Madame buried her face in her hands and sobbed aloud. Then the father hushed his cries and stood for a moment before her.
"Give me the key, Clarisse, let me go."
She rose and laid her face on his shoulder.
"What is it, Clarisse?" asked he.
"Your son and I were ten years betrothed."
"Oh, my child!"
"Because, being disinherited, he would not be me husband."
"Alas! would to G.o.d I had known it! Oh! Mossy, my son."
"Oh! Monsieur," cried the lady, clasping her hands, "forgive me--mourn no more--your son is unharmed! I wrote the article--I am your recanting slanderer! Your son is hunting for me now. I told my aunt to misdirect him. I slipped by him unseen in the carriage-way."
The wild old General, having already staggered back and rushed forward again, would have seized her in his arms, had not the little Doctor himself at that instant violently rattled the door and shook his finger at them playfully as he peered through the gla.s.s.
"Behold!" said Madame, attempting a smile: "open to your son; here is the key."
She sank into a chair.
Father and son leaped into each other"s arms; then turned to Madame:
"Ah! thou lovely mischief-maker"--
She had fainted away.
"Ah! well, keep out of the way, if you please, papa," said Dr. Mossy, as Madame presently reopened her eyes; "no wonder you fainted; you have finished some hard work--see; here; no; Clarisse, dear, take this."
Father and son stood side by side, tenderly regarding her as she revived.
"Now, papa, you may kiss her; she is quite herself again, already."
"My daughter!" said the stately General; "this--is my son"s ransom; and, with this,--I withdraw the Villivicencio ticket."
"You shall not," exclaimed the laughing lady, throwing her arms about his neck.
"But, yes!" he insisted; "my faith! you will at least allow me to remove my dead from the field."
"But, certainly;" said the son; "see, Clarisse, here is Madame, your aunt, asking us all into the house. Let us go."
The group pa.s.sed out into the Rue Royale, Dr. Mossy shutting the door behind them. The sky was blue, the air was soft and balmy, and on the sweet south breeze, to which the old General bared his grateful brow, floated a ravishing odor of--
"Ah! what is it?" the veteran asked of the younger pair, seeing the little aunt glance at them with a playful smile.
Madame Delicieuse for almost the first time in her life, and Dr. Mossy for the thousandth--blushed.
It was the odor of orange-blossoms.