"Kiss your aunt!" he said.

I obeyed him.

My aunt at that time was a very handsome young woman of twenty-two to

twenty-four, a brunette with great black, almond-shaped eyes, and fine

features on a perfect oval face. She placed me on her knees and covered

me with kisses, lavishing on me the most tender expressions, among which

she mingled words of a foreign language which sounded like music, so

sweet and harmonious was her voice. I conceived a great affection for

her. My uncle let me do just as I liked, and allowed no hindrances to be

put in my way. Thus it happened that at the end of my holidays I did not

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want to return to school again, and should certainly have succeeded in

getting my way, if it had not been that Barbassou-Pasha's ship was

waiting for him at Toulon.

You may imagine with what joy I returned to Férouzat the next year. My

uncle welcomed me with the same delight, and betook himself to the same

examination of my physical structure. When his anxieties were satisfied,

he said to me-"Kiss your aunt!"

I kissed my aunt: but, as I kissed her, I was rather surprised to find

her very much altered. She had become fair and pink-complexioned. A

certain firm and youthful plumpness, which suited her remarkably well,

gave her the appearance of a girl of eighteen. Being more bashful than

at our former interview, she tendered me her fresh cheeks with a blush.

I noticed also that her accent had undergone a modification, and now

very much resembled the accent of one of my school-fellows who was

Dutch. As I expressed my surprise at these changes, my uncle informed me

that they had just returned from Java. This explanation sufficed for me,

I did not ask any more questions, and henceforth I accustomed myself

every year to the various metamorphoses of my aunt. The metamorphosis

which pleased me the least was that which she contracted after a voyage

to Bourbon, from which she returned a mulattress, but without ceasing

still to be remarkably handsome. My uncle, it should be mentioned, was

always very good to her, and I have never known a happier household.

Unfortunately Barbassou-Pasha, being engaged in important affairs,

stayed away three years, and when I returned to Férouzat, he kissed me

and received me by himself. When I asked after my aunt, he told me that

he was a widower. As this misfortune did not appear to affect him very

seriously, I made up my mind to treat it with the same indifference that

he did.




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