THE WIDOWED WIFE. 401 



" Oh look ! my aunt is ill/' said Lily St. Aubert, hastening towards 

 her. Madame Delcourt only shook her head ; and, after taking a 

 prolonged look at the man, who seemed so much to astonish her, 

 exclaimed 



" It is he ! it is !" 



" Well, I know it is !" said Monsieur Claremont, pettishly 

 " and what of that ? have you ever seen my brother-in-law before ? 

 Speak, Monsieur Le Grande Do you know Madame Delcourt?" 



" Me ! I don't know her ! 1 never had the pleasure of seeing her 



before in my life but don't alarm yourselves it's nothing at all 



the mere usual emotion attendant upon a first marriage !" As he said 

 this, Madame Delcourt rivetted her black eyes upon him, with a 

 keenness from which he was compelled to shrink. 



" But you forget, Monsieur," observed Monsieur Claremont, " she 

 is already a widow !" 



" Indeed ! then I confess I am at a loss to account for her con- 

 duct" and, pausing for a few seconds, he added, " I came here, 

 Madame, with the intention, and hope, of rendering myself service- 

 able to you on your marriage ; but if I thought that my presence " 



" My dear brother in law," interrupted Monsieur Claremont, who 

 probably began to apprehend fatal consequences from any misunder- 

 standing between his brother-in-law and the bride, " no offence is 

 meant, I assure you, on my honour:" then, turning to the latter, he 

 added in an under tone, " Really, Madame, this is a very strange 

 reception to give my brother-in-law !" 



" Are you sure he is your brother-in-law ?" asked she, in a similarly 

 suppressed voice. 



" If marrying my sister makes him such, he certainly is " 



" Aye but are you sure he did marry your sister ?" 



" Upon my honour, Madame, that's a very singular question !" 



" I must I must speak with him," she continued, though speak- 

 ing more to herself than to Monsieur Claremont, who had been 

 addressing her. 



" Monsieur Le Grande," she at length said, " might I be allowed 

 one minute's conversation with you ?" 



" Oh ! with pleasure, Madame," replied he. Still Madame Del- 

 court seemed to hesitate. 



" Could I speak with you alone ?" at last she said. 



" Unquestionably" replied he " that is, if your intended husband 

 has no objection." 



" None in the world !" answered Baptiste. 



11 What a nice bridegroom," observed Antoinette to a by-stander, 

 though loud enough to be heard by him ; while at the same time she 



conveyed a glance full of meaning to her sister. Meanwhile 



Monsieur Le Grande walked forward with Madame Delcourt. 



" In what way can I have the pleasure of assisting Madame Del- 

 court ?" said he, when he perceived, that although removed from be- 

 yond the hearing of her friends, she still did not seem disposed to 

 impart to him the subject of her communication. 



" I hope you will excuse me for what I am about to say I think 

 I know you ?" She at last did say 



M. M. No. 94. 3 F 



