She was resigned, she said, and would accept any fate from the rank
of a queen to a cell among the old maids of St. Cyr! The girls of
Quebec hung all their hopes on the stars, bright and particular ones
especially. They were too loving to live single, and too proud to
live poor. But she was one who would not wait for ships to land
that never came, and plums to drop into her mouth that never
ripened. Hortense would be ruled by the stars, and wise Doctor
Gauthier should to-night declare her fate.
They all laughed at this free talk of Hortense. Not a few of the
ladies shrugged their shoulders and looked askance at each other,
but many present wished they had courage to speak like her to Doctor
Gauthier.
"Well, I see there is nothing else for it but to submit to my ruling
star, and that is you, Hortense!" cried the Doctor; "so please
stand up before me while I take an inventory of your looks as a
preliminary to telling your fortune."
Hortense placed herself instantly before him. "It is one of the
privileges of our dry study," remarked he, as he looked admiringly
on the tall, charming figure and frank countenance of the girl
before him.
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