She folded this note, superscribed it with
the name of Gustavus Burnam, and gave it
to the valet de chambre, saying to him in
French,—
`Dites a Monsieur q'une autre fois j'aurais
mieux exprimé ma reconnaisance. A
present c'est la joie qu'il m'a causee qui me
fait folle!'
Louis bowed and disappeared.
`Voici une reponse,' he said, as, half an
hour after, he gave Maria's letter to his master—`here
is her reply; and she told me to
say to you that another time she could have
expressed her gratitude in better terms than
now, when frantic with the joy she owes entirely
to you.'
Burnam's features betrayed more excitement
than was his wont, as he eagerly tore
open Maria's letter, and cast his eye over the
characters which her own hand had traced
and her own tears had blotted.
In a moment, however, all emotion had
faded from his eye; and with his wonted
coolness he folded the note, and proceeded
to give Lewis further orders concerning
their departure on the morrow for the south
as if nothing had happened.
On the following day Gustavus took leave
of Boston, to the great disappointment of
divers managing mothers, among the upper
classes, who regarded him as a desirable
match for the wealthiest and fairest of maidens,
and who now, seeing that he withstood
all the charms of youth and beauty, whispered
among themselves—
`What a strange, incomprehensible being!'
