Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-13

world for submitting to its fantastic
laws-here he paused Of the ineffable
Joy of talking open-hearted together, of
dreaming together, of losing ones self
in the azure. Here another and longer
pause.
/ listened, lulled by his words. 1
thought it grand. .Itseemed to me as if
the muse of poetry herself was hover ing
over us and protecting us with her spot
less wings. Who would have dared to
think of evil under the shield of poetry?
Is she not Immaculate? Does she not
purify what grows under her wings?
Count Alexis said all this to me and
[ listened enraptured-enraptured
above all, at not being obliged to an
swer, for l should not have known
what to say. Changing the subject alb
ruptly he began speaking of the Caucas-
us. Nowadays the shopkeepers in the
Prospectif Newskv sell materials, nick
nacks, authentic collections Of weapons
of that country, and by means ofmoney
one can create for ones self an emir's
paradise. But then the Caucasus was
in the full bloom Of novelty, a few Of
fcers had brought wonders thence, and
it was the dream Of all bellies to possess
some stuff, some trinket coming from
this Eden, so full OF the smoke of fire.
arms and the essence of roses.
st is in the Caucasus" said Alexis,
"that 1 have wished to live with you
you, so beautiful, SO noble, SO cour-
ageous." [ was not at all courageous,
but then he did not know that) SIN
the midst of. those mountains, in the
recesses of some valley shaded by great
oaks we could have lived happy, for
getting and forgotten. l would have
spread the softest carpets beneath your
feet" he trampled with disdain upon
superb velvety Aubusson that had
cost me 60 francs per yard, but [ thought
much more of Persian carpets, natu-
rally-"I would have unfurled the en-
broidered silks of the east before you;
your queenly hands would have toyed
with necklaces of amber and pearl
Apropos," he said, interrupting him
self, and turning toward me, edo you
know that what have brought from
the Caucasus would furnish a palace?'
I had heard of Count Alexis Circas-
sian boudoir, but the owner of the bou-
doir interested me sufficiently to have
prevented my curiosity from attaching
itself to what belonged to him.
II have heard of it," | said, absently.
He then began to enumerate his
riches to me; to dazzle my Imagination
by description of the strange and
charming objects that filled his apart
ment; and when he saw how fascinated
l was by his account, he said, with
sigh:
what is the use of speaking of it?
1t ought to be SEEM"
[ sighed instinctly, as an echo to
him, doubtless.
"But, Princess" cried my hero, sud-
denly, as if waking from dream,
'why should you not go to see it?"
'Count!" replied /, Indignantly, with
secret pleasure, however, at being in
vited.
81 meant no HARM" he answered
with the most iesuitical air. 81 am
away from home all day. If you will
honor my trihes by deigning to look at
them, you may be quite sure that the
master of the house will not offend
your eyes by his presence"
"But," answered [, devoured bv the
demon of curiosity and also, it must
be said, consumed with an ardent de-
sire to see the place Inhabited by SO
fascinating a mortal, ''such a step
would compromise me-"
"You need not come by daylight"
said my tempter. SAT night, toward s
O'Clock, when it is dark, staircase
leading into the porte-cocEere, will take
you directly to my cabinet without
passing under the eyes Of the Suisse
who guards the staircase. My servants,
even, will hear nothing about it; this
little KEY opens the door,"
He handed me key-such a key
The size of a watch-key, in chased gold
and ornamented with rubies. That key
would have been the perdition of a
saint, such wonders did it promise. He
placed it before me kept silence.
"What day?" said he in low voice.
I pushed away the key.
"No, Count, shall not CO."
Il ask you on what day, so as not to
run the risk of meeting you-as [ have
promised you that you should not see
me-"
In short, what is positive is that in
five minutes afterWard [ was alone, the
key in my hand, and having promised
to 60 the next evening.
pass over in silence the history of
my remorse, of my agitation, of my
resolutions taken and then forsaken.
Thirty-two times swore to myself that
I would not 60, but thirty-three times l
represented to myself that [ ran no
risk, that the word Of gentleman
ought to suffice me, and curiosity car
ried the day by majority of one voice.
For that matter, [ think it would have
carried the day under any circum-
stances.
The next evening. having found an
excellent pretext-excellent, because it
mad taken me fourteen hours to find it
4 left my home furtively on foot.
Count Alexis lived in the neighboring
street, and [ soon arrived under the
porte cochere of his house. This porte
cochere seemed to me extraordinary.
Since that time [ have been able to
| ,o,xyoolf -.