River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-12

horn, violin, and hautboy, playing a gay
dancing tune.
whats thatl" said the young officer
putting down his wine glass and passing
at once from strong emotion to a laugh
" Ma fol- 1t must be ball"
"Alas.." said Marie. Yes, ii is ball
Nv mistress did not want to dance to
night, but the captain and her father saio
it must go on. She will be very unhappy
all the time"
"oh. Mariel7 said Count Victor, IL
you are as kird as l think you are, dc
something for me! Run-fiy! Tell youl
mistress that Count Victor Baudelot dC
Derval asks permission TO pay his re
spects TO her, but run and find the cap
tain. Tell him that his prisoner will have
a dreary vigil here tonight; that he will
not be able 10 sleep for the noise of music
and dancing; that the night will be long
and cold; that it would be charity tC
keep poor young fellow from thinking
gloomy thoughts on his last night in this
world. Tell him he has my word of hon
or will make no effort to escape. Tell
all that, Marie, say anything else you may
think of in my favor. Speak loud
enough TO be heard by your young mis-
tress, and doubt not, my Marie, he will
be good to me. Then, if be is willing to
invite me to his ball, send me his valet,
ask him to bring me 2 clean shirt and
some hair-powder. dare say the repub-
lie has left little hair-powder some
where 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 its scabbard. Run, Marie-run
and see if you can obtain all this for
me-.
Very shortly after she had left, the
valet de chambre of Capt. Hamelin made
his appearance in the pigeon-house.
This valet was a good old servant of the
old regime, greatly attached to hair-pow-
der, old customs, and the aristocracy.
Since the republic had come ia he had
LOST great deal of importance. True he
had been appointed one of the municipal
council at Nantes, but his high functions
were not near so satisfactory as the long
private interviews he had been accustomed
TO enjoy with noble personages when he as
sisted in dressing and undressing them.
The only great man in these latter times
whom he held in much respect was NJ. de
because he was the only man
in power in the French republic who dared
to wear hair powder, ruffled shirts, and
tapped waistcoats with embroidery.
He brought the prisoner complete
court suit that Capt Hamelin had had
made while he was marquis, to go to
court in, while royalty had yet court,
and the court king and queen.
1t was very elegant embroidered suit.
The shirt was something exquisite, the
silk stockings were fine. Nothing had
been forgotten, not even scents and es-
sences, such as were used by marquises in
former times.
The count gave up his head into the
hands of his old valet, who dressed 1t
with the greatest care and satisfaction /;
mingled, however, with many a deep
sigh. The count was young and hand
some, but he had not worn court dress for
a good while. When he found himself
all ready, curled, powdered, his beard
his eyes frightened by good
eating and champagne, he could not re-
sist smiling with innocent self-satisfac-
ton and pleasant remembrance of SEN
sations produced in former days at balls
at the Grand Opera.
His sword was given him rs he stepped
out of prison, with reminder that he
had promised it should not be drawn.
1t was dark when he crossed the gar
den. Assembled at the ball were all the
prettiest republican ladies' Of the prov
ince. BIT every one knows that, how
ever advanced woman may be in poll
ties, she always remains aristocrat enough
to take an interest in brave, gay, ele-
CANT young officer, especially when she
knows beyond doubt he is to be shot
The next morning.
The ball had already begun. The
bride was Mile. De Mailly, grand niece
Of that sweet De Mailly so beloved by
Mime. De Maintenon She was very beau
tiful. but very quiet and sad. She had
no heart for the betrethal or its gayeties
while scenes of danger, desolation and
death occupied her mind. Her silence
and depression infected her companions.
There never was so dismal festival in
Brittany. Everything went wrong.
There was no animation la the dance, no
among the dancers. There was
only vague feeling among the guests
that they wished they were at home.
All of sudden the tall doors of the
great hall were opened slowly. The eyes
of the uneasy guests turned toward that
door. 1t would hardly have astonished
them to see a ghost instead of which
there entered court nobleman, smiling,
handsome, beautifully dressed, an officer
and a gentleman. He wore court dress,
his air was of the court. his manners
those of pre-republican times. The blu
est of tine blues among the guests were
and excited at beholding so
in the midst of their repub-
lican festivfty, relic of that high society
which in 1889 persisted in night; whose
(under sentence of DEATH
came, faithful to the last to his vocation
of true gentleman, to share in and con-
tribute to the amusement of others.
The entrance of Baudelot, which it has
taken a whole paragraph to relate, only
occupied moment. As soon as he was
in the ballroom, he thought of nothing
but the ball. Without formal introduce
tion-for introductiOns are necessary in
asked the fairest lady that
was present to dance with him. 1t was
the bride-that sweet, young, anxious
girl who had looked up at his window
from the procession. She would gladly
have given him any pleasure at her COM
mand, for she we'll knew that death stood
at his side, and that his bony finger al
most touched his shoulder.
When the men present saw Baudelot
leading out his partner to the dance they
grew ashamed of their own want of ami