His Excellency the Count of Grandet

Eugenie had been sewing with her mother by the window.The window was facing the side of the road, but there were not many people passing by on the bluestone road.It was cloudless today, so as soon as this exquisite carriage appeared in sight, she noticed it.

She thought they had gone the wrong way—the house of Des Grassins that has the most relationship with fashion in Saumur city, often held various recreational parties, and Grassins didn't live here—and wanted to call Nanon came and pointed the way to the stranger.

Up to this time, Eugenie's interest in this carriage had remained only at the level of curiosity.She simply thought that the servant who drove the carriage was so much better dressed than Nanon, that the person sitting in the carriage must be rich.

But as soon as Charles showed up, all her attention was drawn away.She grew up in the city of Saumur, and all the men she met were slovenly, unkempt, and unattractive; but what about Charles?He was a figure favored by the upper class of Parisian society, and his appearance could not pass the test.

Look at that handsome and beautiful facial features!

Check out that fitted and elegant cut!

Look at that graceful smile!

Eugenie's little heart beat involuntarily.Of course, Charles didn't have three heads and six arms, but the combination of what everyone else had in him turned into a demeanor and temperament that fascinated her.She almost stared straight, and stared blankly for two seconds after Charles turned his head, only to belatedly realize that she was staring blankly.She turned her face away hastily, and closed the half of the window next to her, but she couldn't help peeking out from the gap in the shutter.

Eugenie's mother, a small and timid lady, was also distracted by Charles, so she did not notice her daughter's gaffe.She had been married to Grandet for three or forty years, and she had never heard Grandet talk about her brothers in Paris a few times. Seeing this obvious visitor from Paris at this time, she couldn't help being more surprised than shocked.

"Nanon, ask politely, he may be a relative of your lord," she said to the tall maid who passed by the porch.Grandet's temper is difficult to figure out, which made her develop an overly cautious and timid character.

"Ah? Yes, Madame." Nanon had served at the Grandet's house for a long time, and she had heard about the master's brother. At this moment, she wiped her hands on her apron, and strode to the door. forward.It's just that when she saw Charles through the small window, she immediately gasped——

Oh my god, how can there be such a young master who looks like a fairy!

We must forgive Nanon.She has never been to school, and it is impossible for her to describe nature as eloquently as a Parisian, and it is normal for her to be a little vulgar or inappropriate.

"Hello, is this the Grandet mansion?" Charles couldn't help laughing when he noticed that Nanon was about to stay.

"Yes, you..." Nanon was at a loss for words.Oh my god, the young master is also nice to speak, so gentle!

"I'm from Paris, and I want to see my uncle." Charles said, looking around. "I heard that he lives in the city."

Is it really the young master of the brother of Master Paris?Nanon now at last knew what she had to do.While frantically opening the thick latch behind the door, she hurriedly responded: "Ah, of course! You are the master's nephew, right? Come, come in, and I will help you carry your luggage upstairs!"

It wasn't until Charles gestured to Antoine that Antoine recovered from the double stimulation of the dilapidated house and the ugly maid, and reluctantly moved out to carry his luggage. "Master, you..." he called out in a low voice, not wanting to be heard by Nanon who was easily carrying two suitcases of luggage, "do you really want to live here?" Their delicate young master, how could he live in such a place? ?

"If I searched for a hotel the first time I came to Saumur, my uncle's house would be talked about." Charles casually found a reason.It is true that the Saumur people are very talkative, but it is difficult to say that this rumor has really affected his dear uncle-the miser Grandet only cares about yellow gold.

But these words were enough to scare Antoine, and he couldn't help but hang his head down.Listen, what is "the first time"?Does it mean that we will come to this gloomy place again in the future?No, master!

Seeing his wrinkled face, Charles was angry and funny. "Okay," he said, "you go to a place in the city, set up the carriage and horses, and then go to the pier and the square, understand?"

Antoine nodded.They were inquiring along the way, and he learned it no matter how stupid he was.It's just that the young master meant to let him stay in a hotel, and live here himself? "Master, you really..."

He tried to persuade him unwillingly, but Charles interrupted him halfway. "Go quickly, before uncle comes back." If his uncle saw two other people living in his house at once, he would definitely try his best to drive them away.

Antoine's whole body trembled instantly.This must be a hint!If the young master says so, this master Grandet of Saumur must not have the same temper as the master of Paris, and it must be much worse...

After finally dismissing his entourage, Charles turned and went in.Opposite the oaken door, there was a low black doorway, which was obviously the entrance.He walked through the dark hall to the living room.

This is the largest room in the whole house.Because in small towns such as Anjou and Touraine, the living room is used as a dining room, study, and living room, so it is usually the best decoration.

In this living room, the main color is gray because the wainscoting is that color.The decoration is very old, from the green light mirror frame, the brass candlestick to the white stone fireplace below, from the exposed ceiling beams, the marble seat with dull copper flower, to the greasy corner cabinet at the corner of the room, and finally from the peeling paint Tables, faded mahogany sewing tables, and gouache portraits with a lot of fly droppings on them...

Very well, this is my uncle's house whose property does not exceed tens of millions of francs!

Charles took a slight breath, and then turned to the mother and daughter who were looking at him, a little nervous. "Excuse me, I followed in first, very presumptuous." Nanon's dull footsteps echoed upstairs, apparently setting up his suitcase.

He spoke in a gentle voice, without the high-spirited Parisians he imagined, Madame Grandet finally settled down. "You're from Paris, boy? I've never seen you."

Charles nodded obediently.The last time the Grandet brothers met was when his father got married, so it was natural that they had never met. "Yes, auntie, you can call me Charles." He tilted his head slightly and looked behind Madame Grandet. "Who is this……"

"My daughter, that is, your cousin, Eugenie." Mrs. Grandet grabbed her daughter's hand, wanting her to greet the guests, and then found that her daughter was trembling slightly.She only thought that Eugenie was nervous, so she patted the back of her daughter's hand reassuringly. "Come, Eugenie, and say hello to Charles."

Eugenie was indeed nervous, but the nervousness of excitement.From the moment Charles entered the door, her eyes never came down from him.In just a few words, she looked at Shire several times, wondering why her cousin could keep his skin so white, his fingers so tender, his clothes so beautiful, and his whole body seemed to glow——

Why did she only know today that there is such a golden phoenix among her relatives?

"Hello, dear cousin." No matter how dull Charles was, he felt something was wrong at this moment.He came to Saumur almost a year and a half earlier, and everything was different except for one thing—Eugenie fell in love with her cousin at first sight.

"Hello, dear cousin." In front of her mother, Eugenie did not dare to be too obvious, and only returned the greeting with her skirt.

Charles noticed that her cheeks were getting redder, and that twinkle in her eyes, and couldn't help but secretly feel uncomfortable.To be honest, he thinks that Eugenie has a good personality, and her initial favorability is very high; but this does not mean that he has any thoughts about Eugenie beyond siblings——

The nineteenth century, when cousins ​​could legally marry, sucks!