The plan answered.  In due time our courier returned, and with all we wanted in the way of letters, with one great exception, alas! any true sign of tenderness for the young wife.  There was a formal letter for her, telling her to put herself and her children under the charge of her uncle and her brother’s widow, leaving the charge of the chateau and the servants to the intendant and to Mademoiselle de Gringrimeau.  The poor child had to imbibe what her yearning heart could extract from the conventional opening and close.  I have my share of the budget still, and her it is:—–­

’Madame—­You still love to play your part of beneficent angel, and wish
to take on your shoulder my impedimenta.  Well, be it so then; though I
have no hope that you will make thereof (en) anything like yourself. 
Kissing your hands. 
                                                 ‘Le comte D’AUBEPINE.’

His whole family was thus disposed of in two letters of the alphabet (en).

M. de Nidemerle received a polite request to undertake the charge of his niece, and Mademoiselle had likewise her orders, and I heard from my brother how he had smiled at my commands, but had found them necessary, for Armand d’Aubepine had been exactly like a naughty boy forced to do a task.  Not that he had the smallest objection to his wife and children being with me—­in fact, he rather preferred it; he only hated being troubled about the matter, wanted to go to a match at tennis, and thought it good taste to imitate the Duke of Enghien in contempt for the whole subject.  Would he ever improve?  My brother did not give much present hope of it, saying that on returning to winter quarters he had found the lad plunged all the deeper in dissipation for want of the check that my dear husband had been able to impose on him; but neither M. de Solivet nor the Marquis took it seriously, thinking it only what every youth in the army went through, unless he were such a wonderful exception as my dear Philippe had been.

Cecile could hardly believe that such peace and comfort were in store for her, and her tyrant looked as gloomy as Erebus at losing her slave, but we did not care for that; we brought her home in triumph, and a fortnight’s notice was given to the foster-mother in which to wean Mademoiselle d’Aubepine and bring her to Nid de Merle.

That fortnight was spent by our guest in bed.  As if to justify Mademoiselle de Gringrimeau, she was no sooner under my care than she had a sharp illness; but Tryphena, who had been so instructed by my grandmother, Lady Walwyn, as to be more skilful than any doctor, declared that it was in consequence of the long disregard of health and strain of spirits, and so managed her that, though never strong, she improved much in health, and therewith in looks.  Beautiful she could hardly be, as the world counts beauty, but to me her sweet, tender, wistful expression made her countenance