Ange Pitou Author:Alexandre Dumas, Auguste Maquet General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1894 Original Publisher: McClure Subjects: France Fiction / Classics Fiction / Literary History / Europe / France Literary Criticism / European / French Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or mi... more »ssing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER III. ANGB PITOU AT HIS AUNT'S. We have observed the very slight degree of inclination which Ange Pitou felt towards a long-continued sojourn with his Aunt Angelique; the poor child, endowed with instinct equal to, and perhaps superior to, that of the animals against whom he continually made war, had divined at once, we will not say all the disappointments -- we have seen that he did not for a single moment delude himself upon the subject -- but all the vexations, tribulations, and annoyances to which he would be exposed. In the first place -- but we must admit that this was by no means the reason which most influenced Pitou to dislike his aunt -- Doctor Gilbert having left Villers- Cotterets, there never was a word said about placing the child as an apprentice. The good notary had indeed given her a hint or two with regard to her formal obligation; but Mademoiselle Angdlique had replied that her nephew was very young, and above all, that his health was too delicate to be subjected to labor which would probably be beyond his strength. The notary, on hearing this observation, had in good faith admired the kindness of heart of Mademoiselle Pitou, and had deferred taking any steps as to the apprenticeship until the following year. There was no time lost, the child being then only in his twelfth year. Once installed at his aunt's, and while the latter was ruminating as to the mode she should adopt whereby tomake the most of her dear nephew, Pitou...« less