Till within the last few
months I remained with him; and only left my employment to enter,
by my master's own desire, the house of his brother, established
also as a silk-mercer, at Chalons-sur-Marne. In the
counting-house of this merchant I am corresponding clerk, and am
only able to come and see you now by offering to undertake a
special business mission for my employer at Paris. It is
drudgery, at my time of life, after all I have gone through--but
my hard work is innocent work. I am not obliged to cringe for
every crown-piece I put in my pocket--not bound to denounce,
deceive, and dog to death other men, before I can earn my bread,
and scrape together money enough to bury me. I am ending a bad,
base life harmlessly at last. It is a poor thing to do, but it is
something done--and even that contents a man at my age. In short,
I am happier than I used to be, or at least less ashamed when I
look people like you in the face."
"Hush! hush!" interrupted Rose, laying her hand on his arm. "I
cannot allow you to talk of yourself in that way, even in jest."
"I was speaking in earnest," answered Lomaque, quietly; "but I
won't weary you with any more words about myself. My story is
told."
"All?" asked Trudaine. He looked searchingly, almost
suspiciously, at Lomaque, as he put the question. "All?" he
repeated. "Yours is a short story, indeed, my good friend!
Perhaps you have forgotten some of it?"
Again Lomaque fidgeted and hesitated.
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