otherwise; and for the future, Mr. Beman whispered two words to me at the door, which I shall adopt as a motto."
"What were they?" asked her mother.
"Courage and Patience."
The cloud floated away from her mother's brow, and she folded her daughter in her arms, with one of those caresses which express relief as well as affection.
"What communication do you suppose it was," asked Marie, after a pause, "that Mr. Beman made to M. Le Vert!"
"The same as that to us, I presume," her mother answered.
"And do you think that had any thing to do with Napoleon's failure to meet his father's engagement?" said she smilingly.
"I should hope not, indeed, Marie!"
"So should I," said the daughter, "for his sake, however."
"We must not do him injustice," urged the widow.
"Of course not." And Marie walked to the window, and stood gazing, her face radiant with smiles, upon the quiet, moonlit street.
The sudden announcement of De Cheville's death, at the fête, had given her a glimpse into the depths of her own heart. But duty and the exhortations of her mother had produced an effort which she had supposed effectual. And yet, when he, for whose sake she had thus struggled, and conquered, as she thought, remained absent even after announcing his coming, and contemptuously neglected to send reason or apology, she was far more rejoiced at her exemption from the visit, than offended at the slight.
Her conquest, it would seem, was not complete.
IV. A NEW HOME.
Two days after Mr. Beman's visit to the Lefrettes, it was gene rally known in Kaskaskia, that the "——— Land and Emigration Company" had made an assignment; and, in the absence of definite information, the most absurd rumors were in circulation. The names of various people were confidently mentioned as involved in the failure, who never owned a dollar of the stock, nor bought an acre of the land. It was stated that Le Vert was the assignee; that he had been
