Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-05-25
Marie GRadot's stery.

IaE2e GRadot's s6egy.
1 shall always rememberhow graf.
ifed was to learn that my general
appearance and my excellent recon-
mendations had so greatly pleased
the young Baroness d'Hauteville as
to have made my engagement in her
service matter of certainty. The
day on which I had called upon the
lady in answer to her advertisement
for a competent femme de chambre,
she had delighted me with her gen.
tie snavity Of manner, her luminous,
liquid black eyes, her strangely-con-
trasting wealth of deep-gold hair,
and her absolutely faultless figure,
in which grace and delicacy, symme-
try and fragijity, were mingled, as l
have never seen them mingled, be-
fore or since. On the following day
there arrived little note at my lodg-
ings, bearing the D'Hauteville crest,
and pertumed with a soft delicious
odor.
The baronesskad taken my address
yesterday, because convinced that
her advertisement would be answered
by no applicant for the situation more
satisfactory than myself, Marie Gra
dot. And her conviction had proved
a true one, after seeing all the other
applicants who visited her. was
very much battered. Aparttfrom the
luck of having obtained so thorough
ly frst-class situation, could not
but feel more than pleased by the
prospect of so charming and beauti-
ful a mistress as the young baroness.
1t was then early May, and very
shortly after my engagement in the
baronial family-which consisted, by
the-by, merely Of one newly-wed
ded couple-Monsietr and Madame
d'Hautev;lle left Paris for their really
superbresidence, the Chateau d 'Haute-
vile, in Normandy. Thither, ofcourse
1 accompanied them, being now more
charmed than ever with the sweet
manners oi my mistress, and feeling
that l had obtained situation as per-
manent as it was agreeable.
Life at the chateau was very indo-
lently spent by husband and wife
during the first fortnight after their
arrival. In the morning they took
horseback-ride about the immense
chateau grounds, each mounted on
exquisite horses, and the baroness
looking very dream Of beauty in
her dark blue riding-habit with sill
yer buttons, and a black-plumed hat
which made even more brilliant that
marvellous colored hair OF hers. The
rest of the day was passed almost in
variably in walking, driving, playing
chess, and various other occupations
of the amusing kind.
I often wondered whether the baron
ever thought of how much happiness
he had found in the combination of Il
charming wife on the one hand. and
a reliable steward on the other. Good.
clever little Pierre Mallard seldom
troubled him with business, and man
aged matters faultlessly.
In appearance the baron was the
exact reverse of his polite, lovely
wife. He had the forid face, and the
thick, close-curling beard, and the
dark eyes Of a thorough Frenchman
But his frame was vast and herculean
in its proportions. He LOOKED al
most giant beside his slender deli
cate bride i; and in age, as l afterward
learned, he was madame's senior by
more than ten years.
The constant companionsbip Of ba-
ron and baroness lasted until the end
of May. After that period company
began to arrive. Room by room the
enormous chateau filed itself with
gay pleasure-seeking guests, from
blooming young girls to withered old
grandmsmmas, from splendid gallants
to equity old noblemen I; where only
the most solemn, unbroken quiet had
before reigned, laughter and merry
making now sounded from dawn till
dark.
For my part, I liked the change,
though it was a great surprise to me.
NV mistress smiled her charming
smile, and laughed her pretty, musi-
cal laugh when | told her how l had
that all summer at the cha
eau was to be as quiet as those two
weeks had been.
Why, Marie" she said, "did you
that the baron and l were to
PASS a perpetual honeymoon togeth-
# ?"
Hardly that, madame"
Remember" the baroness contin-
led, "that Monsieur d'.dautevilles
,osition at court is of a nature to
,revent anything like very long Sc
luaion. He holds so important a
lace under government, that to en-
,rtain is an absolute necessity"
We were together in the baroness's
,uoosr as these words were spoken.
or the first time since my knowl-
dge Of tle lady began, l caught
race of conscious pride in both voice
nd manner. -