Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-08-18

bic lie yes, lie, lie, lie with which you have
sought to stab my life, is, must be, money
Well, confess that it IS a lie give me proof,
easy for you, that it is one proof that Mad.
anne de Fautpre died-as she did die--a nat
ural death, and / will secure TO you the half
OF all | possess The half, did | say? All,
all, will | give in exchange for unstalned life
in redemption of my else lost soul !"
Adrienne's voice ceased, not so the fierce in-
QUESTION of her eyes and Jules Depech,
amazed and shaken by the wild distraction of
her aspect could with difficulty stammer out,
in low, husky uDdertoneS, that Nademoiselle's
own words betrayed knowledge complete as
his Own-thOugh not so much as hinted at in
his letters of--Of-the cause of Madame de
Vautpre's death-of what the pretended poudre
rose really was.
As these words, slowly distilling from the
mans poiSon-Iips, fell upon Adrienne's ear, her
erect, rigid form seemed to collapse, aud pres
emily tossing her arm distractedly in the air,
she turned away with scream of terror, made
as if to fee from Delpechs presence, and was
received in the embrace of her mother, who,
with ClarisSe, had been q trembling listener
close without the door. Delpech, quite salts
fed with his progress SO far now FASTENED to
be gone first, however, muttering to Madame
BeaudeSert, that such violence aud agitation
were absurd, uncaled for, as the profoundest
secrecy would of course be observed-at all
events, till definite understanding was arriV-
ed at and that there was not perhaps one
great family in all France whose private ar
chiVeS, il brought to light would not reveal
secrets of a similar kind
MademoiSelle Beaudesert did not leave her
bed for macy days after this and Delpechs
negotiation with the wretched femily at the
chateau-M. Morlaix, as it happened, was,
fortunately or unfortunately, absent in Paris
was carried on through her mother The sub
stantive position of the two parties, the Del
pechs and BeaudeSertS. was set forth by Jules
Delpech at those interviews, with quiet cool
ness, derived from the poor lady'S panic fears,
that looked courageous, bold-faced rufianiSm.
Madame Beaudesert has since frequently
declared, that while listening to Delpech's
atrocious task, she felt as in the actual pres
cnce of iieud from the bottomleSs pit, speci-
ally commissioned to achieve the perdition,
body aud soul of herself and children! Once
or twice, indeed the thought, piercing with
momentary light the thick darkness, glanced
across her mind, that it was surely impossible
Il man, however reckless, who had really com
mtted the dread crime of murder, could speak
of it with that calm cyuicism, pirate so glibly
of the awful penalty lie by bis own showing
If that showing were true-had primarily
incurred. But how to act upon that blessed
hope? Write to already deeply preudced
N. MoraX, eutreating his immediate return,
and, upon his arrival, take counsel of his iudg-
meut, his knowledge of the ways of men, and
oil too late, find Delpech'S assertions confirm-
ed ImpoSSitIe-utterly impossible to incur
that tremendous risk-!o desperately stake
character, life, the innocent life of her child,
upon that fearful issue
Finally, for the suggestions Of unreasoninc
fear prevailed, aud Adrienue Beaudesert was
at last Subdued-terrorized into consenting to
compromise, by which it was settled that
the civil aud legally binding form of marriage
was to he gone through by her aud Paul Del
pech-the blessing of the Church, unesseutal
TO the validity Of the contract, she would not
ask for such constrained, unnatural yows-im-
mediately after which, and in accordance with
the provisions Of a solemn instrument subscrib-
ed and attestcd beforehand, the nominal wife
and husband were to separate and remain
strangers to each other forever. Adrieune-
till such time as arrangements could be made,
without attracting too much public attention,
habit with her relatives one wing of the cha
tcau-the Delpcchs the other; and the dispo
Sition of the property was settled by the same
document, which jules Depcch drew up in
imposing Wordy form 1t was formally exc
cuted, aud the civil marriage it was agreed,
should take place on that day S'cnnicht.
In the meantime it had been industriously
set about, that the secluSion of MadGmoisee
h., Il IL
Servable in the dcmeanor of her mother aud
sister, were caused by the tbwarted but obsti
nate determination Of the young lady to wed
one so far beneath her in station as Paul Del
pech, with whom it was asserted, she had all
along been upon terms of secret lover intimacy
one note addressed by her to the young man,
appointing private interview, had been seen
by Madame Sabn, a most respectable person,
well acquainted with her handwriting and
her impulSiye affectouate recognition of the
elder Dclpech amidst the crowd in the Church
of the Assumption at her fathers funeral was
cited as cOrroboratiye proof, if any were want
ing, OF the early. dcep-rooted attachment which
had gained strength and intensity with every
day of her life Scarcely any thing else
would, one may be sure. be talked OF or writ
ten about by the goSsipS in the vcinage of the
OudtCdu Lth ana al llns ltIl out that Mad
ame Claude Simonet, or LSette, as / may con-
tinue to call her, heard, in Pars, of the as
founding marriage on the very day the same
intelligence reached NJ Morlaix the imme-
date result being, that Li>elte and her hus-
band and the able met few hours afterwards
at the bureau of the Lyon diligence and were
fellow, and exceedingly communicative, pas
Seugers during the journey homewards.
Instantly upon reaching the Chateau dem
NJ Morlaix demanded an audieuce of Made
moiselle Bcaudesert. 1t was peremptorily re-
fused, in accordance with an understanding