"
"I am serious enough in wishing you those chests full of gold, and
those broad lands that a crow cannot fly over in a day; but I must
forego my share of them, and so must you yours, brother!" Angelique
leaned back in her chair, desiring to stop further discussion of a
topic she did not like to hear.
"Why must you forego your share of the De Repentigny fortune,
Angelique? You could call it your own any day you chose by giving
your little finger to Le Gardeur! you do really puzzle me."
The Chevalier did look perplexed at his inscrutable sister, who only
smiled over the table at him, as she nonchalantly cracked nuts and
sipped her wine by drops.
"Of course I puzzle you, Renaud!" said she at last. "I am a puzzle
to myself sometimes. But you see there are so many men in the
world,--poor ones are so plenty, rich ones so scarce, and sensible
ones hardly to be found at all,--that a woman may be excused for
selling herself to the highest bidder. Love is a commodity only
spoken of in romances or in the patois of milkmaids now-a-days!"
"Zounds, Angelique! you would try the patience of all the saints in
the calendar! I shall pity the fellow you take in! Here is the
fairest fortune in the Colony about to fall into the hands of Pierre
Philibert--whom Satan confound for his assurance! A fortune which I
always regarded as my own!"
"It shows the folly and vanity of your sex! You never spoke a word
to Amelie de Repentigny in the way of wooing in your life! Girls
like her don't drop into men's arms just for the asking.
Pages:
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397