THE WIDOWED WIFE. 



A TALE OP FRANCE. 



AT the extremity of a shrubbery of sweet bay that terminated the 

 bright lawn of an inn, or auberge, in the hamlet of Andevin, arron- 

 dissement of the Charolle, was a little bower so closely shadowed by 

 the clustering shrub, as not to admit a single sun-beam, and so cun- 

 ningly contrived that a common observer would not easily have dis- 

 covered its entrance and in that same little bower were seated, in 

 secret consultation, Antoinette and Lily St. Aubert, the two nieces 

 of Madame Delcourt, the proprietor of the before-named inn. 



" Well, well, Lily, I will tease you no more about it though in 

 in fact it is no longer necessary ; for, although you do not deign to 

 answer me by word of mouth with sincerity, those tell-tale blushes 

 cannot deceive me." 



" Corne, dear sister,-! will be frank with you, and to be so, I must 

 premise by confessing that I do love Baptiste Claremont dearly 

 that is I have done so hitherto ; but that must end. If he marries 

 Madame Delcourt from choice (and choice I fear I mean, I think, 

 must be his only motive) he is unworthy of my love nor would it be 

 correct. No, no I ought not, I will not. But if he marries my 

 aunt from necessity, or " 



" By the way I know Baptiste has something of importance to 

 communicate to you; he told me so this morning," observed her 

 sister. 



" I shall not listen to him," replied the other in a dejected tone. 



" Now that is wrong, Lily very wrong very absurd indeed." 



" There our opinion differs, Antoinette." 



" Well, well, whatever opinion is right, or whichever opinion is 

 wrong, (and I think my own right,) I have a scheme in my brain 

 which / call a very hopeful one. You know Francois Claremont has 

 begged his brother-in-law, Monsieur Le Grand, to be present at his 

 son's marriage with my aunt, and sign the settlement ; now don't 

 cry about it, Lily !" 



" Well," said she, sobbing. 



" And he's expected down here, to-day," continued Antoinette. 



" Well," again uttered her sister. 



" Now, I've been thinking that he can't take any very great interest 

 in the matter, inasmuch as he has never yet seen his brother-in-law, 

 Monsieur Claremont so, as they say he is a very good-natured man, 

 I've made up my mind when he does come, to go boldly up to him 

 state the facts of the case and beg his intercession. What say you ?" 



" Indeed, I don't know." 



" Oh, you're really quite stupid; but come along, we must go up 

 to the house come along, I say and do dry your eyes." Saying 

 this, she parted the boughs of the shrub with one hand, while with 

 the other she dragged, rather than led, her sister through the aper- 

 ture, and they both stood upon the lawn facing the house. 



" Oh ! see !" exclaimed Lilv, releasing her arm from her sister's, 



M.M. No. 94. 3E 



