A FRENCH ROMANCE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3352, 31 December 1883, Page 2

A FRENCH ROMANCE.

The legitimate right to the name, title and fortune of one of the old Huguenot families of France, was staked against the claim made by the soi-disant rightful owner, a poor gardener’s son, who served as remplacant in an African regiment. The death-bed confession of the nurse formed the principal point of accusation. The story told is this The heir of a noble and powerful Huguenot family was consigned to the tender mercies of the gardener’s wife to nurse, fatten, and neglect, with her own child, as was the custom in France some years ago. The nurse was disporting herself one fine afternoon beside the ' cottage door. The heir to the domain was sprawling on the stone bench in the sun beside her ; the base-bom brat was lying on the bed in the cottage* The distant view of the post carriage, with fluttering ribands and jingling bells, which she knew could near no other than the mother of the sprawling heir, so fluttered the poor woman that she started up in a fright, and upsetting the child from the bench upon a heap or stones, broke its right arm and collarbone . In her terror she rushed into the cottage, and by the advice of her husband, who seems all through the affair to have been a man of cool judgment, she stowed away the screaming little victim beneath the bedclothes, and huddling the best bib and tucker, the new cap and cloak of the heir on her own brat, boldly stood at the door to await the lady’s coming. But, contrary to the usual casual glance given by the mother on the like occasions —the hurried kiss and languid good-bye —the lady was so struck at the change in her darling,at the lean brown brat she beheld in the place of her own plump baby,that vexed and exasperated beyond measure, she seized the child in her arms and bade the postillions drive , on to the chateau. The woman remained speechless with affright, but the husband again advised patience, and promised to go in the morning and disclose the whole story to the lady. He went, but the lady was gone, having carried away the child ; and what was, therefore, to be done p The husband, . whose policy seemed to be all expectant, counselled remaining quiet till the lady returned. Bat years sped on, and the family did not return to the chateau, and the ignorant cottagers, influenced by terror, never dared stir in the matter, until _ the approach of death brought the affair to light by the confession of the gardener’s wife. The gardener’s brat has thus inherited the chateau and estates of the family ; he has been secretaire d'ambas • sade and charge d'affaires , while the real pretender to all the honors of the family was toiling through a youth of discipline and privation, and bronzing and baking in the hard service of Algeria.—“ Tit Bits,”