The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-07-25

rof and Empress, she said, :" am 50 happ'
| can ask nothing more than to have such
- hero and such an angel for my guardians. y
~ Marie Louise smiled at this double con
T. pliment, and seemed well pleased, thong
i,t she said nothing. Napoleon also smiled
= . and made sign to one of the feotmen, VIII
: leaped to the ground and opened the ca,
" riage door.
/ ''Come into the carriage" said Napoleo
:. to Camille and like young leopardess sh
u bounded to the feet of the Empress, wher
{ she remained, although the latter kindl
q = motioned her to take seat beside herself.
y "Well, mldemoisele," said Napoleon
: with playful and gallant air, to Pauline
eve await your decision"
Il will stay with this good man." sait
she, clinging to Hudeit. r.
At this unexpected decision, the Emperor
uttered an exclamation OF astonshment; the
Empress looked displeased; and poor Hu
delt, fearing it might bring his masters dis
pleasure upon him, was far too much fright
! ened to appreciate the compliment the chile
HDo you know what you are saying.'
ssid Napoleon, kindly. "Are you afraid O
me Z? ] will love you, and you shall play
with the King of Rome. Think once more,
and remember that you will be separated
from your cousin, If you do not go with us. y
81 viii stay with good Hudeit," said Pau
line, firmly; "and | wish Camille would
come back, for do not ike to have her Sc
paratcd from me-"
Napoleon, probably more for the purpose
of astertainng the workings Of the child's
mind than wiih any intention Of influencing
her TO change her decision, said, But just
: think Of the difference between Hudelt and
myself 7 am powerful and can make you a
queen If | like, willie the most he can do
will be to marry you 10 4 peasant"
My mother told me, SAID Pauline, with
deep emotion, when she was on her death
/ bsd, to trust more to the good and honest
+ than to the rich and great. She said it was
/ sometimes safer to have the humble for pro
tectors, because they might rise and carry
Us gp with them, whereas the great might
flll and crush US in their ruin"
The b'aZ. Of NapolcCns eyes would have
queached an eagles gaze, as lie leaned over
the side Of the carriage, and said Your
mother was wise, and you do well to re-
member and obey her teachings. What was
her naue:"
''Ietitie d Harcourt"
"The wife of Colonel d'Harcourt, who
fell at Jcna:"
Yes. sir; Colonel d'Harcourt was my IA
her checks.
ole was very good friend of mine-so
was your mother. Did your mother never
speak Of me-"
Yes, sir; she often spoke of you; and
she loved you very much. uEtil-until-"
Until when:" said. Napoleon quickly,
and with piercing look; speak, child,
shall not be offended
Being thus commanded, Pauline said, as
she shrank behind Hudeit, Until you sent
Josephine away.'
Poor IIudelt uttered 4 CRY Of terror, and
nearly fell to the ground. The Empress
started, and her face flushed with anger.
The postiiion and footmen sat as still as
though they had neither eyes or ears.-For
an instant, NapoleOn's face was as white as
marble, aud the next moment it vas rigid
and expressonless. lie knew that every
word spoken would be retai!ed through all
the circles of Paris, AID he determined that I
the gossip should reflect no discredt upon
him. Smiling sweetly upon Pauline, he !,
said
"Your mother was wise and good wo- /,
man; would that France had many like her; /
but she could not understand the necessities /
which the interests Of the state imposed up
on me and Josephine. Your mother has I
left YOU her sweetness and her wisdom-a .
valuable Inheritance. In selecting your
guardian you have not chosen badly. Ny .
brave Hudelt will be a kind father to you. |
too, shall always remember and love you. ,
Step into the carriage, and embrace your .
cousin, for you must separate. /
. \ short embrace, leap to the ground, a
cracking Of the postillion's whip, a dash of
the equipage, wave of hands-and the
farmer and the orphan were standing al)ne,
"Soul of my mother," exclaimed Hudelt
as he turned and took Pauline by the hand;
strange that you should have made such
choice. What was it your mother said on
her dying day? All, l remember The
humble may rise and carry US up with them,
while the great may fall and crush us in
their ruin That sounds as wise as though
cousin is on her way TO the Tuileries; you
shall be welcome to peasants hut.''
Napoean did not forget the promise he
made Jean Hudelt on the morning that the
orphans chose their guardians. The farm
with all its stock and implements, had been
legally conveyed to Hudelt that same after
noon and from that day he proepered.
Three years had passed, and Hudelt had
grown rich-that is, rich for French farm
er. His son, Pierre, now nineteen years OF
age, also prospered under the instruction OF
the good parish priest, who prophesied that
Pierre. bv his writings would one day make
the country proud of him. and die Mem
Der of the Academy. And Marie, Pierre's
mother. said there was more discerning
man in France than the priest. Pauline had
developed into a maiden OF eXquisltely love-
1.-THE and graceful, intelligent,
tasteful and swect-tempered. Pierre had
loved Pauline, and she loved Pierre; the
good priest blessed their betrothal, at which
Jean and Marie danced as gayly as they had
at their own, and declared that they felt :
quite young again.
Camille, too, had become beauty.-She :
had been sent to the best schools, and had
Dutstripped all her mates in the acquisition
Of every elegant and courtly accomplish
mcnt. Graceful as willow, delicate and
refined as violet, yet possessing the fire
and muscle Of leopardess, her vlyacity,
eloquence and picturesque grace of attitude
and movement, drew all eyes after her, and
stirred the dep.hs of many hearts. But
Camille was ambitious; she remembered {
what the Emperor said the first time she
saw him, and she resolved that no less per-
sonage than Marshal of the Empire should
,all her WIFE But she was polite; and
lnowing that the ensign of the present c
night be the Marshal of the future, she was !
polite and afIabc to all, and teok pains not I
% give offence to any. She had seen Pau !
inc but twice in three years, once at the
arm, and once in Paris; and on those occa- I
;ions she behaved so coldly, and gave Pau t
inc so distinctly to understand that she did $
lot wish the acquaintance kept up, that the ! I
Door girl, after one paroxysm OF grief, had , ,
esigned herself to the imperious and wilful |.
'ousn. e-.
The spring of 1914 had come; and Napo- I
con. whose veteran troops had perished r
mid the SHOWS of Russia, with few thou S
- y - ..,i.c unr making those nrndi. | y