Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-04-24


should be erected to her memory. He
had come to the convent, been under
the same roof with her who was heart
broken for his own supposed loss,
seen her grave, and fled again to dis
sipate his grief, if he could, by travel
more distant still from his native
country. Six years after the profess
ion of Sister Catherine, he had return
ed home, and discovered the fraud
practiced upon him, by the convincing
proof that his cousin had inherited
her share of her fathers estate. He
made his appearance at the convent
gates and demanded to see her whom
ha6q ta6q sGad e. te g2tAfB 9gfs e5g
Madame's false heart quaked within
her. Here was a man who had been
faithful for so many years, nine of
which had been given to the memory
of the dead: a man who would not
forget, who would not be consoled,
who saw no charms in any other wom-
an. He was a troublesome visitor.
1t was useless to tell such a man any
more lies. Yes, his Hortense was
living, but she was the spouse of Heav-
en-: no longer Hortense, but sister
Catherine separated from him forever.
He was not permitted to see her, even
at the grille; for the Superieure had
no wish that she should discover the
| falSehood. NJ. de Forville persisted
in coming again and again to thunder
at the convent doors, and made a
scandal in the town. He could not
be put down or silenced. He went
TO the Bishop, and when he could not
or would not do anything for him, he
wrote pamphlet disclosing the whole
case. For this he was prosecuted,
and imprisoned for six months: but
upon regaining his liberty, he set to
work more energetically than before,
and appealing to the civil law, he de-
manded that the Mayor should see
and interrogate his cousin. The May
or paid an official visit to the convent
and saw sister Catherine, but in the
presence of the Superieure. He in
formed the astonished nun fher cous-
ms continued existence, and in the
same breath inquired of her if she had
taken the VOWS of her own free will.
Shocked and bewildered, she murmur-
ed a few inaudiabe words in reply,
which Madame interpreted to the
Mayor as an ayowal of her free and
unbiased will in taking the veil, and
the interview ended. The civil law
could do 10 more. If Hortense de
T---:II- 49, ----- - 80.
could interfere to prevent it.
l listeued to this story with intense
interest, and profound admiration
for Pierre. What prince among
men must he be who could maintain a
constancy like this | wished that
heaven had given me such man.
looked at the pale and faded face be
fore me, and tried to fancy what the
girl of fifteen had been, with whom
he had parted in the grey gloom of
the convent walls. | asked her to de
= scribe him, and she gave me a girl's
valentine-like description: fine eyes
= black hair, mustache, and white hands
with rings upon them. He was hel
"beau cousin" 1t was all she coulC
say.
"And do you love him ?" I asked.
A shiver ran through her frame
but her dim eyes flashed, and her pale
cheeks flushed a little.
"Ah, yes; | love him." she whis
pered; II fear love him better thai
the angels or the blessed saints,-bet
ter than the Sainte Verge herself.
She uttered the last words in a tone
, of candid horror, as if forced to speal
the worst
J " OF course you dor | said EN-
phatically; "and you have no more
= right to be nun than | have. Yol
5 are one by fraud, and not by choice.
eyes" she answered, weeping; "anC
! wish | had said so to the Mayor
: but | was all confused and bewild
1 cred"
1 40, if [ were you, l should never
rest till Pierre knew that | loved hin
7 still, better than anything else!
5 think how sad he must be to find tina
you are grown Indifferent to him.
5 "But what can [ do ?" asked siste
/ Catherine.
That was the question. Something
4 ought to be done, if it were only t.
: assure the unhappy but faithful Pierre
1 that his Hortense was not so senseles
as to prefer convent to himself; bu
how to do was the difficulty. Nobod,
: who has not tried 1t can have an ide;
: of what it is to be perpetually unde
4 lock and key and surrounded by spies
9 Our only chance was to write to M
4 de Forville, and direct the letter t,
' his chateau, whence it would be sur,
1 to be forwarded to him; but how t,
: get that letter to the post office?
e racked my brain with schemes, but
:, was not till near Easter that mod
erately prudent one presented itself.
D.. The convent garden was on th
e other side of the street, with subte1
+ ranean passage beneath, by which W
h reached it. 1t was full in sight of sey
d eral houses, from the windows of whic
d we were often watched. 1t was moth
e ing more than long, narrow pate
g of ground, with straight walk al
e round it, and little chapel in on
d corner, where the Perpetual Adore
tion of the Cross was maintained b
q our INNS On tho side bavond If on