The Turn of the Tide (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. " TT7HEN do you start, Monsieur Gaston ?" asked Devrand at supper that night; and Gaston answered, " To-morrow," " So soon ! " The heart of Angele died within her. She put away her bowl of cabbage-soup untasted, and, unseen beneath the table, her hands clenched and wrung each other. " Why so soon, my friend ?" said Pere Josais. "There are so many things to be considered. Does Monsieur le Marquis expect you thus, without delay ?" " I go to claim my rights," answered Gaston; and those that heard him thought, with some dismay, that it would go hard with Monsieur de la Kergoac now if he were not so ready to give those rights as his son was to claim them. Josais still made objections. " I know more of the great world than you, Monsieur Gaston. Your clothes are not fitted for your new rank. Your appearance among your father's friends would disgrace him." " What ?" shouted Gaston, in a tone that he had never before used to the head of the family. There was a low murmur of disapproval from the brothers and sisters. Pere Josais was himself startled, and went on hurriedly? " After all, a man should appear as becomes his condition in life, and some little preparation?" " He has neglected and deceived me too long," interrupted Gaston, fiercely. " He must now take me as I am;" and as if to put an end to the conversation, Gaston walked out of the house. " He has changed strangely," said Rose, anxiously. " One would think that the good news had done him more harm than good." " Will he really go to-morrow ?" said Adolphine. " There is no doubt of it;" and Devrand told her he had seen Gaston walking over to Quimperlon, and Battiste had been told that he had ordered the best horse from the " Pelican " to be at the farm with saddle-bags by...