The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-20

I must not make my story too long.
You anticipate all l would say. There
were no other guests at the chateau.
| We three were as isolate as Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden, That was
truely an enchanted week, in which we
rode, we rambled, we talked, we read,
we sang-happy jewellers in Arcadia.
And then-then-I awoke one day to
find that there was no safety for me but
in flight. This Marguerite" was grow
ing too dangerously dear. /, who pray
daily, "Let me not be led into tempta.
tation"-what business had / there,
dallying with danger?
I was not villain / was not an idiot;
had no more conceit than my fellows (;
yet, could not help seeing that Mar
| guerlte's soft brown eyes grew sorter
still when they met mine, and that the
long lashes dropped over them with a
subtler grace when drew near. l did
not look for this but it was there, and
saw it must go.
A determination that 1 made known
to my friend the next morning.
"But you are not going = he said,
"It is too soon. Did not say you were
to stay a month? We will have more
guests, If you tire of this dali life and
you shall see the old chateau alive with
song and dance. My old friend must
stay"
"No," 1 answered, "your friend must
go. Do not make it too hard for him to
leave you"
He looked at me narrowly.
Has anything gone wrong ?" he
asked, in a low tone. "Tell me, my
T hol fbnroIt Ia .-w,,,,,l
- Is there anything amiss with you
Marguerite %
He spoke in his own tongue now as
he always had when any strong emotion
stirred him. l answered in mine, my
cheeks white and cold, but my eyes
ablaze
"Amiss- anything amiss, NJ. LES
TRANCE? Do hear you Alright You are
speaking of the lady who is your wife,
and of one who would fain be an honor
able man Anything amiss, monsieur. !"
He looked at me an instant as If he
thought had gone mad. Then a sudden
light seemed to break over his face.
and, to my anger and astOnishment, he
laughed q genuine hearty laugh. But
before l could speak, his mood changed,
and he caught me impulsively in his
arms.
go my poor boy I" he cried. 81 see
it all, row. And you thought Marguer-
tie was my wife? But 1 told you she
was rot, when you asked me so long
ago. Do you not remember? supposed
you understood. The woman who should
have been my wife lies in the church
yard yonder. Monsieur Ripon-Mar-
guerite is my sister !"
I covered my face with my hands. l
could have sunk into the dust at his
feet. 1t was all so clear to me now-as
clear as MONDAY. Yet, with my precon-
ceived ideas of their relationship, and
in a country with whose domestic life
and habits I was so unfamiliar, 1 could
not so much wonder at my mistake.
The patois of the servants, too, had
helped to mislead me and had seen
no 9th
] dared not look at him. The gentle
dignity of his last words overpowered
me, even while, in spite of nay confusion
and dismay, my heart was thrilling
with a newborn hope.
I lifted my eyes at last to meet his
filled with affable tenderness.
"You know my secret, said. "Shall
you take me at my word, my friend
must go away?"
"Nay, nay," he whispered. cit was
for this that we were thrown together
that October morning. Was it not
charmed, the token l gave you? Stay
now; and, if you can win her gentle
heart, will give you yet another pearl
my Marguerite !"
just as long as live, ] mean to re-
member in my prayers the gentleman
who " missed connection at Syracuse ;"
for, if it had not been for him, would l
ever have worn the rare pure pearl that
was given to me two months since, by
my brother Hippolyte L'Estrange p
AppIetOn'S Journal.