Eastward, the long shadows and mellow intervening lights, the red
glory that quivered on the rippling water, the steady ruby fire
glowing on cottage windows that reflected the level sunlight, led
the eye onward and onward, along the windings of the Seine, until
it rested upon the spires, towers, and broadly-massed houses of
Rouen, with the wooded hills rising beyond them for background.
Lovely to look on at any time, the view was almost supernaturally
beautiful now under the gorgeous evening light that glowed up in
it. All its attractions, however, were lost on the valet; he
stood yawning with his hands in his pockets, looking neither to
the right nor to the left, but staring straight before him at a
little hollow, beyond which the ground sloped away smoothly to
the brink of the cliff. A bench was placed here, and three
persons--an old lady, a gentleman, and a young girl--were seated
on it, watching the sunset, and by consequence turning their
backs on Monsieur Justin. Near them stood two gentlemen, also
looking toward the river and the distant view. These five
figures attracted the valet's attention, to the exclusion of
every other object around him.
"There they are still," he said to himself, discontentedly.
"Madame Danville in the same place on the seat; my master, the
bridegroom, dutifully next to her; Mademoiselle Rose, the bride,
bashfully next to him; Monsieur Trudaine, the amateur apothecary
brother, affectionately next to her; and Monsieur Lomaque, our
queer land-steward, officially in waiting on the whole party.
Pages:
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131