had the least suspicion of the determination he had taken, and it was only by mere chance, that at the moment he threw himself into his post-chariot, he was accosted by James and Clement Bidaut. us, till you shall be pleased to or- The precipitation with which M. de Rosanges had been obliged to leave his family and his country, had not allowed him time to put bis affairs in order. The secrecy he resolved to keep respecting his These brothers were tenants of M. de Rosanges, and had for some years past acted as his bailiffs for the greater part of his landed property. A bad harvest had caused some delay in their payments, and they had now come to settle for two years' rents, which they were indebted to him. Two hours sooner, this money would have been most welcome, but the departure of M. de Rosanges could not be delayed another minute; danger threaten-flight, had rendered it impossible; ed him on all sides; and finding it impossible to arrange with the two brothers, he gave them proper acquittances for the rent they had brought him. He took leave of them, saying, "I am now going from home, and trust I shall not long be absent; but if, contrary to my expectations, I should be obliged to protract my stay beyond the period I at present propose, I will write to you. Keep this money as a deposit, which I intrust to your probity, and which may one day be of more use to me than it could be at present. Continue to pay your usual attention to my property; conceal my departure from every one; the least indiscretion might be attended with fatal consequences to me, and I am sure you would not willingly cause the destruction of a master who loves you."-"Ah! dear sir," cried the two brothers at once, 66 we would sooner die than injure you in the least. We will keep the 17,000 francs which we have brought with and his enemies, deceived by his apparent tranquillity, were unapprised of his departure until he was out of the reach of their power. Their active hatred, however, pursued him in that part where he was still tangible: the name of Mons. de Rosanges was entered on one of the lists of proscribed emigrants, his property was seized and sold, and his family inhumanly deprived of all means of support; his debtors were compelled to give in to the government the amount of the sums due from them to M. de Rosanges, and in one day this unfortunate man was deprived of his title of a Frenchman and the inheritance of his ancestors. Many of his friends, though indignant at such an act of flagrant injustice, hastened to deliver up to the government the money they had borrowed from Mons. de Rosanges; whilst others, still more timorous, dared not declare themselves the creditors of the state, which had confiscated the property of their friend to its own use, the ensuing year: he had provided though they reserved in their own resources accordingly, and found minds, the right of proving their himself in the greatest embarrassdemands against him in more au- ment when he learned the measpicious times. What was then sures his enemies had pursued. Not corruptly termed the government, daring to write, for fear of comdiscovered, by what means I am promising the safety of those to ignorant, that the two brothers whom his letters should be addressBidaut, whom they had turned out ed, this generous motive compelof the farms belonging to Mons. led him to keep his friends in igde Rosange, were largely indebted norance of the place of his resito him. Orders were immediately dence, and of his urgent necessigiven to arrest Clement, who hap- ties. In vain did James attempt pened at the time to be at Paris. to discover whither his master had Flattered, questioned, and threat- fled, all his inquiries proved fruitened by turns, the unfortunate less: M. de Rosanges was unforClement, who obstinately persisted | tunate, and forgotten by all. in denying the debt, was thrown into one of the thousand prisons the capital had the happiness of possessing at that fatal period. He was informed, that he should be released the moment he disclosed what they were so much interested in discovering; but disregarding alike their promises and their threats, and satisfied with having done his duty, he firmly prepared to meet the fate which seemed impending over him. The obstinacy of Clement triumphed over his persecutors; unable to compel him to betray his trust, they restored him to liberty; but this noble fellow, a victim to the hardships he had undergone, shortly after sealed his attachment to his master by a premature death. Worn out by fatigue and privation, he expired in the arms of his brother, whom he adjured with his last breath to keep his secret faithfully. This recommendation was not needed. James, the son of a poor farmer in the environs of Lagny, had received no sort of education; but nature had endowed him with James, in despair at receiving the news of his brother's imprisonment, tried every possible way to soften the hardship of his situation: every assistance his means afforded was bestowed on his bro-strong sense, and a firm and honest ther; but not for the world would he have touched the deposit confided to his charge. Considering the return of M. de Rosanges to be now totally hopeless, he had used every exertion to obtain news of him, but in vain. This unfortunate gentleman, far from fore-that the discovery of M. de Roseeing the fatal consequences of his flight, had cherished the hope of revisiting France at farthest in Vol. X. No. LV. mind: to be virtuous was natural to him from his infancy; it had been his object to act uprightly, and it had never entered his thoughts to throw off the obligations of religion and virtue. Although, by experience, he found sanges grew daily more and more hopeless, and many persons would fain have persuaded him, that his C tioning it to James, and letting him perceive the little repugnance he felt to take advantage of the friendly inclinations of farmer Durand. A deep sigh was the only reply of poor James: with less virtue he might have possessed the master must have sunk under his misfortunes, James was not once even tempted to appropriate to his own use a sum, which at various times would have spared him much sorrow, and raised him at once to ease and affluence. With the produce of his indus-object of his attachment. No one try, and the remainder of the pro- was aware of the existence of the perty he inherited from his father, deposit in his hands. The silence James had bought a small farm in of the proprietor might almost be the neighbourhood of Roissy, said to authorize him to dispose where he resided in a state of me- of it. This idea, which would diocrity, to which his economy have struck the mind of so many gave an imposing appearance of others, never once entered his. affluence. His heart, hitherto a He sacrificed to his duty, not withstranger to love, soon felt the in-out regret, the future happiness of fluence of that delightful passion his life. The daughter of one of his rich. Delannoy at length concluded neighbours, Rose Delannoy, in- to accept the proposals of Duspired him with an attachment as rand. The wedding-day was fixed. ardent as it was sincere; nor did All the village shared the grief of she long remain indifferent to the Rose, whose sorrow knew no regard she had excited. The two bounds. A secret presentiment lovers were at the summit of feli- drew her towards the dwelling of city, every thing seemed propi- James: she perceived him, thoughttious to their approaching union, ful and melancholy, seated on a when an unfortunate event threat- stone bench at the entrance of his ened to destroy their happiness for garden. She approached. He ever. The barns of Delannoy spoke. She listened: his secretes. caught fire, and their total de- caped him. She received his full struction reduced him to the verge confidence. Penetrated with the of poverty. James hastened to warmest admiration for the man assist him, but his means were too who preferred to all the enjoyments limited. One of the neighbour-of life the obscure hours of irreing farmers, who had long vainly sought to gain the affections of Rose, at this critical moment demanded her hand of her father, offering to rebuild at his own expense the barns which had been consumed, and to lend him the sum of two thousand crowns to enable him to recover his losses. In the disastrous situation of Delannoy such an offer would hardly fail of success; he could not help men proachable integrity, she flew to throw herself at the feet of her father. She recounted to him, with tears in her eyes, every thing she had just learned. She exalted the heroic sacrifice of poor James, and declared she never would cousent to be separated from him to become the wife of another. The vehemence of her entreaties, the fervour of her simple, eloquence, that persuasive power which al-, Looking over some newspapers, James's attention had been arrested by the name of Rosanges. Full ways accompanies truth, shook the resolution of Delannoy. He rais. ed his daughter-embraced her and carried away by his naturally of surprise and joy, he put on his good feelings, and the noble ex-best clothes, and flew to the address ample set before him, he consented to receive James for his son-in-law. Virtue sooner or later brings its own reward. The probity of James had still to undergo fresh trials. Twice the victim of the misfortunes attend-, ant on a foreign invasion, he saw his dwelling pillaged and burut, his harvest destroyed, his fields devastated, and twice abandoning his own property to the mercy of the invader, in order to watch over the sacred deposit intrusted to him, he preserved only that in which he himself was uninterested. mentioned in the paper. After some delay, he was introduced to the master of the house, a young man scarcely twenty-six years of age. James thought he had made some mistake, remembering that his old master left no children. "That is true," said the young gentleman; "I am only his nephew."-" And how is your wor thy, your excellent uncle?""He is no more."-" Dead!” echoed James in a mournful tone. "I am the only one of the family. now remaining; I inherit his name and title, and what little property some fortunate chance has left untouched."-" God be praised,” replied James, "I am come to add something to that!"-"You?"-"Yes: your late uncle my master His father-in-law, who, whilst praising his conduct, could scarcely refrain from blaming him for carrying his sense of probity to such excess, was desirous of ascertaining how far property unclaim-left the sum of 17,000 francs in my ed for five and twenty years was care, for which I am now come to tangible. He consulted a lawyer, account to you."-"What, twentywho never was in the habit of for- six years ago?". "I assure you getting his own interest in busying it is exactly as he left it; we have himself for the advantage of others. never touched one franc of it."-This man proved to him, certainly "Worthy man," exclaimed de Romore from example than by argu-sanges, stretching out one hand, ment, that a deposit unclaimed for twenty-five years is in all respects similar to any thing which has been lost, and in like manner belongs to the person who has it in his possession. Proud of having obtained such an opinion, for which he paid handsomely, Delannoy hastened to communicate it to his son-in-law, who had just made a discovery of a totally opposite nature. and shaking that of James, while my own losses, I would go and rob another person?"-"But yet" "I do not see any difference; a deposit is a thing that does not belong to us. I would have starved before I would have touched it. My dress does not announce opulence, but it covers the heart of an honest man." Mons. de Rosanges was struck with astonishment and admiration at such virtuous principles. He wrote down James's address, and promised that as early as possible he would pay him a visit. The latter took his leave, and returned home dancing for joy. "What has happened," inquired his father-in-law," that you seem in such spirits?"-" I have found out M. de Rosanges," replied James; and his excellent wife threw herself into his arms. one thing."-" What do you mean?"-" He has said nothing about the interest, and twenty-six years' interest doubles the capital." Really!"-"The worthy man has turned the money to good account." "_" He has assured me to the contrary."-" And you believe him?"" His action is a proof ""Yes, of cunning. Attend to me: you are a young man, and understand very little of business. All money lent ought to bear interest; now this money” "Was a deposit."-" We shall see how that is by and by, with your leave. Commence an action against him; then he will have a conference; let him have plenty of time: you do not surely imagine I wish to ruin him; but your affairs interest me as my own, and one day or other you will thank me for the care I take of them.” Saying this, the attorney took his. leave. Two days afterwards M. de Rosanges paid his promised visit to James. On entering his cottage, he beheld the whole family in the deepest distress. What was his surprise and anger at perusing a letter from his lawyer, stating that M. de Rosanges had authorized him to demand the interest due on the sum of 17,000 francs for twen James had scarcely quitted the hotel of Mons. de Rosanges, when that gentleman's lawyer made his appearance: be happened to be the very man whom Delannoy had consulted. M. de Rosanges informed him of the good fortune which had just befallen him. "The devil," exclaimed the the lawyer, "17,000 francs at the expiration of twenty-six years! It is almost incredible, but we live in an age of wonders." Suddenly he stopped, knit his brows, while a mali-ty-six years, and threatening them. cious smile distorted his features, and added: "The man supposed that of course you had vouchers.' --"I have not one."-" That you knew that your uncle had intrusted that sum to him."-" I was perfectly ignorant of it an hour ago." "Well, however, he thought so, I have no doubt; but in making this restitution he has forgotten || with the utmost rigour of the law in case of a refusal. His indignation redoubled when he learned from old Delannoy, that this was the very man who had advised him to withhold the property. He hastened to reassure the worthy James; he would not humiliate him by offering him money as a reward, but promising to him his friend |