The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-03-18
Q is clever woman, and knows what she ia

saloon on tiptoe, descended through o littl'
doc. Into Q lalge vaulted cellar. Here b,
stacks of empty bottles, and ut last sncceedet
In finding what he was in search of; but hi'
face became extremely pale a. he drew three
bottles from the sand.
Good heavens! only three bottles :" exclaimed
he; "three bottles OF table wine and Monsieur
Dsneoker 10 suoh o connoisseur of vintages
What sbali do IL they ask for more wpen
these three bottles are empty l have it do
not drink, and Lenora drinks very little SO
there will be ttCo bottles for Monsieur Deneoker
and one for his nephew Bat, even at the
worst, what is the use of anxiety Let luck
settle itp
With this De Vlierbeck went into the cor.
uers Of the cellar, where he gathered from the
walls . quantity of oobwebs. which he wound
artstcally around the bottles and covered
with dust and sand.
Ga reaching the saloon he went to work with
past and paper TO mend some rents in the
tapestry on the wall and then, after passing
nearly half an hour in brushing his clothes and
Disgusting their threaabare spots with water
aud ink be came back to the table and made
preparations for o task which was esill more
angular than any be had hitherto engaged In.
Taking from the drawer o silk thread. an awl,
and o bit OF wax, he put his boot on his knees
aud began to mend the rents in the leather
with the skill of oobbleri 1t will readily be
supposed that this odd occupation stirred o
variety of emotions in the heart of the poor
gentleman; violent twitehes and spasms
passed over his face; his cheeks became red,
then deadly pale; till at last yielding to pas.
aionato impulse, he cut the silk, threw it on
the table, and, with his hands stretched to-
ward the Portraits, cried out, with struggling
passion:
Yes! behold me,-behold me,-ye whose
noble blood runs in my veins! You, brave cap
tain. who, fighting at the side of Egmont, at
st. Quentin, gave your life for your cou ntry.-
you, statesman aud ambassador, who, after
the battle of Pavia, rendered such eminent
services TO the Emperor Charles,-you, bene,
factor of your race who endowed 80 many hos.
pitfalls and churobes-you, proud bishop, who, |
as priest and scholar, defended so bravely your
Faith and your God behold me, all of you, not |
only from that senseless canvas, but from the |
bosom of God where you are ut rest! He whom |
you have seen at the wretched task of mindipp |
lis boots, and who devotes his life to the con. |
'ealment OF his poverty he ia your descend.
mt, your son! If the gezs of his fellow men |
ortures him, before you at least he is not |
Ishamed OF debasing toll o glorious ancestry
'ou have fought the foes of your native land |
With sword and pen; but I,-Ihave to contend |
With unmerited shame and mockery, without |
rope of ultimate triumph or glory my weary |
oui sinks under it's burden, and the world has |
empt! And. yet, have ever staiped your no.
de esoutoheon All that have done il gen.
IRONS and honest in the sight of God :-nay,
he very fountain head of my wo Ia love aud |
N me; oontem plate me in the abyss of poverty
3 here have fallen! From the bottom of that |
bic lift my brow boldly toward you, and your /
ilent glance does not force mo to grovel in the
arth with shame! Here, in the presence of
1our noble images, am alone with my soul,
Nth my conscience; here, no modification |
AN touch the being who, es gertlem an, Christ
o dutyw
His voice ceased and for q few momente he
TODD still in the midnight silence, looking at
he antique portraits the last echoes died
way in the lofty apartment with his arms
tretched toward the pictures as if invoking
be beings they represented.
" PooT, senseless creature" continued he
tter while, claspiDg his hands and lifting
hem anew to heaven, "thy soul seeks deliv.
rance I In oreamsi Yes; it is, perhaps, dream,
n Illusion Yet. thanks, thanks to the Al. |
rightly that allows even a dream to fortify me
nth courage and endurance! Enough: reality
noe more stsres me in the face; aud set defy
he hooking spectre which points to ruin and
liseryp
Aud then to morrow,-to. morrowW con-
nued he; wilt thou not tremble beneath the
lance Of those who seek the secret of thy life
'ask; go on bravely with thy cowardly farce
I'd now 6egone; thy nightly task is done =
eG, beg from sleep the oblivion of what thou
RI ana Of thy threatening futurei Sleep!
remoIe at the very thought of it! Fatner in
eaven, have mercy on usp
CHAPTER III.
At dsybresk next morning every body vas
"SJ NAAnoOluOL. JOAu'S WIG and her 60TV-
lg maid secured the corridor and stairoase.
he farmer cleaned his stable; his son weeded
ne grass from the garden-walks. Very early
! the day Lenora set matters in order in Ebe
lnlng.room aud arranged with artistic tastaJ
IL the pretty things she could find on the
lantle-ptece and tables. There was degree
life and activity about Grinselhof that had
OF been seen in that solitude for many a wear.
nd everybody went to work with alacritv. as
anxious to disPel the gloom that hung 40
ing over the lonely dwelling. In the midst of
le Industrious crowd Monsieur De Vlierbeok
light be seen moving about with words of en-
oursgement and expressions of satisfaction:
or did he manifest the slightest symptom of
10 anxiety that was secretly Rna wing his
oart' a pleasant smile hateered his humble
as he gave them to understand
las their labors would be greatly honored by
lS approval of his expected guests.
The farmer and his spouse had never aaap
Vlierbeck 90 pleasant and SO gay and. as
icy stnoerely loved their master, thew were "a
uoh delighted by his joy as if thew had been
repairing for village fair in which thew we're
takspSrt. They never dreamed of nav for
leir generous toll, but derived their moat
ratetul reoompeuse from the pleasure thew
npArted TO the hermit and bis child.
as soon as the principal preparations were
'mpleted, De Vltsrbeok called his daughter
no gave The necessary instructions for the
inner. Lenora was to confine herself to
rilLinR The farmers wife in serving the disbes