Well, I mean---thanks for reading this garbage. This chapter must seem a little odd to you, since numbers and years do not fit, but wait a little and you'll know the reason of several things---(What a stupid scheme for getting more audience)

INTEREST

The following morning, Mrs. Handkerchief was having breakfast with her tired son Raoul, who could not even take a nap after such a busy night. Suddenly she said:

'You behaved as your poor father would have desired' she cried, her voice full of tenderness 'I'm sure this gentlemen will let you join their circle.'

'Thank you, Madame. Now, if you allow me, I would like to sleep a little--- I don't know---"

'Of course you can Mr. Handkerchief, you're the owner of everything surrounding us' he was standing up when she added 'I just want to talk to you for a moment. Would you mind listening to me?'

'No indeed. I'm always ready to pay my respects to you' he answered, rather frustrated. 'I just want to sleep, by God!' he thought.

'Well, yesterday, at the ball, we received the visit of the Bennets, you know, that pair of charming girls, Catherine and Mary, who came with their mother, a cheerful and fine person, I assure you'

'I wanna go bed!' he complained in silence. 'Who cares of them?'

'They're a gentleman daughter's, my love. As you know, one of their sisters, Jane, has married to a rich fellow, Mr. Bingley. But what is more important, the other sister, Elizabeth, is Mr. Darcy's wife, who has ten thousand-a-year.'

'And? I'm sure Robespierre did not have to bear such a torture like this!'

' Ten thousand a year is something you should take in account, since it 's an income that fits your position perfectly, though is slightly smaller -but a difference of just two thousand, who cares?'

'Yeah, who cares? My brain needs to rest, otherwise it'll stop working!'

'I'd been told that Jane and Elizabeth are two accomplished, beautiful, fine, laudable women. Everybody loves them and it is said they could not have had better luck, having those husbands who can afford all they desires and requirements and--- but don't yawn, Mr. Handkerchief, I'll stop going around the bush and I'll tell you this important matter: Mr. Darcy is Lady Catherine De Bourgh's only nephew. And this wealthy Lady has an only daughter, Miss Anne, who's just waiting for a tender lover who could bring a little of happiness to her life-'

'And you want me to marry her' he completed the sentence, tired 'if those are your intentions--'

'No my dear' she cried 'I don't mean to make your existence miserable by getting you to marry a woman you don't love. I just wanted to comment this to you since, you know, your poor cousins have no living---- and good relations like those would give them an opportunity'

'Yes, my cousins' he replied while walking trough the door 'My innocent cousins---'

**** The former Mr. Handkerchief had but just one younger brother, who, instead of exposing his head in the savage lands of France in order to increase his huge capital, stayed quietly in England. This prudent gentleman, whose name was Michael, married a lively, cute, 16-year-old rich Miss Tablecloth who blessed him with a pretty girl one year after their union. She was called Claudia, being her parents the most lovely, interested ones a child could have, as, they said, she would be educated for becoming an Earl's consort.

Unfortunately, when Claudia was three, her father passed away, leaving behind an inconsolable widow with seventy thousand pounds as inheritance. But Mrs. Michael Hankerchief was still very young, very nice and, overall, very rich; therefore her mourning did not last as much as her relations would've desired, since at the age of 21 she married again, this time to the respectable Count of Stew, sir John Tablespoon who had lost himself his first adored spouse.

The Count was of an easy temper, so easy that he allowed his new wife to send little Claudia to France, where her only live relatives, the Handkerchiefs, had a huge property. So did the affectionate mother, as she said such a young child would enjoy playing with her cousin, instead of growing idle in Tablespoon Park where nobody wouldn't pay attention to her -because sir John's children were not mature enough to include the babyish interloper into their selective circle.

Claudia didn't mind her mother's getting rid of her. As she said afterwards 'Two young, lively, wealthy persons can not share much of their time when they have to bring to life a healthy Count-like progeny". Anyways, she treasured to spend ten years of her life- almost all her childhood and part of that difficult period know as adolescence- with Mr. and Mrs. Handkerchief and their son Raoul, who played the part of brother, best friend and confident. The loved each other as if they were siblings, and during that decade being together was an indispensable requirement for their happiness. The constant changes in their residence -due to those bothering French Patriots- which lead them from Paris to Belgium, from Belgium to Leipzig, from Leipzig to Vienna and from Vienna to Paris, did not affect or perturb them in the least degree. They played all the day, talked till the night arrived, slept in the same room, had the same teacher, and as they grew up, shared their secrets, specially those the teenagers are quite concerned about, that's, love.

One day Lady Tablespoon thought it was a good idea get her eldest daughter to cross the Channel. She had given birth to several children, seven in a more precise calculation, and wanted someone to talk to. Thus, at the age of fourteen, poor and inconsolable Claudia abandoned her loving relatives, towards whom she felt more affection than her own mother. Of course she vowed she wouldn't forget them, that she would write large beautiful letters to her aunt and interesting ones to her uncle, and that she would convince Lady Tablespoon to let her return to the Continent from time to time in order to see her dear cousin, the most beloved of the three.

With these respectable commitments our friend left France weeping in a very sad manner, thinking of her adoptive family with the utmost melancholy. However, the young lady was so agreeably surprised with the sight of the elegant Tablespoon Park, and her neat step-father, and her good looking room, and her new pretty clothes and jewels, that all her sadness went away and she almost forgot the promises she had done before. Nevertheless, to make her justice, Claudia remembered them after the impression of wealth has passed, starting from that day a huge, plentiful correspondence with the Handkerchiefs, full of words of gratitude and esteem.

This is one cousin who, as you have read, was not in a serious situation. Miss H. had 20,000 pounds, therefore she could allow herself to live in the most respectable single condition. The ones her aunt was talking about were her younger brothers, to whom she was specially attached: James, 19, and Louis,17. These poor fellows had to face the future with so little possibilities that everybody could feel but pity towards them. They would've lived, if not in opulence, at least with dignity, but James was an useless day dreamer and had just 3000, whereas Louis was suspected to have spent his own part in vain amusements in London and Brighton, despite of his short age. Two future beggars indeed.