United States or Dominica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Camusot senior, the President and his wife, Cecile, Brunner, Berthier, and Pons were now left together; for it was assumed that the formal demand for Cecile's hand was about to be made. No sooner was Cardot gone, indeed, than Brunner began with an inquiry which augured well. "I think I understood," he said, turning to Mme. de Marville, "that mademoiselle is your only daughter."
Uncle Cardot always said "Fair lady," and he placed in their carriages, and otherwise paid attention to those women whom he saw without protectors; he "placed himself at their disposition," as he said, in his chivalrous way. But beneath his calm air and his snowy poll he concealed an old age almost wholly given up to mere pleasure.
Cardot the retired notary had married his daughter to his successor, whose name was Berthier; and Pons, transferred as part of the connection, acquired a right to dine with the Berthiers "in the presence of a notary," as he put it. This was the bourgeois empyrean which Pons called his "family," that upper world in which he so painfully reserved his right to a knife and fork.
Pamela flew in, and whispered in Lousteau's ear: "Madame Schontz!" Lousteau rose, leaving Dinah on the sofa, and went out. "It is all over with you, my dear," said the woman. "Cardot does not mean to quarrel with his wife for the sake of a son-in-law. The lady made a scene something like a scene, I can tell you!
"Good God! that is all very fine in words, but " Dinah sat down and melted into tears as she heard this speech, roughly spoken. Lousteau could not resist this distress. He clasped the Baroness in his arms and kissed her. "Do not cry, Didine!" said he; and, as he uttered the words, he saw in the mirror the figure of Madame Cardot, looking at him from the further end of the rooms.
Maitre Cardot, the new notary, informed the young Count that a draft on the Treasury made payable to the deceased would be useless; and by way of reply to the letter, which had cost the old provincial notary so much thought, Cardot despatched four lines intended not to reach Chesnel's heart, but to produce the money.
"Oh, Florine and Matifat the druggist," said Lousteau, "and du Bruel, the author who gave Florine the part in which she is to make her first appearance, a little old fogy named Cardot, and his son-in-law Camusot, and Finot, and " "Does your druggist do things properly?" "He will not give us doctored wine," said Lucien. "You are very witty, monsieur," Blondet returned gravely.
"It is enough to kill you to lead such a life!" cried old Cardot; "and look at the broken glasses! What pillage! The antechamber actually makes me shudder " At this instant the wrathful old gentleman stopped short as if magnetized, like a bird which a snake is charming. He saw the outline of a form in a black coat through the door of the boudoir. "Ah, Mademoiselle Cabirolle!" he said at last.
"Hey! my dearest girl, I must tell you that when Cardot asked who put me in the way of this affair he said I owed him a present of at least ten thousand francs. The fact is, I owe it all to him." "But he is the son of the house," responded Brigitte. "Poor lad! I'll do him the justice to say that he asks for nothing."
Neither the Camusots nor the Popinots had sent him notice of Cecile's wedding. On the Boulevard des Italiens Pons saw M. Cardot coming towards them.
Word Of The Day