The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-12-09

INTO d 4n0tSt mtfrQereSS.
He will kill himselfr' cXclaimct
she, looking piteously at her husband
Possibly" reioined de Charnay
with the utmost cOmpOsure.. But,
continued he, with smile that was mt
tcrly at variance with the import of hi
words, "you must die before him."
The Marchioness started. "Gracio,r
heaven !" cried she, "what can yOl
mean?"
Imean," replied the Marquis, "that
you have suddenly grown i'll that, in
few hours, you will become worse
and, finally, that day after tomorrow
you will he dead.n
"Ohw exclaimed the poor young
creature, 81 have pot deserved this al
your hands, Monsieur. | have never
SPOKEN or written a word that could
compromise PIC, TO Mr.. de Bretcuil
and I swear, before heaven, that the
letters i gave you are the oaly-OneS
have ever received from him. Why,
then, are his siIls TO be 50 heavily visit
ed on my head:."
L see no other way of escape from
the predicamcnt in which he has placed
me-" was the reply of the Marquis
"But calm your fears, Eugenie; you
are about to simulate death, not TO die
in reality. l see, my poor girl, that
this fellow has touched your fancy.
you are good and loyal; but this con-
founded fop has already managed to
make you, if not unhappy, at least
melancholy. You are spiritless and
languid, and your life is less bright than
it was few months ago. My remedy,
| | think will roSfnro f0 hoa1ft np,1
happiness. Will you trust your cause
to me:v
81 WILL" said she, extending her
hand.
"No, my love; my letters would
have no interest for you, for in them
| would certainly not mention dc Bre-
teuil's name"
How long she.
81 cannot tell, but think your exile
may last for four or five months"
Good heavens! What am | to do,
all these mOnths?"
Remember that you are under no
restraint. You can visit and be visited !;
you can draw and paint, you can study
and improve your mind. You are un-
der one restriction only: that of being
cut oil from communication with Yer
sailles. Now, if these conditions are
too onerous, have but one alterua-
tive"
"What is that?"
81 must run de Brcteuil through the
body"
"God forbid. But he will die of
grief"
Better die of grief than die by my
hand, and ruin your reputation, Euge-
nic.u
$50 be il, them" sighed the young
MarchiOness. "YOu promise me upon
your honor that am not sent away for
an indefinite period:''
promise, on my honor, that you
shall return home Inlet INC see-iD
less than four months"
So the Marchioness left Versailles
that night, and on the morrow de Char
nay appeared in court, and mentioned
the fact of his wife being seriously in
disposed. The next day she was worse,
and the night following she died.
The Marquis and his household went
into deep mourning, and splendid
funeral cortege left the Hotel Charnay
to carry the body of the Marchioncss
to the family vault at some distance
from Versailles.
A few days later de Charnay receiy-
elk visit of coincidence from dc Bre.
teuil. The former, of course, saw no.
body, but he did for his wife's lover
more than he had done for any body
else: he wrote him letter.
81 was exceedingly fond of my wife,"
said he in bis missive, "but honor, TO
me, is deeper sentiment than the love
of woman. | can therefore bear my
loss with the calm regret of a man OF
mature age, whose happiness has been
endangered by that which would have
been far heavier blow than the death
of the beloved object. AS for you, how
ever, whose passion was beyond all
bounds of principle, and beyond all love
of life; who lived but to breathe the air
she breathed, and longed for death
when ] asked you to cease your visits
to my house, am in hourly expecta-
ton of hearing that you have put an
end to your intolerable existence. And
let me add that my deceased wife de-
parted this life in the full conviction
that you would very, very shortly fol-
lew her."
"POor de Breteuilu ~ said the cour-
tiers of the "OeH dc Bouf," to one an
other, to think of his losing that beau
tiful creature, just as she was about to
fall into his arms"
Three months went 10y, and the Mar
quis de Charnay decided that it was
time TO terminate his wife's exile. She
resuscitated at midnight; he met her
at the porte cocherc, and giving her his
arm, led her to her boudoir, and seated
her OH the satin lounge
" You look well, Eugenie, and pret-
tiar than ever"
Unfortunate de Breteuil ~ was the
reply of his wife. "Since you recall
me, need not ask what has been his
fate. He is deadw
The Marquis drew from his pocket a
tablet.
Here" said he, recorded for your
special benefit, is memorandum of
the sayings and doings since your de-
mise. On the day of your funeral he
dined with several mousUuctaires, COM
radeS of his, at the "IrOis P0niDcS.n
They all drank to the repose of your
soul, and Breteuil was in ectacies at the
magnificence of the coffin and hearse.
He Thoughts 1 had displayed both taste
and liberality in the arrangement of the
obsequies. Two days after wrote him
an appeal, in which l proved that it
had become bis duty to commit suicide.
l told him you had not precisely COM
manded him to die, but knew you
would be disapI ointed if he did not. To
this letter / received no reply; for de
Breteuil had already gone to Paris to
make the acquaintance of dashing
opera girl, for whom he committed so
many fOllies, that between the cash.
meres and the diamonds which he law
ished upon MadaDlOiScNe, and his loss
es at cards, he was minus three thou
sand louis in less than a fortnight"
"NOw, dc Breteuil, as you know, is
not rich: and as this damage to his
purse had to he repaired, he cast about
him TO find 4 young lady Who would
exchange some of her surpertfuOus cash
for his name and good-looking person.
You sec that after all he is d sensible
fellow, amenablc to reason. He found
that sentiment was Improbable, so he
abjured it, ana has replaced it 10y a
marriage dc cOnrel,d3tce with one of
your own kinswomen. / have recalled
you from your tomb, my dear Eugenic,
to sign his marriage contract. More
over, was dying to see you again, for
| bore your loss with far less philOsO-
ply than de Breteuil has donc.n
The Marchioness threw herself into
her husbands arms and thanked him
from her heart for his tender treatment
of her first folly. "And may secure
ly promise that il shall be my last, for
your noble conduct has won from me IA
warmer feeling Than liad supposed