"I hope you will believe, monsieur," answered his nephew, "that I shall always try to to my situation."
"What''s that?" said his uncle, his eyes lighting up at a handful of gold whibsp;Charles was carrying.
"Monsieur, I have collected all my buttons and rings and other superfluities whibsp;may have some value; but not knowing any one in Saumur, I wanted to ask you to-"
"To buy them?" said Gra, interrupting him.
"No, uncle; only to tell me of an ho man who-"
"Give me tho things, I will go upstairs and estimate their value; I will e babsp;and tell you what it is to a fra. Jeweller''s gold," examining a long , "eighteen or een carats."
The goodman held out his huge hand and received the mass of gold, whibsp;he carried away.
"Cousin," said Gra, "may I offer you the two buttons? They bsp;fasten ribbons round your wrists; that sort of bracelet is mubsp;the fashion just now."
"I accept without hesitation," she answered, giving him an uanding look.
"Aunt, here is my mother''s thimble; I have always kept it carefully in my dressing-ca," said Charles, prenting a pretty gold thimble to Madame Gra, who for many years had longed for one.
"I ot thank you; no words are possible, my nephew," said the poor mother, who eyes filled with tears. "Night and m in my prayers I shall add one for you, the most ear of all-for tho who travel. If I die, Eugenie will keep this treasure for you."
"They are worth nine hundred and eighty-nine franbsp;venty-five times," said Gra, opening the door. "To save you the pain of lling them, I will advanbsp;the money-in livres."
The word livres on the littoral of the Loire signifies that pribsp;of six livres are to be accepted as six franbsp;without dedu.
"I dared not propo it to you," answered Charles; "but it was most repugnant to me to ll my jewels to some d-hand dealer in your own town. People should wash their dirty linen at home, as Napoleon said. I thank you for your kindness."
Gra scratched his ear, and there was a moment''s silence.
"My dear uncle," resumed Charles, looking at him with an uneasy air, as if he feared to wound his feelings, "my aunt and cousin have been kind enough to accept a trifling remembranbsp;of me. Will you allow me to give you the sleeve-buttons, whibsp;are uless to me now? They will remind you of a poor fellow who, far away, will always think of tho who are heh all his family."