, 1875-10-17
THE DUCHESS oE pfnR1o sFnR7h

| THE DUCHESS Of RtARio sFoRzA.
A lady who occupied prominent position il
| Parislan society, the Duchess de Riarlo Sforza
Sister OF the 1ete ii. Berger has just died st th.
| Chateu d'Angorvile {eays the Pafa correspond
| ent OF the London Ne,os). She was the widow
| OF one OF the richest notaries in PARIS, whose an
! tire fortune she inherited. when she met. at thu
house Of the Marquse de Boissy. better know
rs the Countess Guiccio1, m Old, shabbiy.
| blessed Italian officer. who was attached to the
| households Of Joseph Bonaparte and Nurat, and
F, had served as d Colonel in a cavalry regiment
| under tho Empire. He was OF tho type
Of those 1mperialiss officers who frequented
the Cafe Foy bali century ago. The potarv'a
[ widow asked who be was, and IVES surprised to
hear that he was the Duke OF R,ario Sforza, and
brother Of the Cardinal Archbishop Of Naples
In ths course Of conversation she lcarned that
he vas . bachelor. md looking out for rich
wife willing to barter fortune for ducal coro-
net. I'm the woman" she said. II am am-
bilious. I detest my present name, which ls un-
supportably common, and my fortune is big
enough 70 re5ild the Dukes battered strawberry
leaves. Introduce him to ms, first telling him
why I want to koo. him." The Duke WAS in
trodncea. He. the lads, and ! friend retired
to boudoir, where the marriage ARTICLES were
talked over IL, q thoroughly matter-of-fact way,
the Duke stipalatinE for oleto 1nde-
pendeDce, in fact for aeparste establish
nent, with large fortune to keepit up. All
his conditions we're complied with, and the we'd
ding took place some weeks later, During his
lifetime be coutriyed to bride the Fantastic
tastes OF the Duchess- But when ae died She
induged in them to the full. She Was phenome-
denly seeing hsr, not to be startled aud shocked
at her cadaveroua appearance Born in hum
bic rank OF life, sha might hare amasaed ior-
tune br exhibiting hers=lt as q femme squelet'e:
She wns It a festive meeting the DEATHS head Of
the Egyptian feast. Though 30 painfully dis
qualified by her extraordinary e1naclalion from
going into society, the Duchess Of Riario Sforza
was obs OF the moat social women in Pals almost
to the time Of her death, which happened in her
80th rear.
Her passion for dress WIGS excessive and sho
invariably cllose garments suited to young
married womau. Her faith in the power Of tLa
rnantua-maker and OF those artists setting up to
tix tho bloom Of youth or restore it when it van
ton. she oVer-d1eased Bs much at her own balls
as at those OF her acquaintances. The only
badge Of widowhool abe Wore-aDd she and it
were iuaerarable-was kind OF enameled batch
ment, suspended from diamond NECKLACE or
gold chain, as q medallion might have been,
With the hesaldic quarterings and coronet Of
the late DuEe Of Riario Sforza- As she ghvo
snmptu0uB dinners, and had On marrying re- |
tained the power to dispose Of nearly Gle, 900 |
Sterling a year, people took care not to J
very suspicious old Indy. aud, to keep y1silant
watch over the looks and gestures OF her guests, !
had the mirrors Of the drawing room so arranged |
that she could see from her fauteuil everything
That took place behind her back. No servant or !
radesman was ever known to please her week.
Size had her palat1al mansion at Paasy pulled
1own and rebuilt three times in the COURSE OF
fourteen yeArs, and just before her death she
Tas thinking Of demolishing it again. The tor
nent Of the Partisan architects aud house deco
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