, 1873-02-09

A6 ANlnu Win 1aiSe" ta1cay 5Ae WAS noN
moro eager to retu1n to him than eve,
ehe had been to leave. When she arrived
at Guise the army had departed Without \
moments delay she again started forward. UrG-
ing on the horses ct furious pace over plow-
ed field, the carriage vas overturned. and in tho
crash her nrm was broken. Dnt, needless Of
pain, and possessed only with tho thought Of
osertaking the Ring, eha pushed on, aud, driv-
ing NJ, to the Q1een's carrage, une looked
through the window. It was done without
thought, in the excitement of the moment, but
J no sooner done than repsnted OF. The King,
| whose love Was chilling, received her with az
angry reproof, and turned his horses head in
another direction. But, soon repenting Of his
| how severely sho had been hurt, oyerwhelned
| her with affecsionato attention9. When they
| moved forward, he insisted upon her
| bearing the, Queen company, and
Queens circle; onco mora the sycophants Of
the Court who had deserted her when her infu-
ence seemed upon tho wane, fassned and. fiat
tered and crowded about her as BEFORE
Madame de 1fontespaa increased, end La VAL
here had soon convincing proofs that another
uniatress had usurpel her placo in her lovers
affections. Tho disagreement Of tho royal fa-
vorites aSiteted the Court and at last, unable to
endure the tortusing eisht Of . rivals triumph,
and, throwing herself at tho feet Of tho abbess,
poured forth her sad history. The apbesa received
her kindiy, and willingly vouchsafed to hor the
shelter Of her peaceful abode. Bat no pesos
came to tho soul Of tic unhappy Louise. Not
the coldness and falsehood OF her lover, nor tho
anguish and remorso of hcr OWL heart, could rs
yet crush her love. No anguish WAS 90, terrible
rs being absent from the sight Of him whom ehe
still adored IS ardently as when on that stormy
day they stood together beneath the tree in the
moro and tako her back, Us ho did in times go1o
by2 Would she again bo aroused from somo
paroxysm Of despair by tho pressure of his
arms, the warmth OF his kisses? Such thoughts
ever mingled with her tears, her remorse, and
her prayers
One day she heard tho tramping Of horses
feet in the courtyard. Her heart lcapeG-he.
pale faco flushed crimson. Twas he-'twss tho
ton her! But eho WAS decelsed-it was only
Colbert, who bore letter from Louis request
ing her to return: He h:d rot forgotten her,
but" The last time he came himself" slo muir
md it's Joy tainted. Yet the letter was loving,
and although she felt that tho old passionate
love which had betrayed her to renorHe and ain
was bliss che could never know again, still,
earth could bes:ow.. So sho went
with Colbert. But with prophetic bodins
Of her coming fate, she said to the good abbess
ut parting, Farewell q for time, but shall
soon return to end my days among you"
Her meeting with the King 3as an affecting
one. Tho old love, although fast dying, blazed
up for ! moment with I'll its old feryoz; and,
as he folded her in lis arms, he wept genuine
tears of joy at their reunion. Madame do Mont
espan was warm in her gratulationB, but SHE
knew her own empire Was secure, and that the
Kings ardor wss but the evaaescent excitement
OF the moment.
And so it proved 4 little while, end ever in-
creasing coldness and neglect amote her heart
with the conviction that the old love was dead,
and that this world had to her died with it. She
would have retired to her estate o. Vanjours,
Hoa 1ot hs n Ieus v TSad So to Re es P be neither t6s
yot reconcile himself to her perpetual absence
from the Court. But this clnging to the men,
mories Of the past daily grew weaker. The an
ness, and for a time her recovery was despaiEed
Of. AS she lay upon her sick bed Bho formed the
resolutions that should God spare her life, sha
would devote tho remainder Of 1t to His serSice,
To this course she had long been couusclled by
Bossuet, who had utterly become her spiritual
director, as we'll as by the 5larquise de ST.
Remy, her mother, who had for some
tor, but WHO had e7er regarded Ter
connection With the King with profound horror.
Louis ca.no to her during her illness, and would
fain have dissuad1d her from her resolve but,
although sho loved him as ten1erly as ever, she
had conquered the weakness Of hor heart with
tbs knowledge that that lore could never moro .
bring aught but mise1; to hc-.
As soon rs her strength would permit, che
went to the Queen, aad on her knees inplored
her pardon for the wrongs shc had done her.
That much-injured woman freely forgave her,
and shed tears over their pazting.* Her list
meeting with the King was on tho day
that te Departed for tho Flemish
campaign S1o alasa IS. Vas performed me ana
AL the Court was present; ard when the holy
service WAS over, Louise advanced from ~ OBJ
scure part Of tho chapel, where she had been
one1ing up her fervent prayers for his success
farewell to hin: who bad bnen to i1er the life OF
this world. Her face vas deadly pu1e. har limbs
trembled SO violently that she staggered, and Lor
voice died away in her throat as she tried to speak
pronounce for him. But those lips, which had
been once to him the rarest treasure o. Of all his
regal wealth, and upon whose accents Re had
once hung 20 fontuy, had lest their charm. His
voice wcs hard, it tre.abled Ti;h 10 emotion,
there was no Tenderness in it's ac:ants. Had he
It that moment spoken o1o word vhoso tones
roul1 hare recalled the love Of CID times, it
might have melted I'll her cold resolves She
might hare fallen upon Lis mock, and beea his
.lsse again. Happlr fo- hc- no such ro1d Was
spoken. His farewell waa cold aud formal
perhaps he felt something Of bitterness at the
thought that she could le&vo him. For the last
limo abe raiaci her RTiI.ming eyes to that
sdored face, and as ho turned to lea7e her the
A-AAA~ AA~HA% 1870 @~A
aver.
The convent she chose Was Carmelitc, the
most auEtere Of I'll the -eiisicus orders. Hsnco-
octh she Was known rs sister Lou!Ee 10 II III
'cricordo. Madam de scvisne, who visited her
u 1880, thus writes OF he7: "Sto Ind IN my
yes lost none OF her youthful charms. She has
he same eyes, with the same expression neither
lard diet nor lack Of sleep has sunk nor dimmod
hem. Tho uncouth dross cannot mar her grace
" mien. Her modesty is not groater than when
he gave to tho world Princess do Cont, and
et It is enough for Carmelite. In truth, this
ress and tho retreat bestov dignity upon her"
Her children, of whom three attained tho age
.ouis was devotedly attached, became great and
overful: After eecluaion Of thi.ty.eix years.
rms of her beloved daughter, thus atoning'
y nearly two score years OF penitcnce for those
outhful Gins which had resulted rather from
be- overmecning scnsibility OF M ardent, poetic
oul TINA from moral deformity OF mind sing
hich have beqneathcd to posterity ono Of tta
addest love stories that fiction OF history kca
Bar.
Nothing testify eloqusnt:y TO the natural