PAGES 3 AND

Tom Rouvière is with his friends. They are before the fire. Mme Dupuis is tolliug M. llouvière that she thought M. Dupuis was crazy, for he was shoating " It's Tom! It's Tom!" But sho thought sho had good grouud for believing it was M. du Luc. M. du liUC never wout through Saint-Sauveur without biddiug them goud day. But M. du Luc had a new carriage and hisowu horses, and Tom had taken the stage. Was it more natural to expect to see M. Rouvière than their neighbor? They had not heard of him for more than thirty years. But he is hère now, and they are sitting at the table. They are eating the pure mutton of Miels, the genuine pré salé, but the cutlets are covered with bread crumbs. Poor Mme Dupuis is mortified, for Rouviôre tells her that people do not covor the pré salé with bread crumbs auy more. So she ofTers hira a littlesolo. Tom tells them that a week ago he was in Dublin. That then he was in London, and then in Jersey. In Jersey the idea came to him to come and see his old companion. And there he is.

Rouvière said to himself that it was at Saint-Sauveur that his friend lived of old. He would go and ask dinner of him. But he is an odd fellow, and as he has been on the road for thirty years, like the Wandering Jew, ho has eaton strange, unheard-of things.

He has eaien swallows' nests in castor oil ; there is no food he bas not eaten, He is an unceremonious guest, aud finds fault witl {trouver à reprendre à) what Marianne has cookod. The coffee an the fowl are burnt. There is no lemon with the sole. He like; snipe, but those he eats at Mme Dupuis' hâve a defect. The3 are too recently killed, and they hâve not been sprinkled with fi,n( pepper.

M. Dupuis remembers that Tom has livcd in Italy, and he gets macaroni made in the Italian fashion. But Tom says one might as well chew organ pipes. It is not Italian macaroni. He will hâve the grocer arrested. Mme Dupuis begs him to taste the rice pudding. Then she hears the angélus, aud goes to get her mantle. Mme Dupuis is a little over-pious. Every evening she gocs to church, whatever the weather raay be. But she leaves her husband at peace in his lukewarmness. And she bids them good-bye. Dupuis asks Tom whether he thinks his wife very country-liko. Poor woman ! What could be oxpected ? She never g< es out of her nés t. And Tom's arrivai excited her. She talked at random. She showed horself in her most unfavorable light.

Poor Puss ! Marianne takos her away, for her master will throw her out of the window, or hâve her drowned, if she stays (rester). Dupuis tells Tom what he does with his cvenings. In winter they havo a game of piquet. In summer they water thcir garden, and then they take a walk in the wood. It was thirt\-five years, or noarly so,since Dupuis and Tom had soen each other, and now they drink together (ensemUe). Tom finds George a little nisty. He had buried himself in the country. At Paris he had a fine future beforo him. He was going to acquire the practice of a lawyer in the court of appeal, but he came to the country. It took him by the collar and held him fast. Like a pièce of gearing it seized him, and drove hitn on frum onô draw-plate to aaother.

M. Dupuis was caught by the charm of country life. He married and bought his father-in-law's practice. He remained thirty-five years shut up iu Saint-Sauveur. He had the plan of selling his practice after fifteen years, but he had to keep his practice in order to give a suitable dowry to his daughter. Then he was toc old. And now he is a grandfather. But Tom has been as free as a bird. Freed from family ties he rushed into space. He foUowed tigers and éléphants in the bamboo forests of India. Then he arrived at Canton, in the midst of fires of a thousand colors, where tho arrivai of the emperor was being celebrated. The temples of porcelaiu were shining in the distance.

Tom, having travelled for several years, came down from Canada to Brazil. He stayed longest in Peru. There, the attraction of the gaming table is great. Tou see there the sparkle of gold, and ail the troasures of land and sea are mingled. Whole nights are but minutes. Bat everything comos to an end. Tom went on a whaler to the South Pôle. He felt the sensation of a new planet. Then he sailed for Europe. He does not travel now. He only goes on trips. He résides in Europe. He goes from one town to another. Europe is his — Naples with its bay and Paris with its boulevards. He has seen beautiful women and great buildings. The dark-complexioned harvest girls of Italy hâve spoken to him, and he has seen tho louian girls with spaLgles in their hair.

Poor George ! He has eateu and slept, and he has gone down in the scale of beings ! Tom found him rusty. When he set foot in George's house he thought he was going into a deadhouse. The gloomy neatness made his eyes sad. He remembered George's

46 COMPOSITION p:xercises.

delicacy of mind, and he could not reconcile this with what he saw, George's language surprised him. But now he will speak of something else. George has perforrned his duties. Nothing hinders liim from travelling. They can run over Europe and make an excursion into Asia. Tom will put at his disposai ail that he has. He will spare his friend a guide. They will finish life as they begau it, mingling their pleasures and their purses. Tom will take George to the muséums and théâtres whilst they are waiting for the close of winter at Paris.

VTII.

George loves music and he will take his flûte with him. In the very first days of spring they will cross the Pyrénées. They will visit tho capitals of Germany. George feels that this scheme opens heaven to him. He has livod long enough for others. He owes duties to himsolf. He will not let the sacred fiâmes of intelligence and imagination be snuffed out. But he does not wish to leave this evening. The night threatens to be rough. He is n- t afraid of anybody, but he had counted on two or tliree daysto get ready. But Tom will not put off their departure. If they wait they will nevor start. Tom wishes to call Marianne to pack Georgo's trunk. But he will pack it himsolf, as soon as his wife comes back. It will bo an uncorafortable nu^ment. But Tom takes it upon himsclf to tell his wife. Tom will toll her to be calm. Emotion will do no good.

George will not abandon his friend, he will not désert during tho fight. He will go this night at nine o'clock. Tom's principal object is to oblige (îeorge, but he will take {avoir) pleasure in casting a thunderbolt into the midst of his wife'a calm. Before he had seen her, ho had guesscd what she was. The arrangement of her furniture, the stuffed bengaleo, the barometer, the spnn glass gave him the measure of her personalitj^ He was sorry for a élever man like George. What must he not hâve suffered under

such a yoke ! It's a thirty-year martyrdom! But she will find her master. Tom remembers the Indian Fury. But Madamo enters, speaking to her cat, which had been driven out. She bas noticed that the scapegraces bave been smoking. Tom and George were so absorbed in their groat project that they had not noticed

Mme Dupuis can guess riddles: Tom is going to take George away. He is seizing the opportunity of Tom's hasty departure. Tom will carry oiJ bis body, but will leave hi^i heart with bis wife. And Madame's collection will be enriched with objects of art. But Madamo hides her face in her hands and weeps. And that embarrasses Tom. It is not fair. What is the trouble, af ter ail ? A journey is not the death of a man ! You get over it. Tom will not take her husband to the wars. Hor despair is out of proportion to the occasion. She will see her George again. What do the wives of sailors do? Their husbands come back again.

Poor George is not accustomed to fatigue, and Tom will take good care of him. He will bring him back fresh and rosy, and there will be no more tears. Really, Mme Dupuis' affliction had no justification. She would live nicely with hor daughter, and George w juld only be half absent. But there are sorrows which Tom cannot understand. His life bas been différent from George's. His heart bas not been entangled in those ties whose strength cannot be known. Tom does not value the hearth-stones of a common life. This trip will cast anxiety into Mme Dupuis' présent. She bas often asked herself whether George was happy. She felt that she was far below him. But Tom says that her distrust of herself is extrême. The betler he knows her the more he appréciâtes George's choice. She tells Tom that she cursed him a long time a;:o.

Mme Dupuis soon noticed that Tom's name represented for George the pleasures of youtli. She was the prose of practical life. Do what she would, Tom was the stronger one. But God gave her her daughter, and Tom was conquercd. Tom has corne back, and her daughter has gone, and she will not be able to retain her husband. And even if she could keep him she would not. His silence, his ennui, would irritate her. But she expects that Tom will make his absence as short as possible. Marianne thinks it is a very odd idea which takes M. Dupuis to go to Rome. And she lets the trunk roU downstairs. M. Dupuis U not pleased, and dismisses Marianne.

If George does not revise his décision, Madame will dismiss Marianne. But he is not a weathercock. He will not allow his servants to read him a lesson in his own house. Madame would like to hâve a look at her husband's trunk. Men don't know much about clothes ! Dupuis thinks his wife has taken the thing very well. She was afraid of Tom. At first she was excited. But she was courageous and intelligent. Dupuis would not hâve married her if she were not so {le), She has defects, but what is that beside affection, sensé, and the most unobtrusive piety ! Dupuis will not forget tlie good qualities of his wife, but it romains none the less true that he has beeu living in his shell. He has had too many narrow ( = parochial=rfe docker) cares.

Dupuis insists more than ever on this trip. His hesiration is gone. He does not fear the impression his departure will mako on his wife's mind. He will not embarras:* his friend. The horses are ready. They gird their loiiis. They will aloep in the carriage. But a window is broken, and they will be very cold. They will hâve cashmere shawls to put round their necks. They will remember their promises, and write to tlieir daughter. Fivo years ago Tom was ill in an inn. It was the twelfth of January. It was a trial which ho will not easily forget.

It was in an inn at Peschiera. Tom was in dolirium for a week. He awoke with a feeling of weakness. He recalls the scène with cleariiess of mind. He saw in liis room people who were chatting. Their carelessness moved him to the depths of his soûl. He looked ail round. He looked for something which might speak to his heart. He had some curions reflections, He lost some of his pride. He read in the true book of life. The word duty was written in it. He had thought he would snatch from ordinary huraan existence great blessings. But God sells us selfishness at a high priée. He remembered the death of his father. He saw ail those who were présent at the last moment. His raother was there ; the old doctor too, and the white-haired priest. And they ail smiled througli their tears upon his father.

PAGES 33, ai.

His father's house and George's are alike — the little work table, the great armchair at the chimney corner, the family portraits on thewall. His fatlier and mother were happy. And heshould hâve learned from their example. As soon as thoy had disappeared, he sold their house. He sold the room whero he was born. And he cannot buy back tlie house where he first saw the sun. Tom and George willnot go now. Tom will accept a place at his friend's hearth. And Mme Dupuis will forget her husband's ingratitude. Marianne will get a bed ready for Tom in the blue bedroom, and Mme Dupuis wi'.l call back her cat. They will rid Tom of his cursed selfishness.

uillet. Octave Le villafre

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