North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-11-04
CLAUDE MELNOTTE.
OR, THE LADY OF LYONS.

| OR, THE LADY OF LYONS.
During the early years of the first and
most brilliant success of the French Re-
public-a perioG when society in France
was in general ferment, and ranks were
equalized-Claude Melnotte, the son of a
gardener, lived with his widowed mother,
in small cottage, in the neighborhood of
Lyons.
In that picturesque city lived Pauline
Deschappcles, the only daughter and
heiress of a wealthy merchant. She was
endowed with so much beauty and so
many accomplishments, that everybody,
old, young, rich, and poor, paid homage
to her.. Among her admirers there was
no one that entertained such ardent feel
ings for her as Claude Melnotte. During
the lifetime Of his father he had worked in
the garden of Mons. Deschappelles, and
while tending the flowers, had seen Pau
line. He saw her spirit of bloom and
JOY, and freshness the passionate feelings
of man entered the breast of the wild
dreaming boy, and from that hour he grew
what to the last he washer adorer.
This love, vain and frantic as it seemed,
became to him the fountain of ambition
and bright hopes. lie thought of the
tales he had heard gosssips tell by the
winter hearth how maidens sprung from
kings had stopped from their high sphere
how love, like death, levels all ranks, and
lays the shepherds crook beside the scep-
tire. With the high-paced love, his rest
less and brilliant hopes, he made his home
in the soft Palace of a fair future. His
father died, and he became his own mas
ter, whereupon he thought to raise him.
self above his low condition. Pauline 5
bright image glassed in his very soul,
lured him on to those inspiring tolls by
which man masters man. lie grew a
midnight student over the dreams OF
sages; he sought to borrow from every
grace, and every muse the attributes which
lend ideal charms to love. lie thought of
Pauline, and passion taught him poetry
he thought of her. and the life beauty
grew on the canvas of the painter. His
companions called him Northumberland
he needed not, but still toiled on-hoped
on; it was sweet, if not to win, to feel
more worthy Of the dear object of his ex-
alted passion. At last, in mad hour, he
sent tribute of song to Pauline-some
verses which he had written of the idol of
|
had created. Instead of feeling proud of
the present, Pauline scored it-thoush
there was not Il line that Il serf might not
have written to an empress the letter
was tossed into the mire by the lackey.
who sworc that his lady and her mother
never were more insulted and Claude's
messenger, Gaspar, was driven from the
house with blows.
| From that hour the love of Claude
| Melnotte turned to wrath-almost resem
bling hatred. But he was not the only
one who had been made miserable. Mon
sieur Beauseant, rich gentleman. whose
family have been ennobled before the rev.
outon, had been refused by her for no
other reason than, as he believed, she
would marry commoncr. His friend
CLAWS, was also rejected suitor of hers,
and CLAWS was vain enough to think that
he had been refused for the same reason.
These two friends, in perfect frenzy OF
modification and rage, and to console
themselves in their heartache, were pro-
cecdins to spend day or two at Beau
seants when they stopped to bait the hors-
es and rest an hour at the Golden Lion,
village inn, few leagues from Lyons.
They were standing on the lawn with
the landlord and his daughter, looking over
til. bill of fare, when they heard shouts
without Of ''Lcng live the prince! long
live the prince p
"The prince!'' said Bcauseant, in sur
prise, to the landlord. "What prince is
that? l thought we had no prince in
France"
"The lads, SIR" said the landlord laugh
ing, ''always call him prince. Hes the
pride of the village, Claude Melnotte, the
son of old Melnotte the gardener.
'And why do they call him prince? 81
inquired Beauseant.
PARTLY replied the landlord, "be-
cause he is at the head Of them all, partly
because he has such a proud way with
him, and wears such fine clothes-and,
in short, looks like prince. But the
revolution which turns us all topsy-turvy
has turned his brain. meap, sir. the
revolution of love. hear from his moth
er, good soul,'' said the landlord, ''that
it is no less parsonage than the beauty
of Lyons, Pauline Deschapples.
Both Beauseant and CLAWS here burst
into loud fit of laughter, and ascertain
ing from the landlord that Pauline had
never condescended even to look at Claude
and did not know him by sight, an idea
entered Reauseant's head to revenge him.
self on Pauline by marrying her to Claude
Melnotte, after making him pass off as a
German prince-a character that he was
we'll enabled to support, being perfect
Admirable Chrichton in learning, and
such accomplishments as fencing, paint
ing, and music. As to the expense neces-
sary to maintain the rank, Beauseant and
his friend Glayis expressed their will
ingness to lend him money, clothes. and
equipages. In short time they had left
the inn behind them, and turned down II
| lane, struck across common, and came
in sight of widow Mclnotte's cottage.
They saw Claude, and finding him all that
he had been represented, Beauseant wrote
this letter to him:
"Yourg man, know thy secret, thou
lowest above thy station; il thou hast wit,
courage, and discretion, l can secure tc
thee the realization Of thy most sanguine
hopes, and the sole condition | ask in re-
turn is, that thou shall he steadfast to thine
own ends. shall demand from thee a
solemn oath to marry her whom thou
lowest; and to bear her to thine own home
on thy wedding night
l am serious-if thou wouldst learn
more, lose not moment, but follow the
bearer of the letter to thy friend and pa
trOn. "CHARLEs BEAUsANT."
In the family there was a cousin of
Tnl. H., Al