Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-03-10
HONOR.

| IhVANVhAs
"You did not expect me, Henri ?" said
the Due de Valblanc, entering his sons
apartment one morning as he was pre-
pairing to leave it.
"No, my dear father; but that makes
me the more delighted to see you. When
did you leave LondOn?"
"But few hours since, and / am going
back again in few hours. / have come
only to see you, to see you on most urgent
matter. | come, Henri, to save the honor
of our family, which you are compromis-
ing"
II compromising" ..-
"Yes. Have you not been long engaged
to Elise de Merac? and there are things
that should scarcely be spoken of between
father and son, therefore one word will
sulfice--a name-Helene de Nauteuil ~
"Mlle. de NauteuiI; well father, in what
way is she compromising our honor"
| "Who is Mile. de Nauteuil, Henri?"
"The daughter of gentleman the orphan
daughter of gentleman whose family was
as good as ours; her mother died in my
arms in sorrow and in poverty, brought on
| by the unfortunate passions which led M.
de Nauteuil to sacrifice everything at the
gaming table. She bequeathed her daugh-
| ter to my care"
taken of her?"
81 loved her father; she was helpless,
without friend, ignorant of the world,
timid, sensitive, proud she clung to me as
to her only stay on earth."
Sand you have made her"
"Forgive us both, look leniently on both ;
we were alone together; we were young I;
it was such happiness to surround her with
every luxury, to live in her society, to see
her lovely, accomplished, and brilliant in
the atmosphere that alone became her I;
then her gratitude, her love bound me so
deeply to her."
"That you have forever degraded her,
left it out of your own power to reinstate
her honorably before the world even your
making her your wife would not efface the
past, and that you cannot do.
"Helene has never thought of eXacting
it, and knew that | was bound"
"But this must end; your marriage is
fixed for this day three months, and the ru-
mors of this HaiSOn have reached the family
of your bride; it is for this have lett Lon
don, and before | return must see that all
is over; in fact, Henri, you must return
with me-"
"But Helene, Helene, whom / esteem,
and love, for her fault in the eyes of the
world is her justification in mine, since it
comes from her love for me-"
81 did not know who Mile. dc Nauteuil
was. | fancied her like most other women
whom the world would class with her. She
must be provided for in manner worthy
of both of you. Luckily we are rich the
capital of revnue of fifty thousand francs
shall be Helene's the day she marries."
"Shc marriesr"
"Yes, | make her marriage Especial con-
dtition, for then only shall feel that you
are etfectually separated from her."
"Helene will never consent"
"Shall see her myself?"
"Non exclaimed Henri, "no, leave that
to me-"
Sand in twenty-four hours you promise
me that all shall be arranged?"
81 promise"
Instead of going to Mile. de Nauteuil,
Henry de Valblanc proceeded to club
called le Cercle des Etrangers, and there,
after searching the rooms, he at last found
the person he sought, man of most re-
markably handsome appearance, but with
out the finished elegance peculiar to Paris
ian men of the higher class. His fine fea-
lures, and his dark hair and complexion,
denoted him at once to be a foreigner, and
Henri saluted him by foreign name.
"Signor Conte," saidh shave you found
out the expedition which is to make your
fortune? Am l to congratulate you as
another Columbus, in search, not of new
world, but of what makes the world endur-
able-money ?"
"No, cannot find men with any faith in
my California IDEAS"
"Come this way and listen to my project.
Now no one can hear us. What do you
say to fifty thousand francs year?"
"Isay | like them, every individual franc
among them."
"They can be yours"
"On what condition !"
"Well, did you ever see play called
Don Caesar de Bazan?"
"Yes, / often thought the fellow like
me-"
"Well, / want you to accept wife with
the fifty thousand francs, and on your we'd
ding day to leave her, and never, without
my especial permission, to live in the same
city with her again."
"The dowry without the wife? This is
too good a thing; of course accept. But
yet my name is an honorable one; where
will you be when am away?"
:" shall be married in three months"
"Well, then, | won't inquire, not even
whether the wife is young or pretty"
There is no necessity you shall see her
this evening. Lnigi Vanlnt rely on
YOU"
The most difficult part of Henris task re-
mained yet to be accomplished-to see He
lene.
He entered her presence with a beating
heart, and found her in tears.
"Helenew
"Henri, read this; it is from Nine.
Firmin, my former teacher of music; the
only woman knew in Paris"
Without word Henri took the note.
"Dearest Helene, forgive me if give
you pain, but cannot avoid it. You know,
my dear child, that was little inquisitive
as to your way Of living; it was not from
curiosity, but from interest. Mons. Fir
mini must be abrupt, for ! know not
how to say otherwise-M. Firmin, my hus-
band, will not allow me to come to you.
Oh! Helene, indeed, there is nothing but
misery in store for you."
"Henri," said Helene, you promised me
that your love should shield me from all
harm. Oh can such love as ours be guilty
in the eyes of the world?"
"Helener ~ exclaimed Henri, falling ather
feet g l have misled you; all love but love
sanctioned by marriage is looked on as deg
radiation by society, the moment it seeks
to comewithin its bound. But, Helene,
can atone for all { 1 can give you position
before the world"
"Henri, do. understand you-your
wife Z"
"No, no, 1 am bound; cannot make you
my wife, but can give you position, Hell
enc; can"
"Say no morew exclaimed Helene: "I