"Alas, the love of women! it is known
To be a lovely and a fearful thing;
For all of theirs upon that die is thrown
And, if 'tis lost, life hath no more to bring!"
[Footnote: Byron]
During the time that matters were thus pending in Rome, Claude
Cazeau, well satisfied with himself, and the importance of being
entrusted with a special message from the Vatican to the Archbishop
of Rouen, returned to the Normandy capital with many ambitious
speculations rife in his brain, and schemes for improving the
position of confidence with which he had, by the merest chance, and
the fluctuations of the Pope's hunxour, been suddenly thrust. He
took the Patoux family by surprise on the evening of his arrival in
Rouen, and much to his secret satisfaction found Martine Doucet in
their company. The children were gone to bed, and the appearance of
Cazeau in Papa Patoux's kitchen was evidently not altogether the
most agreeable circumstance that could have happened at the Hotel
Poitiers. He was civilly received, however, and when he expressed
his pleasure at seeing Madame Doucet present, that worthy female
lifted her eyes from her knitting and gave him a suspicious glance
of exceeding disfavour.
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