finery like a
true Frenchwoman, showing very little interest in her Jules, and only
anxious for the time to come when she could wear her shawl and be
addressed as Madame.

While waiting for the grand event, the girls amused themselves with
Gaston, the brother of the bride-elect. He was a languid, good-looking
youth of three-and-twenty, who assumed _blase_ airs and attitudinized
for their benefit. Sometimes he was lost in fits of Byronic gloom, when
he frowned over his coffee, sighed gustily, and clutched his brow,
regardless of the curls, usually in ambrosial order. The damsels,
instead of being impressed by this display of inward agony, only laughed
at him, and soon rallied him out of his heroics. Then he would try
another plan, and become all devotion, presenting green tulips, ancient
coins, early fruit, or sketches of his own, so very small that the
design was quite obscure. If these delicate attentions failed to touch
the stony hearts of the blonde Americans, he would air his entire
wardrobe, appearing before them one day in full Breton costume of white
cloth, embroidered in gay silks, buckled shoes, and hat adorned with
streaming ribbons and flowers. Quite Arcadian was Gaston in this attire;
and very effective on the croquet ground, where sundry English families
disported themselves on certain afternoons. Another time he would get
himself up like a Parisian dandy bound for a ride in the Bois de
Boulogne; and, mounting with much difficulty a rampant horse, he would
caracole about the Place St. Louis, to the great delight of the natives.

But this proved a failure; for one of the fair but cruel strangers
donned hat and habit, and entirely eclipsed his glories by galloping
about the country like an Amazon. The only time Gaston played escort she
was nearly the death of him, for he seldom did more than amble a mile or
two, and a hard trot of some six or eight miles reduced our Adonis to
such a state of exhaustion that he fell into his mother's arms on
dismounting, and was borne away to bed with much lamentation.

After that he contented himself with coming to show himself in full
dress whenever he went to a party; and, as that was nearly every other
evening, they soon got accustomed to hearing a tap at their door, and
beholding the comely youth in all the bravery of glossy broadcloth, a
lavish shirt-bosom, miraculous tie, primrose gloves, varnished shoes,
and curls and moustache anointed and perfumed in the most exqui