Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXVIII. THE HOUSE-WARMING. VEItYTHIXG went on as had been agreed upon;; the painting of the house, begun in the good weather of early February, was completed in April, as well as all the accessory jobs. M. de Gandelau, who had returned to the country towards the end of January, had had the little park laid out around the house, and had ordered the furniture most requisite for occupation, leaving it for his daughter herself to choose the articles consonant with her taste. Madame Marie had first announced that she should return in April, and then in May. There had been nothing said, since the war, about the house in the letters between herself and her mother. Madame Marie had not, probably, taken in earnest what had been written to her on this subject; and the disastrous events of 1870 and 1871 seemed to have entirely excluded the project from the minds of all. Paul was anxious to give his sister a complete surprise, and had begged Madame de Gandelau to say nothing about the house to Marie; to which his mother readily consented. Aladame Marie was written to that the family would not assemble at the chateau until the festival of Pentecost, and that, her father having several journeys to take, she need not hurry to reach France before that time. Madame de Gandelau received, on the 8th of May, a letter from Vienna, saying that Madame Marie and her husbaud would reach the chateau on the evening of the 19th, the day of Pentecost. Great was Paul's joy when he received this news. He would then be at home, and enjoy his sister's astonishment; for he had feared that she might arrive while he was still at school. This would have been dreadful. How ardently he worked during the time which still remained before the Pentecost! He wished to...
