American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-02-20

had lived for three years at Puy Vei
dun;sitting alone in the solemn nidnigh
by the hearth where he had sat, pacin,
the corridors that had echoed his foot
fall; and in all that time my fancy hat
never SO played ME false as to shape tn
shadow of the dead. s5
Is it strange, then, if | had forgotten
Andres horrible promise efe-.
There was no portrait of my cousin al
Puy Verdun 1t was the age of bou,
doir art, and miniature set in the lid Of
gold .bombonniere, or hidden artfuly in
massive bracelet was more fashionable
than a clumsy life>life image, fit only to
hang on the gloomy walls ola provincial
chateau rarely visited By its owner. My
Cousins fair face had adorned more than
one honbonniere, and had been concealed
in more than one bracelet; but it was not
among the faces that looke ed down from
the panelled walls of Puy Yernun.
In the library found picture which
awoke painful associations 1t was the
portrait of De Brissac who had -four
ished in the time of Francis the First ;
and it was from this picture that my
cousin Andre had copied the quaint hunt.
ing dress he wore at the Regents ball.
The library was a room in which l spent
good deal of my life; and | ordered a
curtain to be hung before this picture.
We had been marripd three months
when Eyeline one day asked:
"Who rs the lord of the chateau near
est to this ?"
| looked at her with astonishment.
"My dearest" | answered, "do you
not know that there is no other chateau
within forty miles of Puy Verdun ?' .
'iIndeed!'' 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. -eH
In her walks about the park ana woods
during the last month she had met a
man who, by his dress and bearing, was
obviously o! noble rank, She had imag-
ined that he occupied some chateau near
at hand, and that his estate joined ours.
| was at loss to imagine who this stran>
ger could be; for my estate of Puy Ver>
dun lay in the heart of, a desolate region,
and unless when some travellers coach
went numbering and jingling through
the village, one had little more chance
Of encopntering a gentleman than of
meeting a demi-god.
Have you seen this man often, Eve,
line 2" | asked
She answered, in lone whichshad a
touch of sadness, f" ]. see him every day.
Where, dearest ?" ,a
Sometimes in the park, sometimes in
the wood. You know ihe little cascade
Hector, where there is some old neglect-
ID rock work that forms kind of cav
srn. have taken fancy to that spot,
md have spent maDy MORNINGS there read
ng OF late have seen the stranger
every morning. a,1
He has never dared to address you ?"
Never. | have looked up from my
book, and have seen him standing a lit
tie distance off, watching me silently. I
nave continued reading; and when l
nave raised my eyes again | haze found
him gone. He must approach and de.
part with a stealthy tread for | never hear
his football. Sometimes | have almost
Wished that he would speak to me, tits
30 terrible to see him standing silently
here. .....,- -.
He is some insolent peasant who seeks
% frighten you"
My wife shook her head.
g He is no peasant" she answered.
1T is not by his dress alone Judge, for
hat is strange to me. He has an air of
nobiliay which it is impossible to mis-
take" s..i..s ..-q..
" Is he young or old 2"
. He is young and handsome
| was much disturbed by the idea of
this strangers intrusion on my wife's
solitude and went straight to the viii
Iage to inquire if any stranger had bean
seen there. l could hear of no one. l
questioned the servants closely, bat with.
out result. Then | determined to accom-
pauy my wife in her walks. apd- to judge
for myself Of herank Of the stranger. 4
. Fer week 1 devoted all my mornings
to rustic rambles with Eveline in the
park and woods and in all that week we
saw no-one but an occasional peasant in
sabots. or one Of our oyR household re,
turning from neighboring farm. ao
/ was man of studious habits, and
those summer rambles disturbed tbe even
current of my life, My Rife perceived
this, snd entreated me to trouble myself
y