III. PASSAGES FOR TRANSLATION INTO FRENCH

Note. — Each section refers to the corresponding chapter of the book.

Two young men named Cortail and Bennezons were travelling in Switzerland in an open waggonette on their way to Chamonix. They were drcssed like tourists, and were driving along half-asleep. They were struck by the beauty of the surrounding country, which reminded them of certain scènes in the novels of Sir Walter Scott. " It might be the very spot," said Cortail, " where Osbaldistone first saw Diana Vernon." — " Indeed, you are right," cried Bennezons, with a start, " for hère is Diana herself!" The cause of this exclamation was a graceful girl, accompanied by an elderly lady, both of them mounted on horseback. The young men were ail the more astonished when Cortail discovered that the two ladies were his aunt. Madame de Chateauvieux, and his cousin Anastasia. The aunt explained that they had been at St. Gervais for the past fortnight, and now insisted on the two travellers spending a few days with them there. Cortail declared that it was quite impossible, and regretted that the route which he had sketched out for himself took him in another direction. " It is no use talking about the route," the aunt replied, " you must give me a day or two of your Society. I want to hâve a serions talk with you."

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Cortail ended by giving in and promising to meet the ladies at dinner. He was by no means anxious to stay at St. Gervais, and apologised to his friend for upsetting his plans. But the latter declared that it came to the same thing, and that as far as he was concerned he would wilhngly sacrifice, if necessary, their original plans for the pleasure of spending a few days with his friend's aunt and his charming cousin. At this point their attention was arrested by the appearance of a strange-looking individual, whose long hair, beard, and moustache almost concealed his face. He picked something from the hedge, put it in his buttonhole, stared at our two travellers, and then disappeared in the direction of St. Gervais. This mysterious conduct made Cortail burst out laughing, and the two friends were still discussing the incident when they arrived at the little town.

Later on they met the ladies at the door of the diningroom, and Cortail, after formally introducing his friend, sat down with the latter at the end of the table, as was the custom with new arrivais. Madame de Chateauvieux and her daughter took their places on the same side, but at some distance from them, near a grey-haired gentleman of distinguished appearance. It was the Marquis de Montespard. The mysterious stranger whose conduct had struck them so much on the road, was there too ; he was the only one who was not in evening dress. After dinner Madame de Chateauvieux complained to her nephew of the behaviour of this stranger, who, she said, was in the habit of following her and her daughter everywhere they went, and she insisted on his taking steps to put a stop to this persécution. As Cortail refused to admit that the man had done anything to warrant his interférence, his aimt fetched the visitor's book, in which the stranger had written his name, Alexandre Guibout, immodiately after Anastasia's, and in such a way as to encircle the word Anastasia by means of a flourish

T48 L'Anneau d'Argent

at the end of the last c in Alexandre. Even then Cortail would not take the matter seriously, or at any rate not so seriously as his aunt would hâve liked. However, he suggested to her that, if she insisted on some course of action, it would be more suitable if M. de Montespard were to take upon himself the duty of remonstrating. According to the good lady, there were many objections to this plan, objections mainly of a private character. Thereupon Cortail clinched the matter by reminding his aunt of an incident which had occurred at Paris some years before. On that occasion, at his aunt's request, he had demanded an explanation of a supposed insuit, and in the duel which followed he had caused his adversary the loss of an eye. The whole afifair was the i-esult of a mistake. This indifiference on the part of Cortail made his aunt angry, and she turned her back on hini.

Meanwhile Bennezons had taken advantage of this long interview to engage Anastasia in a conversation, in the course of which she discovered that he was fond of painting. She made him fetch an album which contained spécimens of his work, but while they were examining them, they were interrupted by Madame de Chateauvieux, who proceeded to hold a sale of work. Varions articles were brought in purses embroidery, pasteboard work — in fact, ail sorts of useless things. Before beginning the sale, there was a collection in aid of the political prisoners of the Vendée, and Anastasia gracefully acted as collector. When M. Guibout was in the act of handing in his contribution, Anastasia received a warning glance from her mother, which made her draw back the plate and pass on. After the sale by auction of several unimportant articles, the amateur auctioneer thus addressed his audience : " Gentlemen, hère is an article which appeals to you — a pretty silk chain, which will do for a watch or for an eyeglass. This exquisite pièce of work has been given by

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Mademoiselle de Chateauvieux. How niuch for the lovely chain ? Let me say five francs for a start ! " — " Twenty ! " cried Bennezons. As no one seemed inclined to cover ihis exaggerated bid, Anastasia looked towards M. Guibout, as much as to say, " Don't yoti want my chain ? " But the latter knitted his brows, smiled scornfully, and did not say a word. In the end the chain was knocked down to Bennezons for twenty francs. In order to please Madame de Chateauvieux, Bennezons afterwards gave fifteen francs for a box of tvventy-five spills made by the lady herself, and was rewarded by being told that he ought to hâve been born in the days of chivalry.

Anastasia rather thoughtlessly suggested that he should offer his album of paintings for sale ; he at once consented, and in spite of the opposition of Madame de Chateauvieux, it was put up and sold to the Marquis for the paltry sum of fifty-five francs. Cortail remonstrated with his friend about his extravagance, but the latter instead of answering kept his eyes fixed on Anastasia.

On the following day Cortail started off by himself for Mont Blanc. He advised Bennezons to be reasonable during his absence, and especially not to embroil himself with M. Guibout. Unfortunately, on the third day after Cortail's departure there was a quiet dance at St. Gervais. On préviens occasions, in order to avoid Guibout, Anastasia had refrained from dancing. This time she yielded to Bennezons's repeated invitations, and enraged Guibout by refusing to dance with him. This led to a quarrel between the two men, and they arrangea to settle it the following day. On going to his room, Bennezons was surprised to find Cortail there, who had just returned from Mont Blanc. The latter, annoyed at what had happened, declared that the duel should not take place, and that he, being Anastasia's cousin, would undertake to settle the matter amicably with Guibout. After some discussion, Bennezons consented to

his friend's proposai ; and the latter, in a short interview with Guibouî, pointed out to him that lie alone had the privilège of representing his cousin, that every woman had the right to choose her own partners, and that, as they were both good Frenchmen, and neither was particularly anxious for the other's blood, he was prepared to offer him ternis of peace. To this Guibout consented.

The quarrel between the young men was the subject of mucli talk aniong the visitors at the baths of St. Gervais, and they were ail the more surprised when at lunch on the following day both Guibout and Bennezons appeared in excellent health and apparently reconciled. They were disappointed, for they expected a duel. Later on Cortail overheard the Marquis saying to an old friend, " Ah ! in our tinie we did not know how to handle the painter's brush, but we could wield the sword pretty gracefully." He also heard a young lady say, " Yes, if I were a man, it would not hâve happened this way. How sorry I ani I danced with M. de Bennezons ! " This was enougli for Cortail. He dashed up to Bennezons's rooni, told him what he had heard, and ended by arranging a duel for the following morning. Honour was satisfied by Bennezons getting a sword-thrust in his right arm ; and on returning to the hôtel, he received the compliments and congratulations of ail the visitors. Anastasia blushingly allowed him to kiss her hand as a reward for acting as her champion.

Encouraged by this sympathy, Bennezons asked his friend to speak to Madame de Chateauvieux on his behalf. Cortail accepted the mission, but was told by his aunt that it would be better if Bennezons applied to her personally without the help of a go-between. Bennezons did so,

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and received this reply : " M. de Bennezons, what you hâve just said honours me as well as my daughter. You love Anastasia, and I niay tell you quite simply that she is not averse to giving you her hand. But you are a soldier of Louis-Philippe, and never shall an officer in the service of the présent Government be Anastasia's husband. Further, if you would win Anastasia, you must not merely secede from the présent Government, but also espouse the cause of the Legitimists in the Vendée. In one word, it is through the Vendée that you must pass if you would lead my daughter to the altar." Bennezons's reply to this was that he would resign his commission, and start the following day for the Vendée.

In the meantime a ride had been arranged along the banks of the Arve, and Madame de Chateauvieux, not feeling well, asked Bennezons to look after Anastasia. The party set out in a body, but the two lovers soon found means to get separated from the others, and to take advantage of the last opportunity they would hâve of talking together alone. After some commonplace remarks on the subject of dévotion and chivalry, Bennezons asked her for some little souvenir of that day's happiness, and Anastasia, unable to resist the promptings of her heart, took a silver ring of curions shape from her finger and gave it him. While Bennezons was in the act of thanking her profusely for this little token of her affection, Guibout galloped wildly past, his horse's hoofs scattering mud over Anastasia's riding-habit. Infuriated by this insuit, Bennezons dug his spurs into his horse in order to pursue his rival. But Anastasia promptly stopped him, forbade him to say one word to Guibout on the subject, and exacted from him a promise to obey her absolutely.

During the evening the two lovers observed a discreet reserve in the présence of the visitors, although Bennezons nearly betrayed himself by constant! y putting his hand to

his lips. At last Cortail, vvho had been playing écarté with the Marquis, left the table and came and sat down beside Bennezons. " What is the matter with you ? " said he, "you look like a martyr! And what is the meaning of this trick of kissing your hand every time you look at my cousin ? If it was her hand, I could understand it." He then perceived the silver ring on Bennezons's finger. " Ah ! " said he, " hâve we got as far as that ? Then î suppose you hâve given her some trifle of a similar nature ! In any case, be good enough to put on your gloves and hide a ring which every woman hère has seen on Anastasia's hand." On going later to Bennezons's room, Cortail found his friend engaged in packing up, and naturally wanted to know where he was ofF to. " I am going to the Vendée," was Bennezons's answer, "my mind is made up, and nothing will alter it." Cortail then began to point out to him the folly of his intentions and the hopelessness of the Legitimist cause. He reproached him for having made up his mind without due reflection, and especially for not confiding in him. " You only wish," he said, " to please my aunt ; but I warn you that if you let yourself be led by her and her caprices, you are a lost man." But Bennezons would not hear another word on the subject, declaring that his détermination was immovable. Thereupon Cortail gave him a mahogany case containing a pair of pistols, and insisted on his accepting a considérable sum of money in case he found himself in any dififîculty. At dawn the two friends bade each other good-bye, and Bennezons drove ofF in the direction of Geneva.

On the very day of Bennezons's departure, M. Guibout received a letter with a black seal, which informed him that his uncle had just died and left him his sole heir. Ey this will Guibout became the owner of the large iron-works of Montespard, and thus he would find himself the close neighbour of the Marquis. Now the

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pievious year, during the Révolution, the workmen led by Guibout himself had behaved very badly, and among other things had sacked the résidence of the Marquis. With a view to making amends for this conduct, and to estabhshing good relations with his aristocratie neighbour, Guibout called on tlie latter, and begged him to forget the j^ast. The old gentleman received him courteously, and said he was grateful to him for the step he had taken. Encouraged by this success, Guibout then proceeded to confess to the Marquis his love for Anastasia and to implore his aid in obtaining her hand, calculating that his immense fortune would go a long way to further his ambition. The Marquis, urged on by his antipathy to Bennezons, promised his help, and recommended Guibout to let matters rest for a month and then to betake himself to Geneva, where they would ail meet again. Guibout, having expressed his gratitude to the Marquis, left him, saying to himself: "Yes, in a month I will be at Geneva. If I hâve to run through half my fortune to dazzle this proud girl, I will run through it ; and when I hâve her consent, when she has said to me, ' I will be your wife,' I will say to her, ' I will not hâve you.' Those two women hâve humbled me too much ; I should be a coward if I did not take a brilliant revenge on them."

Unaware of this abominable plan, the Marquis allowed a fortnight to pass before mentioning the subject to Madame de Chateauvieux. He then skilfully laid before her the advantages of such an alliance, putting in the forefront of his attack the income of 80,000 francs which Guibout enjoyed, and laying weight on the straitened circumstances in which Anastasia would hâve to live if she married Bennezons. Madame de Chateauvieux, although at first she refused to entertain such a project, eventually allowed herself to be caught by the golden bait, and lost no time in broaching the subject to the person who was most interested in it. Anastasia thought her mother was joking, or that

she wished to put lier love for Cennezons to the test. But she soon found that lier niother was quite serious, and tlien followed a long discussion, during whicli Anastasia used the sanie arguments with lier niother as the latter had used with the Marquis. At length, having exhausted her reasoning power, she burst into tears and submitted. From that moment Bennezons was put aside, although he was iiot forgotten.

A few days afterwards the Marquis informed his protégé of his success, and Guibout, who had changed his name to Saint-Gorgon, made his entrante into Geneva in a niagnificent carriage with two footnien, and was graciously received by the two ladies. The charming society of the latter rather disconcerted his plans of vengeance ; in fact, lie began again to fall in love with the young girl in spite of himself. The arrangements for the marriage followed in the ordinary course, and two months later the wedding actually took place at Geneva. About a fortnight after the wedding M. de Montespard was accosted on the street by a young nian, who came up to liini eagerly. It was Bennezons, pale and thin, with a wearied look, a long beard, and untidy clothes. " How is Madame de Chateauvieux ? " he said. " I am longing to see her." The French peer, recovering his habituai coolness, replied with thèse words : " You will hâve to congratulate Anastasia. Of course you know that she is married." " Married 1 " cried Bennezons, pale as death. " Yes, a fortnight ago, to M. de Saint-Gorgon. You know him, you fought with hini at St. Gervais ; and, by the way, if you want to see them both, turn your head, tliere tliey go ! " Just at that moment the carriage of the newlymarried couple crossed the street. Tliey bowed to the Marquis, but, on recognising Bennezons, Anastasia hurriedly concealed herself from view. Bennezons gradually o\ercame his émotion, and said to the Marquis : " If that woman mentions my nanic to you, tell lier that I am condemned to

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death in the Vendée, and that I am going back theie." Without adding another word he went ofif.

In the following year several companies of soldiers were attacking in the \^endée a castle which was occupied by the insurgents. The building was in fiâmes, and the fate of the occupants was merely a question of time. Among the besiegers there stood an ofïîcer leaning on his sword ; he was observing, with a mournful eye, several bodies, recognised by the whiteness of their hands as those of gentlemen, which the soldiers were dragging one by one from beneath the ruins. Suddenly he beheld a silver ring on the hand of one of them, and exclaiming "Armand!" fell on his knees and burst into tears. Taking the ring from his friend's finger, Cortail caused a pit to be dug, and buried his comrade Bennezons in a soldier's grave.

A few months afterwards Cortail's régiment came to Paris, and Cortail at once called upon Madame de Saint- Gorgon. At the sight of her relative, Anastasia blushed somewhat as she recalled the events of St. Gervais. Going to the mantelpiece she took up a diamond ring, and handing it to her cousin she said : " You were not at my wedding, but do not think I hâve forgotten you ; hère is a présent for you." " I too hâve a ring to ofifer you," replied Cortail, giving her the silver ring. " Who gave you this ring ? " she said. " Death," was the ofifîcer's grave reply. " I took it from the finger of Armand de Bennezons, who was killed three months ago in the Vendée."