St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-12-15


next day. The repast: I'd been exquisite, the
dishes prepared by a. eoraoa dleu who had
even surpassed himself, the wine chosen by
& nlena'n, wi:o was an kcellent judge. The
moment had arrived which Horace calls secun-
das 'as'.sas; the cnts'mets had disappeared, and
the dessert had been brought on. = 1t was at
this moment that NJ. Laclos commenced his
story in au impassioned tone. >'T2a
My youth was an eclogue-" il
But before we allow him 10 continue, il is
necessary to say word about Mrs Duller.-
She was charming woman, with q sweet and
winning face. She was not thirty five, as
Bonnemain had said, but forty-dye, However,
her color was so fine, her eyes so bright, her
hair so dark, and her form 50 flesh aud plump.
that the notary had not been too gallant in
cutting her age down ten years.: he might:
have taken five more without fattery. :.
Married at very early age, and against
her will, ia IN English naval officer, she had
lived ut Chelsea, where the best years Of her
life were past in signing for her native land,
and in endeavoring'to get rid Of the reccollec-
tions Of disappointed love: The death Of her
husband did not more than half iberate her,
tor she was obliged to overcome Q host Of Oh
s@acles before she could secure her fortune.
and sell her English estate for the hundred
thousand crowns deposited with Rothschild,
which had made such nh impression upon the
mind of;1Ak Lac!os. Having returned to
France. she brcathed the dir Of her native
land with delight, and when M. Bonnemain
spoke to her about second marriage, and
named NJ. Laclos, she raised no other objection
than the fear Of refusal, which the gallant
notary declared was an impossibilty.
Seated at the table alongside of her grey
headed intended, she ga:ed uI on him with an
interest which she did not seek to dissimulate,
and listened to him with an encouraging and
atfectionatc attention. She thought she coxll
discover in the character Of NJ. Laclos, all
those qualities Of which she had dreamed, and
that his conversation displayed all that was
pure, good and generous The notary had
painted the r.ch capitalist to. her, in most
bewitching colors and thus far she had found
the portrait a true one. One thing which
would have displeased another woman, deeply
interested Mrs. Butler-the lameness Of NJ
Laclos. He was, as we have said before, tall
and we'll formed, and had no physical defect
save that Of which We speak. The widow felt
= assympa.by for the grief which she knew this
single deformity must cause her gallant lover,
and she inwardly vowed that she would 10 ali
in her power to. sooth him to a. forgetfulness
Of his misfortune. i.%
My youth was an .ec:ogue, madame" said
Laclos, ''an eclogue which ain about to re-
commence with you, bnt this time, am cer-
Ss,i tain, it will have more more n harry ~ issue than
Tho notary observed the pastoral tone which
his client had assumed, rubbed his hands,
poured out the champagne and called fora
bumper all round ....,- =, ...z-. ,ot. :.
IL am aEurgundian,''' continued cLaclos :;
" was born in Auxerre:", ,.l.a al II :,
I" A fine city, said Ronnemain. :r 49,.
Especially along The Quay del'Yonnc,' .
added haclos. g The river runs gracefully
before it, and opposite, there is lille island
covered with wibcmil!s, and shaded bv trees
which are grouped in The most picturesque
Il will wager tha, you lived upon this
uaay, said bonnenain
g. Precisely"
And that you sat, a;v,y day. at your
T..fnS7, gazing al the mills sn.s tie ;rses.'
">ot .xsscs !; ): ~ s,;s- ttge:e 'soraze upon
! Naa:nu:seAa Virginia Dar naril, who lived il,
a "isitboring house, and who, Al q cer1.i,
! hour, appeared Il, her window. | easily for
got The s'vcs and the island covered with tree
IN" "insimiils, in the happiness felt Will
| 'l;s'iring this young girl, who was excecliupl,
BEAUTIFUL believe, Mademoiselle Vireini,
thought no ore Of the trees than did. and
F.; doubt very much If she could have told wheth
er they were oak Or BIRCH. However. she m
pearea every day at her window. 1t was no
| necessary for us to look at each other yer,
tong. without coming to an undclsi andine-
| this was natural. called myself Paul, an,
she was, ,Virgihi,.'
All! ah! Paul and Virginia" said the moi ,rv
"You are.right, my friend,-this is, indeed,
pastorsl!' .bs91tg 81 sassga 4s o;1sas:.Il
' At that time" ii continued Laclos
Il, was able. ike Paul, 20 climbT the hiah
est trees Jim tn k eklesSly oyer 81 ,pck
ana RreclRices; my two legs we're equal
II Nadenlslselle ;: Virginia J. - would, hay.
permitted j, I could have; easily gained
her little cxamber; but wevwere both 'toSx{
dlscreetasde too we'll trainedstoI haye bast
guilty of'sach an oimpropriety.oI went
to my father. told him ioof nv love. and
prayed him to allow; nicrto marry tho eirj
ado:ed ,gould sva y: anything NJ, lb'aye been
"oh! nothing more 10 =, simple III ll, said Il,
notary, "aads Il had been your father; /
would shi shays a' given my consent cq immediate
~ ;itt"sa .y...'1 4as5gist yz4' aahl !:
"Especially,". continued NJ. ,Laclos,s ''i.l '.als
our fortunes were equal, and our relatives,
friends and neighbors for for 4 ilong time
nevertheless my father fW feWw 1iii1dt 1iiin1to passion
the moment he heard the proposition. He
told me bluntly that I must t,1iot think of
mari marrying il - much lessso Aladem0ii:
sel'e Virginia, d. He immediately d lett the
house; a"dinleeting the2tather.o Virginia;
upon the ~hart,@he~-addfessed him harsh-
", and accused him Of being an accom-
pllceE With his daughter in ginning the
.ndt1EYsncs yhigh sthe latter exercised over
Me aud declared that he never would
eensent y. the marriage. Iido uot / knloW1 81 !:
how the c0nvvsrsation ended, 1nnda2 1nor Whether:
n. Be1dasd E~as afraid that his daaaushter
Would didteyahimo; skut5I Was told that