The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-19 00:00:00

The Marquis saluting him, stepped to the ground,
m: king a sign to Vabien to take his place, retiring a few
paces, to avoid witnessing this mournful interview.
Yes, 'tis I, Baron," said Fabian, in great agitation ;
" it is I—your brother, who supplicates your pardon for
any injuries he may have done you, as he freely forgives
those which you have heaped on him."
The dying man was silent for an instant.

" Coma," said he, as if talking, to himself, as his
thoughts wandered ; " let me speak a few words to him
before I die. Sir," continued he, in a different tone,
but of profound bitterness, " you are the son of Madame
de Rieul, and will become by my death the Baron de
Croissi. I have wished to be the first to salute you by
the title, and this wish is doubtless that of a good bro-
ther."

The strange manner in which these words were spoken
made Fabien.shudder.

" Brother," said he, sadly, " why do you suppose me
to harbour sentiments which are very far from my heart.
Perhaps your wound is not mortal ; and if you will per-
mit me to conduct you to the cloister, I am sure the Co-
adjutor will see that every care is taken of you."
Albert evidently trembled on the seat on which he
was stretched.

" No, no," replied he, groaning, "the night is too dark
to see the palor of my countenance, and the depth of my
wound. A few moments, brother, and you will be the
possessor of your inheritance. Every moment I feel as
if I should suffocate. A learned doctor has told me I
have no hope, and I wished but to see you, and say a
word or two to you. I—" The Baron now grew faint.
Suddenly rallying, he continued—
" Doubtless you have thought me highly blamable ;
but reflect what would have became of you had it not
been for me. I saw you but three times in my life ; I
knew little of you ; you were the son of a person I de-
tested, and whose origin I despised. I kept you, and
considered you as my vassal. Judge, then, of the efforts
that I found it was necessary to make in the exhibition
of any interest—any affection towards you ; and reflect
upon what my auger must have been when I found you
opposing my will. Why you were but a poor serf, and
thus to refuse to sacrifice your life for the sake of your
relation ! Judge then—oh ! pain, pain."
These frightful words were accompanied by horrid
ravings. Fabien spoke not, fearful of irritating still
more his dying brother. De Croissi seemed sinking.
" Well." said he at length, " he happy, I shall not
see the light again. My hotel is near, you may take
possession of it. Go to Croissi, the vassals know you ;
they will see in you their equal—their lord—ha ! ha !
Take all my wealth; but with it I leave you the curse
of a wish to increase it, with a hope that you may never
succeed--"

He stopped, and in the next moment his delirium still
increased.

" But I forgot," continued he, laughing horridly ; " I
forgot. You are a prisoner in the cloister of Notre
Dame. You cannot peaceably enjoy your possessions—
you will soon be a state prisoner. 1 know the courtiers
well ; you will be forgotten by them. Your protector
will be compelled to abandon you. Life shall not be
spread with flowers, in spite of your tender conscience ;
and your betrothed—she shall not wed you—she too is
condemned. It is consolation to know that you cannot
enjoy your inheritance."
Fabien could not restrain his grief.
At this moment Elizabeth, who had become alarmed
at Fabien's long absence, now came up to the carriage,
preceded by the pages with flambeaux. The sudden
light of the torches displayed to the dying man the rich
habiliments of those near him ; he raised himself up, and
with an expression of deadliest hate said—" So then this
is the lady of your love ; she has followed you then.
What does she here, thus attended and thus attired ?
Who has bestowed upon you those gay garments' Have
you already seized the manor of Croissi ?
" Ha! ha! 31ademoiselle ; you are now about to wed
my brother, now that I cannot oppose your union."
" Monsieur le Baron," said Elizabeth, greatly moved at
the pitiable sight before her, " we are already married."
" Married ! married ! oh, imprudent pair ! What P
married !—with the gates of the Bastile open to one, and
the veil of the Carmelites ready for the other. Married,
ha ! ha !—"

Elizabeth could not but gaze upon De Croissi with as-
tonishment ; she saw he was dying, but she did not under-
stand the mainspring of these wild exclamations. Fabien
pressed her hand.
Are you then so ill, Monsieur le Baron ? Oh ! live,
to smile on our union !" _ _

" What ! are you then pardoned ?" suddenly said
Albert, the truth rushing upon his wandering brain.
" The Queen, my brother, has deigned to grant both of
us forgiveness, and we are now on our way to thank her at
the palace."
" To the palace !" said the Baron, with a convulsive
movement—" You ! do you go to the palace P By some
sly door, no doubt. I never went to the palace but by
the great gate. Oh, my brain ! how it wanders. "What
do those flambeaux and those pages mean ?—and is it
by the door of honour that you enter? Speak ! speak !"
The young couple turned away their heads.
"It is true—it is true ! You and virtue have obtained
more than I, with skilfulness and knowledge. Happiness
...:11 ...La,. 1. t anrj cenrnPd
i"

Ills words faded away—the malediction hung on his
lip., unpronounced. The bad man was dead.
Elizabeth and Palen remained a minute or two ab-
sorbed in grief and chilled with terror, until the Marquis
de Crenan and the scholar, tearing them away from the
mournful spectacle, forced them into their coach. The
carriage containing the body of Albert proceeded
slowly to the Faubourg St. Germain, where the Hotel
Croissi was situated. Fabien would have accompanied
it thither, but the scholar shouted " To the Palace !"
and to the palace it proceeded, where Fabien Baron
de Croissi and his lovely bride attracted considerable
attention, and found favour in the eyes of Anne of Aus-
tria, who did not shortly after forget to throw fortune in
the way of the protegees of Paul de Gondi.
Fabien and Elizabeth had seen enough of courts, and
soon sought happiness in a country life at Croissi, where
it need not be told the Scholar was a frequent and wel-
come guest—the richly beneficed friend of Cardinal de
Retz.