Chapter I: Front Matter

PAPA BOUCHARD

By Miss Seawell

THE HOUSE OF EGREMONT. Illustrated by C. M. RELYEA. 12mo. $1.50.

THE HISTORY OF THE LADY BETTY STAIR. Illustrated by THULE DE
THULSTRUP. 12mo. $1.25.

THE SPRIGHTLY ROMANCE OF MARSAC. Illustrated by GUSTAVE VERBEEK.
12mo. $1.25.

TWELVE NAVAL CAPTAINS. Being a record of certain Americans who made
themselves Immortal. With Portraits. 12mo. $1.25.

PAPA BOUCHARD

BY
MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL

Illustrated by
WILLIAM GLACKENS

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1901

_Copyright 1901_,
BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS

_Dramatic and all other rights
reserved_

University Press
JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

Illustrations

PAGE

_She had asked him to button her glove_ Frontispiece

_It was the bird who made the first dash for liberty_ 5

_Monsieur Bouchard’s back and legs looked about seventy-five_ 7

_With an affectation of ease and debonairness, and told about
the apartment near the Champs Élysées_ 11

_He stood on one leg, and softly whispered, “Houp-là!”_ 20

_Pierre, however, pretty soon solved the situation by putting
his finger to the side of his nose_ 28

“_I like the lively tunes they play at the music halls across
the street_” 30

“_And the girls are permitted to come out in their stage
costumes to have an ice or a glass of wine_” 45

_De Meneval pulled from his pocket a glittering string of
diamonds_ 53

_“Ta, ta!” called out the graceless dog of a captain_ 59

_She looked like one of those brilliant white butterflies
whose lives are spent dancing in the sun_ 62

_“Does Captain de Meneval know of these bills?” he asked
significantly_ 72

_They went out like two sulky and disappointed children_ 91

_Monsieur Bouchard tried to reassure her--her timidity was
constitutional_ 98

_Monsieur Bouchard sank or rather fell into a chair_ 100

_As Léontine and her husband sat opposite each other--each
felt like a criminal_ 111

_Still, they really loved each other, and kissed
affectionately_ 121

_And there on the arbor hung a cage with a parrot in it_ 131

_A flock of girls, each escorted by a young man, generally
an officer_ 133

_Monsieur Bouchard entered with an air of affected jauntiness_ 135

_At that very moment Léontine and de Meneval were watching him_ 138

_Papa Bouchard stuck pretty close to the champagne_ 146

_Madame Vernet had not the slightest objection to be left in
charge of this good-looking young officer_ 158

_He took a seat close to where Madame Vernet was standing_ 163

_The police officers seized him and dragged him out_ 171

“_Go to the devil!_” 179

_All three of them bolted for the exit to the garden_ 185

_Élise had that evening found her opportunity to go round
to the Rue Bassano_ 198

_And drove rapidly home_ 200

_In the middle of the room was spread a table, with
preparation for an elaborate supper_ 203

_To tiptoe and actually chuck old P. M. P. under the chin_ 208

_Léontine would motion as if to chuck him under the chin_ 214

_Dragging in an elderly gentleman by main force and his coat
tails_ 218

_Papa Bouchard, much alarmed, ran from one to the other_ 220

_“O-o-o-oh!” shrieked the three impish girls in chorus,
“what an outrageous proposition!”_ 224

_His ruddy complexion turned a sickly green_ 226

_She sang_ 230

_She even danced_ 231

“_I am your own true, devoted Léontine_” 234

_The door was burst open and in rushed Pierre, pale and
breathless_ 242

_With much discretion, ranged themselves primly on a sofa_ 244

“_Paul, stop those shocking demonstrations_” 246

_She clutched a flower pot and a gold-headed stick_ 247

_Major Fallière ceremoniously offered her his arm_ 251

_Folding his arms and turning up the whites of his eyes_ 255

_Forcing the cage door open with almost human intelligence,
flew out_ 257

“_Free! Free! gay dogs are we!_” 260

Papa Bouchard