A DEPUTY GOVERNOR'S WOOING

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 43, 24 October 1907, Page 5

A DEPUTY GOVERNOR'S WOOING

' Can you receive Madame Blouet, sir ? ' asked an; attendant, as he opened the door of the Deputy-Gover-nor's office. Hubert Boinville, the Deputy Governor, was seated with his back to the fireplace at a large mahogany desk littered with deeds and papers. He raised "his grave face, whiph was framed in a b.rown beard, tinged with a few gray hairs, and his black eyes glanced at the card. ' It is an old lady, sir,' said the attendant. ' Shall I .s_end her away ? ' 'No ; let her come in,' replied the Deputy Governor in a tone of resignation. The visitor stopped on the threshold and dropped an ■old-fashioned courtesy. Hubert Boinville half rose from his chair and signed her to a seat. She was a lit lie old lady, dressed in shabby mourning". ' Sir,' she began, In a somewhat breathless voice, •I am the daughter, sister, and widow of men who served their country. I applied some time ago to the department for help, and I have come to see whether there is any hope.' The Deputy Governor listened without moving. He had heard so many supplications of "This kind. ' Have you ever received any assistance ? ' he asked coldly. 1 No, sir,' she replied. ' I have managed to get on until now without asking. I have a small pension.' - cAh 1 ' he interrupted in a dry tone. 'In that case I am afraid we can do nothing for you. We have a great many applicants who have no pension to rely upon.' c '"Ali, listen, sir ! ' she cried despairingly. ' I have not explained everything. ' I had three sons, and they are all 'deafl. The last one taught mathematics, and one winter day, while going from the Pantheon to CHaptal College,, he caught a violent cold, whioh settled on his lungs and carried him off in two weeks. He had supported me and his child by teaching ; the expenses of his illness and death used up all our little savings and I had to raise money on any'pension, flow I am alone in the world with my grandchild, and we have nothing. lam eighty-two years old, sir.' Tears had gathered under her wrinkled eyelids as she spoke, an.d tfie Deputy Governor was listening more attentively than he had done at first. A peculiar singing intonation of the speaker's voice and the sound of certain provincial expressions seemed to his ears like once familiar music ; the old lady's way of speaking had for Him a flavor of Home. \ ' You are from Lorraine, I see,, madame,' he said at last. ' I suspected it from your accent.' ' Yes, sir, I am from Argonne,' she answered. ' And' you recognised my accent ? I thought I had long since lost it.' Tfie Deputy Governor felt his official heart growing softer," and, smiling again, he said : 1 I also am from Argonne. I lived near your village for a long time, at Clermant.' And then he added gently, * Keep up 3 T our courage, Madame Blouet ;, I hope we shall be able to help you. Will you give me your address ? 7 ' No. 12, Rue de la Sante, near the Capuchin convent. Thank you, sir, for your kindness. \am very glad To have found a fellow-countryman,' and, after repeating courtesies, the widow took her departure. "As soon as she was gone M. Boinville rose, ~and going to the window, stood looking down into the garden witH his face against the glass. But he "was not looking at the tops of tlie half-leafless chestnut trees ; his dreamy eyes wandered far on toward the easti beyond the plains and the chalky hills of Champagne 'to "a little olcl town with tile-roofed houses. There his .early childhood had" been passed,"* and later his vacations. He had left home in his twenty-first year and had returned only to attend his father's funeral. Possessing a superior intellect and an iron will, he hal risen rapidly, and at thirfy-eigHt years of age was anatie Deputy Governor. Austere, punctual, reserved, he arrived every morning at exactly 10 o'clock and remained until six,- taking work" with him when he went home. His heart indeed had once asserted itself, before He had" left home, but as he then had neither position nor fortune, girl he loved had refused him

in order to marry a rich tradesman. 'lhis early disappointment had left in Hubert Boinville a feeling of bitterness which the successes of life could not • wholly efface. The old lady's voice and accent had recalled Tihe past. Suddenly he * returned to his chair, drew Madame Blouet's. petition to him and wrote upon it the words, 1 Very, deserving case.' Then he sent the document to the clerk in charge of the relief fund. ' Oh the day of the official assent to Madame Blouet's petition M. Boinville left his office earlier than usual, for the idea had occurred to him to announce the good news himself to his aged country woman. Three hundred francs. The sum was but a drop- in tfie enormous reservoir of the ministerial fund, but to the poor widow it would be as a beneficent dew. TClthougn it was December, the weather was mild, so Hußert Boinville walked all the way to the Rue de la Sante. Directed to the Widow Blouet's lodging upstairs, M. Boinville knocked, and great was his surprise when he saw before him a girl of about twenty years, holding up a lighted lamp and looking at him with" astonished eyes. She was dressed in black, and had a fair, fresh face ; and the lamplight was shining on her wavy chestnut hair, round dimpled cheeks, smiling mouth, and limpid blue eyes. ' Is/this where Madame Blouet lives ? ' asked M. Boinville, after a moment's hesitation, and- the girl replied, T Yes, sir. Be kind enough to walk in. Grandmother," here' is a gentleman who wishes to see you.' ' I : am coming,' cried a thin,' piping voice from the next room, and the next minute -the old . lady came trotting out, trying to unlie the strings of -a blue apron which she wore. ' Holy Mother ! ' she cried in arrazement on recognising',the Deputy Governor. 'Is it possible, sir? Ex-., cuse niy appearance. 1 was not expecting the honor of a visit from you. Claudette, give M. Boinville a chair. This is my grandchild, sir.' The gentleman seated " himself in an antique armchair covered with Utrecht velvet and cast a rapid -glance round .the rSom, which evidently served as both parlor and 3ining-room. Everything was very neat and the place had an old-time air of comfort. M. • Boinville- explained his visit and the widow exclairred : ' Oh, thank you, sir ! How good you are. It is quite true that pleasant surprises never come singly ; my grandchild has passed an examination in telegraphy, and while she is wailing for a position she is doing a little -painting for one and another. Only today she Has been paid for a large order, and so we _made up our minds,' sa-id the grandmother, 'to celebrate the event by Having only old home dishes for dinner. A gardener downstairs gave us a cabbage, some turnips and potatoes to make a potee ; we bought a - Lorraine sausage, and when you came in I had -just" made a tot*-fait. T ' Oh, a tot- fait !" cried Boinville. ' That is a sort of cake made of eggs, milk, and farina ; it is twenty years since I heard its name a.nd more thau that since I "tasted it.' His face became strangely animated, and the youne; girl who was watching him curious!}', saw a lopk of actual greediness in his brown eyes. Claudette and her grandmother turned away, and at last the girl whispered : ' I am afraid it would not do.' .'Why not?' returned the old lady. 'I think it would please him.' And then she went toward him, saying : 1 M. Boinville, you have already been so kind to us that T am going to ask of you another favor. It is late, and you have a long way to go— we should be so glad if you would stay here and taste our tot-fait, should we not, Claudette ? ' x ' Certainly,' said the girl. c But M. Boinville will have, a plain dinner, and, besides, he is no doubt expected at home.' "' No one is waiting for me,' he answered, thinking of his solitary meals in the restaurant. ' I have, no engagement, but — ' he hesitated, looking at Claudette's smiling eyes, and suddenly exclaimed : 1 I' accept, with pleasure.' • That is right,' said the old lady- briskly. ' What did I tell you, Claudetle ? Quick, "set the" table and run for thewine, while T go back to my tot-fait.' Seated between the cheery octogenarian and the smiling girl, Hubert Boinville, The Deputy Governor, - did honor to Tfie meal. His manner thawed out rapidly, and Tie conversed familiarly with his new friends, returning the gay sallies of . Claudette and shoutine "with merriment at the patois words and phrases which f the' old / i lady used. When it was time to <ro, after thanking the widow - warmly ior her hospitality and promising to come

again, he . extended his hand to Claudette. Their eyes met, and tile Deputy Governor's glance was' so earnest that the young girl's eyelids drooped suddenly. She accompanied him downstairs, and when, they reached the house-door he clasped her hand again, but without knowing what to say to her. And yet his heart was full. ' .'•-.-. .> * " - ' ' " - Hubert Boinville continued to give, as' he "said in official language,' ' active and brilliant impulse to the department.' The ministerial machine weoit on heaping up on his desk the daily grists of reports ,and papers, and The sittings of the council, audiences; commissions, and other official duties kept him so busy that he could not find a spare hour in which to go to the humble lodgings near the Capuchin convent. One cloudy afternoon toward the end of December the solemn usher opened the door and announced : ' Madame Blouet, sir.' Boinville rose eagerly to. greet his visitor, and inquired, "wlUli a slight blush.^for her granddaughter. ' She is very, well, sir,' was the answer ; ' and your visit brought her luck. She received an appointment yesterday in a telegraph office. I could not think of leaving Paris witliout again thanking you, sir, for your kindness to us. 1 Boinville's heart sank. ' You are to leave Paris ? Is this position in the provinces ? ' - _' Yes, in the Vosges. Of course, I shall go with Claudette j we shall never part in this world.' IDo you go soon ? ' 'In January. Good-bye, sir ; you have been very kind- to us,, and Claudette begged me to thank you in her name. That night he slept badly and the next day was very taciturn with his subordinates. Toward three o'clock he brushed his hat, left the office, jumped into a cab, and hall an hour later he knocked tremblingly at Madame Blouet's door. " Claudette answered the knock, and on seeing the Deputy Governor she started and blushed. ' Grandmother is out,' she said, ' but she will soon . be home and will be so glad to see you.' 1 I have come to see not your grandmother, but yourself, Mademoiselle Claudetle,'^ he returned. ' 'Me ? ' she exclaimed anxiously. And he repeated, ' Yes, you,' in an abrupt tone. 1 You are going away next month ? ' he asked. The girl nodded assent. ' 'Are you not sorry to leave Paris ? ' 1 Yes, indeed I am. It grieves me to think of .it, but then tliis position is a fortune to us, and grandmother will be able to live in peace for the rest of her days.' ' Suppose I should offer you the means of remaining in Paris, at the same time assuring comfort 'to Madame Blouet ? ' ' Oh, sir !• ' exclaimed the young girl, her face "hrigihtening. 1 It is rather a violent remedy,' he said, hesitating again. ' Perhaps % you would tMnk it too great an effort.' ' Oh, no ; I am very resolute— only tell ire what it is.' * He took a long breath and then said quietly, almost harshly, - l Will you marry me ? ' ' Heavens ! ' she gasped, in a voice of deep emotion. But although her face expressed the deepest surprise, there was no sign of repugnance or- alarm. Her bosom heaved, her lips' parted, arid her eyes became moist with tender brightness. Boinville dared not look at her, lest he should read refusal in her face. But at last, alarmed- by her long silence, he raised his head, saying, ' You thjiik me too old— you are frigM.enea— ' ' Not frightened,' she 'answered simply, ' bu-t*^ surprised, and— 'gjad. It is too good. I can hardly 'believe it.' - . • ! | I i H • My dearest ! ' he cried, taking both her- hands, 'you must believe" it. I am the one to be glad, for I love you.' She was silent, but there was no mistaking the tenderness shining in her eyes, and Hubert Boinville moist have read them aright, for he drew her to him. • Holy Mother ! ' cried the old lady, appearing on the scene at that instant" and. the others turned round, he a little confused, the eirl blushing but radiant. 1 Do noT; be shocked, Madame Blouet,' said the Deputy Governor. ' The evening_~that I dined here I found a wife. The ceremony will- take,. place- next <m_anth— with your permission. 11 — Translated from the * rench of Andre Theuriet. The poorest as- well as the most dangerous flattery is that which we bestow upon ourselves.