THE WIDOWED WIFE 399 



" No no Claremont is his name." said Antoinette, her ill-con- 

 cealed laughter bursting out 



" Yes yes I know did I say Clareville ? how very odd but 

 why does he, if so averse to it, marry Madame Delcourt then ?" 



" Why, sir, I'll tell you if you'll particularly remember not to 

 tell, for it's a very very great secret " 



" You may quite depend upon me." Antoinette placed her beau- 

 tiful lips almost close to his ear, and in a whisper said, 



" She forgives your brother-in-law the 3000 francs, when his son 

 marries her !" 



" What ! my brother-in-law take 3000 francs from his wife his 

 son's wife I mean " 



" Hush hush for heaven's sake talk lower " 



" Well, well never mind you're a very good-hearted nice little 

 girl and there's a kiss for you " 



" I'm sure, sir, you're very kind " 



" And you may tell your sister to make herself quite easy for 

 after all I have heard, I promise you, upon my honour and word 

 I won't suffer the marriage to take place. And now you may inform 

 Monsieur Claremont I am here." 



" That I will, sir, directly but pray remember not to mention 



to him what I have told you." 



" Not I, believe me and you must be as secret with'the assurance 

 I have given you, as regards every body but your sister." 



" To be sure, to be sure," said Antoinette, and away she ran to 

 communicate to, first Monsieur Claremont, and then her sister, the 

 news that was respectively intended for them. 



In a few minutes Monsieur Claremont entered the room " My 

 dear brother-in-law, how are you ? how happy how delighted I am 

 to see you ! how are you ?" As he said this, he clasped the object 

 of his apparently tender solicitude, in his arms, and hugged him 

 passionately. 



" Oh ! I thank ye I'm pretty well," said the latter, as soon as he 

 had sufficiently recovered from the effects of his brother-in-law's 

 affection, as to be able to speak " quite well, indeed ; how are they 

 all here ?" 



" Oh ! they're all very well and have been waiting hourly for 

 your arrival with great impatience !" 



" Ah ! I suppose so quite natural " 

 " But why didn't 



my sister come with you?" 



" Why, poor thing, she's got a little bit of a cold, and the doctor 

 told her she mus'nt on any account leave the house " 



" Dear, dear" said Monsieur Claremont, in a sorrowful accent, 

 " I'm very sorry to hear that poor little Sophie ! how very pro- 

 voking she promised so faithfully she would come " 



" Yes, poor little Sophie, as you say I'm sure she's quite as much 

 annoyed at it as you can be and I assure you I'm the bearer of all 

 manner of regrets and loves, &c." 



" Well, it can't be helped," said Monsieur Claremont despondingly, 

 ' ' but how's my little nephew ? is he quite well ?" 



" Your nephew ! my a " 



