“How proud you must be of your son, Dagobert,” said Rose, in admiration; “he writes songs.”

“Certainly, it is all very fine—­but what pleases me best is, that he is good to his mother, and that he handles the hammer with a will.  As for the songs, before he makes a ‘Rising of the People,’ or a ‘Marseillaise,’ he will have had to beat a good deal of iron; but where can this rascally sweet Agricola have learned to make songs at all?—­No doubt, it was at school, where he went, as you will see, with his adopted brother Gabriel.”

At this name of Gabriel, which reminded them of the imaginary being whom they called their guardian angel, the curiosity of the young girls was greatly excited.  With redoubled attention, Blanche continued in these words: 

“The adopted brother of Agricola, the poor deserted child whom the wife of our good Dagobert so generously took in, forms, my father tells me, a great contrast with Agricola; not in heart, for they have both excellent hearts; but Gabriel is as thoughtful and melancholy as Agricola is lively, joyous, and active.  Moreover, adds my father, each of them, so to speak, has the aspect, which belongs to his character.  Agricola is dark, tall, and strong, with a gay and bold air; Gabriel, on the contrary, is weak, fair, timid as a girl, and his face wears an expression of angelic mildness.”

The orphans looked at each other in surprise; then, as they turned towards the soldier their ingenuous countenances, Rose said to him; “Have you heard, Dagobert?  Father says, that your Gabriel is fair, and has the face of an angel.  Why, ’tis exactly like ours!”

“Yes, yes, I heard very well; it is that which surprised me, in your dream.”

“I should like to know, if he has also blue eyes,” said Rose.

“As for that, my children, though the general says nothing about it, I will answer for it:  your fair boys have always blue eyes.  But, blue or black, he will not use them to stare at young ladies; go on, and you will see why.”

Blanche resumed: 

“His face wears an expression of angelic mildness.  One of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, where he went with Agricola and other children of his quarter, struck with his intelligence and good disposition, spoke of him to a person of consequence, who, becoming interested in the lad, placed him in a seminary for the clergy, and, since the last two years, Gabriel is a priest.  He intends devoting himself to foreign missions, and will soon set out for America.”

“Your Gabriel is a priest, it appears?” said Rose, looking at Dagobert.

“While ours is an angel,” added Blanche.

“Which only proves that yours is a step higher than mine.  Well, every one to his taste; there are good people in all trades; but I prefer that it should be Gabriel who has chosen the black gown.  I’d rather see my boy with arms bare, hammer in hand, and a leathern apron round him, neither more nor less than your old grandfather, my children—­the father of Marshal Simon, Duke of Ligny—­for, after all, marshal and duke he is by the grace of the Emperor.  Now finish your letter.”