Second Part Chapter 51

THE COMTESSE DE L'ESTORADE TO MME. MARIE GASTON
1835.

What has come to you, my dear? After a silence of two years, surely
Renee has a right to feel anxious about Louise. So this is love! It
brushes aside and scatters to the winds a friendship such as ours! You
must admit that, devoted as I am to my children--more even perhaps
than you to your Gaston--a mother's love has something expansive about
it which does not allow it to steal from other affections, or
interfere with the claims of friendship. I miss your letters, I long
for a sight of your dear, sweet face. Oh! Louise, my heart has only
conjecture to feed upon!

As regards ourselves, I will try and tell you everything as briefly as
possible.

On reading your last letter but one, I find some stinging comments on
our political situation. You mocked at us for keeping the post in the
Audit Department, which, as well as the title of Count, Louis owed to
the favor of Charles X. But I should like to know, please, how it
would be possible out of an income of forty thousand livres, thirty
thousand of which go with the entail, to give a suitable start in life
to Athenais and my poor little beggar Rene. Was it not a duty to live
on our salary and prudently allow the income of the estate to
accumulate?

In this way we shall, in twenty years, have put together
about six hundred thousand francs, which will provide portions for my
daughter and for Rene, whom I destine for the navy. The poor little
chap will have an income of ten thousand livres, and perhaps we may
contrive to leave him in cash enough to bring his portion up to the
amount of his sister's.