Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-02-15
VOLUME Is.

Gcss5Ns
shall never forget the sicsenine
Serror (he went on presently witt
which followed the soldiers and tina
cruel man up the old staircase to the
Baron's room. ] have gone through
many dangers to myself since then
but never remember feeling such al
agony of fear as did on entering
that room, where Ma'amselle Pauline
was sitting like pale ghost on the
floor, and thai group of wild beasts
were crowding round the coffin in the
center. | went to the opposite side
to where M. Paul was standing, and
then peeped over the shoulders Of
one oil those wretches into the coffin.
| started; there was NJ. Louis, ly.
ing not on that forced stiffness which
he had first assumed, but dead; he
could not but be dead, so white, so
utterly still were bis features, so mo.
tionless his body, so brealhless, pulse
less. And then looked up into NJ.
Paul's face.
he was regarding the corpse with
gaze that was almost iendish. For
a whole minute his eye watched the
pale face with an intensity Of atten.
ton that, had the life.blood been
flowing in its uncovered temples, he
must have discovered it. Then he
stretched forth his hand ami took up
the dead mans arm; and for an in
slant it lay placidIy in his fingers,
and then dropped with dull lileless
thud on the breast.
After that he turned away, aud put
ting his arm through that of one OF
the officers, drew him apart, and talk
ed in low, grave tone with him for
some minutes.
Would they be satisfied? Would
they go now, and leave us in peace?
l caught little una amSelle's eyes for
a moment, and they seemed asking me
that.
Then Monsieur Paul and the officer
came back to the rest, and the cap
tain told them that apparently their
work was done for them, that they
might 90 down and rest themselves
and after few savage words they
went, with their swords changing dowr
the great staircaSe-a horrld sound
and Monsieur Paul, the captain, mad
emoiselle, and myself were left alone
with the corpse.
NJ. Paul went and again bent Owe
the coffin, and he heaved a great sigt
and murmured:
Poor Louis, if he had only beer
persuaded! Poor Louis = aud ther
the traitor stretched out his hanc
toward his little sister but she shranl
away, aud hid her face with her col,
fingers.
The captain meanwhile had bee
standing at the window, but he cam
back as he heard NJ. Paul's voice, an,
taking up the coffin lid, said gruffly
Come, come, if you want US to he'll
you with this, we must go to work a
once
And then NJ. Paul sighed agar
and with a hand that trembled, bu
not from grief, took the lid and lai
it on the coffin, and then two Of tn
soldiers were called, and | was sen
for tools, and in a terrible quarter {
an hour, monsieur, we had screwe
up living man in that hideous cofir
As we finished, the captain sal
quickly:
Now to the vault, and then t
breakfast. You're master here nov
Paul Gaule, and we shall expect goo
wiue;' aud then he laughed, and n
Paul smiled with his lips, but his ev
blue eyes remained anxiou5ly fixe
on the coffin.
Let them dig a grave under til
lime trees, he said calmly.
Monsieur | exclaimed ia terro
There's the vault in the chapel
The De Gaules were always burit
there
Paul 7 murmured the poor your
lady.
But he answered, What, a suici(
in the old vault! Let them dig
grave under the lime trees
Dig the hard earth under this bro
ing sun +? laughed the captain ! 'wh
the men would throw him to the do
firstr
NJ. Paul turned pale.
We'll, then, to the vault! he c
claimed. And then the three ,oldie
helped me to lift the cOffin, aud '
bore NJ. Louis down out of the hou;
across the sunny courtyard, to the !
tie chapel, which had not been open
for many day; and NJ. Paul, wi
his own hands, helped to lift up t
fagstone before the altar, and The
by the light of a single candle snat,
ed from one of the candelabra,
lowered Baron Louis de !Gaule amo
the remains of his ancestors. A !
ing man among the dead
And there we left him; and as
Paul put the key of the chapel il
his pocket and came out into the s.
shine, he looked round at everythi
with a smile.
o monsieur, there were 6cnds
those days
All that day, till set of sun, the
chateau rang with obscene merrime
The soldiers forced their way i
the cellars and larder; and those "
were not lying under the pines d.
drunk ransacked the old chateau fir
roof to basement; then they loun,
about the great saloon, smoking {
swearing, aud drinking, and sing
ribald songs, or hunted the young
dies from room to room; or insul
US servants while NJ. Paul sat 9
little table, in the shade there of th
lines, with two or three of them,
sang republican songs, and k
shouting to me to bring wine, to ;
ply his friends with wine, the
wine.
1t seemed to me as if that q
blazing sun would never 90 do,
and yet the hours were rolling
and if more than twelve hours pas
whilst the Baron was in his Ii,
tomb, there would be blood on
heads-on poor little maamsel
who sat there still on the floor in
Baron's room, and on mine.
CHAPTER V.-THE RESULT