The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-12-23

the chains Of your victim, and punlshIog
the vile traitors who have sacrificed me-"
The pefusal of this letter threw me into
the most violent agitation. Al first
thought of pursuing Aurora, and forcing her
To obey the mao whom fate had made her
husband bot this was only an idea Of the
momeni, for felt an In,nclble repuguance
to persecu,e a woman SO truly aud lender
" loved: ind besides, the thing was i'm
practicable, as she had already been gone
several hours, and it was 10 vain 10 hope re-
oyerlake her. could procure no horses
nearer ,Aan Mon,elmart, and ii was use
less 10 auemp, IT on foot. My greatest
desire now was to qul, place traughi with
bitter and sorrowful recolleciions and for
tunately, had Just money enough 10 take
me to Lyons. Before my departure, /
questioned both the cura,e and hls niece, ~
hopes of gaining some clue to my wife 5 place
Of concealmeni bu, neither prayers por
threats we're OF any avail: they pleaded
utter ignorance of her intentions, although
I afterwards discovered them to have been
lie projectors Of the whole plan.
I When arrived a. Lyons, new Difficult
4 lies presented themselves. Where vas !
j 70 commence my search How, in so
large a city, was TO discover the asy lum
i 10 Which Aurora had taken refuge dar
ed not appeal TO her father, Justly ncensed,
as he must be, against be deceser Of his
caught nor could wander from one con-
vent 10 another, making such unusual IN
quirles, without runHug Tue risk OF beng
arrested aud imprisoned as an accessory IN
50 cuIpable plot. In my dilemma, had
recourse 10 nv friends, the engraye!s, who
advised me to remain perfectly quiet, aud
wai; Until the suit instituted against me
should become the subject Of general con
yersalion 10 LYONS, When, Uithou, doubt,
should discover all desired 10 know. ]
followed their advice and IN The mean
While, occupied myself lndustrlousIy IN en-.
deayorng TO increase my fortune, beng
well convinced that without wealth aud
character | could never hope 10 recover The
esteem and at clIon Of my wife.
Alter tie sale Of The various articles oil
Aalch could now make no use, found
myself possessed OF ten thousand crowns.
There $ ere runors Of war between some
Of the principal powers Of Europe, OF which
aided Is my generous friends, ! took ad.
vantage 10 make bold speculation, which,
ii Il failed aould again plunge me into MISE.
~ and poverty, but If successful, would Of
east quadruple my funds. Thus, While
my commercial operations were made with
the greatest seeresy, the history Of my
marriage became the subject Of universal
conversation; for, from the secluslon Of her
convent, Aurora continued TO denounce
my friends and myself Their want Of ad
dress aud caution had brought all the per
secullon upon themselves bu; it was most
advantageous 10 me, as their own interests
obliged them 10 take up my defence. =
Aurora pleaded that our marriage should
be annuIcd, The abtess Of the convent, a
lady highly esteemed for her excellence
aud noble birth, warmly supported her
bile her father and his friends used all
1 their influence, and made every exeFtion 10
/ their power; SO that we we're menaced on
every side with defeat, the shame OF
which would indeed have fallen upon the
euerayers, but BY which | alone should be
the sad and heart broken sufferer They
oven laughed at the whole affair, and we're
much amused to find how completely Auro.
fas pride became her greatest punishment
through the publicity 10 which ii sublec,
ted her Bot their merriment could mol
delay the course Of justice. An order al.
ISSUED for ny arrest, when only ESCAPED
through the obscurl.y IN which | lived.
Fhe day Of the trial arriyeds Auror;
demanded a guard 10 attend her to tho tri
bunal By which our marriage was to bt
declared either null or valid. She sppoar
ed there IN al the brillancy Of beauty
heightened by an sir Of unfegued dtfiidencr
and modesty Never had any trial draw
together SO large coneourse OF people
and her counsel pleaded her cause witt
50 much feeling aud eoqlence, that h
, was frequently interrupted by the tears an
, sobs Of the whole assembly. The Interes
manifested by the Judges, left but ltd
. doubt as to the nature OF their verdict an
. the exprclanl assembly awlted i with er
thusiastic eageruess: when, no one comm
! forward 10 undertake my defence, the or
5 gravcr whom Aurora had rejected, aske
5 permission Of the court to plead my calst
) which was immediately granted III le'
] words he related my history, csaggeratIn
0 IL nothing exccp, in the praises he bestos
ed upon mc, lie acknowledged that til
e circumstances under which my narrlag
had taken place, would fully authorize th
/ Judges TO declare It null. lie appeared I
G hesitate for momous III
most profound silence rei-ncd thronghoC
J, the court when, turning 70 Aurora, b
d said, IN a calm and impressive manner:
sit may be true, madame, that YOU wer
i 60, intended to be the wife Of below,
tncndef but Nature oblges you to be tn
!, mother Of bis caild Lseo, in tho plead
iugs Of you. unborn infant, and say if 20
, desire a freedom, which will condemn /, ,
: the nlamy Of an llegltlmate birth"
g. No no !" cried the trembling Aurora