André Theuriet

The Godson of a Marquis André Theuriet

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 edition. Excerpt: ... burning head on the wet grass and gazed at the starry heavens. Above him, the Dipper was showing its seven golden points; in the west, Orion was causing the jewels of his belt to gleam; farther on, the Pleiades were twinkling over the woods, like a swarm of celestial bees, and from one end of the horizon to the other the Milky Way spread its silvery dust amid all those throbbing fires. One would have said that in the sky, as in Laurent's brain, a ball was celebrating the first bloom of happy love. CHAPTER IX. "Monsieur Husson, good-morning! Are you so occupied that you no longer recognize people?" Laurent was pursuing his way on foot, gently absorbed in the delightful memory of the preceding evening. He raised his head, and seemed but little satisfied on seeing the narrow brow, the large, prominent eyes, and the gray, cork-screw curls of Madame de Brieulles. The lady had just been to hear early mass at Les Islettes, and she carried like a relic, between her threadgloved fingers, her gilt-edged prayer-book. She added, with a prim smile: "I am very glad to meet you, my dear sir!" "I could not say as much," thought the young man, who detested Sainte-Marie's mother. Nevertheless, he slackened his pace and began to walk beside Madame de Brieulles. "Are you not fatigued after yesterday evening?" pursued the latter. "Berthe Fontenille told us how you were almost upset in the boat. What thoughtlessness! Which of you two had that unfortunate idea?" "Mademoiselle Fontenille," replied Laurent, curtly, "desired to take a sail, and I accompanied her." "Ah--so much the better!" sighed Madame de Brieulles. "I feared that you might have taken the initiative in this freak, and I saw therein a lack of delicacy and tact that amazed me." "In what way should I have...