John Roussel

“ One day he was seized with anxiousness for his soul's future. He had not done what he ought to have done. He greatly frightened Mrs. Merlin, when he entered the house and exclaimed: "I'm lost; I'm lost."
"Don't say that, Mr. Mathers," she said. "You have always been a good man."
"Good!" he exclaimed, his eyes dilated, the muscles of his face working convulsively; "good, yes, for my sake, because I hoped in my selfishness to reap ten times the outlay. Don't you see," he continued, "that I have only worked for my own selfish interest. ”

“ Quoth old Pierre: "As you say, it's a different thing altogether."
"Let us go about our work," said Frank; "we are losing our time I fear."
His hope of converting this man was almost extinguished.
"What are my decisions coming to?" he said to himself. "I had once determined to be an inventor, etcetera, and here I am with a face like the tan and tomato-stained hands. When I try to change Maît Pierre's notions, I fail. Notwithstanding, I will not be disheartened. Knowledge is power; if I fail here, I shall not fail everywhere." ”

“ They wandered thus for two hours. "I thought we had been out only about one hour," said Adèle as Frank returned his watch to his fob.
"Love takes no account of time," he said. "Now, let us talk business. I profess to be a business man you know."
They talked about the obstacles to be vanquished, of Mr. Rougeant's wrath, of Tom Soher's jealousy.
"Be of good cheer. Amor vincit omnia," were Frank's last words to her that evening.
When she opened the wicket gate, Adèle gave a horror-stricken start. She perceived the form of a man, stretched at full length before the front door. ”

“ Then she thought about another kind of love—the love she felt for Frank Mathers. She asked herself why she loved him. He was not bold, and she admired boldness. That she loved him, however, she was certain. Did he love her? "Yes," she thought he did. Then what kept them apart? Who was the cause of it? Her father. "What a pity I have such a father," she sighed; "not content with making himself miserable, he makes me pass a life of anxiety."
At this stage of her soliloquy, she perceived a young man, whom she quickly recognized as Tom, her cousin from the "Prenoms." ”

“ Lebours, who meanwhile flourished the reward-book; Miss Rader approached Adèle, and tapping her unkindly on the shoulder, she whispered to her in a whistling tone, her snaky eyes expressing the kindliness of a tiger: "You see what you gain through wanting to leave my school; you lose a beautiful book." ”

“ I will shut mine eyes to all ambition, I will live a quiet life. Alas! even as I pronounce these words, my heart belies them. I cannot annihilate the acute brain which tortures me. Since all my hopes of happiness seem to shun me, I will continue in my new religion—pessimism; and when the hour of death comes, I will smile."
He thought of the hopeful days he had once known. He rose from his seat, cast a farewell glance on his parents' grave and proceeded down the gravel walk. ”

“ While she was doing so, Frank Mathers entered the exhibition, utterly unconscious of her being there. He was walking about in the crowd, which, as evening approached, was getting thicker and thicker, when he perceived Adèle intently bent upon examining the cut flowers.
He was quite upset. When he had recovered sufficiently to think; "She is alone, why is not her lover with her," he mused. ”

“ The farmer looked up; "I shall tell her," he said, and walked away.
"Our little affair is coming off splendidly," said Adèle as she tripped into the garden to speak to Jacques. "Yes, Miss, you are so clever, you deserve to succeed."
"We must not rejoice too soon; did you see Frank last night?"
"Yes, Miss."
"And he told you that he would come?"
"Yes, Miss; he gave me a letter for you but I must not give it to you now, I fancy Mr. Rougeant is watching us."
"You are quite right, leave it in the stable when you go there and I will fetch it. Has my father asked any questions?" ”

“ Frank trembled from head to foot. When he had recovered sufficient courage to scrutinize this form, it suddenly disappeared.
The young man fixed his eyes on the place where the ghost had vanished, for ten minutes; then turned his gaze in another direction. He soon recovered his senses, and fell into a reverie.
Again he soliloquized: "We all travel towards the grave. We all shall one day be like these around me. Why work, why trouble oneself. Why have I taken so much pains about my education? I have been ambitious, I have worried myself, I have been anxious to acquire wealth and fame. ”

“ He waved his hand near his face as if to scatter his thoughts. "Why did I rescue him when he was drowning. (He was thinking of Mr. Rougeant.) I risked being pulled into the water, I might have been drowned; and this is the reward." Ah! how humanity must suffer. If there was no joy, no real happiness on this earth, why live, why continue to endure all this. Schopenhauer was quite right when he said life was not worth living. Henceforth, he would be a pessimist. Three cheers for pessimism!
Ah! the wicked world we live in. ”

“ The farmer mounted his carriage, holding the child in his arms, and drove away. Meanwhile, the child felt quite at home; she was examining this rough man attentively.
An indescribable something was passing within the farmer's soul.
That little child clinging confidently to him, her large blue eyes expressing thankfulness and contentment filled him with a queer, but by no means unpleasant sensation. He was catching a glimpse of the joy that is reaped through performing a good action. ”

“ When Frank descended to breakfast, old Pierre and his spouse noticed his wan look. "I think master's going mad," said the man to his wife, when Frank was out of the room. "I don't know what ails him, but he seems very pale and strange."
The young man wandered aimlessly. Nothing interested him, not even his books, these companions which he had cherished so much. He tried to find pleasure in them. "If I had something to do, something to occupy my thoughts," he said to himself, "I would be much better. Work is the balm which heals my wounds, it sets me on my feet again. ”

“ She did not stop to think that he would perhaps pass haughtily by her. Love is blind.
Like the two gentlemen who circumnavigated the globe, the two young people met. Frank inquired after Mr. Rougeant's health, and made a few remarks about the exhibition. He always expected to see her intended appear on the scene. Finally, he ventured to ask: "Are you quite alone?" "Yes, quite," she answered.
They walked together for fully one hour, examining the flowers and fruit. "Is not this a beautiful specimen of the Dahlia?" Adèle asked, pointing to a flower of that name. ”

“ Soher and her daughter were having a fine time of it. "Ah! she is a well-bred girl; to interrupt me like that, to answer and lecture me in that way," said Adèle's aunt, then she added: "Fancy that little brat, to try and give me a lesson about my duty towards my neighbour. If she has enough to do to look after herself, let her do it; for my part I'll do as I like. It won't be a young girl who is not yet out of her teens who is going to teach me how to live."
The daughter scornfully remarked: "She has been to a boarding-school, you know." ”

“ Baker, the grain merchant; as you have a liking for books, I think you would do well in his office. Would you like to go?" said his father.
"If you think I am old enough to leave school," mumbled Frank.
"Certainly you are old enough," said his father, "we can't afford to keep you at school all your life."
Mrs. Mathers looked at her son sympathetically, she knew he loved his school immensely.
"You will only have to be at the office from nine till five, and, if you are diligent, you shall be able to study a few hours every day," she said. ”

“ Mathers looked satisfied enough till her step-son came to the money matter. Here her face lengthened and as soon as he had finished reading she said: "Clever people; they think they are going to pocket all this money with a few words of flattering."
"Someone must pay for the one pound stamp and other expenses," answered Frank.
"After all this spending of money, perhaps it would not prove," rejoined Mrs. Mathers.
"We won't know if we don't try," retorted Frank; "people don't make fortunes staring about them with their hands in their pockets." ”

“ Rougeant been doing now?"
"I fell in the quarry," said the farmer gruffly, "go and prepare some dry clothing, be quick, make haste."
Jeanne immediately did as she was bid. She did not leave the room, however, without casting an inquisitive glance at Frank.
"Adèle," shouted Mr. Rougeant in a voice of thunder, "where are you?"
"Miss Rougeant is gone, she told me she would not be long," answered the servant from upstairs.
"Oh, yes, always gone," said the father of Adèle, in none too pleasant a tone; "those young girls are always out when most wanted." ”

“ Just then the farmer turned abruptly to him: "A good thing you were passing near at the time of the accident. I might have been drowned," he said.
"I am very glad of having been of service to you," answered Frank.
"You're a good fellow," resumed the farmer looking at him and nodding. "It's not everybody," he continued, "who would have had the sense to do as you have done."
They arrived at the farm-house, a two-storeyed house, without any pretence at architecture, and with a slate covering: the house was surrounded by stables, pig-sties, a small garden and a conservatory. ”

“ Next day, he was worse than ever.
"Am I going to die?" he said to himself. "Life is sweet, it is hard to die so young, when before me lies the future which I would fain penetrate. I should like to accomplish some task before I depart from this world."
Frank! where art thou come to? Didst not thou say, only a few weeks back: "I will smile when the hour of death comes," and now thou art craving for life, and thou art shrinking from death.
Frank Mathers thought that his complaint was Angina Pectoris. ”

“ They went out. The farmer hid himself behind a hedge, Tom went opposite him on the other side of the road also taking advantage of the cover which a hedge afforded him. They waited. Not a breath of wind disturbed the grass or brambles, not a word was exchanged between the men on the watch. The air was stiff, but they felt it not. The cider which they had drunk kept them warm.
Not one of them knew exactly how they were to operate. Tom counted on his uncle and Mr. Rougeant thought he would act according to circumstances.
"They will never come," said Tom to himself. ”

“ She was now free, free to entertain herself with nature, away from the stagnant atmosphere of the "Prenoms." She walked along, her whole being revolting against the useless, ay, more than useless talk she had heard. But when she looked at the flowers that grew on the hedges which bordered the lane in which she was walking, her soul was filled with a sweet balm. Here was the ivy climbing upwards taking its support and some of its nourishment from the hedge which it was scaling, always gaining fresh ground. Such is the man who has risen in the world ”