CHAPTER VIII 



An early love — A schoolfellow'B sister — A pretty sister-in-law. 



In spite of Ms precocious vocation, Elie was in no 

 wise indifferent to his surroundings. His mind was 

 sensitive and impressionable and his affections deep 

 and tender, especially where his mother was con- 

 cerned. He never undertook anything without con- 

 sulting her, a sweet habit which he preserved even in 

 his maturity. 



It was already at the age of six that he received 

 his first love impression : a lady came on a visit to 

 Panassovka with her little girl of eight, a lovely curly- 

 headed child, sweet and graceful, a living floweret. 

 Ilia could not admire her enough, and was most lavish 

 in his attentions, offering her flowers and fruit, in- 

 venting games to amuse her and trying by every 

 means to make himself agreeable to her. The presence 

 of this charming little girl caused him great joy and 

 tender emotion ; he wished that she might never go 

 away. . . . But the visit soon ended, and this first 

 idyll was short-lived ; new impressions were not long 

 in replacing it. Nevertheless the picture of the 

 pretty child was so deeply impressed in his mind that 

 he never forgot her. 



The second time he fell in love was when he was 

 already at the Lycee ; one of his schoolfellows had a 

 very pretty sister whom Elie used to meet on half- 



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