The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-22

memory at a given moment. He spoke OF
the fatal CHAINS of society, Of the slavery
If its servants, of the small thanks one
got from the world for submitting to its
fantastic laws-here he paused-of the in
effable joy-of talking open-hearted to-
gether, OF dreaming together, of losing
ones self In the azure. Here another and
longer pause.
listened, lulled by his words. 1
thought it grand 1t seemed to me as if
the Muse Of Poetry herself was lowering
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 pu-
rify all that grows under her wings?
Count Alexis said all this to me, and !
listened enraptured-enraptured above all
at not being obliged to answer, for |
should not have known what to say.
Changing the subject abruptly, he began
speaking of the Caucasus. Nowadays the
shopkeepers in the Prospectif Newsky sell
materials, nick-knacks, an authentic col
lection of weapons from that country, and
by means of money one can create for one s
self an Emir's paradise. But then the
Caucasus was in the full bloom of novelty;
few officers had brought wonders thence
and it was the dream of all bellies to pos-
sess some stuff. some trinket coming from
this Eden, so full of the smoke Of firearms
and the essence of roses.
ut was in the Caucasus, said Alexis,
that have wished to live with you--you
so beautiful, so noble, so courageous. Il
was not at all courageous, but then he did
not know that ''In the midst Of those
mountains, in the recesses of some valley
shaded by great oaks we would have lived
happy, forgetting and forgotten! would
have spread the softest of carpets beneath
your feet'-he trampled with disdain on
superb velvety Aubusson that had cost
me sixty francs the yard, but thought
much more of Persian carpets, naturally!
81 would have nnfurled the embroidered
silks of the East before you; your queenly
hands would have toyed with neckla ,es of
amber and pearls. Apropos," he said, in
terrupting himself and turning towards me
do you know that what have brought
from the Caucasus would furnish pal
acs?"
had heard of Count Alexis Circassian
boudoir, but the owner of the boudoir In.
terested me sufficiently to have prevented
my curiosity from attaching itself to
what belonged to him.
81 have heard of it, said, absently.
He then began to enumerate his riches
to me, to dazzle my imagination by de-
| scription of the strange and charming OBJ
| jects that filled his apartment; and when
he saw how fascinated was by his account
he said with sigh: "What is the use Of
speaking of it, it ought to be SEEM"
sighed instinctively, as an echo to him
doubtless.
"But, Princess" cried my hero, sudden.
ly, as if awakening from dream, why
should you not 90 to see it?"
Count" replied !, Indignantly. with a
secret pleasure, however, at being invited.
II meant no harm!" he answered with
the most jesuItical air. 81 am away from
home all day. If you will nonor my trifies
by deIgning to look at them, you may be
quite sure that the master of the house will
not offend your eyes 10y his presence.
But" answered /, devoured by the
demon of curiosity, and also, it must be
said, consumed with an ardent desire TO
see the place inhabited by sofascinating a
mortal, "such step would compromise
me-"
"You need not come by daylight, said
my tempter AT night, toward eight
O'Clock, when it Is dark, staircase lead
ing into the porte-cochere, will take You
directly into nv cabinet without passing
under the eyes of the Suisse who guards
the staircase. NY servants, even, will
hear nothing it; this little key opens
| the door,"
He handed me key-such key! The
size of a watch-key, in chased gold and
al That Eay n
have been the perdition Of IA saint, such
wonders did it promise. He placed it be-
fore me; kept silence.
"What day?" said he, in low voice.
Ipushed away the key.
''No, Count, shall not 60"
81 ask you what day, so as not to run
the risk of meeting you-as l have prom
ised you that you should not see me-"
In short, what is positive, is that five
minutes afterward | was alone, the key In
my hand, and having promised to 90 the
next evening.
| pass over in silence the history Of my
remorse. of my agitation, Of the resolu-
lions taken and then forsaken. Thirty
two times swore to myself that would
not 90, but thirty-three times l represent
ed to myself that ran no risk. that the
word of a gentleman ought to suffice me,
and curiosity carried the day by a majority
of one voice. For that matter, | think il
would have carried the day under any
circumstances.
The next evening, having found an ex-
cellent pretext-excellent, because 1t had
taken me fourteen hours to find i'll left
my home furt:vely, on foot. Count Alexis
lived in the neighboring street and | soon
arrived under the porte-cochere of his
house. This porte-coehere seemed to me
extraordinary. Since that time | have
been able to convince myself that it diff
fered in nothing from Others; but only
think. during my whole life had never
been under porte-cochere on foot. l only
knew it as place through which the car
riage and horses passed when coming TO
take me up at the street door. This par
tlcular will give you an idea of what sort
of woman | was then: a widow and a
mother. but more ignorant Of life than a
child of three.
| perceived the door in question: as
cended three steps-no one saw me-the
courtyard was deserted. By order, doubt
less. have since thought. | pushed the
key into the keyhole. not without trem-
bling little, and-I entered.
A tiny ante-chamber lit by lantern of
colored glass and filled with mirrors in
somber frames. offered me warm hospi-
tality: there were flowers everywhere, but
little light. not breath of air. | listen.
ed-not sound. The stiffness treasured
me. threw off my cloak and opened the
door, Count Alexis had said truly: his
cabinet was a marvel. The first glance
gave ne an impression of entire satisfac-
ton. such as We feel when our sense Of
the beautiful has nothing more to desire.
The sweet and subtle perfume that the
very hangings gave forth charmed with
out intoxicating. the lamps were so clever
ly placed as to leave nothing in shadow,
and nj the same time mot IN hurf the svas.