Letters of Two Brides

I replied, sweetheart, like a good little girl. I was as nice to her

as she to me, nay, nicer. Her beauty completely vanquished me; it

seemed only natural that such a woman should be absorbed in her regal

part. I told her this as simply as though I had been talking to you. I

daresay it was a surprise to her to hear words of affection from her

daughter's mouth, and the unfeigned homage of my admiration evidently

touched her deeply. Her manner changed and became even more engaging;

she dropped all formality as she said: "I am much pleased with you, and I hope we shall remain good friends." The words struck me as charmingly naive, but I did not let this

appear, for I saw at once that the prudent course was to allow her to

believe herself much deeper and cleverer than her daughter. So I only

stared vacantly and she was delighted. I kissed her hands repeatedly,

telling her how happy it made me to be so treated and to feel at my

ease with her. I even confided to her my previous tremors. She smiled,

put her arm round my neck, and drawing me towards her, kissed me on

the forehead most affectionately.

"Dear child," she said, "we have people coming to dinner to-day.

Perhaps you will agree with me that it is better for you not to make

your first appearance in society till you have been in the

dressmaker's hands; so, after you have seen your father and brother,

you can go upstairs again." I assented most heartily.

My mother's exquisite dress was the first

revelation to me of the world which our dreams had pictured; but I did

not feel the slightest desire to rival her.

My father now entered, and the Duchess presented me to him. He became all at once most affectionate, and played the father's part

so well, that I could not but believe his heart to be in it. Taking my

two hands in his, and kissing them, with more of the lover than the

father in his manner, he said: "So this is my rebel daughter!"

And he drew me towards him, with his arm passed tenderly round my

waist, while he kissed me on the cheeks and forehead.

"The pleasure with which we shall watch your success in society will

atone for the disappointment we felt at your change of vocation," he

said. Then, turning to my mother, "Do you know that she is going to

turn out very pretty, and you will be proud of her some day?--Here is

your brother, Rhetore.--Alphonse," he said to a fine young man who

came in, "here is your convent-bred sister, who threatens to send her

nun's frock to the deuce."