The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-08-18
CHAPTER vi.
HORACE MARGRAvE's CONFESSION.

HORACE MARGRAvE's CONFESSION.
Life in the Faubourg St. German
seemed very dreary to EIlinor after the
brilliant London society to which she had
been accustomed since her marriage.
Her aunt's visiting list was very limited
Four or five old dowagers. who thought
that the glory of the world had departed
with the Bourbons; and that France, in
the van Of the great march liberalization,
was foremost in demoniac species of
dance, leading only to destruction and the
erection of a new guillotine upon the
Place de la Revolution; two or three ell
derby but creditably preserved aristocrats
of the ancient regime, whose political
princi pie had stood still ever since 1888, and
who something resent led ormolu clocks
of that period! very much ornamented
and embellished. but entirely powerless
to tell the hour Of the day; three or four
very young ladies, educated in converts,
and entirely uninterested in anything be-
You'd n. Lamartines poetry, and the
manufacture of point lace; and one ter
rifically bearded and mustachioned gen.
tleman, who had written a volume of
poems, entitled "Clouds and Mists." but
who had not yet been so fortunate as 10
meet with a publisher-this was about
the extent Of the visiting circle in the Rue
St. Dominique; and for this circle Ellinor's
aunt set apart a particular evening. on
which she was visible, in conjunction
with eau sucree, rather weak coffee, and
wafer biscuits.
The very first day of Ellinor's visit
happened to be the day of her sunt's re-
ception, and it seemed to her as if the
tiresome hours would never wear them
selves out, or the equally tiresome guests
take their departure. She could not help
remembering how different everything
would have been had Horace Margrave
been present. How he would have fought
the battle of the tiers ctdt with the whites
headed old par,isans of the departed no.
hlesse; how he would have discussed and
critically analized Lamartine's odes with
the young ladies from. the convent; how
he would have fattered the vanity of the
bearded poet; and regretted the Bourbons
with the faded old dowagers But he
was away-gone out of her life. perhaps.
entirely. 81 shall never see him again, "
she said; that dear and honorable guar
dian in whose care my dead father LEFT
mef'
The next day she went with her aunt
TO the Louvre, to see the improvements
that had been made beneath the sway OF
that new ruler, who had already began
his work OF regeneration in brick and
mortar. The pictures only wearied her;
the very coloring Of the Rubens' seemed
to have lost half its glowing beauty since
she had last seen him; and Maria de Me
dici, ford and resplendent, bored her ter
ribly. Many of the recent acquisitions
she thought frightfully over-rated, and
she hurried her aunt away from the
splendid exhibition before they had been
there half an hour. She made few pur
chases in the Palais Royal; and loitered
for little time at a milliners, in the Rue
, de PEchelle, discussing a new bonnet
and then declared herself thoroughly
, tired out with her mornings exertiou.
She threw herself back into the car,
s riage and was very silent as they drov,
home; but suddenly, as they turned
, from the Rue de Rivoli into the oper
space between the Tuileries and the Lou,
vre. they passed close to hackney coach
in which a gentleman was seated, anc
Ellinor. starting up, cried out-"Aunt
my guardian, Mr.. Margaret Did yor
not see him? He has just this momen
passed US in q hackney coach" Sh,
pulled the oheck-string violently a, SIN
f spoke, and her aunt's coachman stopped
} but Horace Margrave was out Of sight