Jacqueline [Hardcover]

Th Bentzon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY WEEK later M. de Nailles said to Hubert Marien, as they were smoking together in the conservatory, after the usual little family dinner on Wednesday was over: "Well!—when would you like Jacqueline to come to sit for her picture?" "What! are you thinking about that?" cried the painter, letting his cigar fall in his astonishment. "She told me that you had proposed to make her portrait." "The sly little minx!" thought Marien. "I only spoke of painting it some day," he said, with embarrassment. "Well! she would like that 'some day' to be now, and she has a reason for wanting it at once, which, I hope, will decide you to gratify her. The third of June is Sainte-Clotilde's day, and she has taken it into her head that she would like to give her mamma a magnificent present—a present that, of course, we shall unite to give her. For some time past I have been thinking of asking you to paint a portrait of my daughter," continued M. de Nailles, who had in fact had nomore wish for the portrait than he had had to be a deputy, until it had been put into his head. But the women of his household, little or big, could persuade him into anything. "I really don't think I have the time now," said Marien. "Bah!—you have whole two months before you. What can absorb you so entirely ? I know you have your pictures ready for the Salon." "Yes—of course—of course—but are you sure that Madame de Nailles would approve of it?" "She will approve whatever I sanction," said M. de Nailles, with as much assurance as if he had been master in his domestic circle; "besides, we don't intend to ask her. It is to be a surprise. Jacqueline is looking forward to the pleasure it will give her. There is something very touching to me in the affection of that...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

a selection from the PREFACE: It is natural that the attention and affection of Americans should be attracted to a woman who has devoted herself assiduously to understanding and to making known the aspirations of our country, especially in introducing the labors and achievements of our women to their sisters in France, of whom we also have much to learn; for simple, homely virtues and the charm of womanliness may still be studied with advantage on the cherished soil of France.

Marie-Therese Blanc, nee Solms--for this is the name of the author who writes under the nom de plume of Madame Bentzon--is considered the greatest of living French female novelists. She was born in an old French chateau at Seine-Porte (Seine et Oise), September 21, 1840. This chateau was owned by Madame Bentzon's grandmother, the Marquise de Vitry, who was a woman of great force and energy of character, "a ministering angel" to her country neighborhood. Her grandmother's first marriage was to a Dane, Major-General Adrien-Benjamin de Bentzon, a Governor of the Danish Antilles. By this marriage there was one daughter, the mother of Therese, who in turn married the Comte de Solms. "This mixture of races," Madame Blanc once wrote, "surely explains a kind of moral and intellectual cosmopolitanism which is found in my nature. My father of German descent, my mother of Danish--my nom de plume (which was her maiden-name) is Danish--with Protestant ancestors on her side, though she and I were Catholics--my grandmother a sound and witty Parisian, gay, brilliant, lively, with superb physical health and the consequent good spirits--surely these materials could not have produced other than a cosmopolitan being."

M. THUREAU-DANGIN de l'Academie Francaise.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: IndyPublish.com (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1404351965
• ISBN-13: 978-1404351967
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)