The
history of who Franval was, and of what he had done, was readily
communicated to Mr. Welwyn and his daughters, and was briefly
this:
The baron inherited little from his ancestors besides his high
rank and his ancient pedigree. On the death of his parents, he
and his two unmarried sisters (their only surviving children)
found the small territorial property of the Franvals, in
Normandy, barely productive enough to afford a comfortable
subsistence for the three. The baron, then a young man of
three-and-twenty endeavored to obtain such military or civil
employment as might become his rank; but, although the Bourbons
were at that time restored to the throne of France, his efforts
were ineffectual. Either his interest at court was bad, or secret
enemies were at work to oppose his advancement. He failed to
obtain even the slightest favor; and, irritated by undeserved
neglect, resolved to leave France, and seek occupation for his
energies in foreign countries, where his rank would be no bar to
his bettering his fortunes, if he pleased, by engaging in
commercial pursuits.
An opportunity of the kind that he wanted unexpectedly offered
itself. He left his sisters in care of an old male relative of
the family at the chateau in Normandy, and sailed, in the first
instance, to the West Indies; afterward extending his wanderings
to the continent of South America, and there engaging in mining
transactions on a very large scale.
Pages:
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292