Ah, happy hour! ah, happy days of youth and innocence and first love! Trouble loves to intrude on these halcyon days.
The usually quiet Josephine came flying from the house, pale and agitated, and clung despairingly to Rose, and then fell to sobbing and lamenting piteously.
I shall take leave to relate in my own words what had just occurred to agitate her so.

When she entered her mother's room, she found the baroness and Perrin the notary seated watching for her.

She sat down after the usual civilities, and Perrin entered upon the subject that had brought him.
He began by confessing to them that he had not overcome the refractory creditor without much trouble; and that he had since learned there was another, a larger creditor, likely to press for payment or for sale of the estate.

The baroness was greatly troubled by this communication: the notary remained cool as a cucumber, and keenly observant.

After a pause he went on to say all this had caused him grave reflections.