Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-06-28

| My sweet Lestelle bu. | will make no
promises. You shall see how patiently | !
will listen to NJ. Fradel's arrogant taunts,
and how humbIy and gratefully l will con-
duct myselfr
Claude ! interrupted Lestelle, almost
tearfulIy, you are speaking now in bitter
ness and mockery 2
No. en- UeriteP replied her lover, laugh
ingly. But goodnight now, my Lestelle,
ana God bless your
He reIinqHishet the hand he held, and as
the carriage rolled away, the smile faded up
on his lips, and he walked home in moody
tboughlfuness
The following day, Aubertin found the
whole party drawn ~ to receive him. MssE
FradeI Occupying his large armchair at the
head Of table covered with parchments,
and NJ. Dumont, the notary-a hard -fea-
tured, cold, methodical-l looking being
seated at his right; while, on the opposite
side, Lestele sat with her elbow resting on
the table and her head bent down; and as
she slightly raised it on the entrance of her
lover, he saw that her eyes were red and
swollen from excessive weeping. Having
bowed to the gentlemen, and pressed the
cold, trembling hand Of Lestelle to his lips
he sat down and waited calmly for M. Fra
del to commence the business that had
! brought them together.
FYou are aware NJ Aubertin, said the
old gentleman, at length, that my ward is
very young, and that, in accepting you for
her future husband, she acts contrary to
my wishes, and demonstrates the natural
e wilfulness of her sex p
5 'All this is not new to me- replied the
! young man, while he stole an arch look at
Lestelle, who was watching him in breath
: less anxiety.
well, then, we may as well come to the
j; point at once; without my consent your
marriage cannot take place until Mademoi-
selle Verney is of age-a period of which
$ it wants nearly three years; and your sign
/ ing this deed, by which the whole of her
r property is settled unalienably upon herself,
r without giving any one else power to draw
; or dispose of one sou of it, is the only con-
r dition on which the hand of Lestelle shall
il be yours
, A crimson flush passed over the cheek
!. and brow of Claude Aubertin, and there
e was moments pause, during which the
n keen glance of the old man, the cold scru-
r tiny of the notary, and the pleading eyes
E Of the anxious girl were fixed eagerly upon
Q his face. The struggle, however, was but
of short duration; and with cheerful
!, smile he held out his hand for the paper,
and, glancing rapidly over its contents, in
: stantly affixed his name.
Gently is TNs5 TN6T, MsadiddgaMJisEgssd saidd NJ Efsde o0mnla
Q The hand of the young girl trembled SO
violently that Aubertin was obliged tc
J. guide it.; and when the signature was al
9 length completed, she flung herself upon
r. his bosom, and wept long and passionately
Even the notary was moved into something
m like sympathy, and, gathering up his pa
n pers, he fastened to follow his patron from
ne the room, and leave the lovers at full lii
e erty to give vent to their feelings; but re
a gard for the timid and weeping girl VIII
as clung to him so fondly and imploringly
Ks subdued the offended pride Of Claude Al
in bertin, and he had little difficulty in soott
ing her fears, and winning back the sui
no shine of her happy smiles.
eT, A few days after this they were married
and the three succeeding years which g
es- ded past so happily with them are markt
in characters Of blood in their country's al
ba nails. Now it was that the innate nobili
og' of the mind asserted it's superiority ov
,be the mere hereditary nobility of name al
;za station-that the barriers of rank and a
mo- istoracy were beaten down, and men own
roo no limits to their own wild wills. Clau
m Aubertin was revolutionist in the be
,ic- sense of the word-his proud spirit h
Md been stung by the worldly scorn OF the
70. whom he inwardly despiscd; but not
he this did he turn upon his oppressors-I
Gus for any feeling save thepure and holy 10
of liberty and when that name :becal
Tin. prostituted to the very worst purposes
re- when it was made the watchword to crl
he and boodshed-he yet clung to it as in
altb first hour of youthful enthusiasm, and tr
one ted everything to its power when the Il
mp intoxication should have passed away, a
hap be succeeded by an age of reason and
iyed tionality.
at 7 Lestelle loved her husband too well
to have imbibed his principles and
,ired costly saloons of LA BELLE CITOYENNE,
she was called, were nightly thronged "
with the leading political characters of the tin
the But Lestelle was no longer girl, laugh
only from the overAowings of gladsome spi
feel her smiles were less frequent, and had
% all ten purpose to answer which those '
usr looked upon her fair and bright face ne
oret- dreamed of. There was many proud
ellie istocrat who, although he knew it not, o
life and fortune to that beautiful and
ief, sistless pleader.
for One morning, contrary to her usual
and tom, Lestelle took her breakfast IN her
ow of apartment, sending message by her N
illiant requesting the presence of her husban
| mis- twelve exactly in her boudoir; and Au
tin, not being able at the moment to in
lgs do any decent excuse for refusing to coz
all its with her request, Reluctantly promise
,asion- attend her at the hour appointed, d
ess Of mined that the meeting should be as
whom as possible, as he imagined that it m
all is related to matters of pecuniary natu
subject Of which he always entertain
2 said nervous horror.
ood to- is it possible thought Claude,
aw up. she can have generously anticipated
only ; wish to place sufficient funds at m,
o meet posal to prove of beneficial service t
ign the country? And yet, even fit were SC
Of your her guardian consented, | would nev
cept themP