Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-10-06

It with rods, planks and masts, he lean
: on the handle Of the rudder. His boa
, remained all alone at the port, disabled
, black and mOtiOnIess, whilst he saw q.
unequal distances the sails just leaving
gliding on the stream, sad, ataT of il
, the morning fog, the. vague form Of ;
barge could be discerned from which the
. faint sound of bag-pipes reached him
it was the tlEtdeGR Of Master Meru
which flew towards Nantes, carrying
with Entine all the hopes Of his Life.
CHAPTER III.
Whilst the confusion into which Andre
was thrown by his companions retained
him forcibly at Meilleraie, Master Jac
ques Continued his route and arrived al
Nantes, where he was called by the mys-
terious letter which had decided him tc
quit Saint George.
It was the first time for more thar
twenty years that he saw this city again
which to him was associated with SO
many sOn1bre recOllectiC1s. He crossed
it rapidly, directed his steps toward a
well known faubOurg, reached the eX-
tremity, and finally perceived the house
he was in search Of.
Isolated and in front of all the other
hAhitatigns, it might have been taken
for lost sentinel stationed to observe
the country. A very high wall, whose
top was bristliBg with broken glass,
closed Il in on all sides and allowed moth
ing but the roof to be seen. When he
! perceived il Master Jacques slacEened
his pace, the blood rushed to his heart.
This solitary house he had visited many
times in those sad days, the memory OF
which haunted him in his sleep. There
lived then the same man that be was
| going to find there now he was the last
survivor of that redOubtsble party which
had organized the terror in the Trest and
made Nantes the vein by which they
| had bled the bendee thrown in the revO-
! lutionary whirlpool at the age when pas
SION fires the ideas, and Ignorance Of life
] always preeipitates toward the absolute ;
| be had shown himself infexible in what
l be thought the truth, implacable in
/ the means Of making it triumph.
| Gloomy and strong nature which
/ mad mistaken the transports Of its
viii for principles, ne mad st first
/ perverted his conscience in the eXagge-
/ ratiOns Of speech then, drawn on to re-
alizs them in action, be had fallen from
| violenee. to violence, TO the very bottom
| Of the abyss. The chastisemeut had
I been terrible-Cast out from The society
/ Of Hen; be was cOndem Ued Tor twenty
years 10 roll his past ike lEion his wheel,
! in that secluded mansion Of which public
opinion bad made itself the jallOT.
After some moments hesitation, mas
ter jacques turned around the enclosure,
and went to hunt little door almost
hidden, where he knocked no one came
Immediately, and he struck twice again
At intervals; finally slow step crushed
the gravel Of the walk, & voice feeble and
broken, asked what be wished.
Open, replied master Jacques; il is
I. who am expected.
TIE bolts were slowly drawn, one after
the other; the door allowed a narrow
passage, and the drCJrUCr found himself
face to face with an old woman, we2rinG
nuns dress
Sister Glare, he cried, in uncovering
himself
Who calls me ? ssked the nun.
What, Am I so changed that no one
recognizes my face any more Tejoiaed
the drOtgHCri astonisOed
The old n4H raised on him her eyes,
similsr TO those of a statue.
Sister Clare sees nc longer any faces,
she replied coldly, but, at the sound Of
your voice, il seems to me. . yes.
come, he was in haste 90 see You.
She walked before him making use Of
little holly stick to feel her way. JAG
uues had trouble in recognizing the gar
den he was crossing. It's borders, in
other times 50 carefully cultivated, were
0veTrun with parasitic weeds; the trees,
which were left untrimmed, spread their
branches, and the espaGers half detached
from the wall Overhung the walks on all
sides. 1t was only on arriving at the gar
den plot in front Of the house that this
aspect changed. There, an attentive
hand vet directed the shrubs and eBvel-
Oped the flowers with straw to defend
them against the frost. Here and there
the winter heliOtTopes raised their fra
grant stems, on which glittered some
drops OF frost melted by the last rays OF
the sun. Seated Hear the door TO warm
himself, and bAthed, so to say, ip It's
golden Bimbus, an invalid WIS DOING on
an arm chair, his forehead on one Of ms
hands The birds which came TO peck
smong the flowers, tuttered around bis
feet, ard the pigeons COoed s5fIy over
his head in ray Of the setting sun.
Jacques stopped $ he had recognized his
great cousin as he had always called the
ancient member of the revolutionary
party. -...-
Notwithstanding the ravages made by
illness, there was the same expression of
a1dacious energy. His reddish brown
hair, cut very short, showed more plainly
the thick brown eyebrows under which
were followed his profound and gloomy
Orbs: the nose was hard ard curved Ike
an esgle's beak his lips thin, but Obsti-
nate; the head, in 3Be, was supported
by one Of those very short uecks, ordi-
mars. signs of violent natures.
Does be sleep? asked Sister ClSre,
who had not beard the dying man greet
Jacques arrival.
This last replied affirmstively In low
ering his voice.
Speak louder, rejOined the men with
a certain hardness Of accent; his hours
are numbered and he must be awakened.
The invalid doubtless heard these
words, pronounced without considera-
ton, Tor be opened his eyes and reeog-
niZed Immediately Master Jacques.
-Ab! 1t Il yoq, he said ia making an
effort to raise Ms head; yOu have de-
lsyed, but it matters not, there is Jet
time.
Sister Glare, who had approached him
in feeling Der way, raised The pillow
which sustained him; he locked behind
tine dTOfOHeT.
Are you alone then, he asked; I
wrote to you 70 bring your son; where
is he? /
Absent replied Jacques, Who wished
TO avoid explanation on What had passed
in the morning at Aliileraie,
The piercing eye Of the invalid fixed
itself on niEa.1 8 Ma
-Ratber, has he n0s refused 10 come
he asked do not lie.
i have told the truth, replied the old
barge man, who sustained his look IN
disturbed.
He is The one I'gRhedlto see above 1
all rejoined the great cousin, with dis
appointed hesitation.
What signifies The absence Of the son, 1
since The father is here observed the
nun shortly. Can he not execute your
orders -. AS be executed them in other
times? 81. .-.-rr
Jacques shuddered and lowered his
head; the dying msn raised his with al
indomitsble expression. ii
You are right, sister Glare, be said
bitterly; he obeyed faithfully the day,
when 70 save yeu, be risked his ilts
and e.. He stopped. ......-i
woman; that is something 10 be remem- I
moor nun only because she had been =
friend of vour mother at con vent Thus
1 have not forgotten it.
Il know it, 1 know it, replied the In
valid with some i1npatience when the
whole world turned against me, when all
abandoned me, you came to offer me
your services. do net say your
consolation.
1t is G0d only who consoles, impas-
siVely interrupted Sister Clare. -.s !
Then you have only given me your
attentions interrupted her interiocUter;
for twenty years | have had some one
who watches over, economiZed and
works for me, and have not even been
left alone. - It makes no difference, !
that which yOn have given me the others
.hs.Se refused, and have no shame IN
acknowledging myself your debtor.
You are not replied the nun With
that voice in whose eRlmness was some.
thing cold and cutting az steel what |
have done is from duty, not choice I
have wished 70 aeqait myself for the
honor Of man and glory Of God.
SO, said the invalid, who leaned both
hands with force Oh the arm Of bis chair
10 endeavoring to sit up, nothing was for
me; you have only considered me as a
j 4 frtotIrraN Err --or,,.