The Portland daily press., 1877-07-21
nAnd at 8 I shall be shot.n said Baudelot.

| my word of honor as Christian and a gen.
| tleman that will stay here quiet as pigeon
| with its wings cut il you release my hands,"
Captain Hameln could not help smiling at
| the appropriate smile. He united his pris-
/ oner.
s.And now" said Baudeo;, stretching his
arms out as he spoke, now, monsieur, am
sir cerely indebted to you for your kindness,
| and it will not be my fault if my gratitude
| does not extend beyord tomorrow morn
ing"
off you have any last business to transact,
| will to make or letters to WRITE / will send
| you writing Materials" said Hamelin with
| emotion. He was Breton born, Republican
| or no Republican.
Baudelot perceived he felt for him, and
| took his hand. mo matter, he said. "Your
mention of MY will has panied me more than
| your intimation that must die at Nantes to-
| morrow morning. 1t makes me realize that
| those / loved are dead. have no one left on
| earth to whom / care to leave my name or
| sword, Iand own nothing more. 1t must be
l rather funny though, to write a will-to be
generous to some at the expense of others
| to picture to yourself who will smile and who
| will mourn when that document is opened
| after your death. Don't you think so, Cap
| tain?''
'Twill send you something to eat" said
Hamelin. sit is the day of my betrothal, land
we have better cheer than usual. My bride
| shall send you your supper"
Count Victor perceived on the ledge of one
| the high Sits which did duty as windows in
his dim apartment, daisy growing from
seed dropped by pigeon. He leaped ur and
plucked it.
"Captain," he said, giving it to Hamelin,
sit is the custom in our part of the country
| for every guest to make wedd ng present. to
| the bride. Be so good as to present to your
betrothed for me, this little flower. And now
must no longer keep you from her side.
Thank you for your humanity. Farewell!
Godsbless you. Send me some supper, for I
am weary and hungry. Good night"
Food was soon brought to the young Off
Ger. TheImaid who came to wait onhim "a
| pretty Breton peasant girl with white teeth,
red lips and great compassion in her eyeS)
paid every attention to the captive. She
urged him to eat of the best dishes, and to
drink of the choice wine. The supper was
luxurious. 1t seemed as if old times had
come back to the dovecote, when poor
Gagged bird was fed from the crumbs oil the
masters table. As she was pouring out
glass of champagne for him the Count asked
her name.
''Marie," said the girl.
"The same name as my COUSIN" said
the young man. "And how old are you,
Marie?"
Seventeen" .sbe replied.
s'The same age,' he saids Gas my poor
| cousin" And as he spoke he fel his whole
heart stirred at the remembrance of that
beautiful young girl who had fallen by the
hand of the eXecutioner. He would not for
the world have given way to his emotion be-
fore the little maid whose own eyes shone
with tears ready to fall; SO not being able to
command his voice he held out his glass to
her. VII
The glass was full. Champagne was
sparkling in it to the brim, and on its glitter
ing foam fell last ray of sunshine. Reader,
can you realize that champagne toamed, and
spring and summer came and went during
the Reign of Terror?
Perceving his mistake Count Victor said
to Marie:
"Have you no glass to pledge me in, kind
Marie? This lively sparkling wine never ap-
proves of being drunk alone by man. 1t
likes gayety and society. 1t is the bond of
that fraternity about which, Marie, you
have heard so much, and concerning which
those who use the word the oftenest
know so very little. L pray you put your Ii ps
to my glass or shall not care to drink an
other drop OF it before die."
So saying he put up his glass to Marie's
lhs. She bent down toward it. But his
last word "die" moved her soft heart so
strongly that her tears began to fall into the
wine.
Baudolot, emptying the glass. which as
watered by her tears.
At that moment they heard music. horn,
violin and hautboy playing gay dancing
tune.
Whats that?" said the young officer,
putting down his winegass and passing at
once fran strong emotion to laugh, ''Ma
fol- 1t must be a ballw
"Alasp' said Marie, eyes it is ball. Ny
mistress did not want to dance o.night, but
the Captain and her father said tt must 60
on. She will be very unhappy all the time"
"Oh, Marie!' said Count Victor, 'sif you
are as kind as l think you are, do som ething
for me! Run-fy! Tell your mistress that
Count Victor Baudelot de Derval asks per-
mission to pay his respects to her, but run
and find the Captain. Tell him that his
prisoner will have a dreary virgil here to-
night; that he will not be able to sleep for
night will be long and cold; that it would be
charity to keep poor young fellow from
thinking gloomy thoughts on his last night
in this world. Tell him he has my word of
honor will make no effort to escape. Tell
him all that, Marie, say anything else you
may think of in my favor. Speak loud
enough to be heard by your young mistress,
and doubt not, my Marie, he will be good
to me. Then, if he is willing to invite me to
his ball, send me his valet, ask him TO bring
me clean shirt and some hair powder. +
dare say the Republic has left a little hair
powder in the chateau. Ask him to bring
| me one of his masters coats, and beg the
Captain to lend me my own sword-only for
ornament; promise not to draw it out of
| the scabbard. Run, Marie-run! and see if
you can obtain all this for mep'
Very shortly after she had left, the valet
de chambre of Captain Hameln made his
| appearance in the pigeon house.
This valet was good old servant of the
old regime, greatly attached to hair powder
old customs and aristocracy. Since the
Republic came in he had lost good deal of
Importance. True, he had been appointed
one of the municipal Council at Nantes, but
his high functions were not near so satisfac-
tory as the long private interviews he had
been accustomed to enjoy with noble person.
| ages when he assisted in dressing or un-
dressing them. The only great man in these
| latter times whom he held in much respect was
| NJ. de Robespierre, because he was the only
man in power in the French Republic who
dared to wear hair powder, ruflled shirts, and
| tapped waistcoat with embroidery.
/ He brought the prisoner a complete court
suit that Captain Hamelin had had made
while he was a Marquis, to go to court in,
while royalty had yet court, and the court
King and Queen. al
1t was a very elegant embroidered suit.
The shirt was something exquisite, the silk
| stockings very fine. Nothing had been for
| gotten, not even scents and essences, such as
were used by Marquises in former times.
The Count gave up his head into the hands
of the old valet, who dressed it with the
greatest care and satisfaction; mingled,
however, with many deep sigh. The
Count was young and handsome, but he had
When he found himself all ready, curled,
powdered, his beard trimmed, bis eyes
frightened by good eating and champagne,
he could not resist smiling with innocent
self-satisfaction and pleasant remembrance
of sensations produced in former days at
| balls at the Grand Opera.