Just then my uncle arrives.

I was not present; but my aunt Eudoxia, who continues to laugh over it,

has related to me all the details of the affair. At the sight of this

remarkable fusion of "the two branches of his hymens," as she termed it,

the Pasha was positively dumbfounded. All the more so as my aunt Van

Cloth, who understood no more about this extraordinary position of

affairs than she did of Hebrew, threw herself into his arms, and

exclaimed: "Ah! Anatole! here you are, dear!--Our Ernest is in danger!"

The bravest man will quail occasionally; and at this unfortunate and

unavoidable attack, which tore asunder the whole veil of mystery, the

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splendid composure with which Nature has armed my uncle Barbassou really

deserted him for a moment. But, like a man who is superior to

misfortunes of this sort, when he found himself caught he did not on

this occasion, more than on any other, waste any time over spilt cream.

"Quick! we must go and fetch the child!" he said.

And taking advantage of the fact that my aunt Van Cloth was hanging to

him, he carried her off without any more ado, and went out by the door,

without leaving her time to kiss the Countess of Monteclaro, as she

certainly would have done out of politeness. From the ante-room he

dragged her down to the carriage, where he packed her in.

I was coming down from my own chambers just as he returned from this

summary execution. Although about the last thing I expected to come in

for was the climax of a tragic occurrence, I could see easily enough

that my uncle had experienced some little shock; but the announcement of

dinner and the ordinary tone of my aunt's reception creating a

diversion, I did not feel certain until we were seated at table that

there was some storm in the air which was only restrained from bursting

by the presence of the servants. The Pasha, sitting in silence with his

head bent down into his plate, seemed to be absorbed by some abstruse

considerations, which caused him that evening to forget to grumble at

the cook. My aunt, on the contrary, sparkling with humour, and in her

most charming and gracious mood, suggested by her smiles a certain

lightness of heart: he eyed her suspiciously from time to time, like a

man with an uncomfortable conscience.

When the meal was over we returned to the drawing-room, and coffee being

served, remained there alone. The Countess of Monteclaro, still as

gracious as ever, made some sly thrusts at him, the significance of

which escaped me somewhat. The captain evidently was keeping very quiet.

Finally, after half an hour, as I was about to leave, and he showed

symptoms of an intention to slip off, she said to him, in her most

insinuating manner-"I will detain you for a minute, my dear; I must have a little

conversation with you about a matter on which I want to take your

advice."




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