The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1856-01-26

coarsest nourishment, slrank back with great
horror, or started up covered with cold perspira-
tion. But selflove would come to my aid, and
| thought if she truly loved me- she might vet
be happy. l would devote my life, swore, to
the task Of strewing flowers along her path.
But all my hopes, all my fears cannot be told.
Suffice it to say, that her father believed me-
when represented my estates as being in Dau-
phiny, distant province would not allow
farthing Of Auroras portion to be settled
otherwise than on herself So there was one
baseness Of which was not guilty.
We were married. At the altar shivering
ran through my veins, general trcpidation
seized my whole frame, and l should inevitably
have sunk to the earth in food of tears, had
not some one come to my rescue. The silly
crowd around mistook the last cry Of expiring
virtue for excess Of sensibility.
A fortnight after the marriage, as had been
arranged by my employers, at whose mercy l
was, We started to Montelmart, my unfortunate
bride believing we were going to far different
place. Several of the engravers were them
selves our attendants, disguised and acting as
couriers to our magnificent equipage The
awful moment of exposure arrived, and when it
did come, it proved more terrible than had
anticipated The engravers caused the car
riage to be drawn up before d mean and
miserable cottage, at the door Of which sat my
humble and venerable father. Now came the
awful disclosure. The poor, deceived, and sur
prised Aurora was handed out The engravers
came up, pulled off their disguises, and he
whom Aurora so pointedly refused, exclaimed
to her:
"No, madam, no, you have not been born
or brought up for an engrayer such lot
would have done too much honor toyou. A bel
laws-mender is worthy of you, and such is he
whom you have made your husband |"
Poor Aurora scarcely heard what had been
said. The truth had flashed upon her, and she
sank back in a swoon. Recollect that had
now acquired considerable share Of sensibiIi-
ty and delieacy from my late life. Ilavished
upon her the most tender care, yet almost
wishing that those cares might be unavailing
She recovered at length her senses, but the mo-
nent her trenZied eye met mine, Monster r"
she exclaimed, end again became i1sensible
protited by her condition to remove her from
| the sight Of those who had gathered around,
and to place her on an humble straw couch.
Here | remained beside her till she opened
her eyes; mine shrunk from their glance. The
| first use she made of speech was to interrupt
| the broken accents of love which fell from my
| lips, and to beg to be let alone for time The
niece Of The curate of the parish, however, who
| CHANGED to be by, remained beside her, for she
was but eighteen, and seemed glad of her atten-
| tions.
| How shall I describe the horrible night
which | passed 1t was not on my own ac-
| count that | suffered or feared. She was in my
thoughts. l dreaded above all, for my love
was still predominant, to see that heart aiiena-
ted whose tenderness was necessary to my ex-
istence; to read coolness i'll that eye on whose
look my peace depended. But could it he
otherwise? Had not basely, vileIy, darkened
all the prospects of her life and overwhelmed
her with intocyable shame and anguish? That
night was punishment which would have
almost wiped out my lesser sin. Frequently
it may be believed, l sent to know how
Aurora was She was calm, they told me, and
indeed, to my surprise she entered in the morn
ing the room where was She was pale, but
collected. fell before ller on the ground but
spoke not.
You have deceived me- size said. at is
on your future conduct that my forgiveness
must depend. Do not take advantage of !he
power you have lsurpcd. The niece Of the
curate has offered me an asylum. There
will remain till this matter can be thought o.
calmly"
Alas! these were soothing but deceitfu
words Within day or two after this event
the interval of which | spent in forming wilt
hopes for the future, I received at once two let
tiers. The first was from the engravers, tn,
canse of my exaliation and fall. They wrote
to me that my acquaintance had bcgot il
them friendship for lie that each original,
subscribed a certain sum for the execution o
their plot, that they would supply me Will
money and every thing necessary for my enter
ing into some kind Of business, and insurilt
the credtable support of myself and Aurora.
The other letter was from Aurora. "Some re
mains of pity" she said, (which feel for you
Notwithstanding your conduct, induces me t.
inform you that am in Lyons. 1t is my in
tention to enter convent, which will rid III
} ofyour presence; but you will do well to holt
yourself in readiness to appear before ever.
tribunal in France, till have found out whic
will do me Justice and break the cham in whic
you have bound your VICTIM"
hurried to the curates, but could lear
, nothing of Aurora's S retreat although becam
, assured that the curate and his niece, despisin
my condition, had been the urgent advisers c
: the step Aurora had taken. then hastene
, to Lyons, where the affair had now created
sensation. and saw only the engravers, who
; Notwithstanding the base plot which they ha
through ne effected, were men of not ungel
erous dispositions. AS they had driven me ou
of my former means of livelihood, ] conceive
myself at liberty to accept sum which the
/, offered ME to enter into trade with They al
viscd me how to dispose Of it at once, an
: without trouble to me. augmented ii greatly.
Meanwhile the father of Aurora had mac
every preparation for amulling the marriag
/ This could not be done but by publicly detail
], ing the treachery which had been practices
Never. ncrhans was a courthouse more GROVE