Show TRE THE HELMET but uncle I 1 love my cousin get out give tier her to me dont bother me it will be my death N nonsense console yourself with avith some other girl tray my uncle whose back had been toward me whirled around his face was ted red to bursting and brought lis hl closed list fist dow don n upon the lie counter with till a heavy thump never he cried never do you hear boar what I 1 say and as I 1 looked at him beseechingly and with joined hands he went on A pretty husband you too look like without a sou and dr dreaming earning of colne into housekeeping A nice mess megs I 1 should make of it t by giving you my daughter its no use your insisting you know that I 1 have said lid no nothing under the sun cau can make me say yes I 1 ceased to make inake any further appeal I 1 knew my uncle about as headstrong an oh ola fellow as could ill lie found in n days search I 1 contented myself with giving ent to a deep sigh all aud then went on with mth the furbishing of a big double handed sword rusty front from point to hilt this memorable conversation took place in fact in the shop of my maternal uncle a well known dealer in antiquities ties and dart 53 rue hue it acs at the sign of the maltese cross a perfect museum of curiosities ties the walls were bull hung with marseilles and old rouen china facing ancient cuirassed cuirasses cuir cul asses raws sabers and muskets and picture f frames rames below those these were arranged old cabinets coffers of all sorts and statues of saints one armed or one legged for tile the most part and dilapidated as to their gilding then here and there in glass cases hermetically closed and locked there were nero knick knickknacks knacks in infinite variety I 1 tiny flay urns rings precious stones fragments of marble bracelets eros crosses es necklaces medals and miniature ivory stat Li ettes the yellow tints of i which aich lit in the sun took momentarily a transparency pa rency time out of mind the shop hit hid belonged to the it passed regularly front from father to son and my lily uncle his neighbors sald said could not but be the possessor of a 1 I nice little fortune foi tune held in esteem by all a municipal councillor by the importance and gravity of his office short fat highly hi bly choleric and headstrong but at bottom riot in the least degree an unkind sort of man such was my uncle corubert Co rubert my only living male relative who as soon as I 1 left school had bad elevated me tc the di dignity clity of chief and only clerk cherl and of the maltese cross but my illy uncle was vias not only a enter dealer in antiquities and a municipal council lur he was vas yet more and above all the father of my cousin rose with whom I 1 wis wils naturally in love to come back to the point at which I 1 digressed with without out paying any attention to the elgha which exhaled from my bosom while scouring the rust from my long two handed sword my uncle magnifying glass glasa in hand IN was 18 engaged in the examination of a lot of medals which he had purchased that morning suddenly he raised his hb head bead 5 was ans striking the council be cried when my uncle pronounced that august word it made a mouthful tor for a 1 pin I 1 a b be e would have saluted it baro bareheaded bead but tills this time lifter after a moments consideration lip lie topped tapped his forehead and ant added in a tone of supreme relief no tile the sitting does not dot take place before tomorrow to morrow worrow and I 1 am forgetting that I 1 have to go to the railway station to got get the consignment of which I 1 was as adamid tills this morning rising from his seat and lying down his glass lie called out rose give me file my iny cane and hat then turning toward me he be added in a lower tone and speaking very q quickly As to you dont forget our conversation if you think you can call make me say yes try W it but dont think succeed meanwhile not a word to rose or by st barthelemy my patron of happy luella memory ory ill instantly kick you out of doors at that illon moment tent rose nose appeared with my uncles cano cane lind and hat bat which she lauded to him ile he kissed her on the forehead then giving we me a last but eloquent look hurried from the shop |