第542章

The supposed simpleton had broken the handle of a cup, and when the governess of the young ladies had reprimanded him for his carelessness, he had answered: "Never mind, madame; I have put it into the handle-

basket."

"The handle-basket, what is that?"

"Yes, Madame; it is where I keep all the handles I break off the things!"

"Dear me!" said Rose, drying her eyes; "how silly it is to laugh at such foolishness."

"It is droll," replied Blanche; "how can we help it?"

"All I regret is, that father cannot hear us laugh."

"He was so happy to see us gay!"

"We must write to him to-day, the story of the handle-basket."

"And that of the feather-brush, to show that, according to promise, we kept up our spirits during his absence."

"Write to him, sister? no, he is to write to us, and we are not to answer his letters."

"True! well then, I have an idea.Let us address letters to him here, Dagobert can put them into the post, and, on his return, our father will read our correspondence."

"That will be charming! What nonsense we will write to him, since he takes pleasure in it!"

"And we, too, like to amuse ourselves."

"Oh, certainly! father's last words have given us so much courage."

"As I listened to them, I felt quite reconciled to his going."

"When he said to us: `My children, I will confide in you all I can.I go to fulfill a sacred duty, and I must be absent for some time; for though, when I was blind enough to doubt your affection, I could not make up my mind to leave you, my conscience was by no means tranquil.Grief takes such an effect on us, that I had not the strength to come to a decision, and my days were passed in painful hesitation.But now that I am certain of your tenderness, all this irresolution has ceased, and I understand how one duty is not to be sacrificed to another, and that I have to perform two duties at once, both equally sacred; and this I now do with joy, and delight, and courage!'"

"Go on, sister!" cried Blanche, rising to draw nearer to Rose."I think I hear our father when I remember those words, which must console and support us during his absence."

"And then our father continued: `Instead of grieving at my departure, you would rejoice in it, you should be proud and happy.I go to perform a good and generous act.Fancy to yourselves, that there is somewhere a poor orphan, oppressed and abandoned by all--and that the father of that orphan was once my benefactor, and that I had promised him to protect his son--and that the life of that son is now in peril--tell me, my children;

would you regret that I should leave you to fly to the aid of such an orphan?'--"

"`No, no, brave father!' we answered: `we should not then be your daughters!'" continued Rose, with enthusiasm."`Count upon us! We should be indeed unhappy if we thought that our sorrow could deprive thee of thy courage.Go! and every day we will say to ourselves proudly, "It was to perform a great and noble duty that our father left us--we can wait calmly for his return."

"How that idea of duty sustains one, sister!" resumed Rose, with growing enthusiasm."It gave our father the courage to leave us without regret, and to us the courage to bear his absence gayly!"

"And then, how calm we are now! Those mournful dreams, which seemed to portend such sad events, no longer afflict us."

"I tell you, sister, this time we are really happy once for all."

"And then, do you feel like me? I fancy, that I am stronger and more courageous and that I could brave every danger."

"I should think so! We are strong enough now.Our father in the midst, you on one side, I on the other--"

"Dagobert in the vanguard, and Spoil-sport in the rear! Then the army will be complete, and let 'em come on by thousands!" added a gruff, but jovial voice, interrupting the girl, as Dagobert appeared at the half-

open door of the room.It was worth looking at his face, radiant with joy; for the old fellow had somewhat indiscreetly been listening to the conversation.

"Oh! you were listening, Paul Pry!" said Rose gayly, as she entered the adjoining room with her sister, and both affectionately embraced the soldier.

"To be sure, I was listening; and I only regretted not to have ears as large as Spoil-sport's! Brave, good girls! that's how I like to see you-

-bold as brass, and saying to care and sorrow: `Right about face! march!

go to the devil!'"

"He will want to make us swear, now," said Rose to her sister, laughing with all her might.