Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-07-21

49, - pok iusCS
Alexis and I. We talked for a whole
hour--till long after France, with all
our old life therein, had become mere
line, cloudy speck on the horizon-of
the new life we should lead in Hispaniola.
Yet all the while, if we had been truly
the priest and nun he wished to make US,
our words, and, I believe, our thoughts,
could not have been more angel-pure,
more free from any bias of human pas
sion.
Yet, as the sun went down, and the
sea breeze made US draw nearer toreth-
er, both began, [ repeat, instinctively TO
say we, and talk of our future as if it
had been the future one.
Good evening, friends ~
He was therein. Anastasiusl stood
petfihed- All the golden finger of hope
had vanished. shuddered, captive
on his compelling arm-seeing nothing
but his terrible smiling face and the black
wilderness of the Paris streets--only
felt sure he would follow me still. He
would track me, it seemed, through the
whole world.
.'You see | have been able to accom-
plish the voyage men mostly can
aehieve any strong purposc--at least
some men. Isabel, this sea-air will bring
back your bloom And Alexis, my friend
despite those close studies you told me
Of, hope you will bestow little Of your
society at times on my ward and me-
We will bid you good evening now"
He gave his nephew my powcrless
hand that of Alexis, too, felt cold and
trembling. 1t seemed as if he, likewise,
could not resist the fate which, born out
of one mans will, dragged us asunder.
Ere my guardian consigned me to Ma
dame Gradellc, he said, smiling, but
looking through me with his eyes
'Remember, my fair cousin, that
Alexis is to be, must be, priest.n
at is impossible p said l, stung to
resist nee "You know he has proved
the falseness of your creed he will
never return to it. His conscience is
his own"
"But not his passions He is young,
am old. He will be priest YETI
With soft hand-pressure, NJ. Anas-
tasius left me.
Now began the most horrible phase Of
my existence. For four weeks we had
to live in the same vessel bounded and
shut up together, Anastasus, Alexis,
and | j; meeting continually in the soft,
bland atmosphere of courteous calm
always in pubic, never alone.
From various accidental circumstan-
ces, | knew how, night and day, NJ.
Anastasius was bending all the powers
of bis enormous intellect, his wonderful
moral force, to compass his cherished
ends with regard to Alexis Saltram.
An overwhelming dread took possess
ion Of me. ceased to think of myself
at all, my worldly hopes, prospects or
Joys, over which this mans influence
had long hung like an accursed shadow /;
sun turned into darkness, more terri
Bile because it had once been a sun. I
seemed to see NJ. Anastasius only with
reference to this young man, over whom
I knew he o.ce had so great power.
Would it return and in what would it
result Not merely in the breaking of
of any feeble tie to ME. scarcely
trembled for that, since, could it be 50
broken it was not worth trembling for.
No l trembIed for Alexis's soul.
1t was a soul, | had gradually learnt,
more than ever, perhaps, in this voyage,
which every day seemed brief life, so
full of temptation, contest, trial, a soul
pure ss Gods own heaven, that hung
over US hour by hour in its steady tropic
blue; deep as the seas that rolled around
us. Like them, stirring with the ightest
breath, often tempest tossed, liable to
adverse winds and currents; yet keeping
far, far below the surface divine tran
guilty, diviner than any mere stagnant
calm. And this soul, full of all rich
impulses, emotions, passions, soul
which because it could strongly sympa-
thize with, might be able to regenerate
its kind, NJ. Anastasius wished to make
into Catholic Jesuit priest. a mere ma
chine TO work as he, the head machine,
chose
This vas why (the thought suddenly
struck me like lightning) be had told