The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 246: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE STEAM PACKET. 189 = his lips.intimating that he was a widower, were all that Albert knew concerning his history. ‘‘ Still,” thought the young man, ‘“‘he is a gentleman—his manners and demeanour prove that: he is well edu- cated—a fact evidenced by his conversation ; and he is wealthy—for he travels with the circumstance and appendages, and in the style of a man of property. No—I may never hope for an alliance with his family: ’twere presumption to indulge longer in the chimera !”’ But the unhappy youth did indulge in the chimera, and pursued it, and cherished it, and nursed it, and allowed his imagination to feed upon it, until there were moments when the bright vision seemed to be realised,—when the object of his affection, grown to womanhood, accompanied him with smiles to the altar,—and when all the fond aspirations of his youth were crowned with felicity and success. Alas! it was indeed but a vision: weeks and months—and even years rolled by—and no tidings were heard of M. Tascher or his daughter. Albert’s cheek grew deadly pale,—and his eyes unnaturally bright ;— but, although frequent and urgent were the tender inquiries made by his father and sister relative to the cause of his altered appearance, he retained the secret in his own bosom. Three years passed away—and Albert was now twenty-two. It was at this period that M. Alvimar, the old notary, died, leaving behind him considerable property, to which Henri, who was formally engaged to be married to Pauline, was the sole heir. As soon, however, as the funeral obsequies were performed, Henri was compelled to visit Paris, to receive certain sums of money which were due to him by virtue of his late father’s will. Pierre Michel, who had for a long time observed with | pain and grief the deep melancholy which had taken possession of his son, and who vainly endeavoured to ascertain the cause, tma- gined that change of scene might produce some beneficial effect; and he accordingly proposed that the two young men should proceed to Paris in each other’s society. Henri gladly accepted his young friend as a companion; and in the month of June, 1779, Albert Michel and Henri Alvimar set foot in Paris for the first time. France at that time was a volcano, prepared to burst forth, il alarm the world with its convulsion. The extravagance, the dissipa- tion, and the glory of the French court were at its height. There— amidst the crowds of gallantry and beauty that thronged the gilded saloons of the Petit Trianon or Versailles,—moved Marie Antoinette, the charming and lovely Queen of the greatest nation in the world :-— there were the voluptuary Maurepas, the profound and philosophic Turgot, the subtle Malesherbes, and the elegant De Vergennes. There also was the Duchess of Bourbon Penthievre, better known as the Comicbooks (E(0)