It was long before Madame de Soissons ceased to gaze upon the road. At length, dashing the last tears from her cheek, she turned with a forced smile to De Joinville, who was standing be side, and said, "Well, there are some things in the world I do not understand; and I neither comprehend Evelyn's going to America, nor Francesca's accompanying him;"—and with this speech we take our farewell of the Comtesse, who went back to Paris, and passed an active life of court intrigue, which was generally successful;—the chief incident of her after-life was a brief exile for an impertinent speech to Madame de Vallière.
The Chevalier de Joinville lived to an advanced age, and was considered a very amusing old gentleman; he was sometimes advised to write his memoirs, but, as he justly observed, he had a character to lose.
Lord Avonleigh married again, and with that singular good-fortune which never deserted him, except in the instance of his son, who was perhaps the one great sacrifice to Fate, was very fortunate in his choice, for his lady was pretty, obedient, and an excellent nurse. He took to good eating and the gout; and even Albert was as much forgotten as Francesca and her mother.
Charles Aubyn and Lucy vegetated in quiet
