was Madame's turn to offer the hallowed bread; at that time,
Bourais disappeared mysteriously; and the old acquaintances,
Guyot, Liébard, Madame Lechaptois, Robelin, old Grémanville,
paralysed since a long time, passed away one by one. One night,
the driver of the mail in Pont-l'Evêque announced the Revolution
of July. A few days afterward a new sub-prefect was nominated, the
Baron de Larsonnière, ex-consul in America, who, besides his wife,
had his sister-in-law and her three grown daughters with him. They
were often seen on their lawn, dressed in loose blouses, and they
had a parrot and a negro servant. Madame Aubain received a call,
which she returned promptly. As soon as she caught sight of them,
Félicité would run and notify her mistress. But only one thing was
capable of arousing her: a letter from her son.

He could not follow any profession as he was absorbed in drinking.
His mother paid his debts and he made fresh ones; and the sighs
that she heaved while she knitted at the window reached the ears
of Félicité who was spinning in the kitchen.

They walked in the garden together, always speaking of Virginia,
and asking each other if such and such a thing would have pleased
her, and what she would probably have said on this or that
occasion.

All her little belongings were put away in a closet of the room
which held the two little beds. But Madame Aubain looked them over
as little as possible. One summer day, however, she resigned
herself to the task and when she opened the closet the moths flew
out.