The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-12-06

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and seized him BY the hands
Now, sir, have the choice Of weapons,
cried he.
seYou shall know"
He ran TO the console, seized the pistols OF Cehh
and returning TO Marliano,
" Choose" said he to him.
" But one Of these pistols IS empty
4" The other is charged, sir
g What do you wish 10 fight =.
sSThe weapon Of each upon the breast Of ms
adversary, and let God decide.
q Il is impossible :" exclaimed Mariana,
+" Pardon me, sir, exclaimed Allierl, am the
insulted partv You have said so; have the right
Of making the conditions thatyou have also grant
ed. Won cannot therefore refuse me without being
4 coward The point of honor which has served
You so often is against you to-day i gu were IN
hopes that would go like so many other poor
devils to serve as a mark for your ball OF your
sword, so that You might strike me down smilingly
as you did that flower, but you have been deceived,
Baron de Rocea. :"
g So you know my name, . said the GenOese.
" Yes and think not that | will give up nay
advantages. II fight not to make parade OF bravery
and generosity; ] Fight to deliver the Marchioness
from yonr odious prosecutions; fight because |
wish to say you.
g Your hopes may be, perhaps, deceived" ex.
claimed the Baron, whose surprise was changed
into fury.
" / know it but whatever may be the issue of
the combat Blanca will have nothing more to fear
from your prosecutions, for ray precautions are
taken my testament is written; II | fall, 1t viii
let all Italy know the cause of my death; | shall
have purchased with my blood the right Of telling
what You are, and the people will believe me,
for they know that the dead never calumniate.
They will pity me, for all their envy will be buried
with me my enemies even will exait my glory
your fatal celebrity will remain nailed TO mine as
TO a pllory, and you will be forever infamous for
having slain me. | will thus have broken the
yoke that you have hung upon the Warehouses
placed beneath the safeguard Of public opinion,
she will have no longer any cause TO fear yOu no
one will then need 10 die to defend her, for yon
will no longer enjoy that privilege which is accorded
to all those that believed to be men Of honor,
and any one can then refuse you satisfaction"
" Enough, enough exclaimed the Baron, no
longer able 10 control himself ''One OF us two
| must die Come on .
6 am ready, SIR
Both made step towards the door; Celini
9 You shall not fight without witnesses said he,
g in the way you are going TO fight espeeiay-t is
{ You shall be my second, said Alferi; let
| the Baron seek one for himself"
| g shall go and do So
g In an hour we shall be waiting for you at the
| spring, sir.
$ shall be there before you'
Celin and the Baron departed. When Alfer
found himself LEFT TO his own thoughts, a sort of
moral depression took possession of him. The
game Of death was settled in an hour Fate would
decide. He profited by this respite to look once
more into his own life and to think of Blanca.
Celinis recital had led him to believe that he was
i beloved. But this uncertain belief sufficient
at the hour of death How did he know but his
friend had taken the expression of her fear for that
of more tender feeling Was it, then, from love,
| or only from pity that the Marchoness had wished
to save hms from danger! All, how could he
resolve this doubt! Were he certain of being
| loved he would meet this last hour with greater
calmness, and the sad sOlemnity Of the hour would
be efiaced in the Joy OF such a certainty. He was
| prey to these thoughts when the Mar
chioness entered the salon with book in her hand
On seeing the Count, she stopped short and blushed
| but she very soon mastered herself
I" was with you,' said she, showing to him the
book which she bad been reading. Aferi recog-
nized the last volume of his poetry, which he had
| published.
Your books, NJ lie Comie, !" she continued " are
not like others, mere takers, TO which ONE has
course to distract ones mind they are friends,
whose thoughts and teeliA ne shares, and whom
one can never leave.'
I" am Jealous of them, madame"
Jealous Of your books F."
Yes for it is the books that you Iove-not mea
Before knowing me, people seek me in my works +;
| they divine me through my poesy they dream that
| am like the heroes into whose mouths put words /;
and when they see me appear a man like others of
my kind, they astonished and leave me, and the
idol falls from the top of the pedestal upon which it
has been placed. You see it YOURSELF, added he ::
" it is the poet that pleases you and not the man
you love my verses, you say, but you fly from
| myself"
The Marchioness wished to speak
"Oh, deny 1t not, madame" continued Al6er /:
you fly from me, and yet You seem TO understand
me. For a moment thought / had touched your
hearts ah, loved my glory then; ] was happy in
thinking that ] could adorn you with it. Why
have you deprived me Of this intoxicating hope .
The Marehioness was moved there was so much
| OF prayer IN the voice Of the COunt-so manv
earesses in his looks, that she felt as if she were
tascinated she wished TO answer, but could only
falter out some incoherent words.
! All, speak to me-speak TO me . said the
Count, selzing her hands, and pressing them to his
lips; why this embarrassment? why these shiftings
Of the question? You know well that love you /:
if this love is not odious to you, why refuse to tell
me SO Why do you envy me this bliss-the last,
perhaps, shall ever enjoy? .
" What say you!"
Who knows the designs of God, know you
not The prediction regarding me .
"Oh, recall 1t not to my remembrance "
" Well If 1t should now be realiZed-ic saw YOU
now for the last time People grant everything
to the dying refuse me not then, look TO render
me happy. Blanca! All, you tremble! MY
God one word-one single word: Blanca, do
you love me )"
:" He asks me" murmured she bursting into
tears, and covering her face with her hands
Alfieri uttered cry of JOY.
L. Is thens true, she loves me Thanks, oh my
God Banca-dear Blanca -
g All, why then have you made me speak % said
she. " If you knew"
:" Nothingif you do not love me, wish you
not to weep-I wish you not to tremble All, thou
lowest me! Oh, now let my fate be accomplished 20
The clock stTuck-the Count started
Adieu, Blanca - said he, cIasping her to his
breast, and giving her long kiss, :" adieu! y And
dlsengaging himself from her arms, he sprang out
Of the salon.
The marchioness remained m0tionless her
whole soul stepped for the moment in those emo
tons which such a confession exctes and in the
vague fear that some misfortune would doubtless
result from it, but very soon the troubled appeal
ance OF the Count seemed to strike her and she
asked herself why was this sudden fightl A hor-
rbe suspicion fitted across her mind. She ran to
the garden-Alferi was not there she asked for
MarLano-he was absent: She mounted 10 tie