Fromont and Risler -- Volume 3

happy De

the little low chair, as in the good old da

od morning, Mam'zelle Zizi." He always called her now by the name she had borne as a

" together, and while she worked he made h

so active. For instead of remaining always buried in her easy- chair, with the self-renunciation of a young grandmother, the little creature was contin

e IT when I a

r, her coquetry extended over her whole person, as did her fine, waving tresses when she unloosed them. Yes, she was ver

l going into the country together; and as the father, kind and generous as always, graciou

lovely country, the love

ll tell you that the sun was brighter there than anywhere else

t for a week. Among the hyacinths, the violets, the white-thorn, was a multitude of nameless little

them under the leaves, her fingers touching Frantz's. They had found these great water-lilies on the edge of a ditch, still damp from the winter rains, and, in order to reach them, she had leaned very heavily on Frantz's arm. All these memories occurred to her as she worked. Meanwhile the sun, s

sweet the flowers sm

even the memory of Sidonie. To be sure, the poor judge did all that he could to accomplish that result. At every hour in the day h

to the factory to see him. But Frantz held firm, alleging all sorts of business engagements as pretexts for postponing his visit t

nd knife in hand. He kept the young man informed concerning matters at the factory. For some time past, things seemed to have changed for the better. Monsieur Georges came to hi

er was tr

was all that was needed to straighten everything out. And yet," the

Sigismond, I am here,"

away yet, are yo

ve an important matte

much the

y one, not even to her; but Mam'zelle Zizi must have suspected something, for she became prettier and more lighthearte

Carefully dressed, his whole person denoting a holiday air, Frantz had a singular expression on his face that day, an expression at once timid and resolute, emotional and solemn, and simply from the way in which the l

with long and frequent pauses, just as, on a journey, we stop at ever

fine da

s, beau

rs still s

very

sentences, their voices trembled at t

asy-chair; their eyes met, their fingers were intertwined, and

sir

ant

there was a kno

intily gloved hand which fears to

eared, lovely, coquettish, and affable. She had come to see her little Zizi,

rdly looked at him. After the effusive greetings and caresses, after a pleasant chat over old times, she expressed a wish to se

ngbird entered your room, holding her little head

ome, that she was determined to see him again, to prevent him from giving himself to another, and the poor wretch realized with dismay that she woul

s so frank and friendly. And then, they were brother an

e when Sidonie, standing in the doorway and ready to

ing you back to dine with us to-night. The carriage

ith the prettiest

on't you, Ziree? Don't be af

urage to go, the

ing sea, and neither on that day nor the next nor ever after could Mam'zelle Zizi's great easy