The Shasta courier., 1865-12-02
VIC FORlNE.

VIC FORlNE.
| The Count de Cardoviie had been married
ten years. He was handsome, and occupied
not only high rank in society. bur was look
ell upo with respect hy The statesmen of the
| day. lie had attained great position and
| for the last i've years had been Minister at
| the Court Of Vienna Bur all these elements
of happiness were nothing to the Count in
mparison to the treasure he possessed in
| bis wife. For her alone was he ambitious ;
| for her alone he valued the honors he had
attained, and the fame which the world ac-
| corded him.
Madame de Cardovilc, for wppler-for
the iniatuation of man does not 90 by merit
deserved her husbands idolatry. Beaut-
full, high prncipled, talented without shade
of vanity, utterly and entirely devoted to her
husband. Helene de Cardoville's life had
never known a shadow At twenty-seven
she was quoted as the most lovely woman at
| the Austrian Court though each year brought
forth young and lovely girls, aspirants to the
highest honors of each season.
One day-it was summer-they had left
| Vienna for a chateau the Count de Cardovlle
| had taken for the last few summers, and
/ looked upon as his own, "A lady was announc-
| ed wishing to see the Countess
| Mon Dieu - exclaimed Madame de Car.
doville, as she beheld her visitor Victor
| ine 20
Yes, dearest. vctorinc you have net
| forgotten me, then ~
Never how could forget you-almost
my sister but"
You pause-you hesitate-ah, l under
stand you-I am sadly changed"
Yes, dear Nictorne, you have suffered
You are in mourning. Oh you have be-
lieved in me and trusted me you are come
to me for consolation"
Helene, | have not friend in the world
You know Of my imprudent marriage; it is
over. | am widow, but ruined in fortune
health and spirits, and | thought of you.
have come 10 you from Sweden. where, in
our poverty, my husband had hidden our
misery and our disgrace"
You shall never remember. any more, the
years that are gone. Oh. Nictorine we shall
make you happy. We will bring back your
beauty, your high bright spirits and even
the years that have weighed so heavily on
you shall be obiterated Come-let me
bring you to my husband" " Here the Coun-
| tess suddenly stopped, and an expression Of
divine happiness diffused itself over her
features. "Oh. Victorine," she continued,
'what have done to Heaven that it should
have made me so blessed, whilst YOU have
been wasting your youth and beauty in tears
and wretchedness? Come, come it will be
! returning some of the goodness heaped upon
me to make you forget your past life"
Monsieur de Cardoville received his wife's
friend with the greatest cordiality friends
were ever most welcome to him, and when he
heard Victofine's past misery, and her utter
ly deserted position. he proposed TO bis wife
that their home should be hers.
Helene looked up at him with tenderness
and gratitude; yet even at that moment a
strange feeling came over her. Perhaps it
was that she dreaded any change-change
must bring unhappiness-for her present life
was one to which no happiness could be add
ed. Bus hastily she threw off the thought
a~ unworthy of her What. after al. was II
mere fancy compared with the feelings OF hei
poor friend. Nictnri e?
Nine. Won Sternherg was established
therefore in the chateau Time had f.&Nd
but not obiiterated h.r beauty, her grace.
her wit; strange fascination about her
manner IT had left unt0uched So that Vie
t0riue added rather to the charm of their
home than tonk away from it. Victorine.
too, was Il widow. Madame Carlovi'e e
though admired and far more beautiful was
known 10 lie 50 deeply alta he'd to her hus-
baud that no impression could lie made on
her heart. Nieturine. though neither hrt
nor coquette, had the power and the tact
70 draw around her the most distinguished
men who filled the saloons of the French
ambassador.
Il am delighted that Victorine is with
u.s. said Helene one dav to her husband
. she has the power Of amusing you, and
think our home has been gayer and pleasant
er since she has been in it''
. Mos decidedly, and how handsome she
has grown; that dark sarcastic, bitter look
has utterly fed from her face"
Sac is very beautiful said Helene:
! 80 in our convent we used to call her Lu
cret;a"
Borgia," said the Count, that was
scarcely a compliment"
"No. Lucreta the Roman matron; she
was even at sixteen so dark anI dignifed."
She is most fascinating woman, capa
bic of a desperate deed, if not heroic one
| should not have called her Lucretia,
think There is more Of the modern than Of
tie ancient Italian about her."
= u don't mean Lucretia Borgia ?"
% No, only IN fascination.
Meantime, Madame Seraberg was ponder
ing in her mind what was to become of her
for. to accept permanent home with Nine.
de Cardoville, of course, could not be thought
Of She had said she ruined; that was
figurative way of speaking. which being
put in plain language, merely meant that
Madame Sternberg could not live in splendor
or luxury. and could not maintain the posi-
tion in society which she thought the only
| one worth having. Society, admiration.
laxury. these were the elements of Madame
Sternberg's happiness happiness inde-
dependant of the heart one that money can
procure, therefore the easiest attained, for
money, though difficult to obtain, Is at the
command of mere human means. and there
fore attainable to all. Of course fictOrine
knew she might chance to make good
marriage She was handsome, she knew
that, and few men could resist her when she
chose to exert her powers of fascination but
since she had been with Helene. she had
rather avoded the open expression of admira-
tion of those arouni her than sought it
Victorine was no timid, innocent Young girl,