“What I do and what I dream include thee
As the wine must taste of its own grapes.”
The doctor, on his way home, saw a light in the printing-office, which was at the corner where he separated from his newly-made son-in-law; and at the latter’s suggestion a notice of the marriage was left there for the morning paper. So the next morning, as Mrs. Kendrick, Louise, Miss Delano, Felix, and the count, sat down to the table, they were electrified by the exclamation, “Good God!” proceeding from Mr. Kendrick, who came forward to take his place at the table.
“What is it? Do read it?” said Mrs. Kendrick to her husband, whose eyes were riveted on the morning paper.
“Married—Sept. 10th, at the residence of the bride, the Count Paul von Frauenstein to Clara Forest Delano——” Kendrick stopped short and looked at Paul, who was very composedly taking his cup of coffee from Mrs. Kendrick’s trembling hand.
“What silly joke is this?” he asked, addressing Paul.
“My dear sir, I beg you to not consider it a joke. It is a genuine announcement of a genuine fact,” replied the count, with a serious gravity that could not be mistaken.
“But you slept here last night. I heard you come in.”
“So did I,” said Miss Delano, “but it was shockingly late—late enough to have accomplished any folly, I should say; marriage among the rest.” But Charlotte felt secretly hurt that when she had given her confidence freely to Clara the day previous, Clara had withheld hers. Louise turned very pale, but sipped her coffee without any serious manifestation of the rage she felt.
“My dear cousin, I give you joy!” said Felix, grasping the count’s hand warmly, and adding, in French, “I must suppose you have good reasons for keeping your confidence from me.”