Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

94 THE ARGOSY. while I compelled him to listen to the position of affairs at the castle and the plight of his cousin there, I could see that his thoughts were away out of the room with his Angele. “I am sorry for her, poor soul; I am sure I would have every one happy at a time like this. But I suppose it will be all settled somehow and some day,” he said, at the close, in a tone which made me fully realize that he con- sidered it no business of his. “ There is a train that starts from Charmes in an hour and a half,” said I, thinking it best to cssume that he would go back with me. “ We can catch by that a fairly good connection at Strasburg, and can reach the castle to- morrow.” “ You are going back then?” he queried. “I think I can be of help to you.” ‘“ How can you help me if you are going there? ” “ You will wish, of course, to hasten to the castle to save the honor of your family and of your cousin.” “My family is here. My home is France. I am no longer a German. I have made the declaration to become naturalized. Do you think I would leave Angele on almost the eve of my wedding day. Tomorrow we shall be man and wife. Shall I instead then go to look after the affairs of a dead old man, who never worried himself the paring of a nail about me until he thought I could be useful to him. What do you suppose Angele’s father would say? Pouf! J can hear him. ‘ Very well, monsieur, go away. Attend to these people, these Germans; leave my daughter. Show yourself more German than French and give the lie to your protestations. Pretend to become a Frenchman one moment, and the next recognize the claims of your father- land and your German blood and kinship. Go, by all means; but do not return. Never set eyes on Angele again!’ Eh, do you think I shall do that?’ And he threw up his hands, shoulders, and eyebrows in a perfect ecstasy of repudiation of the mere tdea. “A helpless young girl, your only kin in the world, is waiting there, de- pendent upon your assistance. You are now the head of that great family, whose honor and future are threatened; and the entire fortunes of your noble house are at a crisis which makes it imperative in all honor that you should assume the responsibilities of the position.” “ And is there not a helpless girl here who will be dependent upon me? Am I not here taking the headship of a noble family? With this difference— that here I was not forgotten and ignored until I became necessary as a prop for a tottering wall. Would honor, think you, have nothing to say against my desertion of this family in the way you suggest? No, no, my friend; these people have appealed to your sentimental side. My place is here, and here I stop.” From that resolve no pleas, reproaches, arguments, or goads, could | move him. Nothing sheuld make him budge from Angele; and he viewed ! everything from that onz new standpoint. “Tf you are eager to free my family from the mess their affairs have been got into, take my place; go back and doit. You may claim by right all there ECOMnicooOolkKs.com