t hear one word he said, for he was listening
to the last faint sounds of the hymn, as they became more and more
distant.

"Nothing particular happened to Henri on his journey; and at the end of
several days he arrived at the gates of his father's grand house at
Paris. The Marchioness that evening (as was common with her) gave a
ball and supper to a number of friends; and on this occasion the house
was lighted up, and set off with all manner of ornaments. The company
was just come, and the music beginning to play, when Henri was brought
into the hall. As soon as it was known who was come, the servants ran
to tell the Marquis and Marchioness, and they ran into the hall to
receive their son. The beauty of Henri, and his lovely mild look, could
not but please and delight his parents, and they said to each other, as
they kissed him and embraced him:

"'How could we live so long a stranger to this charming child?'

"His mother had expected that her son would have had an awkward and low
appearance; she was, therefore, greatly surprised at his courteous and
polite manners, which delighted her as much as his beauty.

"All that evening Henri remained silent, modest, and serious, and as
soon as his parents would give him leave, he asked to go to bed. He was
shown into a room richly furnished, and so large that the whole of
Claude's little cottage would have gone into it. The servant who
attended him would have undressed him; but he begged to be left alone,
saying he had been used to dress and undress himself. As soon as the
servant was gone, he took out his Bible and read a chapter; after
which, kneeling down, he prayed his Almighty Father to take care of him
now, in this time of temptation, when he feared he might be drawn aside
to forget his God.

"The young son of the Marquis de Roseville did not awake early, having
been much tired with his journey. When he had dressed, he was taken to
breakfast in his mother's dressing-room; she was alone, as the Marquis
had gone out after the ball the night before, and was not returned. The
Marchioness kissed Henri, and made him sit down by her, showing him
every proof of her love; nevertheless, everything he saw and heard made
him wish himself back again in the cottage amongst the hills. He could
perceive by the daylight what he had not found out the night before,
that his mother was painted white and red, and that she had a bold and
fretful look, which made her large dark eyes quite t