The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-11-02

~ VI "Ao stcP uoue uo tuTu btCK 8QU
tremble j.; the sight Of his grand face
perhaps the most beautiful ever saw,
with its faultless features, and tho half.
melancholy cast given by the high
bald forehead and the pointed beard
to me more terrible than any monster
|'of ugli0ess the world ever produced.
He held my fortune-ho ruled my
house. All visitauts there came and
went under his control, except Alexis.
Why this young mao still came-or
howl could not tell. Probably be-
cause in his pure singlen ess cf heart and
purpose, he was stronger even than M.
Anastasius.
! The time passed. We embarked on
board the ship Argo, for aspaniola.
My guardiao told me, at the last min.
ute, that business relating to his order
would probably detain him 10 Europe
that We were to lie at anchor for twelve
hours. off Havre-aud, if he then came
not, sail.
He came not-we sailed.
1t was glorious evening. The sun,
as he went down over the burning seas,
beckoned US With finger Of golden FIRE,
westward-to the free,. safe, happy
West.
I say US, because in that evening We
first began u"cousc,ously to say 1t too
AS if vaguely binding our fates to-
gether-Alexis and 1. We talked for
a whole hour-till long after France,
with all our old life therein, had be-
come mere line, a cloudy speck on
the horizou-of the new lite we should
lead in Hispaniola. Yet all the while,
if We had been truly the priest and nun
he wished to make US, our words, and l
believe our thoughts, could not have
been more angel-pure, more free from
any bias Of human passion.
Yet, as the sun went down, and the
seabreeze made US draw nearer togeth.
er, both began, I repeat, instinctively
to say We, and talk Of our future as il
it had been the future of one.
"Good evening, friends p
He was there-M. Auastasius! |
stood petri6ed. All the golden 6oger
Of hope had vanished. l shuddered, q
captive on his compelling arm, seeing
nothing but his terrible smiling face
and the black wilderness of sea. Fc,
the moment l felt inclined to plunge
thelein-L had otter longed to plunge
into the equally fearsome wilderness oi
Paris streets-only I felt sure he would
follow me still. He would track me, il
seemed, through the whole world.
"You see l have been able to accom-.
pl'sh the voyage; men mostly can
achieve any strong purpose-at least
some men. Iasbel, this sea.air will
bring back your bloom. And, Alexis,
my friend, despite those close studies
you told me Of, I hope you will bestow
a little Of your society at times on my
ward and me. We will bid you a good
evening now"
He gave his nephew my powerless
hand that Of Alexis, too, felt cold and
trembling. 1t seemed as if be likewise
could not resist the fate which, born
out of one mans indomitable will, drag
ged US asunder. Ere my guardian con.
signed me to Madame GradeIle, be
said, smiling, but looking through me
with his eyes,
"Remem her, my fair cousin, that
Alexis is to be-must be-a priest"
'"1t is impossible !" aaid I, stuog to
resistance: "Your know be has proved
the falseness Of your creed; he will
never return to it. His conscience is
his own"
"But not bis passions. he is young
Il am old. He will be priest yet" )"
With soft hand pressure, NJ. Anas.
tasius left me.
Now began the most horrible phase
Of my existence. For four weeks we
had to live in the same vessel =; bound
ed and shut up together,-Anssta sius,
Alexis, aud I !; meeting continually, in
the soft bland atmosphere Of courteoua
calm always in public-never alone.
From various accidental circumstsn.
cea, 1 knew how, night and day, M
Anastasius was bending all ths power.
of his enormous intellect, his wonderful
moral force, to compass his cherished
ends With regard to Alexis Saltram.
| Aud overwhelming dread took posses
sion of me. I ceased to think of my.
self at all-my worldly hopes, pros
poets, or joys-over which this man.
Influence bad long hung like an &C.
cursed shadow sun turned into dark.
ess,-the more terrible because it bad
once been a sun. I seemed to zee NJ
Anastasius only with relation to this
young mao, over whom knew he coce
had so grea power. Would it return
and in what wo I'D it result ? Not mere.
ly ia the breaking off any. feeble tie to
me. I scarcely trembled for that,
since, could it be so broken, it was not
worth trembling for. No! I trembled
for, Alexis soul:
! 1t was a:soul, had gradually learnt
more than ever perhaps in this voy.
age, which, every day seemed brief
lie, so full Of temptation, contest, trial
"a soul pure as Gods own heaven,
| that huno over us honr hv honv