between an absolute surprise to him to find that my dear brother was
grieved at parting with me. He said he had lain and heard our shouts
in the passages with wonder as we played those old games of ours.

'As though you were in a den of roaring wild beasts,' I said; for I
ventured on anything with him by that time, voices, I teased him
about his feelings at having to carry off one of these same savage
beasts with him; and then he told me how surprised he had been when,
on the last evening he spent in his chamber in our house, Eustace had
come and implored him to be good to me, telling him--ah, I can see my
dear brother's boyish way!--all my best qualities, ranging from my
always speaking truth to my being able to teach the little dog to
play tricks, and warning him of what vexed or pained me, even
exacting a promise that he would take care of me when I was away from
them all. I believe that promise was foremost in my husband's mind
when he waited on me at sea. Nay, he said when remembered the tears
in my brother's eyes, and saw how mine arose at the thought, his
heart smote him when he remembered that his sister's marriage had
scarcely cost him a thought or care, and that she was an utter
stranger to him; and then we agreed that if ever we had children, we
would bring them up to know and love one another, and have precious
recollections in common. Ah! l'homme propose, mais Dieu dispose.

It was only on that day that it broke upon me that we were to be
separated immediately after our arrival in Paris. M. de Bellaise was
to go to his regiment, which was at garrison at Nancy, and I was to
be left under the charge of old Madame la Marquise de Nidemerle at
Paris. I heard of it first from the Marquise himself in the coach,
as he thanked one of the ladies who invited me--with him--to her
salon in Paris, where there was to be a great entertainment in the