee again. When thou receivest this, I shall be en route for St. Petersburg. Forget not thy } ‘“ AUGUSTE.” ‘* He will soon have forgotten m2,” she murmured, sadly. ‘Will not madame open M. le Comte’s letter?” inquired Esther, with the natural curiosity of her species. ‘* Au fait!” replied her mistress, rousing herself from a momentary ft of abstraction. ‘ Voyons 1A!” M. de la Rivitre’s epistle, carefully sealed with his coat-of-arms, ran thus : ' ““My DgaAR AMANDA,—Circumstances have come to my knowledge which will spare you the inconvenience of my future visits. I enter nto no details, nor does a person of your intelligence require any. M. Darbois informs me that your engagement at the Nonpareil expires at the end of the present month, and regrets that his arrangements will not allow him to renew it. Enclosed is a slight souvenir d’amitié. ‘6 COMTE DE LA RIVIERE.” ‘‘A cheque for ten thousand francs!” exclaimed the soubrette, greedily examining a slip of paper which had fallen from the envelope. ““ Ah, madame! you have killed the golden goose.” ‘‘ There are more geese than one in the world, Esther.” ‘‘'True, madame, but they don’t all lay golden eggs. Enfin, what’s done can’t be helped,” continued Mdlle. Esther, growing proverbial } in her excitement. ‘‘ But in future, if I were madame ——” ‘‘ Well, what then?” ‘‘T would bear in mind the old saying: ‘Il ne faut pas counr deux liévres a ia fois.’” C. H. CORnniclooolkks (CO)