At the beginning of August in the same year, Eugenie was sitting onthe little wooden bench where her cousin had sworn to love hereternally, and where she usually breakfasted if the weather were fine.The poor girl was happy, for the moment, in the fresh and joyoussummer air, letting her memory recall the great and the little eventsof her love and the catastrophes which had followed it. The sun hadjust reached the angle of the ruined wall, so full of chinks, which noone, through a caprice of the mistress, was allowed to touch, thoughCornoiller often remarked to his wife that "it would fall and crushsomebody one of these days." At this moment the postman knocked, andgave a letter to Madame Cornoiller, who ran into the garden, cryingout:
"Mademoiselle, a letter!" She gave it to her mistress, adding, "Is itthe one you expected?"
The words rang as loudly in the heart of Eugenie as they echoed insound from wall to wall of the court and garden. wig hat
"Paris,from him,he has returned!"
Eugenie turned pale and held the letter for a moment. She trembled soviolently that she could not break the seal. La Grande Nanon stoodbefore her, both hands on her hips, her joy puffing as it were likesmoke through the cracks of her brown face. wig glamour
"Read it, mademoiselle!"
"Ah, Nanon, why did he return to Paris? He went from Saumur.""Read it, and you'll find out."