The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-01-19

not be doubted that it had been answered to
the satisfaction Of Judge Benham, who was
punctilious to a fault; but neither he nor
Adele chose to enlighten the public mind
upon the subject. All the information that
could be elected from other sources amount
ed to little. 1t was found that Souvreigne
had received letters addressed to the Count
de Landret, and had had transactions with
his bankers in the same name. Once while
in Philadelphia he had been visited by an
elderly French gentleman, who from various
circumstances, was believed to be q person
of distinction, and who had importuned
Souvreigne to return to France. A leading
publishing in New York, judging that
a book was likely to result from the observa-
tions of so intelligent a traveller as Souv-
reigne, had sent an agent to him soon after
his arrival in the country with a very liberal
offer for anything he might choose to publish; !;
but Souvreigne had replied that he did not
desire to make an engagement in advance OF
the completion of a work which, in fact,
might never be completed at all, and that in
any event he should not find it necessary to
publish with any view to pecuniary consider
ations. And once, opening a letter in the
presence OF an acquaintance, and finding
remittance inclosed, he had exclaimed, "Why
does he send me more money? l am an in
dependent citizen, and carry my fortune in
my own hands'
These few inconclusive facts, with a great
mass of conjectures, more or less plausible,
were diligently discussed for nine days at
least; and it being by that time generally
agreed that, whoever Souvreigne might be,
he was not at any rate a penniess adventur-
er, society was once more appeased, and
proceeded to address itself to q fresher topic.
And so, us to the essential and startling
fact, the question still remained unanswered.
Well it might, indeed for though Judge
Benham had demanded of Souvreigne, when
he came to sue for the hand of Adele, the
most explicit vouchers; though Souvreigne
had responded frankly, and satisfactorily, as
the result proved, yet neither Judge Ben
ham nor Souvreigne himself could have sus-
pected the answer that, to the dismay of both,
was given to the question by events I few
months later
Though Souvreigne was now more fire.
quently at Judge Benham's house than form
erly, his evenings there were passed in much
; the same way as before. This man was no
common lover. Superior to mere sentiment,
he may be said to have loved with his head
rather than with his heart. He seemed never
so happy as when, in conversation with her
father in the old way, he had succeeded in so
engaging the interest of Adele while she lis
tened, as that she would break out suddenly
into either impetuous contradiction or the
warmest approval Of his statements OF as
sumptions. Indeed, a man of pure intellect
like Souvreigne might well be pardoned for
yielding to the charm of such fine talents as
Adele certainly possessed; especially as her
beauty Of expression even more than OF feat
ure, reached its highest estate only when she
was thoroughly reused.
Il The group at these tireside Conversations
Ioc o1r al ,oI
as pleasant q picture Us will often be seen.
On one side Of the open crate lounged in his
easy chair the whte-haired and white beard
cd Judge. By his side sat Adele tondling
with her soft fingers, his snowy fleece, blow
ing little edlles in it with her lips, braiding
it into q scorce Of mimic pig tails, or spread
ing it into a silver veil through which she
peeped coquettishly at her future lord across
the rug. lie, Souvreignc, always III black,
erect large-eyed, and massive Of forehead,
, with his glossy black beard combcd now to q
point on his breast, looked at the girls face
almost constantly while he talked, never
quite losing the tinge Of sadness from his
own; while old Santo, the dog, with LONG
white hair like his masters, having early lost
his heart to Souvreigne, lay slumbering at
that gentleman's feet, or sat between his
knees and looked wistfully into his eyes
Souvreigne would sometimes, of clear
night, move his chair to the southern VIM
dow and looking with his great eyes st the
stars, discourse of the glory of the armament.
II Then all conversation would cease-the
Judge and Adele, and even the reverent San
| to, sitting spel-bound while Souvregne gave
himself up up to rhapsody upon the theme that
was most fascinating to him. The finest COM
pliment he ever paid Adele was when, upon
turning away from her once to trace u con-
stellation for her brother, he said, APOLOGIZE
cally ''Pardon! 1t is the face of Heaven that
| turn to, Mademoiselle y
No one of the hundred or two persons who
heard the lecture delivered by Souvreigne, at
the solicitation of friends in Maule's old hall
, in Charles street about this time, will find
any difficulty, even after the lapse of quar-
ter Of q century, in recalling the event and
the novel circumstances attending it. The
| subject of the lecture was ''The Great Con-
stellatons." After talking rapidly for twen-
ty minutes or more, and endeavoring with
rather i'll success to demonstrate by means of
charts the relative positions in the heavens of
the principal consultations, the lecturer sud-
denly paused and going to q window at the
end OF the stage, opened it and looked out.
!, Coming forward again, he said, ''The vast
chart Of the Almighty hangs over our head y
And he walked down the aisle to the door
and out into the street, his little audience,
amused and curious, pressed after him; and
there, standing upon the curb-stone, with in
tent listeners clustering round him, Souv-
reignc went on with his lecture to the end
sweeping the heavens with his rattan cane,
and greatly embarrassing the policeman on
that beat, who was by no means clear in his
mind, until haply he discovered his honor
the mayor in the midst Of the listening con-
{ gregation, whether or not it was his duty to
, dispersc tho crowd and arrest the speech
, maker Us disturber Of the peace.
Among the Souvreigne's auditors of this
occasion there CHANGED to be u gentleman,
| casually in the city, who was seeking in
structors for a new college in the West over
| which he had himself been chosen to preside.
This gentleman was SO impressed with the
J singular eloquence and evident erudition of
f the lecturer, that he sought an interview with
| him, and ultimately secured his acceptance of
a sort of omnibus professorship in the institu-
ton under his charge. Souvreigne accepted
this the more readily, because, in view of his
marriage, he had determined to reside perma-
nently in this country, and felt the necessity
| of entering as soon as might be upon some
t settled occupation, and of obtaining some
where fixed habitation. His original pro-
| iect of temporary residence in successive
} cities had been given up, for the time at least
} Convinced that in the position which had
thus fallen to him he would find abundant op-
portunity for honorable and useful labor,
Souvreigne devoted himself diligently to the
necessary preparations for assuming his du-
| ties at the commencement of the collegiate
year in April, barely two months from the
dow of his on orcO