She had evidently caught
cold, and this was the fine result of her foolish ride.
By degrees the girl recovered her composure, and again smiled. She then
explained that she now felt no pain, but that it had suddenly seemed to
her as if a heavy paving-stone were lying on her chest; then this weight
had melted away, leaving her better able to breathe. And, indeed, she was
soon on her feet once more, and finished giving her views respecting the
decoration of the gallery, in such wise that the others ended by feeling
reassured, and the afternoon passed away joyously in the making of all
sorts of splendid plans. Little was eaten at dinner, for they had done
too much honor to the crawfish at noon. And at nine o'clock, as soon as
Celeste arrived for Andree, the gathering broke up. Ambroise was
returning to Paris that same evening. Blaise and Denis were to take the
seven o'clock train the following morning. And Rose, after accompanying
Madame Desvignes and her daughters to the road, called to them through
the darkness: "Au revoir, come back soon." She was again full of gayety
at the thought of the general rendezvous which the family had arranged
for the approaching weddings.
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