"Dear Louis," she cried, clapping her hands, "let me be the first
to congratulate you! How proud and glad I am! You accept the
professorship, of course?"
Trudaine, who had hastily and confusedly put his letter back in
his pocket the moment Lomaque began to read, seemed at a loss for
an answer. He patted his sister's hand rather absently, and said:
"I have not made up my mind; don't ask me why, Rose--at least not
now, not just now." An expression of perplexity and distress came
over his face, as he gently motioned her to resume her chair.
"Pray, is a sub-professor of chemistry supposed to hold the rank
of a gentleman?" asked Madame Danville, without the slightest
appearance of any special interest in Lomaque's news.
"Of course not," replied her son, with a sarcastic laugh; "he is
expected to work and make himself useful. What gentleman does
that?"
"Charles!" exclaimed the old lady, reddening with anger.
"Bah!" cried Danville, turning his back on her, "enough of
chemistry. Lomaque, now you have begun reading the newspaper, try
if you can't find something interesting to read about. What are
the last accounts from Paris? Any more symptoms of a general
revolt?"
Lomaque turned to another part of the paper. "Bad, very bad
prospects for the restoration of tranquillity," he said. "Necker,
the people's Minister, is dismissed. Placards against popular
gatherings are posted all over Paris.
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