r from well. Can you not employ him on some of the
office work?"

"I will speak to Moronval," was the reply.

The result of this was, that Jack for some days did everything in the
office except sweep the rooms. With his usual imperturbability, Jack
fulfilled these various duties, enduring the contemptuous remarks of
Moronval with the same indifference that he opposed to D'Argenton's cold
contempt. Moronval had a certain fixed salary on the magazine; it was
small, to be sure, but he added to it by supplementary labors, for which
he was paid certain sums on account. The subscription books lay open on
the desk, expenses went on, but no receipts came in. In fact, there was
but one subscriber, Charlotte's friend at Tours, and but one proprietor,
and he, with a glue-pot and brush, was at work in a corner. Neither
Jack nor any one else realized this; but D'Argenton knew it and felt
it hourly, and soon hated more strongly than ever the youth upon whose
money he was living.

At the end of a week it was announced that Jack was useless in the
office.

"But, my dear," said Charlotte, "he does all he can!"

"And what is that? He is lazy and indifferent; he knows not how to sit
nor how to stand, and he falls asleep over his plate at dinner; and
since this great, shambling fellow has appeared here, you have grown ten
years older, my love. Besides, he drinks, I assure you that he drinks."

Charlotte bowed her head and wept; she knew that her son drank, but
whose fault was it? Had they not thrown him into the gulf?

"I have an idea, Charlotte! Suppose we send him to Etiolles for change
of air. We will give him a little money, and it will be a good thing for
him."

She thanked him enthusiastically, and it was decided that she would go
the next day to install her son at Aulnettes.

They arrived there on one of those soft autumnal mornings which have all
the beauty of summer without its excessive heat. There was not a breath
in the air; the birds sang loudly, the fallen leaves rustled gently, and
a perfume of rich maturity of ripened grain and fruit filled the air.
The paths through the woods were still green and fresh; Jack recognized
them all, and, seeing them, regained a portion of his lost youth. Nature
herself seemed to welcome him with open arms, and he was soothed and
comforted. Charlotte left her son early the next morning, and the little
house, with its windows thrown wide open to the soft air and sunlight,
had a peacef