Des Arc weekly citizen., 1869-03-09
VOLUME 3.

of the strange mixture, which mlgh
 be witnessed everywhere, of artiffcia
 luxury with semibarbarous rudeness-
 to specify the graces of the company
 the beauty of the demoiselles ant
 danes, the stately bearing of the war
 rior nobles, as they swept back ano
 forth in the quaint mazes ofsome anti quated measure, were task to De un' dertaken only by some old chronicier
 with style (, icnrinus ana as quatnt as the manners he portrays in living col ors. Enough for us to catch feetine glimpse of the grand pageantryl to sketch with dashy pencil the groups which he would designate with abso- lute and accurate minuteness!
 But there was one ainnng that gay asscmblage, who must not be passed over with sosslight regard, since she attracted on that festive day, as much of wondering admiration for her une- qualled beauties as she excited grief, and sympathy, and fear, in after days, for her sad fortunes'-but there was now no cloud upon her radiant beauty, no dimness prophetic of approaching tears in her large laughing eyes, no touch of melancholy thought upon one glorious feature-Marguerite de Vau- dreuil, the heiress of ducal fortune, the heiress of charms so surpassing, that rank and fortune were forgotten by all who gazcd upon her pure high brow, her dazzling glanccs, her seduc- tive smile, the perfect symmetry ofher whole shape and personl Her hair, of the darkest auburn shade, fell in a thousand ringlets, glittering out like threads of virgin gold when stray sunbeam touched them, fell down her snowy neck over the shapely shoulders and so much of q soft heaving bosom veined by unnambered azure channels, wherein the pure blood coursed so joy ously-as was displayed by the falling laces which decked her velvet boddice --her eyes, so quick and dazzling was their light, almost defied description, possessing at one time the depth and briliance of the black, melting into the softer languor of the blee--yet they were of the latter hue, and suited truly to the whole style and character of her vouptuous beauty. Her form, as has been noticed, was symmetry itself; and every movement, every step, was fraught with natural and unstudied grace.--In sooth, she seemed almost too beautiful for mere mortality-and so thought many all one who gazcd on her, half drunk with that divine delir- iup which steeps the souls of men who dwell too steadfastly upon such won drous charms, as she bounded through the labyrinth of the dance, lighter and springier than the world-famed ga- zelle, or rested from the exciting toll in panting abandonment upon some cushioned settle! and many inquired of themselves. could it be possible that an exterior so divine should be the tenement of a harsh worldly spirit, and a demeanor and air so frank, so cor dial, and so warm, should be but the deceptive veil that hid selfish, cold, bad heart. Ay! many asked them selves that question on that day, but not one answered his own question caadidiy or truly-no not one man !- for in her presence he had been more or less than mortal, who could pro. nounce his sentence 1nmoved by the attractions of her outward seeming.
 For Marguerite de Vaudrcuil had been but three, short months before afiianced as the bride of the young Baron de La-Hire--the bravest and best of Hcnry's youthful nobles. It had been love treaty--no matter of shrewd bartering of hearts--no cold and worldly covenance-but the out pouring, as it seemed, of two young spirits, each warm and worthy of the other land men had envied him, and ladies had held her more fortunate in her high conquest, than in her rank, her riches, or her beauties; and the world had forgotten to calumniate, or to sheer, in admiration of the young glo- rions pair, that seemed so fitly mated. Three little months had passed-three more, and they had been made one !- but, in the interval, Charles de La Hire, obedent to his Kings behest, had bucklcd on his sword, and led the fol- lowers of his house to the Italian wars. With him, scarcely less brave, and, as some thought, vet handsomer than he, forth rode upon his first campaign, Ar mand de Laguy, his own orphaned cousin, bred like brother on his fa- thcr's hearth; and, as Charles well be- 1 lieved, brother in affection. Three l little months had passed, and in tenn porary truce, Armand da Laguy had cousins force. and laden with the dole ful tidings of that cousins fall upon the field of honor. None else had seen him die, none else had pierced so deeply into the hostile ranks; but Ar mand had rushed madly on to save his noble kinsman, and falling in the desperate attempt, had borne off his reward in many perilous wound
 Another month, and it was whispe- ed far and near that Marguerite had dried her tears already; and that Ar mand de Laguy had, by his cousins death, succeeded, not to lands and to lordships only, but to the winning of that dead cousins bride. It had been whispered far and near-and now the | whisper was proyed to be true. For,