398 THE WIDOWED WIFE. 



'< A favour, hey ! well out with it 1 promise you 111 grant 



it. 



Will you really, though?" 

 I will indeed." 



'" What ! grant it ?" 



" Aye -grant it." 



" Without hearing it ?" 

 " No, I must hear it first." 



" Well, then, I'll tell you. In the first place Oh ! but it's 



a secret though" 



" Well ! 1 can keep a secret." 



" Ah ! but you'll think it wrong of me to tell you, perhaps." 

 " No indeed I won't do that either." 



" Very well then you know you are come here to sign Madame 

 Delcourt's marriage settlement." 

 "What!" 



" With Monsieur Baptiste Claremont, I mean ! " 

 " Oh aye I see well go on " 



" And it so happens but you must promise me faithfully not 



to tell ! " 



" I do promise go on go on " 

 " Ah ! but you must say, upon your honour ! " 

 " Upon my honour, then " 



" Well, I think I can trust you. It so happens, you must know, 

 that Baptiste Claremont doesn't care a fig for my aunt " 

 " Who's your aunt ?" 

 " Why Madame Delcourt, to be sure " 

 " You Madame Delcourt's niece !" 

 " To be sure I am ." 

 " Well, go on go on I'm interested." 



" Thankye, sir. As I was saying, Baptiste Claremont doesn't 

 care a fig for my aunt! but he's desperately in love with my 

 sister ! " 

 Well ! 



t( And my sister now promise me, you won't tell this ?" 



" I do promise any thing every thing go on " 

 " And my sister's desperately in love with him ! 

 " Aye." 



" Now you know, sir, it's a terrible hard thing for a handsome 

 young man to be obliged to marry an old woman, when he's in love 

 with a young one isn't it now ?" 

 " Very, I should think " 



" Now, sir, I've been thinking, that if you would, you might be of 

 very great service to us in this matter" 



" Can I ? how ? I'll do it with all my heart and soul ; but first 

 tell me why does not Clerville Isn't his name Clerville ? " 



" Upon my word," said Antoinette, laughing heartily " you're a 



Sretty uncle, not to remember your nephew's surname Claremont's 

 is name Claremont " 



" Oh, aye true Claremont to be sure it's a long time aye 



aye Claremont but why doesn't Baptiste Clareniwrt Clareville, I 

 mean dear dear" 



