The mountain Democrat., 1863-12-05

and Of the influence attached to the grea
name Of that illustrious race, was esteem
ed worth watching by the authorities.
! The family had not always been so pa S
sive. The Princes eldest son, a high
spirited young man, had shared in the las
disastrous revolt of the Poles, and died ir
: captivity, of wounds received in the defea
Of Ostrolenka. His young widow had soor
followed him to the grave, leaving Alexi.
, and Sophie, the one an infant, the other
girl eight years Of age, to the care Of theil
grand parents. And the second son, who
DAD iong wandered sd exile, fyOTp country
to country, had died far from his homo
and friends. All this happened long ago
and the LeczinzkaS, if still watched, were
smiled upon at court. Their entertain
ments were among the most splendid al
st. Petersburg, and the foreign residents
in especial, met withAhe most kindly re-
ception there.
Sophie Leczinzka was beautiful, dark.
haired girl, in the early bloom of lowell
ness that gave promise of becoming
qucenly and majestic at later period
but just then she was bright.eyed young
creature, simple and frank Of manner,
and mere like an English maiden than
the languid Russian damsels around her.
Indeed Sophie, by far the cleverest Of the
household, was also the most national
1t was hrr pride to be Pole; she loved
ato sing Polish songs, aud listen to Polish
stories and remember her pretty sor.
row, half sad, half petulant, when her
grand mother absolutely forbade her ap.
pearing at the Empress's masquerade in
the high cap, velvet jacket, and gold,
braided vest of the old Sarmatian pattern
1t is not surprising that l. who was
most heartily made welcome at the Lee
zinzka palace, on the strength ofsome in
timacy in long-paSt times between the
Old Prince aud relation Of nv own
should have become attached, and deeply
so, To- the beautiful Polish girl, but the
wonder should rather be that nv suit re
ccived the sanction Of Sophie'S guardians
and kindred. For an attache, even though
t"leraby well off, to aspire to such a
match would have seemed idle in most
cases, since even in their hour Of captivi
" there is no prouier nobility than that
Of Poland, and Lcczinzka might, as
wrii knew, reasonably expect TO ally her
self with some man Of rank much more
brilliant than mine. 1t must, however,
he remembered that Sophie was no heir
c>S, since tine estates were strictly entail
ed and was at that time understood to
he next inh,ritor Of a considerable pro-
rc,ty in England. Whatever the cause,
50 matters stool. was regarded in the
house Old a. actually betrothcd to Sophie.
There had been no formal troth.plight :;
still less had any time been fixed for our
marriage, which, indeed, the Princess
desired To- defer for year or two on ac-
count of her grandchiId's youth, and her
own reluctance to be parted from her
but the affair was no secret.
And sophie? With all my wish to re.
ate calmly and fairly what occurred. |
cannot, even at this distance Of time, be
certain a. to what were her feelings
Perhaps She herself did not realize their
nature. She certainly did not dislike me.
She had merely looked down, with tim
id blush and smile, when the old Princess
badc her look upon me as her future hus-
band. Her lips never ratified the tacit
consent thus given, nor is this expected
in continental country, especially in a
rank so elevated.
Gli>ka, being in some way related to
the Princess. and having been brought
up in the Leczinzka mansion in Poland,
was often to be met IN the family circle
where lac was always welcome. lie had
been ward Of the old nUblcman'S, having
| been early an orphan. and both the
Prince and Princess had regard fer him.
which was prnLaily in great measure the
result Of habit Nothing could be more
unlikc than the bent Of the eX. guardians
mind and that Of his former charge. The
kind, white headed master Of the house
had a soft, easy nature, that shrank from
ii~a.r cable or painful topics, and a mar
row, though cultivated, intellect. Tic
had travelled much, had many foreign
trcIds, and loved to recall hygonc init
maritS among the wits aud statesmen Of
the West. His correspondence, his French
novels, and his curious cabinet Of rare
coins and medals, tiIcd up his leisure
fully. The Ch waller. on the other hand,
was calm ard thoughtful, rather silent,
but not from the lack of thoughts. When
he did speak il was always in well.chos-
cu words, and with a certain suppressed
fire and eIoqucnce that told Of great pow
erH undcveloprd.
could not exactly make out on what
footing Gh-ka stood with reference to So
phic Ltczinzka. They were cousins. -
Sophie, as a child, had been used to look
up TO the tall payfellow so much older
and wiser than herself; nothing would
have been more reasonable than that
they should have been on the same terms
as brother and sister. Yet Glska seemed
to Tie rather to avoid his pretty cousin
than otherwise, and Sophie rarely men,
toned his name. There were times when
could not help feeling q thrill of jealous
suspicion, rs a vague idea dawnrd in my
mlud that this apparent indifference, on
Gliska's part at any rate, was mere ieign-
ing. But such impressions were always
fugitive, and were NO: long able to dis
turb my peace.
was one night at ball at the Gorts
chakof palace, and happened to stand
close to the open door of card.room,
where the whist players, ignorant of my
proximity, were chatting of the Leczinz
kas and their prospects. One of them
asked, carelessly, whether there had moi
once been some talk of a match between
the Chevalier and his beautiful cousin
Tnvountarily listened for the reply
which was as inditferently spoken as the
question had been:
"Why, yes, there was such plan.-
: The old Princess, who has match ma
king turn. like most of your ex-beauties-
your deal, General was eager about it
) long before mademoisele was out of thu