The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-07-17

i
Entered according to Act of Congress, in tht
year 1866. by J. O. Nixon, in the office Of the Dis
triet Court Of the United States for the Eastern
District of Louisiana.
CHAPTER l.
MIDNIGHT AT THE HOUSE OF THE MAReHIo NESS.
They were dancing. to the music Of piano
in the little saloon of the Hotel de Boistrudan
It was Christmas day in the year 1919 Il
was growing late. The boudor of the mar.
chioness was crowded. TO dance to the music
Of piano is either very charming OF very
wearisome, depending on how one feels The
little saloon was already emptied ofmany OF
its occupants, for all the enjoyment was in
the boudoir, where there was no music and nc
dancing.
We need not designate the place where the
noble and hospitable hotel of Boistrudan over
looks the great trees in its, garden by the
Seine. All that We may say is, that it was
one of those small palaces which have a ter
race on the edge of the river, from which one
may admire the landscape of the Champs
Elysecs, the superb groves of the Tuilerics,
and the royal chateau.
Amidst all grandeurs and all beauties;
Paris is grand and beautiful.
This night the deserted Quay D'Orsay
stretching to the right and left, was covered
with frost. The snow clearly delincated the
Greeian architecture Of the Hotel de Boistur-
dan, built in the time Of Louis XIV. Each
cornice seemed traced, inthe claro-obscuro,
with the touch ola quick and bold pencil.
The branches of trees. white on top and black
underneath, permitted on to see. as if look
ing through network, the feeble lights Of
the windows in the front In the profound
silence, broken ouly by the hoarse noise Of
the river, wherein the floating ice interrupted
its course, one could scarcely hear, outside,
t i, ~~.v muse sc Of the qnadrille.
Sad nights iol the solitary an ! a,alsd poor
Beautiful nights under the lustral light OF
lamps. in an atmosphere warm and fragrant
with happiness'
There was a man enyelopod in a gray
blanket, crouching under the embrasure of
that useless gate, which all the hotels, with
gardens, have upon the quay. The gate by
which persons entered and left, the coach
gate before which were stationed the equi-
pages, opened upon the Rue de Lille.
The man seemed asleep. His head was
resting upon his tive hands. His blanket,
arranged in the shape of a cowl, masked al-
most his entire visage. BY the faint light
which snow afforded there could be seen a
face of bronze, with lines strongly marked, on
the sides of which hung long locks Of dis
ordered hair
Madame the Marchioncss of Boistrudan,
was in the enjoyment Of patrlmonial for
tune. She had an only daughter, who held
an honorable place among the rich hieresses
Of the Fanbourg St. German Helene de
l5oistrudan was twenty years Of age, and as
beautiful as an angel. Her marriage with
the Viscout Henri dc Niliers had been ar
ranged one month previously.
There existed a certain distant relationship
between the marchioncss and the yiscount
She had known him from his infancy The
late Marquis dc Boistrudan, forlncr)? seereta-
Try of state to Charles Y, had been tutor to
Henri. The families we're on the best terms
AS to fortune, Henri had been spendthrlfl
since his entrance into the world. lthad been
even said that he was ruined-but,on return
ing from his travels, he had bought back, al
one purchase, all Of his estates.
The viscount was thirty years Of age, but
! appeared to be a little older by reason oftht
bronzed tiuge of his complexion, and an ap
| pearance of tatige which rested upon his face
He was handsome and superbly elegant Ger
tain duels, we'll gotten through with and es
pecially the stories which he told of some ad
ventures in his travels, had given him high
reputation for courage. He was, besides, Z
- e IL, x,,orll .o,l oo, 1arcod With rarf
case and elegance. In the six months which
had elapsed since his return to Paris, few O
the viscounts could dispute with him the
sceptre of fashion.
He passionatcly loved his beautiful cousin
Helene. When consulted on the subject O
marriage, she had answered that she had nj
| objection to becoming his wife.
Helene was in the saloon; Henri in thu
4 boudoir. The former was encouraging th'
Hast efforts of the dancers; the latter tount
his enjoyment in the corner of the fireplace
Every time the piano was silent the sonor
Gus voice of the yiseount penetrated the saloon
and the couples nearest the door caught Ger
tain words in their fight. The interest in
I creased-the dancers passed the threshol,
with the intention Of returning, but they re
manned.
At last there were no more left in the sa
loon than the four couples necessary to form
ouadrille. After the quadrille there was
poor polka, which languished for a while, an
! then the piano was silent
Helene seated herself thoughtfully upo
the sofa.
| / don know why Helene was the onl
one who was not attracted by the voice of th
yiscount that night.
4 Helene was fair and delicate, notwitE
standing the perfect symmetry Of her form
She had very charming ieatures-the mout
especially, which showed, when smiling, row
Of beautiful teeth. The blue Of her eyes WI
SO deep as to make them appear black. seate
| at the piano, you could not but admire he
little hands-whiter than ivory; and a fot
more delicate than her own had never tro
the carpets of the noble faubourg, Helen
deserved, in every respect, her reputation f
beauty It was only necessary to see h
sweet and intelligent face to proclaim h
more than beautiful.
But of what was she thinking while Il