The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-02

of the rose, still about her, might have pre-
voked smile from most people: but Mh,,
Lenormand did not smile. !lhe anXiet
deepened in her look rs she cried: "lieavehS
madame, YOU have the fever our eyes ar
restless, your cheeks hectic, and, Mon Dteu
with glance into the bonboa'cre sun VI
her lap-"you have not eaten hail a""eh
the chocolats." -, ,,.l,
"Itis that die of nothing to no. Sravel.
returned lIortense, with charming unoou
seriousness Of this truly French aht,clil'aA
"Look at me, cousin, she cohtluueu, ,"', 30 =
herself in her chair and speaking more rap
illy: "here am |, eighteen, gay, not 100 uSl,
-nos and | come from six years OF the con
vent to-what? Balls, music, theatres, al
the amusements natural 10 my youth! NO
solitude where time creeps, creeps SO $40"
know the days only by the order OF th'
dinners or the different toilets Agae choose:
for me. Toilet Bah! Ofwhat use mere
They might as well have me shut IN lhe III"
lily tomb at once!' ,,,oa
Mime. Lenormand looked yet more troubled
"But-m adame--" she said, hesita,lngly
"madame will remember that Mons. d'EVre
court will soon be here, and then -
"And them" interrupted Hortense, quick,
Ily. II am likely to wish myself indeed III INT
fsmilv tomb, Enough" She continued, IN
altered VOICE, luc 'p"' ~
of her eyes; II have no secrets from you
cousin, You know the unwilling prisoner
hold myself; can you not comprehend my
desire for briet playtimc before my Jailol
comes"
madame would 20 INTO society," said hel
cOmpanlOn, doubttully.
Hortense made movement OF lmpatlence
"Ah, no; not that! Do you not see, she
said, with scornful bitterness, AL mat VIII
be nv prison indulgenccs by and by. No;
what would have is liberty the treer anu
wilder the better They have defrauded me
Iot nv girlhood. All, well, Hortense de Car
lyman rebels against Madame la Marqulse
she vii, have one taste at least OF what they
have taken away. The great lady turn VIII
come soon; but now, now | will be Tree 10
act my caprice as the verlest grisette. MY
cousin" stopping short, and claspng her
hands with the gravity OF sudden reSoiu'ion'
II will be grisetle!"
MADAME cannot mean it, urged her com
paniop, ashast. "Consider the scandal"
Bah, who Will know 1t? And am not
simple demoisele, but u married woman,
with a married woman's privileges Besides,
have not you, cousin, To be my guardian
and warran; at need? Behold Us, then the
good bourgeoise mamma and the wicked
| little daughterl Wire IL bagdtelle!" and she
began humming gayly bar OF a popular
melody.
But | assure you, madame, it is i'm.
possible" began the other, with perpleXeu
| face.
"Apd assure YOU, madame, that 1t VIII be
donew retorted IIortense, with light decision
Listen now, am going to breakfast; after
tha, will be dressed and go tor drive.
Our campaign must be settled before we
return; SO sharpen your WIS, my goou
cousin
With which she rose, while Nine. Lenor.
mand, accepting the dismissal, walked
slowly from the room, the look OF perplexily
deepening on her face as she rcvolved the SIT
uation, which was certainly an embarrassing
one Given briefly it stood thus:
Hortense dc Carigan, from her very era
die had been destined for the son OF her faith
or S neighbor, the Marquis d'Evrecourt. The
projected union was partly OF interest, partly
of friendship, inasmuch Us it would unite at
once two adjacent estates and two families
whose heads had already in early youth
sworn to each other the romantic devotion OF
enthusiastic natures. In this project they
had never wavered; and when, Il few years
after the birth of Horense, NJ. De Carignan
died. his inconsoable widow held herself
solemply bound to see his views for their
daughter accomplished. Unfortunately be.
fore many years Nine. was herself attacked
by mortal illness Finding her days mum.
bered her one anxiety was to insure the ex
ecution of her sacred trust; and having per
suaded the d'EvreCourts 10 her mind, the
marriageritc was performed by the side OF
her death.bed, between the little Hortense,
then barely twelve years old, and Jules dEv-
recount, a boy OF perhaps fifteen. Hortense
| ~ ,,,n Ia La
Jules returned to the family estate to grow
up' as seemed probable, in the likeness of
his father, who was a passionate lover OF
country life and all of its sports.
The evil, If evil it were, however, wrough,
its own cure, so far as Jules was concerned
For d'Evrecourt, in one of his Dreak.neck
gallops, was thrown and killed by the plung
ing of his horse. The accident gave his wild
and its associations; she removed to Paris
where she presently married again, this time
an English lord, who took her TO his own
country, Jules accompanying his mother
who was dotingy fond of him.
Meanwhile his childish bride was gro wing
up in a convent, where she had been placed
on her mothers death. At first, Of course
the little creature did not understand hel
position; the title of Madame Ia Narquise
aughingly bestowed on her by her childish
playiellows, made her toss her vain little
head as over some special distinction
Bat as she developed into womanhood, and
realized how irrevocably her Lille had beer
fixed without even semblance of a choice
of her own, the matter appeared to her in s
very different light She brooded secretly
over the injustice OF her fate, till it was very
disconnected little wife indeed who, IN any
thing but witely spirit, lett her shelterinG
convent to meet this unknown husbsnd
Young d'Eyrocourt however, serencly uncon
scious of all this, was still away on his tray
els, from which he would not return quit,
yet. And hortense passed these weeks of ey
prctation In evcr-lncreaslng discomfort, ant
what would have been rebellion had rebel
lion been possible in her circumstances. Al
1t was, her dissatisfaction found relief will
Nine. Lenormand, who was the best posi-
BILE confdantc of such dangerous sentiments
Life, which had been pretty hard school TO TIT
good lidy, had taught her that there are time
when the greatest service ore can rende
others Is 10 forget their own words. So sh,