The Aspirations of Jean Servien

e feeling sour-tempe

g noisily at each spoonful of soup he absorb

nd crossly. Everythi

gown filled him w

in his soldiering days; but he had never been there since. He had a bright idea; they would go to Versailles, the three of them; his sister would see to having a bit

essons, to avoid the necessity of hearing any more and answering questions. He did not as a rule sho

-time, and work when it is the time to work," an

not dream Madame Ewans could ever be different from what he had seen her. He could not imagine her otherwise dressed or amid any other surroundings. He knew nothing whatever of women; this o

y, and unhappy he became in fact. He was wilfully, deliberately

e remotest bench in the well-warmed lecture-room, he would become absorbed in some sentimental novel concealed under

contained happy phrases that earned him high praise. On the theme, "The maiden Theano defending Alcibiades against the incensed Athenians," he wrote a Lat

tins, the bronzes, the photographs of women, displayed in the shop-windows-the thousand and one ge

d smoked his first non-surreptitious cigarettes. He possessed a certain brilliancy of mind

novel. Occasionally he would ride to the city in the miller's cart. Often he would be drenched all the way by the rain that fell drearily at nightfall. Then he would enjoy the fun of drying himself before the huge fireplace of some inn on the outs