h two fresh eggs. At sight of them Eugenie
almost hugged her round the neck.

"The farmer from Lande had them in his basket. I asked him for them, and
he gave them to me, the darling, for nothing, as an attention!"

V

After two hours' thought and care, during which Eugenie jumped up twenty
times from her work to see if the coffee were boiling, or to go and
listen to the noise her cousin made in dressing, she succeeded in
preparing a simple little breakfast, very inexpensive, but which,
nevertheless, departed alarmingly from the inveterate customs of the
house. The midday breakfast was always taken standing. Each took a slice
of bread, a little fruit or some butter, and a glass of wine. As Eugenie
looked at the table drawn up near the fire with an arm-chair placed
before her cousin's plate, at the two dishes of fruit, the egg-cup, the
bottle of white wine, the bread, and the sugar heaped up in a saucer,
she trembled in all her limbs at the mere thought of the look her father
would give her if he should come in at that moment. She glanced often
at the clock to see if her cousin could breakfast before the master's
return.

"Don't be troubled, Eugenie; if your father comes in, I will take it all
upon myself," said Madame Grandet.

Eugenie could not repress a tear.

"Oh, my good mother!" she cried, "I have never loved you enough."

Charles, who had been tramping about his room for some time, singing to
himself, now came down. Happily, it was only eleven o'clock. The true
Parisian! he had put as much dandyism into his dress as if he were in
the chateau of the noble lady then travelling in Scotland. He came into
the room with the smiling, courteous manner so becoming to youth,
which made Eugenie's heart beat with mournful joy. He had taken the
destruction of his castles in Anjou as a joke, and came up to his aunt
gaily.

"Have you slept well, dear aunt? and you, too, my cousin?"

"Very well, monsieur; did you?" said Madame Grandet.

"I? perfectly."

"You must be hungry, cousin," said Eugenie; "will you take your seat?"

"I never breakfast before midday; I never get up till then. However, I
fared so badly on the journey that I am glad to eat something at once.
Besides--" here he pulled out the prettiest watch Breguet ever made.
"Dear me! I am early, it is only eleven o'clock!"

"Early?" said Madame Grandet.

"Yes; but I wanted to put my things in order. Well, I shall be glad to
have anything to eat,--an