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THECOMTESSEDEL’ESTORADETOMME。MARIEGASTON
Whathascometoyou，mydear？Afterasilenceoftwoyears，surelyReneehasarighttofeelanxiousaboutLouise。Sothisislove!Itbrushesasideandscatterstothewindsafriendshipsuchasours!Youmustadmitthat，devotedasIamtomychildren——moreevenperhapsthanyoutoyourGaston——amother’slovehassomethingexpansiveaboutitwhichdoesnotallowittostealfromotheraffections，orinterferewiththeclaimsoffriendship。Imissyourletters，Ilongforasightofyourdear，sweetface。Oh!Louise，myhearthasonlyconjecturetofeedupon!
Asregardsourselves，Iwilltryandtellyoueverythingasbrieflyaspossible。
Onreadingyourlastletterbutone，Ifindsomestingingcommentsonourpoliticalsituation。YoumockedatusforkeepingthepostintheAuditDepartment，which，aswellasthetitleofCount，LouisowedtothefavorofCharlesX。ButIshouldliketoknow，please，howitwouldbepossibleoutofanincomeoffortythousandlivres，thirtythousandofwhichgowiththeentail，togiveasuitablestartinlifetoAthenaisandmypoorlittlebeggarRene。Wasitnotadutytoliveonoursalaryandprudentlyallowtheincomeoftheestatetoaccumulate？Inthiswayweshall，intwentyyears，haveputtogetheraboutsixhundredthousandfrancs，whichwillprovideportionsformydaughterandforRene，whomIdestineforthenavy。Thepoorlittlechapwillhaveanincomeoftenthousandlivres，andperhapswemaycontrivetoleavehimincashenoughtobringhisportionuptotheamountofhissister’s。
WhenheisCaptain，mybeggarwillbeabletomakeawealthymarriage，andtakeapositioninsocietyasgoodashiselderbrother’s。
Theseconsiderationsofprudencedeterminedtheacceptanceinourfamilyoftheneworderofthings。Thenewdynasty，aswasnatural，raisedLouistothePeerageandmadehimagrandofficeroftheLegionofHonor。Theoathoncetaken，l’Estoradecouldnotbehalf-heartedinhisservices，andhehassincethenmadehimselfveryusefulintheChamber。Thepositionhehasnowattainedisoneinwhichhecanrestuponhisoarstilltheendofhisdays。Hehasagooddealofadroitnessinbusinessmatters；andthoughhecanhardlybecalledanorator，speakspleasantlyandfluently，whichisallthatisnecessaryinpolitics。Hisshrewdnessandtheextentofhisinformationinallmattersofgovernmentandadministrationarefullyappreciated，andallpartiesconsiderhimindispensable。Imaytellyouthathewasrecentlyofferedanembassy，butIwouldnotlethimacceptit。IamtiedtoParisbytheeducationofArmandandAthenais——whoarenowrespectivelythirteenandnearlyeleven——andIdon’tintendleavingtilllittleRenehascompletedhis，whichisjustbeginning。
Wecouldnothaveremainedfaithfultotheelderbranchofthedynastyandreturnedtoourcountrylifewithoutallowingtheeducationandprospectsofthethreechildrentosuffer。Amother，mysweet，ishardlycalledontobeaDecius，especiallyatatimewhenthetypeisrare。Infifteenyearsfromnow，l’EstoradewillbeabletoretiretoLaCrampadeonagoodpension，havingfoundaplaceasreferendaryforArmandintheAuditDepartment。
AsforRene，thenavywilldoubtlessmakeadiplomatistofhim。Thelittlerogue，atsevenyearsold，hasallthecunningofanoldCardinal。
Oh!Louise，Iamindeedahappymother。Mychildrenareanendlesssourceofjoytome。
Senzabramasicuraricchezza。
ArmandisadayscholaratHenryIV。’sschool。Imadeupmymindheshouldhaveapublic-schooltraining，yetcouldnotreconcilemyselftothethoughtofpartingwithhim；soIcompromised，astheDucd’Orleansdidbeforehebecame——orinorderthathemightbecome——
LouisPhilippe。EverymorningLucas，theoldservantwhomyouwillremember，takesArmandtoschoolintimeforthefirstlesson，andbringshimhomeagainathalf-pastfour。Inthehousewehaveaprivatetutor，anadmirablescholar，whohelpsArmandwithhisworkintheevenings，andcallshiminthemorningattheschoolhour。Lucastakeshimsomelunchduringtheplayhouratmidday。InthiswayIamwithmyboyatdinneranduntilhegoestobedatnight，andIseehimoffinthemorning。
Armandisthesamecharminglittlefellow，fulloffeelingandunselfishimpulse，whomyouloved；andhistutorisquitepleasedwithhim。IstillhaveNaisandthebaby——tworestlesslittlemortals——butIamquiteasmuchachildastheyare。Icouldnotbringmyselftolosethedarlings’sweetcaresses。IcouldnotlivewithoutthefeelingthatatanymomentIcanflytoArmand’sbedsideandwatchhisslumbersorsnatchak
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