THE WIDOWED WIFE. 395 



task allotted to her ee upon my word you look particularly well to- 

 day/' 



" Do you think so ?" asked Madame Delcourt. whose anger was 

 somewhat softened by this evident shew of taste on the part of her 

 niece. 



" Indeed I do that tasteful head-dress makes you appear at least 

 a full twenty years younger." 



" Foolish girl" exclaimed Madame Delcourt, though in a tone of 

 unquestionable self-satisfaction. 



" But in spite of that, do you know, aunt, I can hardly bring 

 myself to believe that you are really going to marry Baptiste Clare- 

 mont although you are even now dressing for the occasion 

 " Mind your own busines, if you please." 



" But you know aunt, you are older than he is by twenty-four 

 years." 



te Hold your saucy tongue, do ;" replied her aunt " what is it 

 to you or to any one indeed, whom I marry for I know it's the 

 talk of the whole hamlet though, forsooth, it's just the same to me, 

 for the matter of that. I am a widow in prosperous circumstances 

 and I will marry whom I like : what does it signify if Baptiste 

 is a little younger than myself?" 



" A little younger !" thought Antoinette. 



<( However, it matters not what people think," continued the bride 

 elect " I have settled every thing with his father and in another 

 hour or two, when Monsieur Le Grande arrives, we shall sign the 

 settlement, and be married. It would, indeed, be strange, if after a 



widowhood of twenty years, I might not be permitted " 



" How, aunt ! is it twenty years ?" 



" Aye full that. You were not yet born, when my poor dear 



husband, Philip left me. Ah ! that was a sad pity, but he would 



go to sea and the consequence was, that he was shipwrecked, and 



perished with all the crew. Heigho ! 1 wish Monsieur Le Grande 



was come." 



" Oh ! you mean the gentleman from Paris, who they say is > so 

 rich, and whom Monsieur Claremont, although his brother-in-law, 

 has not yet seen." 



" The same, my love. He's an upholsterer nothing more he 

 fell in love with Monsieur Claremont's sister, and though she hadn't 



a sous, he married her. But come I am ready," continued 



Madame Delcourt, as, repressing with the back of her right hand a 

 forward black curl, she took a prolonged, final, and satisfactory look 

 at herself in the glass " Do you stay below, Antoinette and if 

 any traveller arrives, attend to him." 

 " Yes, dear aunt." 



et By the way," continued Madame Delcourt, as they left the 

 room, " should you see Monsieur Claremont, tell him I wish to see 

 him particularly, will ye ?" 



" Certainly, dear aunt," replied she. And, leaving Madame Del- 

 court and her niece Antoinette, to pursue their respective avocations, 

 we will return to Lily, whom we left standing on the lawn with Ma- 

 dame Delcourt's bridegroom, preparing to answer the question he had 

 put to her and, 



