Page:Repertory of the Comedie Humaine.djvu/548

 blue eyes; slender and frail of body; resembled one of Albert Durer's saints. Reared under her mother's stern oversight, accustomed to the most rigid religious observances, kept in ignorance of all worldly matters, she entirely concealed uner her modesty of manner and retiring disposition her iron character, and her romantic audacity, so like that of her great-uncle, the Abbe de Watteville; and which was increased by the resoluteness and pride of the Rupt blood; although destined to marry Amedee de Soulas, "la fleur de pois" of Besancon, she became enamoured of the attorney, Albert Savaron de Savarus. By successfully carrying out her schemes she separated him from the Duchesse d'Argaiolo, although these two were mutually in love&mdash;a separation which caused Savarus great despair. He never knew of Rosalie's affection for him, and withdrew to the Grande Chartreuse. Mademoiselle de Watteville then lived for some time in Paris with her mother, who was then the wife of Amedee de Soulas. She tried to see the Duchesse d'Argaiolo, who, believing Savarus faithless, had given her hand to the Duc de Rhetore. In February, 1838, on meeting her at a charity ball given for the benefit of the former civil pensioners, Rosalie made an appointment with her for the Opera ball, when she told her former rival the secret of her manoeuvres against Madame de Rhetore, and of her conduct as regards the attorney. Mademoiselle de Watteville retired finally to Rouxey&mdash;a place which she left, only to take a trip in 1841 on an unknown mission, from which she came back seriously crippled, having lost an arm and a leg in a boiler explosion on a steamboat. Henceforth she devoted her life to the exercises of religion, and left her retreat no more. (Albert Savarus)