Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-03-18


knightly than his master, whose stiff pro-
lection I never missed while under Laun-
celot's tender care. / never fully admitted
to myself the power / found in the hither-
To unknown fascination of a young mans
society: nor how much pleasure | took IN
touching those hidden cords that only re-
spond to q mans touch. That he
adored me, saw in his eyes. / liked it
well, and the strange, unwonted fseilng
that shivered through me, now, when by
chance my hand touched his.
Well-people began to talk, as people
will, and Mr. Fontevrault sent him to
Malaga. He came to bid me goodby
forever he thought ah me! 1t was
forever in one sense. Fred was mere
boy then, who heard and saw everything.
l had hard work to get him out OF the
house that morning. ! wanted Denis's
last look all to myself. Before he left me,
Christopher offered me bracelet OF corne-
ians, cut rarely as seals. Each gem bore
an exquisite device. On one We're few
words in Latin. When l was alone,
pressed the seal on a drop of hot wax, and
read his dedication.
All that was years ago; he Is here
again, and am free. L sat before the
glass long the day expected him, thread
ing my brown hair, and longing to wear
his color-blue. But then the widows
cap suited me divinely, and the folds of
Grape set off my peculiar tints as nothing
else can. I came before him he started
forward to seize both hands, and gaze in
my face, to find no change. Then he
pressed his lips to my warm white fingers.
a new boldness became his, a new tirlid-
ity mine.
Fresh from lessons of my own, I could
read change in Leonora, and perceive
mischief in the air. Her extreme quiet
ness when my son entered the apartment,
the faint shade of shyness In his manner
of ADDRESSING her attracted ma curiously.
He began to inger in our haunts so long
and on such frivolous pretexts, that l be-
gan seriously to think what was to be
done Wi such a lovesick page. To OPP
pose Fred would be worse than useless.
Opposition determined him. If could
have sent her away, solitude would be my
bane for not one of the Fontevranlt
could I endure. Then as l pondered,
laughed at the absurdity of the whole
thing. Not only was Leonora older than
the student, woman in society, but she
had been engaged with that fact l resell
we'd to frighten Fred), uor would she wait
five years for him to declare his passion.
And his Pickering fancy the slightest
breath OF doubt would change a nature
easily moulded by the inexorable. l re-
solved to let affairs take their own course,
and trust her common sense, and my own
gentle diplomacy.
What memorable meetings had we four
during those sharp winter days! | lived
as in an Arabian dream. There was
Denis Christopher, with his brown face
and thrilling eyes Fred lackadaisical,
but handsome as Antinous; Leonora and 1.
A very orderly company, but what hot
feeling repressed, what romantic possibil-
ity, what fates unfufllled lay under the
courteous conventionality of the time !!
Fred leaned over Leonora at the piano.
Their voices sounded well together, and if
he could not declare his admiration of her,
no doubt he conveyed it to her In some
tender refrain or serenade. Their blended,
passionate voices, often moved me in
strange excitement, for | was not musical.
l had no way of relieving myself, as these
singers and painters have who crystalline
an emotion or sorrow into picture or
cadence. | can only gnaw the bedpost,
or tear up something, in the mere need of
expression. Denis watches them awhile,
and then it became trio instead of a duet.
Mr.. Christopher bought Spanish music.
Light, ripping airs, dances, whose strange
swaying rhythm had been borne to his
ears in Malaga nights.
My son grew jealous, therefore unrea-
sonable He would not play subordinate,
so left Leonora no choice but to lend her.
self gracefully to Denis's companionshlp.
These two were sure to misunderstood
one another. Fred was contradictory.
With intense and variable feeling, he pos
essed the traits of slower natures. A
kind of natural prudence retarded him.
He puzzled Leonora. One moment he
cooed over her, the Eext became Horatian.
Painfully sensitive, and proud withal she
was never sure of his opinion of her. Hav-
ing little faith in the firmness of any man. s
admiration of her, she believed less than
was avowed. And Fred, exacting much
was too inexperienced to understand her.
They were drifting apart, | thought; but
in avoiding Scylla, had | not plunged into
Carybdis2
/ had been widow a year when Mr.
Christopher left Spain. Another had
| now passed, and with it my secIusion.
| While Denis had talked to me, l had
cared to hear no other man speak but
L
pleasure. played with the warm avow-
ais of men past the reasoning age, and
made Fred's classmates melancholy. Den
is did not even disapprove. He was often
near he now, but silent as shadow.
How it stormed the night of the seventh
of February, and like the whirling snow
danced! Christopher led me through the
last Lancers, and then we stopped to rest.
Hanging on his arm, and needless of to-
morrow, was | not happy2 We passed
through the long rooms, while the soft
waltz music began to swell, and the untir-
ing dancers took the floor.
l remember he asked for Leonora, and
then if Fred meant to marry her l could
not say no, but would acknowledge that
his fancy was heated.
She will be a pleasant vision of boy
love few years hence | said. Leonora
has got too much good sense to marry
him, Mr.. Christopher
Il don't know said he meditatively,
and he drew my hand through his arm.
The comedian bracelet slipped into view.
Mrs. Fontevrault,' uttered he, in cere
monious tone-my warm pulse grew still
do you never forget 7?
Do you desire it !? l answered, gaily
eff to remember, or forget