L'Abbe Constantin -- Complete

Cure of the little village which slept there in the plain, on the banks of a slender stream called La Lizotte. The Abbe Constantin was walking by the wall which surround

lly regarded two immense blue

clock P.M., would take place, before the Civil Tribunal of Souvi

sive offices, park of 150 hectares in extent, completely surrounded by a

ouronne, 300 hectares, v

raie, 250 hectares, va

a Mionne, containing 450 hect

er at the foot of the bill, gave the

d intact from father to son in the family of Longueval. The placards also announced that after the temporary division into four lots, it would be possib

ndchildren of the Marquise: Pierre, Helene, and Camille. It had been found necessary to offer the domain for sale, as Helene and Camille w

th ancient tapestry?-the old Marquise, the friend of the old priest. It was she who had restored the church; it was she who had established and furnished a complete dispensary at the vicarage under the care of Pauline, the Cure

hought, too, of the beloved habits of thirty years thus rudely interrupted. Every Thursday and every Sunday he had dined at the cas

ndmamma will send such heaps of flowers to fill, quite fill the church-more than for

ass, and every evening during the month of Mary, Mademoiselle Hebert, the reader to Madame de Longueval, played the little harmonium given by the Marquise. Now the poor harmonium, reduced to silence, no longer accompanied the voices of the choir or the children's hymns. Mademoiselle Marbeau, the postmistress,

ld priest. The road now followed the banks of the Lizotte, and on the other side of the little stream st

eparable, indivisible to him. It was a little his own, his very own, his estate, this great property. He felt at home on the lands of Longueval.

irm, and sound. This year w

, his pastures; in short, by every chord of his heart, by every tie of his life,

s visits to the poor and sick, when the sun was sinking below the horizon, and the Abbe began to feel a little fatigued in his limbs, and a sensation of exhaustion in his stomach, he stopped and supped with Bernard, regaled himself with a savory stew and potatoes, and

le Cure, that is how it is with us. The women have enough reli

hile giving a touch of the

ere is

prang from

s one! Of a certa

ere, you will be there, at the gate, on the watch for your parishioners, and still busy with their litt

t is St

la Marquise, an honest man. He was common councilman, and he voted for the maintenance of the sisters when they were going to be expelled from the village school.' That will touch St. Peter, who will answer: 'Well, well, yo

one or two curates, had been offered to him, but he had always refused them. He loved his little church, his little village, his little vicarage. There he had it all to himself, saw to everything

rees, over the top of the wall he perceived the graves over which he had said the last prayer, and cast the first spadeful of earth. Then, while continuing his work, he said in

es! The doctor had been like Bernard; he never went to mass or to confession; but he was so good, so charitable, so compassionate to the suffering. This was the cause of the Cure's great anxiety, of his great solicitu

od God may have sent him to purgatory just for form's s

rquise, to inquire the result of the sale; to learn who were to be the new masters of the castle of Longueval. The Abbe had still about a mile

Cure, Monsi

trees bordered the terrace, and the Abbe, raising his

, Monsieur le Cure?"

to the Tribu

nac is coming after the sa

ntin joined the

t of enthusiasm and exaltation, M. de Lavardens, one of the most fascinating and brilliant men of his time. He did not love her, and only married her from necessity; he had devoured his patrimonial fortu

much, that he will

arying him by her importunities and tenderness. He returned to his former life, which had been most irregular. Fifteen years had passed thus, in a long martyrdom, sup

his father. Without being seriously affected, the fortune of Madame de Lavardens was slightly compromised, slightly diminished. Madame de Lava

onstraint, and any species of work. He drove to despair three or four tutors who vainly endeavored to force something serious into his head, went up to th

ake one of an expeditionary column sent into the Sahara, distinguished himself, soon became quartermaster, and at the end of three years was ab

r.... then it was a dancer.... then it was an actress.... then a circus-rider. He tri

ds as serious. Thus, wishing to make a good figure in Paris, and lead a merry life, he spent his 30,000 francs in three months, and then docilely returned to Lavardens, where he was "out at grass." He spent his time hunting, fishing, and riding with the officers of the artiller

the success of our plan. In order to avoid any foolish disputes, we have agreed among ourselves, that is, among our neighbors, Monsieur de Larnac, Monsieur Gallard, a great Parisian banker, and myself. Monsieur de Larnac will ha

dust appeared on the road,

de Larnac!" cried Pau

returned to the castle. They arrived there just a

ed Madame d

M. de Larnac, "w

Madame de Lavardens,

olutely nothing-the on

riage, related what had taken place at

Blanche-Couronne. The bids rose from 500,000 francs to 520,000 francs, and again Monsieur Gallard was victorious. Another and more animated battle for La Rozeraie; at last it was knocked down to you, Madame, for 4

mly, 'I have a purchaser for the four lots together at 2,200,000 francs.' This was like a thunderbolt. A tremendous clamor arose, followed by a dead silence. The hall was filled with farmers and laborers from the neighborhood. Two million francs! So much money for the land threw them into a sort of respectful stupor. However, Monsieur Gallard, bending toward Sandrier, the solicitor who had bi

" cried Paul

" asked Madame

all. But I was at a ball a

d you don't know her! What

lightful, ide

here a Mr

not much amused, I will answer for it. He looked at us as if he were thinking, 'Who are all these people? What are they

Lavardens, addressing M. de Lar

year. As soon as their name was mentioned, I understood that the victory had never been doubtful. Gallard was b

Paul; "I tell you I went

. You can tell us presently a

begun. In the orthodox parvenu style they amuse themselves with throwing handfuls of gold out of window.

gge

s, but tens of millions. Somewhere in America they have a silver mine, but a genuine mine, a real mine-a mine with silver in it. Ah! we shall

rdens. "An adventuress! and that is the least

at did it matter to him that she had been a beggar? What did it matter to him if she possessed tens and tens of millions? She was not a Catholic. He would never again baptize children born at Long

, overwhelmed; but in the midst of the

ming heretics. You should see the two sisters on horseback in th

e the ball of which you speak. How did you

Valentine's Wednesdays are not exactly scenes of wild enjoyment, I give you my word! I had been there about t

go home

m not goi

are yo

the b

her

cott's. Wil

ve not bee

ther

not in

ing with one

your friend

introduce us. Come along

n her on horseba

ot seen her shoulders, and they are shoulders which ought t

ir, and I saw Mrs. Scott's white shoulders, and I hope

e de Lavardens, po

a thousand pardons. Have I s

e saw, in the village streets, the Protestant pastor from the castle stopping

ed into an enthusiastic description

entation," interrupte

by handfuls, and in the month of April! The accessories of the cotillon cost, it appears, more than 400,000 francs. Ornaments, 'bon-bonnieres', delicious trifles, and we were begged to accept them. For my part I took nothing, but there were many who made no scruple. That evening Puymartin told

ame de Lavardens, "I should

ose dazzling shoulders, on which undulated a necklace of diamonds as big as the stopper of a decanter. They say that the Minister of Finance had sold secretly to Mrs. Scott half the crown diamonds, and that was how, the mont

rnac, who was excessively annoyed and disappointed, he showed too plainly his

to return to Longueval, but Paul

day. Allow me to drive you home. I am really grieved to see you so cast down, and will try m

he direction of the village. Paul talked, talked, talked. His mother was

overed her a fortnight ago, between the shafts of a market gardener's cart. She is a treasure. I assure you she can do sixteen miles an hour, and keep one's hands full all the time. Just see how she pulls. Come, tot-tot-tot! You are not in a hurry, Mons

ild, I hea

take the long

e left in the wood, Paul

ou are wrong to take things so seriously. Shall I te

fort

al; but they will send you money, plenty of money, and you will take it, and you will be quite right in doing so. You will see that you will not say no. There will be gold raining over the whole place; a movement, a bustle, carriages with four horses, postilions, powdered footmen, paper chases, hunting parties, balls, fireworks, and here in this very spot I shall perhaps find Paris again before long. I shall see once more the two riders, and the two little grooms of whom I was speaking j

urse. They had entered a long, perfectly straight avenue, and at

ul, "your eyes are better t

ean. I know h

, when he saw in the distance the Cure and Paul de Lavardens, waved in the air his kepi adorned

d by the little carriage, an

Pauline told me that you had gone to Souvigny

ican, Mr

anche-C

me, Mrs

a Roze

Scott

rest? Mrs.

that there will be something going on at Longueval. I will introduce you. Only

-morrow. I am going to dine with you, godfather; I have warned Pauline of my visi

s?" ask

Paul. To-morr

ay. Paul de Lavardens gave

l fellow Jean

es, in

ne on earth be

no

ther look at Jean, who was almost

e is you, Mons

t me! n

better than you two-you and Jean. That is the truth, if I must tell you. Oh!

the flank of Niniche, who started off a

e! just look at her action! So regular-j

in did lean over and look at Niniche's action