Raynal's parting commissions rang in his ear; in his bitter mood the want of logical sequence in the two orders disgusted him.
So he inverted them.
He sent in a thundering bill the very next morning, but postponed the other commission till his dying day.
As for Josephine, she came into the drawing-room beaming with love and happiness, and after kissing both her mother and Rose with gentle violence, she let them know the strange turn things had taken.
And she whispered to Rose, "Only think, YOUR Edouard to be OUR referee!" Rose blushed and bent over her work; and wondered how Edouard would discharge so grave an office.
The matter approached a climax; for, as the reader is aware, Edouard was hourly expected at Beaurepaire.
He did not come; but it was not his fault.

On receiving Rose's letter he declined to stay another hour at his uncle's.
He flung himself on his horse; and, before he was well settled on the stirrups, the animal shied violently at a wheelbarrow some fool had left there; and threw Edouard on the stones of the courtyard.

He jumped up in a moment and laughed at Marthe's terror; meantime a farm-servant caught the nag and brought him back to his work.
But when Edouard went to put his hand on the saddle, he found it would not obey him.

"Wait a minute," said he; "my arm is benumbed." "Let me see!" said the farmer, and examined the limb himself; "benumbed?
yes; and no wonder.

Jacques, get on the brute and ride for the surgeon." "Are you mad, uncle ?" cried Edouard.