though small, is free and unfettered, and the memory of my late
father is respected in our country, Valentine, as that of the most
upright and honorable merchant of the city; I say our country,
because you were born not far from Marseilles."
"Don't speak of Marseilles, I beg of you, Maximilian; that one
word brings back my mother to my recollection — my angel mother,
who died too soon for myself and all who knew her; but who, after
watching over her child during the brief period allotted to her in
this world, now, I fondly hope, watches from her home in heaven.
Oh, if my mother were still living, there would be nothing to fear,
Maximilian, for I would tell her that I loved you, and she would
protect us."
"I fear, Valentine," replied the lover, "that were she living I
should never have had the happiness of knowing you; you would then
have been too happy to have stooped from your grandeur to bestow a
thought on me."
"Now it is you who are unjust, Maximilian," cried Valentine;
"but there is one thing I wish to know."
"And what is that?" inquired the young man, perceiving that
Valentine hesitated.
"Tell me truly, Maximilian, whether in former days, when our
fathers dwelt at Marseilles, there was ever any misunderstanding
between them?"
"Not that I am aware of," replied the young man, "unless,
indeed, any ill-feeling might have arisen from their being of
opposite parties — your father was, as you know, a zealous partisan
of the Bourbons, while mine was wholly devoted to the emperor;
there could not possibly be any other difference between them. But
why do you ask?"
"I will tell you," replied the young girl, "for it is but right
you should know. Well, on the day when your appointment as an
officer of the Legion of honor was announced in the papers, we were
all sitting with my grandfather, M. Noirtier; M. Danglars was there
also — you recollect M. Danglars, do you not, Maximilian, the
banker, whose horses ran away with my mother-in-law and little
brother, and very nearly killed them? While the rest of the companybrother, and very nearly killed them? While the rest of the company
were discussing the approaching marriage of Mademoiselle Danglars,
I was reading the paper to my grandfather; but when I came to the
paragraph about you, although I had done nothing else but read it
over to myself all the morning (you know you had told me all about
it the previous evening), I felt so happy, and yet so nervous, at
the idea of speaking your name aloud, and before so many people,
that I really think I should have passed it over, but for the fear
that my doing so might create suspicions as to the cause of my
silence; so I summoned up all my courage, and read it as firmly and
as steadily as I could."
"Dear Valentine!"
"Well, would you believe it? directly my father caught the sound
of your name he turned round quite hastily, and, like a poor silly
thing, I was so persuaded that every one must be as much affected
as myself by the utterance of your name, that I was not surprised
to see my father start, and almost tremble; but I even thought
(though that surely must have been a mistake) that M. Danglars
trembled too."
"`Morrel, Morrel,' cried my father, `stop a bit;' then knitting
his brows into a deep frown, he added, `surely this cannot be one
of the Morrel family who lived at Marseilles, and gave us so much
trouble from their violent Bonapartism — I mean about the year
1815.' — `Yes,' replied M. Danglars, `I believe he is the son of
the old shipowner.'"
"Indeed," answered Maximilian; "and what did your father say
then, Valentine?"
"Oh, such a dreadful thing, that I don't dare to tell you."
"Always tell me everything," said Maximilian with a smile.
"`Ah,' continued my father, still frowning, `their idolized
emperor treated these madmen as they deserved; he called them `food
for powder,' which was precisely all they were good for; and I am
delighted to see that the present government have adopted this
salutary principle with all its pristine vigor; if Algiers were
good for nothing but to furnish the means of carrying so admirablegood for nothing but to furnish the means of carrying so admirable
an idea into practice, it would be an acquisition well worthy of
struggling to obtain. Though it certainly does cost France somewhat
dear to assert her rights in that uncivilized country.'"
"Brutal politics, I must confess." said Maximilian; "but don't
attach any serious importance, dear, to what your father said. My
father was not a bit behind yours in that sort of talk. `Why,' said
he, `does not the emperor, who has devised so many clever and
efficient modes of improving the art of war, organize a regiment of
lawyers, judges and legal practitioners, sending them in the
hottest fire the enemy could maintain, and using them to save
better men?' You see, my dear, that for picturesque expression and
generosity of spirit there is not much to choose between the
language of either party. But what did M. Danglars say to this
outburst on the part of the procureur?"
"Oh, he laughed, and in that singular manner so peculiar to
himself — half-malicious, half-ferocious; he almost immediately got
up and took his leave; then, for the first time, I observed the
agitation of my grandfather, and I must tell you, Maximilian, that
I am the only person capable of discerning emotion in his paralyzed
frame. And I suspected that the conversation that had been carried
on in his presence (for they always say and do what they like
before the dear old man, without the smallest regard for his
feelings) had made a strong impression on his mind; for, naturally
enough, it must have pained him to hear the emperor he so devotedly
loved and served spoken of in that depreciating manner."
"The name of M. Noirtier," interposed Maximilian, "is celebrated
throughout Europe; he was a statesman of high standing, and you may
or may not know, Valentine, that he took a leading part in every
Bonapartist conspiracy set on foot during the restoration of the
Bourbons."
"Oh, I have often heard whispers of things that seem to me most