Paul then returned to his question as to Wilhelm's adventures, the
latter doing his best to get out of it by a few vague remarks on the
uneventful character of his life during the last few months, and
then hurried to descant on Paris, describing the town to them with
the volubility of a guide-book. On his inquiring in return about
their affairs, Paul and Malvine vied with one another in the
redundancy of their account. All was well, so far. At the last
distribution of Orders Paul had received the Order of the Red Eagle,
and beside that, during the course of the winter, two new foreign
decorations. There were all sorts of innovations on the estate,
which he described in detail. At present he was hard at work on an
entirely new scheme: the founding of a colony on the moor, composed
of discharged prisoners, tramps, and such like ne'er-do-wells;
where, by supplying them with agricultural labor, they might be
brought back to a decent and remunerative way of life.
Malvine had much to tell of the autumn and winter festivities, both
at her own and other houses, and also, that of the three heiresses
whom she had picked out for Wilhelm, one was married, another
engaged, and there remained only the third, the one with the curly
hair, who still asked after him from time to time.
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