LIXIR OF LIFE By Honore de Balzac THE AGE FOR LOVE By Paul Bourget MATEO FALCONE By Prosper Merimee THE MIRROR By Catulle Mendes MY NEPHEW JOSEPH By Ludovic Halevy A FOREST BETROTHAL By Erckmann-Chatrian ZADIG THE BABYLONIAN By Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire ABANDONED By Guy de Maupassant THE GUILTY SECRET By Paul de Kock JEAN MONETTE

MATEO FALCONE BY PROSPER MERIMEE

When I was in Corsica in 18, Mateo Falcone had his house half a league from this mâquis.

With such a transcendent accomplishment, Mateo Falcone had acquired a great reputation.

"You are not the son of Mateo Falcone!

This Adjutant was a distant relative of Falcone's.

"My father is Mateo Falcone," said he with emphasis.

He repeated: "My father is Mateo Falcone.

Already they were looking in the direction of the plain, as if disposed to return by the way they had come, when their chief, convinced that menaces would produce no impression on Falcone's son, determined to make a last effort, and try the effect of caresses and presents.

" While some of the soldiers were occupied in making a kind of stretcher out of some chestnut boughs and the rest were dressing Gianetto's wound, Mateo Falcone and his wife suddenly appeared at a turn in the path that led to the mâquis.

" Only a man determined to die would dare pronounce the word traitor to Falcone.

" Falcone seized the watch and smashed it in a thousand pieces against a rock.

" Fortunato's sobs and gasps redoubled as Falcone kept his lynx-eyes upon him.

In the meanwhile Falcone walked some two hundred paces along the path and only stopped when he reached a little ravine which he descended.

A certain Silvio Falcone, who had been in his service, and who had probably been sent away because of some misconduct, addressed a letter from Rome to him in Florence, which shows both penitence and warm affection.

Lorenzo's Selva d'amore and Caccia col falcone might also be mentioned in the same connexion.

The gods of Olympus had many temples about the hill slopes, shrines of venerable antiquity even in those days; but if the monkish chronicles be credited, the new faith signalized its victory rather over three strange idolatries,the worship of Falcone, of Lissone, and of Scamandro, a goddess.

I refuse to believe that the citizens were accustomed to sacrifice three youths annually to Falcone; and as for the other two deities, little is known of them except that their destruction marked the advent of the young religion.