Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-11-17


fore him, with smile. A light broke
in upon Nj. de Manleon's mind.
What" :" cried he "are you-can YOU
"POor little Marie, and no other" an.
swcred the countess. "Ah was happy
then ~
The little incident ofthe wayside formed
the basis of an immediate friendship be.
tween VI. de Manleon and the countess
who remembered him well through the
medallion. The last exclamation of the
lady had startled him, coming as it did
from one whom all deemed happy. AZ
terwards, when they were better acquain.
ted, he got an explanation from herself
g l remember" said the countess, THAT
Pierre was by my side at the time when
you saw me on the road. That young
peasant was my lover, and though scarce.
ly old enough, you would suppose. to
entertain such feeling sincerely, vet |
loved him also. Two years rolled away,
and our love continued to exist and in.
crease. | was fifteen. One day Pierre
and / quarrelled, and |, thinking he had
shown much hastiness and bitterness OF
temper, would make no concessions to
him, though perhaps myself in the wrong.
At that very time, young gentleman
saw me by the wayside, as YOU did, when
passing. He seemed struck with nv ap-
pearance-indeed, greatly so. Thecom-
pllments which he paid me, I repeated
with triumph to Pierre, and they only
made him more angry and Jealous. He
had reason to be yet more so afterwards.
The young gentleman of whom | have
spoken returned, and told me that he
could not forget me. He asked me to 60
with him, and he would make me great
lady. You would now say, sir, that
stood fearful chance of falling into the
gulf of ruin and misery. Not so; the
young gentleman had soul too noble,
too honorable, to be the cause of misery
to any one, and his views for me were in
accordance with that spirit. | listened
to him with mingled faelings. Twas an
orphan; no one was near.me to caution
or to counsel. Pierre was nv only tie to
Ay birthplace, and it was only on his
account that Ifelt distressed. l gave him
opportunities to renew his addresses
but his anger and jealousy prevented him
from doing so. | yielded to the pressing
suit of the other, and was whirled off in
carriage from Poitou. Before l had
gone far, repented of my conduct, and
entreated with tears to be carried back
to Pierre. But my mind became calmer
ere long.
My iEcaution could only be excused
in village girl of fifteen. But | was in
safe guidance. 1t was to school near
Paris that | was conveyed by the Count
d 'Auray, who, as YOU may imagine, was
the person now alluded to For five
years | remained in perfect seclusion, en-
joying the Lest advantages of education.
At times the count visited our seminary,
and | learned to love him fondly. How
could it be otherwise! In my benefac-
tor | saw the tenderest of lovers, and
most amiable of men-young, handsome,
and accomplished. Pierre was forgotten,
and ] became the Countess d'Auray.
All. Monsieur de Manleon," continued
the countess, ''can you conceive, after
this recital, the cause of the secret grief
that preys upon me! Pierre is the cause.
Old feelings have returned upon me.
Madwoman that [ am | regret the
hours of flower gathering by the waysidei;
| figure to myself the happiness have
lost as cxcclling that possessed; dream
of being peasants wife, the owner OF
but a cot, a cow, and little garden
These thoughts haunt and pursue me-
Yes, sir, they make me miserable-me,
who 50 dearly love my husband. What
~
AS the cousteSs said this she shed
abundance of tears. NJ. de Manleon pit
led her sincerely; but he said" Madam,
this misery is but the result of an excess
of happiness. You are absolutely satia-
ted with blessings"
All. Monsieur de Manleon," contin-
ued the countess, . but think how much
poor Pierre Billion regrets me. Perhaps
he has died Of grief; and it was l, too,
who was in the wrong in the quarrel
which separated u.s." NJ. de Nlanleon
for some time to talk and rea-
son with the lady. He tried the force of
and painted Pierre, not as the
flower gathering boy of her fancy, but
coarse, uneducated clown, whose society
would be intolerable to her cultivated
mind. and who lived in a state very un-
like the Dauphnis or NIelibeus of her
Arcadian dream. He would probably be
married, said NJ. de Manleon, long ago,
and possibly was vicious, and beat his
poor wife. All this sort of reasoning OIL
ly drew sigh from the lady. She was
Sllenced, but not convinced.
In time NJ. de Manleon became an init
mate friend and constant visitor of the
Count d'Auray and his lady. He saw
that the latter indeed loved her husband
most fondly, and in his presence forgot
all her distress but it returned to her in
solitude. One day, while NJ. de Manleon
was seated with the countess, conversing
upon the usual subject of their tete-a-tetes,
the Count d'Auray entered, pale and agi-
tated. The countess sprung up. Her
husband embraced her, saying to NJ. de
Manleon-" Behold my consolation when
| am veXedm ....
"What has happened "said the coun-
tess, anxiously.
g Not much, my love-" was the reply :;
only we must economise. [ must sell
some part of my property, keep but one
carriage, and give dinners but once a
month. have lost large sum of
money!
&C Tbanl bo, ro,, - ;.-,,o,b;,or xx-o,s,o ~,