CHAPTER XIX.

Last interview with Zelia-Departure for Paris -Arrival at Chalons-Intelligence of the Gascon, whom Linval had thrown into the river Rhone.

FRANVILLE, whom the ironical discourse of Sans-Chagrin had at first nettled, did not long retain his resentment, and came to find him in our apartment, where we were busy in making preparations for our journey. After having ineffectually endeavoured to prevail upon him to remain with him, he besought him at least to accept two hundred louis for us and himself, to enable us to settle ourselves on our arrival at Paris. But Sans-Chagrin inflexibly refused them, saying that we had enough

to keep us from wanting any thing on our arrival in that city. That he had friends and relations who would assist us, if it should so happen that our talents were insufficient to furnish us with a respectable livelihood; that we would accept from Mr. Franville nothing but that respect which was our due, and which we should compel him to allow us, whether he was willing or not. Afflicted but not discouraged by this refusal, which Linval and I confirmed with our authority, Franville withdrew, firmly resolved to make us accept his offer. After having rummaged his head to find out an expedient favourable to his wishes, he at last thought that he could not hit upon a better than to employ Zelia in this delicate negotiation. Assured of the principles of his daughter, and not less of the firmness of mine, and certain that I could not resist her, he called her to him... compassionated the tears which he saw she was shedding, represented to her the necessity of the sacrifice he exacted from

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her, and by the force of his entreaties prevailed upon her to take upon herself the task of overcoming my delicacy, and of making me accept his present.

While Franville talked in this manner to his daughter, our preparations were ended, and Sans-Chagrin said that he would go and take leave of his widow, whom he hoped to make an excellent intermediator between Zelia and me until we should meet again, which he said was inevitable. He had hardly left us when Linval, as much affected as myself at these unlooked-for misfortunes, said that he would go and lie down for an hour or two. I profited by their absence to go and bid a last adieu to the beautiful arbour...the witness of my interviews with Zelia.

I had hardly reached it when the remembrance of the happy moments which I had passed in it presented itself to my imagination. I felt my heart throb with

tenfold force. My tears, which my internal agonies had prevented from flowing ever since the moment of the sad scene above related, now flowed abundantly---and I was still bathed with them when Zelia appeared at the entrance of the arbour.

O most delicious moment! Pleasures of my youth! never shall I forget you. Still I enjoy you in retrospection; and though shut up in the cabinet where I am writing these memoirs, I find myself seated with my Zelia again in that happy arbour.

"What! weeping ?---Do you indeed "shed tears ?"---she said to me as soon as she appeared.

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"Can that surprise you, Zelia, when I am about to lose the only blessing that "attaches me to life ?"

"You would do me a great injury, "Laurentini, if you could believe me "less unhappy than you."

"Ah Zelia, what difference there is "between your lot and mine! Surround"ed by an opulent family who idolize

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'you, by lovers who adore you, by "friends who esteem you, by people "who respect you, you can easily forget an unfortunate being without property, "without parents, who has no earthly "resource but in his natural talents, and "the kindness of his fellow beings."

"If that which you have uttered, Lau

rentini, really comes from your heart, "I shall have reason to repent the im"prudent step which I have now taken."

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"It is not then by chance that I see you here"

"No, ungrateful Laurentini. I saw you come down to the garden, and I