The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-12-30
TERMS 50 90 PER YEAR TIFFIl

,
| Count de BassOmpierre il too wise a
man, believe me, to forfeit the Kings
regard, even for the sake of Charlotte
de Montmorenei. He has Cancelled
his contract with you, and, by Henris
own wish, IS nOW betrOthed to Made
moiselIe d'Aumais."
A dead silence fell on the luxurious
little room for few minutes. The
/ Mademoiselie de MOntmOrenci stOoD-
ed and picked up the diamond collar,
and turning to the mirror, adjusted
it carefully. Opening a curlOusly-
carved casket on the toilet table she
took out pair OF perfumed silken
gloves, embroidered with ssed-pearls.
These she drew slowly and carefully
on her small white hands. When the
last tiny button was fastened, she
! turned to her mother, and with q
scOrnful ring in her voice, and a
naughty gesture of the stately head,
| said /:
"When is this marriage to take
place ?"
"In two months time"
"Ah! / will sign the contract with
the Prince de COnde tonight. | have
but one stipulation to make let my
wed ding be fixed for an earlier date
| than that OF Mademoiseile d'Aumale.
The haste doubtless is unseemly the
urgency of the case must be my eX-
euseD Then, with a sudden change
of tone, from the naughty, seornful
beauty To the bright, gay girl, she
said, 'Come mother mine, we will to
the ball. This recreant lover must
not think We sigh over his faithless-
ness"
A murmur Ofsuppressed admiration
went round as, little later on this
memorable evening, the Duchess de
MOntmOrenci and her lovely daughter
entered the glittering salons of the
Louvre, and passed through the crowd
of courtiers to offer their homage to
their sovereign. The center of bTil-
liant throng stood Henri Quatre. The
gay and gallant hero of Argues and
Ivry. The chivalrous lover of beautI-
ful, unhappy Gabrielle DE stress. The
husband Of La Marguerite des Mar
guerites. The theme Of many poet
the favorite King OF the French /: ac-
complished, popular, beloved through
the length and breadth OF the land.
Near him was seated the Queen,
Marie de Medici, handsome, cold ami
naughty, waiting with calm patience
till the tide of affairs should bring her
turn of power-a turn which came all
too soon. The willy Florentines. Con-
eini and his wife, we're behind her,
and bending down to speak TO her
was q tall, pale youth, with melan-
choly face and deep dark eyes. 1t was
the young Prince de Conde. At a
short distance from the immediate
circle was seated Henrietta d'En-
tragues. Marquise de Verneuil, bril-
liant, witty, and INSCRIPTIONS. The
grave Due de Sully and the courtly,
polite Due de Mayenne stood to-
gether near the King, looking i'm
mense disspprobation at the fair and
frsil favOrite. The Marechal de Bas-
sOmpierre and Mdile d'Aumsle weEs
in attendance on the Queen.
As Charlotte de Montmorenci ad-
vanced with a graceful reverence, the |
King came forward, and taking her
hand, greeted her with the fiattering |
and seductive homage in which he
was so well skilled. Then turning
to the young Prince de Conde, he |
said "Ah, mon cousin, were L but |
a bachelor, so fair bride should not |
be yours, must have done all of that |
gallant knight may do to win her for
myself. l am unwilling, ! am to be-
stow her upon another. 1 would l
could lay my crown at her feet"
Conde bowed very gravely at this
high-flown compliment to his bride-el- |
ect, and the King, dropping the tone of |
gallantry, which scarcely became his
mature years and position, AMI as
more majestic .-mien, pre-
sented the young Prince to Charlotte
in due form. He bowed again very |
gravely, darted a look of suspicious
inquiry at the King, and then bent |
his dark, penetrating eyes on the fair
girl who stood before him, as il he |
would read into her very soul.
The moment was an embarrassing |
one, but Mdlle, mOiselle de Mont
morenci had tact and self-contrOl |
equal to the occasion. With a deep
obeisanee to Conde, she suffered the |
King to put her hand in his, and to
his wishes for their happi- |
ness in the approaching union, with
out betraying any of the secret dis
which she felt. Probably |
the reluctance and disgust, which |
with all her pride and spirit it was
impossible to quite overcome, at be-
ing hurried into a marriage with q |
man she scarcely knew and had new !
er spoken to, would have been more
openly express, 1 but for the presence
Of her recreant lover and his intended |
bride. While they were spects tors of |
the scene, her scorn and contempt |
any show of unwillingnesS |
on her part to be visible.
King Henri turned and whispered |
q few words to the Queen, and then,
giving his hand to the Duchesse de
Montmorenci, he led the way to an
other and more private apartment, |
followed by the Duke, the bride and
bridegroom-elect, and the few cOur-
tiers who possessed the right to wit
ness the betrothal ceremony.
AS they passed silently through the |
long galleries Charlotte ventured to
steal furtive glance at him whose
destiny was 80 soon to be closely con-
nected with her own. There was lit
tie to encourage her in the sternly- |
features of the young |
Prince. His face YVES intellectual,
but strikingly proud and reserved.
His figure, scarcely formed as yet, |
still wanted the grace and courtly dig |
nifty so common to the time. The |
beautiful eyes were the |
great redeeming point in his appear
ance. They were strikingly express
sive, and looked as if they could be as
eloquent in impassioned pleading as
they were quick in observation. Any |
lady, however fair, might find it diff !
cult to resist the owner of those eyes !
did he choose to exert their power.
At this moment his face betrayed no
feeling so much as passive indiffer-
ence his eyes, when they met hers,
wore a grave, mournful expression,
half cansure, half pity. Even her
beauty had seemed to have produced
no impression, and Charlotte, aecus-
toned to the homage and fiattery of
the most brilliant court in Europe,
thought with dismay of the contract
she was about to enter into, apparent
ly with the only man who had ever
seemed Indifferent to the spell of her
loveliness. Was it too late to recede
Could she still draw blck
On entering tine room set apart for
the ceremony, she directed look of
plIeOuS dppedl W nSL DaIclllSi W Itu-
pIore their interference. But her
mother was talking to the King, and
her father returned her glance by one
of stern admonition, which intimated
that it was too late to retreat. The
Duke and Duchess were in fact
charmed with an alliance which Of
ferel to their only daughter no re-
mote chance OF being Queen of France
and would certainly exert all their
authority to support the Kings COM
mands.
Amid profound silence th he marriage
contract was read by notary. King
Henri then advanced and affixed his
ma me to the document in his double
capacity of guardian to the young
Prince, who was an orphan and q
minor, and also as liege lord and
suzerain of the contracting parties.
The signatures of the Duke and
Duchesse de Montmorenci followed
next, as guardians of the bride. 10
his hard, dry voice the notary sum-
moned the next witness, Henri Louis
Bourbon, Prince de Conde.
There was a pause. The illust-ious
bridegroom appeared irresolute, dart