services made her proud as well as fond of the fiery young soldier.

Still she did not open her heart to her parents. The baron, alive at
that time, was exasperated against the Republic, and all who served it;
and, as for the baroness, she was of the old school: a passionate
love in a lady's heart before marriage was contrary to her notions of
etiquette. Josephine loved Rose very tenderly; but shrank with modest
delicacy from making her a confidante of feelings, the bare relation of
which leaves the female hearer a child no longer.

So she hid her heart, and delicious first love nestled deep in her
nature, and thrilled in every secret vein and fibre.

They had parted two years, and he had joined the army of the Pyrenees
about one month, when suddenly all correspondence ceased on his part.

Restless anxiety rose into terror as this silence continued; and
starting and trembling at every sound, and edging to the window at every
footstep, Josephine expected hourly the tidings of her lover's death.

Months rolled on in silence.

Then a new torture came. He must not be dead but unfaithful. At this all
the pride of her race was fired in her.

The struggle between love and ire was almost too much for nature:
violently gay and moody by turns she alarmed both her mother and the
good Dr. Aubertin. The latter was not, I think, quite without suspicion
of the truth; however, he simply prescribed change of air and place;
she must go to Frejus, a watering-place distant about five leagues.