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"'What a dagger-stroke was this to a man who found inexhaustible pleasure in the trickery by which he gets the finest Lyons velvet at twelve francs a yard, a pheasant, a fish, a dish of fruit, for a tenth of their value, for a woman so ignorant as to believe that she is paying ample wages with two hundred and fifty francs to Madame Gobain, a cook fit for a bishop.
There she lives under the name of her housekeeper, Madame Gobain, the old woman of impeccable discretion whom I was so lucky as to find, and whose affection Honorine has won. But her zeal, like that of the gardener, is kept hot by the promise of reward at the moment of success. The porter and his wife cost me dreadfully dear for the same reasons.
I have heard from Madame Gobain that for three weeks you have been living on your savings; you have sixty thousand francs a year of your own, and if you cannot give me back your heart, at least do not abandon your fortune to me." ""I have long known your kindness," said she.
Gobain massif recovered, the Hindenburg line and lesser defensive systems shattered, and the Argonne massif won. The Belgian Coast was cleared of the enemy and the Belgian cities of Bruges, Ostend, Zeebrugge, Roulers, Courtrai, Ghent, Audenarde, and Tournai were recaptured.
The fine head, with its silver hair thrown into relief by the entirely black dress, and the divinely calm face, had a magical effect on the Comtesse Honorine; she had the feeling of cool balm on her wounds, and beamed in the reflection of that virtue which gave light without knowing it. "'Monsieur the Cure of the White Friars, said old Gobain.
You will understand that my conduct, even in the smallest details, was laid down for me by the Count, whose whole intellectual powers were directed to the most trifling incidents of the tragi-comedy enacted in the Rue Saint-Maur. As soon as the Countess had gone to bed, at about eleven at night, Octave, Madame Gobain, and I sat in council.
Madame Gobain, who came down and found me with my face wet with tears, hastily went up again to say to the Countess: "'What has happened, madame? Monsieur Maurice is crying like a child. "Roused to action by the evil interpretation that might be put on our mutual behavior, she summoned superhuman strength to put on a wrapper and come down to me. "'You are not the cause of this attack, said she.
But farther the Germans could not advance either north or south of the Somme, though away to the east the French had to evacuate the sharp salient between the Oise from La Fère to Chauny and the St. Gobain forest, and to fall back behind the Aillette.
"'In the first place, madame, I went on, pointing to her hands, 'those pretty fingers, which are enough to show that you are not a mere girl were they made for toil? Then you call yourself Madame Gobain, you, who, in my presence the other day on receiving a letter, said to Marie: "Here, this is for you?" Marie is the real Madame Gobain; so you conceal your name behind that of your housekeeper.
'I am subject to these spasms, a sort of cramp of the heart "'And will you not tell me of your troubles? said I, in a voice which cannot be affected, as I wiped away my tears. 'Have you not just now told me that you have been a mother, and have been so unhappy as to lose your child? "'Marie! she called as she rang the bell. Gobain came in.
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