The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-12-30

deep and tender devotion in the ton
of the low, rich voice that thrilled t
( her heart not less strangely than tn
? expressive glance Of his dark eyes. q
! shall not dislike him 50 very much
. after all ;" thought she. Nevertheless
! instead Of answering his considerate
J question with equal frankness, she re
? piled, perversely, 81 pray your par
| don, Monsieur DE- COnde | am not ac.
. customed to allow my feelings {,
stand in the way OF the Kings COM
mauds."
COnde dropped her hand suddenly
J at this chilling answer to his first ad'
vances. Leaving her side he. took tbs
offered pen, and, with an air of cold
indifference, subscribed his name tO
the parchment.
"MdlIe. de MOntmOrenei, your sig.
nature is necessary" said the King,
turning to her. "I would mine were
the one above it, instead of yonder
, shy, naughty stripiing's," added he,
so low that she alone could hear it.
"HOw II refuse tOssign at AL =" re-
/ piled she, equally low.
"Then you offer an unprovOked
affrOnt to one of the royal house and
my kinsman," said the king, instantly
dropping the light tone OF gal!antry,
and assuming the dignity which SO
much better suited him. "As such, L,
your sovereign, should resent it, and
you afford triumph to Monsieur de
Bs5sompierre."
The alIusion to the faithless lover
recalled CharlOtte's pride, and accom-
plished the Kings design. She adj
Yanced to the table and signed her
name, Charlotte Marguerite de Mont
morenci, with the superb disdain aud
haughtiness Of young empress.
A few unimportant signatures being
affixed, the King once more leh the
way to the larger salon. The Prince
de Conde did not again approach his
bride-elect, but Charlotte found a
more devoted, il not more suitable
companion in her admiring sovereign,
and, unhee6ing the grave looks be-
slowed upon her by him to whom she
had just plighted her trOth,. listened
with pleased attention to seductive
fiattery, whispered into her ear by the
gay and gallant Henri. At last,
deeming the espionage of the dark,
searching eyes as more impertinent
than even his position e her fianee
warranted, 81 care not for his disap-
probation" thought she, petulantly.
"His serene high aud mightiness will
find am not to be cOerced into sub
mission by his censoriOus looks. He
has not even paid me the formal COM
pliment of asking my hand for the
| dance"
Conde was 50 disregardfuI of courtly
etiquette that he suffered the whole
evening to pass without again ad-
dressing his fair fiance. And when
Charlotte at length quilted the ball
room, it was with a sense of deep re-
sentiment toward her negligent lover,
which she took small pains to con-
ceal.
"The Qneen desires the attendance
the south salon."
A month had elapsed since the sign
ing of the marriage contract. \
month of generally cold indiffer-
ence or chilling reserve on the part Of
the Prince de COnde toward his love
ly betrOthed, and of reckless iqIetcy
and repentance on the part of Mad
emoisle de MontmOreaci. 5 ne Don
discovered that COnde could be, when
he chose, brilliant, elegant aud even
witty; but his attention seemed to be
engrossed by any one rather than
herself He seldom addressed her.
and she was piqued into an imitation
of his reserve. The affianced lovers
were not allowed private interviews,
and q better understanding seemed
unattainable; especially as Charlotte
with peryersity unaccountaOle even
10 herself; took every opportunity of
willfully misunderstanding and
thwarting the one or two slight efforts
COnde made to overcome the barrier
Of reserve betwixt them. By every
means which young and lovely wO-
man can so well employ, she endeav-
Ored to provoke either into 4 quarrel
or an acknowledgment Of love. She
succeeded in neither. Hs dis iaineI
to come to an open rupture with her,
and though We'll convinced that he
had ceased to regard her with indifRer-
ence, she could obtain no proof of his
regard in words. She sometimes
caught his eyes liked upon her with
an intense expression OF passionate
feeling impossible to mistake ; but
no further acknowledgment followed;
and piqued and mortified ry her fail
ure where most she now wished to
succeed, she commenced course of
reckless cOquetry, little dreaming
whittier it was leading her.
1t was the evening before the day
fixed upon for the marriage. A gay
and courtly crowd filled the salons OF
the Louvre. Foremost in beauty and
wit, surrounded by a circle of admir-
ers, and attended closely by the King,
was the fair De Montmorenci, She
had been trying the hazardous eXper-
iment of exciting the jealousy of the
lover. She had succeeded only t60
well. The Prince de COnde quilted
the room with so serious an express
sion of anger on his face that already
she repented her rash behavior.
"Ah" thought she, as she watched
the door closed upon him regretfullv,
iiif he would but vOuchsafe to me one
token of affection, however small il
I could but once see him at my feet,
how gladly would 1 renOunce the
homage of him of the white plume
and all his court :"
The brilliant scene pallsd upon her.
The hOneyed flattery of the enam-
ored king had never before sounded
so disagreeably suggestive. His words
and looks seemed suddenly to have
acquired a significance and meaning
which she could net pretend to ignore
and which betokened a danger to
herself of which she had never before
conceived the faintest idea a deep
blush stole over her face as she
thought of the sudden breaking of
her engagement to Monsieur de Bas-
sompierre, and the hurried betrOthal
to Henri de Conde. What could be
the Kings designs in both cases
She was in the midst of these agita-
ting reflections when q page ap-
preached her, as she sat for an in-
slant alone, and repeated his mes
sage.
"The Queen desires your presence
in the south salon, MademoiselIe."
Charlotte rose and followed the
messenger, glad of the excuse from
lingering any longer where such new
and disagreeable ideas had been so
suddenly presented to her.
There was no one in the south salon
when she entered, but a moment af-
ter the heavy velvet curtains were
drawn from the opposite doorway,
and the Prince de Conde came in
his face calm, resolved. and stern,
and showing no trace of the angry
motion in which he hTd quilted the
salon de dance an hour before.
He advanced to where Charlotte
stood and addressed her in low deep
voice.
"I must crave your pardon, Mad
emoiselle de Montmorency, for sum-
moning you on false premises. /
could not hope that any wish of mine
would induce you to pay prompt at
tention to it, so, with the Queens
permission, have used her name to
bring you here"
As he spoke he laid on the table q
large parchment, which Charlotte
Immediately recognized as the con-
tract of betrOthal. In his other hand
was small parcel, neatly fastened in
silk wrsppings.
The sight of the contract aroused
all Charlotte's bauteur. "I am not
aware that / have ever slighted any
expressed wish of yours, Monsieur
de Conde," said she haughtily. ain
good sooth, it would have been diff