Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-13
VOL. XIV.

while all Paris went mad with the Scotch finan-
cler, and gentlemen and acqueys we're tramp
ling one another to death in the Rue Duncan
polk. The only child Of this little cross grain
ed old captain of dragons an incarnate
| sunbeam, whose mortal name was Evelne Du-
| chalet
| She loved me. The richest blessings of our
lives are often those which cost US least. |
wasted the best years of my youth in the wor-
ship OF wicked woman, who Tilted me and
cheated me at last. l gave this meek angel
but few courteous words-a little fraternal
| fenderness-and 10, she loved me. This lif.
which had been SO dark and desoIa,e grew
bright beneath her influence and went b ok
to Puy Nerdun with fair young bride for nv
companion,
Ah, how sweet change there was in nv life.
and in my home The village children no
longer shrank appalled, as the dark horsemen
rode by, the village crones longer crossed
themselves, tor woman rode by his side-a
woman whose charities had aon the love of all
| those ignorant creatures, and whose companion
ship had transformed the gloomy lord of the
chateau into a loving husband and gentle
master. The old retaners forgot the untimely
fate Of my cousin, and served me with cor
dial willingness, for love of their young mis-
| tress.
There are no words which can tell the pure
and perfect happiness of that time. felt like
a traveller who had traversed the frozen seas of
aictic regions, remote from human love or hu-
man companionship. to fnd himself on sud-
den 10 the bosom of verdant valley, in the
sweet atlnos here of home. The change SEEM
ed 90 bright 10 be real and strove in val
10 put away from my mind the vague suspi-
cion that my new life was out some fantastic
| dream
So brief were those hacyon hours, that look
| IN q he Nk ham m n iS
if am still half inclined to fancy the first days
| of my married life could have been no more
| than dream.
| Neither in my days of gloom nor in my DAYS
Of happiness had been troubled by the rec
| objection OF Andres blasphemous oath The
words which with his last breath he had whi.-
pered in my ear were vain and meaning less to
me-. He had vented his rage In those idle
threats as he might have vented it in idle exc
cratIons. That ne will haunt the footsteps OF
his enemy after death IS the one revenge which
dying man can promise himself and if men
had power thus to avenge themselves tbs world
would De peopled with phantoms.
had lived for three years al PlT Verdln
sitting alone IN the solemn midnight by the
hearth where be had sat, pacing the corr iders
that had echoed his football and in all that
time my fancy had never SO played me false as
to shape the shadow of the dead.
Is i! strange, then, If had forgotten Andre 5
horrible promise
here was no portrait of my cousin at Puy
| Verdun. II was the age of boudor art, and
| mlneature set Ia the lid of gold bonbonnere,
or hidden artfuly in massive bracelet, was
more fashionable than a clumsy lif--size image
lit only to hang on the gloomy walls Of pro-
vincial chateau rarely visited by It's owner.
| My cousins fsir face had adorned more than
one bonbonnlere, and had been concealed in
more than one bracelet but it was not among
the faces that looked down from the panelled
walls of Puy Nerdun.
ln the library found picture which awoke
painful associations. II was the portrait Of a
De Brissac who had fiOurshed in the time of
Francis the First and it was from this picture
that my cousin Andre had copied the quaint
hunting dress ne wore at the Regents ba II.
ne library a room in which | spent good
deal Of my life ; and | rdered a curtain 10 be
hung before this picture.
We had been married three months when
| Evellne one day asked
. w no is the lord OF the chateau nearest to
this ?''
| looked at ber with astonishment.
Ny dearest" | answered, - do you not
know that there is no other chateau within
forty miles of Puy Verdun P''
Z" Indeed" she said, - that is strange"
| asked her why the fact seemed strange to
her and after much entreaty obtained from
her the reason OF her surprise.
In her walks about the park and woods dur
ing the last month she had met who, by
mis- dress and bearing, was obviously of noble
rank. She mad imagined that he occupied
some chateau at hand, and that his estate
joined ours. 1 at loss to imagine who
This stranger could be for my estate at Puy
Verdun lay in the heart of de solate region
a 49,, -
numbering and j.ngling through the village
one had little more chance of encountering d
gentleman than of me eting demigod
" Have you this man often Eveline !?
| asked.
she answered, in tone which had touch
Il sadness, see him every day
- Where, dearest ?''
50 Sometimes IN the park, sometimes 10 tn.
wood. You know the little cascade, Hector
where there is some neglected rock-work thai
forms kind of cavern. | have taken ianc
to that spot, and have spent many morning
there reading. OF late have seen the stran
ger there every morning."
=" He has never dared to address you ?"
Never. | have looked up from my b ok
and have seen him standing at little distance
watching silently. | have continued read
Dg and when have r.sed my eyes again
have found hIm gone. He must approach an
depart with stealthy tread, for | never hea
his football. Sometimes hage almost wishes
he would speak to me. Il Is SO terrible TO Sc
MIN staining silently there.
" He is some insolent peasant who seeks I
irighien you"
Ny wife shook her head.
d" He is no peasant" she answered. +" 1t
not by his dress alone L judge, for that
strange 10 me. He has an air of nobility whic
il is Impossible TO mistake"
. Is ne young or old ??
lie is young aud handsome"
l was much disturbed by the idea of th
strangers intrusion On my ~ife's solitude; an
1 went straight to the village to inquire If an
stranger had been seen there. | could hear
no one. questioned the servants ciosey, b'
without result. Then | determined 10 accon
pany my wife il her walks, and TO judge f'
myself Of The rank Of The stranger.
For week 1 devoted ali my mornings
rustic rambles with Evelins the park an
woods end 10 all that week We cav no OF
but an occasional PEASANT IN sabots, or one
5 our own household returning from d neighbo
: ing fam.
Was a man of studious hsbits, and tho:
, summer ramules disturbed the even current
my lite. My wife pei ceived his, and entrea
ed me TO trouble myself no further.
! 81 will speni my mornings in the p ga
, aunee, HECTOR, she SAID the stranger Ca
= not lutrud- up'n me there"
Il begin TO ,hiuk he stranger Is only
pfautasm of your romantic orain,,
a phed, smiling at the earnest face lifted TO min
. :. A chaIeialne VINO is always reading romano
NAV we'll meei handsome Cavaliers IN Il
Woodlands. 1 dare say L have Miles Scud'
20 tts nix for this noble stranger, and that he
i only the great Z, rus in modern costume
:. An, That Is the poiut which mystlii-s m
= Hecror.' she said rne strinser's costun