United States or Vatican City ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It might have been thought that she expected this solitude would be necessary to her as an escape from the fright of that reception, to which her overstrained and sick nerves made her a prey. In passing, Lissac had whispered to Ramel, who was at his elbow: "Tell Sulpice that Madame Vaudrey is ill!" "Ill?" "You see that she is!"
And one evening, not knowing how to dress himself up more originally than the rest for a masked ball that stout Toinette Danicheff was going to give as her house-warming, without saying a word to his mother, he took down the Academician's dress, the sword and cocked hat that had belonged to Jean Ramel, and put it on as if it had been a disguise on Shrove Tuesday.
When I speak of women, you will observe well that I do not speak of your admirable wife," said Ramel, with a respect that was most touching, coming from this honest veteran. "While we are gossiping," he resumed, "I am going to tell you frankly what strikes me most clearly in the present conjuncture. You will gather from it what you choose.
When will you do something? As if I had not done too much already, seeing that I have made them!" Denis Ramel smiled superciliously and the minister looked with a sort of respect at this vanguard warrior, this laborer of the early morn who had never received his recompense or even claimed it. "I should like you to resume your journal in order to announce all these truths," Vaudrey said to him.
It seems to me that he is a man of heart. You should remain here for your own sake, for your name's sake, for your husband's. It is your duty. As to Mademoiselle Kayser, you can return to the salons, for she has just left with Monsieur de Rosas." Adrienne remained for a moment with her sad eyes fixed on Ramel; then shaking her head: "You knew it also? Everybody knew it then, except me?"
Sulpice felt amid the bustle of his life, amid the spurring and over-excited events of his existence, the need of talking with his old friend. Besides, Rue Boursault was on the way to Rue Prony. As Marianne was frequently not at home, Sulpice would spend the time before her return in chatting with Ramel. "Well! Ramel, are you satisfied with me?" "How could I be otherwise?
" Marianne said to him, after that kiss that paled his cheeks. Rosas had risen: a thunder of applause greeted the termination of a song in the other salon and the throng was pouring into the smaller salon. Marianne saw Uncle Kayser, who was arguing with Ramel, whose kindly, lean face wore an expression of weariness.
Little Ramel throve wonderfully amidst all this luxury, and gave free scope to his instincts and his caprices, without his mother ever having the courage to reprove him in the least, and he did not bear the slightest resemblance to Jean Ramel.
According to his last wish, Jean Ramel had been conveyed to the Pantheon in the wretched paupers' hearse, which conveys them to the common grave at the shambling trot of some thin and broken-winded horse.
What good is it to serve friends? They love you." "This does not vex you, then, old Republican?" "I, an old soldier grown white in harness," said Ramel, whose moustache still played under his smile, "that doesn't disturb my peace in the least.
Word Of The Day