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"This, gentlemen," he went on, as he pointed to the following, "is the copy of a label pasted on the back of a certain Swiss clock to be seen at this very moment on the wall of Mr. Roberts' own bedroom in his home in Belport, Long Island. He prizes this clock.
"'He, madame? answered a young man, of fair complexion and fair hair, one of the most devoted slaves of the fashion: 'He, Madame la Duchesse? why, the man is, at best, but an original, fished out of the Rhine: a dull, heavy creature, as much capable of understanding a woman's heart as I am of speaking bas-Breton. "'Well, Monsieur de Belport, you will speak bas-Breton.
She was in Belport to stay, and as it behooves us to remain there for a while longer ourselves, we will join her in the quiet rest she is taking on the kitchen steps before shutting up the house for the night. She is not alone.
One still more satisfactory may be obtained from the road between Quebec and the Falls of Montmorency, in the neighborhood of the village of Belport.
A passion, if it does not kill you, adds cruelly to your years; in a word, it is the very lowest possible taste. And now you understand why I should prefer you, M. de Belport you who are reputed to be the leader of the fashion. "'Perfectly, murmured the gentleman, piqued more and more. "'Gerard de Stolberg WILL be passionate.
"Indeed not, sir. That would be fatal to our friendship, I am sure. I haven't even let him discover that what he was burning to tell had any especial interest for me. I let him ramble on with just a word here and there to show I wasn't bored. He hasn't an idea " "Very good. Now, what do you propose to do next?" "To take up my residence in Belport." "Why Belport?"
Nobody would be any the worse, and his mind would be at rest. "And do you know, sir, that he did actually carry this cowardly resolution through. There came a night I think it was Tuesday when the order came, and they took the road to Belport. Not a word did his employer utter the whole way.
"All this was said by the Duchess, with a certain air of raillery and such a mixture of earnest and malice, that Monsieur de Belport, piqued not a little, could not help saying, as he bowed profoundly before the Duchess's chair, 'And might I, madam, be permitted to ask the reason of this preference?
All this astonishes you, because you, great leaders of the ton that you are, never fancy that a hero of romance should be found among your number. Gerard de Stolberg but, look, here he comes! "M. de Belport rose, and quitted the Duchess, without believing in her prophecy; but he could not avoid smiling as he passed near the HERO OF ROMANCE.
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