The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-01-15

ing-passed away like the rose-tints from sum-
mer cloud, and again the sweet, practlced smile
revealed on her beautiful features.
els it only you'" she said, dropping 10 her pile
of cushions with the grace of that most graceful Of
all creatures, a practiced French woman, 1t is
only you al thought it had been''-
His Majesty, you would say" interrupted her
auditor, in quite jeering tone-'' he could not
have noticed your departure. Age produces blind
ness--hs is his only excuse, for we cannot sup
pose even His Highness will indulge in another six
years of indifference so soon.''
MARIE ANToINETTE-fo it is of her we write
half sprang from her recumbent position, as if n
serpent had stung her. Again the scoInfu flash
shot to her eye, and then away. She moved one
of the cushions, as if for her better accommodation,
and resumed her position with composure that
might have rvalled his own, but that slight, very
slight quvering of the voice, told that it came from
the seat of struggling anger, as she said
Monsieur de Gouvion forgets TINT he speaks of
my husband and his king, when he mentions Louis
of France with contempt -
"No," he exclaimed with more feeling than he
had yet evinced,-" No, | can never forget that he
is boh so long as an improvident and ill-rcguIutcd
government reminds me of the one, and see the
smiles, once mine, lavished on him as the other
How can | forget" he continued passionately,
"when see him in the careless possession Of Il
love once conlcssedly my own?'
d" 1t is false false as your own heart - OK
claimed the Queen, rising slowly to her feet, and
speaking in that low, distinct tone which expresses
the concentration of deep passion; ." never loved
you'll for moment my heart debascd itself in
listening to your passion, to your nsdious, serpent
like brcahngs it was but for moment; Marie of
Austria could not so forget herself long,
"Marie of Austria must be strangely forgetful,
or she would bear in mind that certain biliets
d'amour have passed from her fair hand to my I'M
worthy self of course, every line too precious
not to be treasured as the le-puse Of her slave"
and with II triumphant smile curling his naughty
lip, he drew Il handful of perlumed notes from his
bosom-and gancing half-m6cking look at the
queen, as he unlas,encd braid of her long brown
harOh ch bound them together, he selected and
extended it toward her.
The queen took the little rosc-tingcd note with
evident perturbation, and the blood rushed over
her face and neck like a flash of sunlight on an
alabster vase, as its scala winged cupid-met
her eye. But this gave place to an expression Of
intense self-oathing, she proceeded to read the
delicately -traced lines; her eyes dropped, and a
crimson spo, lay burning into each cheek, while
her figure, but moment before so upright and
proud in its bearing, seemed 10 bend and become
less tall under the load Of sef-contempt pressing
down her naughty spirit. After she had learned
the contents of the note, she stood for the space Of
a moment in this attitude of establishment, un-
mindful that his cxutng eye was reading her chang
ing countenance and that the thoughts within might
not be such as bcf,led her to reveal. AT length he
spoke, and the sound of his voice aroused her to a
sense of her situations but instant selfposscssion
was beyond her power. +,
"The Queen of France he said, "cannot be
ignorant that this little bundle of papers places her
entirely in my power
"Your power - She murmured as if uncon-
scious of what she was saying.
De Gouvion seemed touched by her state of re-
sistless humiliation. In softened and almost ten
der voice. he said" Why do you by such scorn,
force me 10 prove my power thus against my wish
es' Return the note, and let it be forgotten that
have been compelled to make this unworthy use
of it," lie extended his hand to receive the pa
per, still open in hers; but as if suddenly restored
to her proud self by the motion, she crushed it TO-
gether, and with a gesture of contempt dashed it
down and rampled it into the Persian carpet.
"Thus - said she, vehemently, "I spurn and
defy your power' ~
Beware" he retorted, turning pale with an
ger" beware, or may be tempted to prove my
power by making these public" And with pale,
compressed lip, he touched the packet with his
| finger.
{" You dare not ~ she replied" and even if
you did, Louis would believe them forgeries.'
al have not to learn how easily the weak king
may be duped-but happily for me, the public is
neither so blind nor so complaisant nor is Marie
Antoneite so great favoriie among the secret de-
mocras of France, that this precious little bundle
would not be gladly received on their private cOun-
Gil tables"
The queen shrank back, evidently startled by
his threat-Though imprudent and volatile in the
extreme, she was far from being a weak-minded
woman. In moment she comprehcnjed the dan
ger of her position. Those little, playful notes,
written in the gaety of her heart, still redolent with
her fayorte perfume, and looking as if mannfac-
tured from rose-eaves, those notes she saw might
be made the instruments Of incalculabe mischief,
If left in the possession of an enemy, such as she
knew the man before her would become il allowed
to leave her presence unconciIiaed, with the dam
-erous proofs of her imprudence at his mercy.
She was more than right in her fears. Biileis
d'amour fom the Queen Of France to member
of her court, were unsafe documents to be abroad
when the nation was swiftly verging toward that
Al (o., I.H