Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-05-27
0blllo): Statesr1rarr.
RE.

Among the old nobility of France who
after the restoration Of the Bourbons, return
ed to France was the Count de Kerven.
He brought with him daughter thret
years old. Her mother, young Frencl
exile, was destined never to see her native
| country, or the castle where the ancestors
of her husband had so proudly kept theil
state from century to century. She lay In
the little picturesque church-yard of Rich.
mond, in England, where her father hat
found refuge, where her husband had mar
ried her, aud where her child was born
| The Count de Keryen carried her memory
in his heart, but all the love he had borne
her he concentrated on the child that was
the only record of their union and her eX'
istence. . A.I.. .. E.f...r ...
Marie de Kerven was his idol, and nothing
but the noble, generous qualities implanted
in her heart could have prevented her being
utterly spoiled and perverted by the blind
| worship of her father. But hers was ma
ture endow ed with dignity and gravity that
could not be dazzled by the batteries of all
around her.
| She had been brought up in the traditions
of ancient heroic Bretagne, the old royalist
state. ...r ...-.............. .... 80 g..
M. de Keryen, during his residence in
England, had met his old friend and COM
panion in arms, the Count st. Leu, who
like himself, had married in exile. To his
son, a few years older than Marie, he had,
following the ancient custom, betrothed her,
and now that they had returned to their
home and their inheritance, it was point
of honor with NJ. de Kervea and his daugh-
ter to keep the contract, for Leon de st.
Leu had found none of the inheritance of
his father; nothing but the right to live in
his native land had been restored to him ;
and the power, through his own eXertions,
to achieve fortune. This, to his father or
his ancestors, would have been impossible,
utterly unused as they were to all toll,
physical and mental; but Leon had receiy-
ed more progressive education, and was
prepared to achieve his own independence.
With the indemnity the Government paid
to the spoliated nobility, Leon, boldly lay
ing aside his title, put his capital into an
iron foundry, and was soon on the high
road to fortune.
M. de Kerven saw this with secret Won
der he was little shocked at Icons for
getfulness of the traditions of his race and
his nobility but never for an instant did
he hesitate in the ftllfllment of his contract
with his daughter. That was as sacred as
his duty to his king and his God, admitting
of no question; the only prayer he would
not have granted his daughter would have
been the one that would have pleaded for
freedom from this engagement.
When Marie was seventeen NJ. de st. Leu
came for the first time to the chateau de
Kervan. 10 Marie, brought up in the
traditions of her race, the ties which bound
her were as sacred to her as they were to
her father. Yet it was not without secret
dread that she awaited the coming of her
intended husband. He was utterly differ
ent from what she had pictured him. Tall
and dignifed, sedate and grave, he possess
ed none of those social graces that Marie
had imagined the peculiar attributes of a
young lover. His conversation was full of
interest, his manner of expressing himself
full OF elegance ;but he paid no more atten-
ton to Marie than he did to her father, and
so she concluded that, like herself, he would
merely fulfill the contract from sense of
duty, and without one feeling of the love
or passion which, in her secret, youthful
heart, Marie felt ought to hallow so import
ant contract as that of marriage.
One day, the one on which M. de ST. Leu
was to depart, an event occurred which
startled her, and stirring her heart made
her wonder whether there was not a love
too deep for words, and beyond her compre-
hension! I' .i..t i-"i -a.i
They were on horseback, on one of the
rocky paths overlooking the sea. Marie's
horse stumbled; one moment more and
horse and rider would have been precipita-
ted below. But with one strong, quick
hand, Leon grasped the bride, while with
the other he clasped Marie, and she was
saved. ... ..f........- .. -.,
She had tainted from fright and emotion.
When she opened her eyes she was lying
in his arms, and looking up beheld his pale
face and his eager eyes gazing down in ag-
ony her. -". ~. ''. '.. ID.
'.Leon," said she, with an arch smile,
"what would you have done if | had been
killed?" .. :. '"'- .t" 10" .
~ would have leaped after you and died
by your side" said Leon, ina deep, impass-
ioned voice that came from his heart and
reached Marie's. ...,E-.. ......-
All that day Marie was silent and absorb
ed; strange and new feeling seemed to
fill her soul. When that evening Leon
came, she looked up to see if again the deep
impassioned gaze would meet hers, but
his features had resumed their calm impas-
siveness, and his manners were but coldly
courteous. .' .l- Ir.ar .nTHI .t "..
A few days after he had left, M. de Ker-
ven received a letter from his only sister,
whom for over twenty years he had not
seen. Louise de Kerven had not been faith
full to the traditions of her race. Lett in
France at the time of her fathers flight, she
had been educated in the modern revolu-
tionary school, and to the honor of her no
BILE relations had married rich and pros
porous merchant, rejoicing in half million
of capital and the plebeianname Dubois.
She laughed at the old musty prejudices
of her brother, as she called them, but she
had great belief in the power of family
affection, and she also telt much pity and
sympathy for the young girl, her niece
Marie, living in such utter solitude in the
old fortress, as she called the castle of Ker-
ven. asl a.. % '."I ID rt .sl9
She resolved to make the first advances,
and accordingly proposed to visit the cha
teau with her son Octave. %, ,'''-'"
Nine. Dubois was lively, gay, agreeable
woman of the world, and put new life into
the old solemn hall OF Keryen. AS for Oc-
tave, he was an admirable specimen of
young France, brilliant, ambitious, hand
some, heartless, skeptical, of everything
from God to man, and especially woman. N,
His cousin Marie was perfect revelation
to him, so utterly unlike the greatest crea-
ton of civilization, the real Partisan belle.
In her society, in exploring her mind,
and In admiring the wild beauties of Brit
tany, three months passed away quickly,
and Octave and his mother returned to
Paris, feeling that their brilliant but some
what artificial life had been refreshed by a
most charming episode. ,,y ,a,l ayo1,,s.
From the hour they had left change had
come over Marie. She had grown sad and
silent apparently Indifferent to all around
her. Her father, on the contrary, appeared
IN have imbibed new life from this visit for