THE NUN'S STORY
OF
GABRIEL'S MARRIAGE
CHAPTER I.
One night, during the period of the first French Revolution, the
family of Francois Sarzeau, a fisherman of Brittany, were all
waking and watching at a late hour in their cottage on the
peninsula of Quiberon. Francois had gone out in his boat that
evening,
as usual, to fish. Shortly after his departure, the wind had
risen, the clouds had gathered; and the storm, which had been
threatening at intervals throughout the whole day, burst forth
furiously about nine o'clock. It was now eleven; and the raging
of the wind over the barren, heathy peninsula still seemed to
increase with each fresh blast that tore its way out upon the
open sea; the crashing of the waves on the beach was awful to
hear; the dreary blackness of the sky terrible to behold. The
longer they listened to the storm, the oftener they looked out at
it, the fainter grew the hopes which the fisherman's family still
strove to cherish for the safety of Francois Sarzeau and of his
younger son who had gone with him in the boat.
There was something impressive in the simplicity of the scene
that was now passing within the cottage.
On one side of the great, rugged, black fire-place crouched two
little girls; the younger half asleep, with her head in her
sister's lap. These were the daughters of the fisherman; and
opposite to them sat their eldest brother, Gabriel.
Pages:
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323