Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-13
THE RENDEZVOUS.
BY HENRY GREVILLE.


cerned some one else. Yet the portrait
that [ see before me, hung facing my
sofa, with fair curis and dreamy eyes, is
nv own-that is, as | was thirty-fve
wears ago, when we wore tight sleeves
and English curls.
was widow, and had been a sufi-
cient length of time to find great enjoy
ment in returning to society. | had
worn mourning for two years-crape
throughout the first year-so that re-
turning to the world was quite proper.
By a clever transition | had passed
from black to gray, from gray to lilac,
from lilac to pale pink, so adroitly and
so quietly that no one had perceived it,
excepting my dressmaker, whose &C
count charged me with three gray
dressess-three, where the good natured
public thought it had seen only one.
An affair of shades
had reached soft blue, with roses in
my hair. when I met at a friends house
Count Alexis B. He was one of the
most charming takers at that time,
when every one prided himself on his
wit: he wore his hair like Lord Byron,
had been friend of our ever-regretted
Lermontof and moreover when out
walking, had way of draping himself
in his military cloak that turned all
heads. Mine was no stronger than that
of others, and did not hold out any
longer; it is true that Count Alexis did
his best, for he offered me homage in
the most equivocal fashion. At balls he
was my partner for the mazurka; at
concerts he was always behind my
chair, and when out driving his open
carriage, in which with the aid of the
famous cloak he was superbly dressed,
passed and repassed before me ten
times or more. What resistance could
| offer to so much fascination?
Nevertheless there could be no Ques-
ton of my marrying the Count Alexis.
NV dearest enemies took too much
pains to induce me to accept him, and
my real friends, those who had passed
the age Of harming, were too urgent in
their persuasions. Count Alexis was
an incompatible cavalere servate. but
he was over head and ears in debt, and
moreover, a great rake it is said. He
would have been 1t seems, one of those
husbands who turn their backs on their
wives at the end of a week of married
life. [ had son. and [ owed it to him
to keep his fathers fortune intact. If
remarked it should be to a steady and
prudent man, who should make good
use of our money-in short, l could not
marry Count Alexis. Every one was
agreed on that point, [ among the very
first
Eyes; but he was charming. His
black eyes, his stories Of the Caucasus
at that time only spoken of with
poetical enthusiasm-his very follies
had an irresistible charm for me.
Every evening | met him somewhere,
and if in sensible moment [ staid at
home, at about 10 o'clock he would be
announced, and beg for the favor of a
cup of tea-could [ refuse it to him? I
granted it, and then talks by the soft
ened light of the lamp, in the solitude
of my little drawing-room, seemed to be
more dangerous than all the rest. I
felt the danger SO much that one night
| forbade him to return. He protested
with his usual eloquence.
"No," said to him, sit is useless;
all this leads to nothing; we are losing
our time,you in asking me, [ in defend
ing myself. My dear count, you are ir-
resistible, but [ will never marry you"
Alexis assumed a tragic air that be-
came him admirably:
"Accursed fortune" murmured he,
''that places gull between you and
me! Why are you not poor? With
what joy would I not have hailed YOU
as my wifep'
I shook my head.
1T is not my furtune," [ answered
st is the little trust that can be placed
IN YOU"
an me? What a calamityw cried
my lover, bounding.
He leaned against the mantlepiece
and acclaimed some verses that de-
scribed the state of his soul. He was
superb thus, and his eyes magnetized
me.
"You are manuals sujet," [ said
smiling, but with downcast eyes, foc ]
felt myself giving way; "you are
adored by all women, and it is toe
much to be loved by one."
He smiled in his turn. A rose was
blooming in glass of water on the
table beside me. He took 1t and scat
tered the petals at my feet.
Cali before one," said he, pointing to
the perfumed rose leaves strewn On the
carpet.
1t was in very bad taste, perhaps; ]
cannot tell; it was puerile, declamatory
and meant nothing into the bargain
but thanks to the black eyes and to the
poetry, felt deeply moved.
go away!' l said in low voice.
This was acknowledging myself I'M.
able to continue the struggle. The
Count understood it, and threw himself
at my feet.
"What are you doing? l cried: ''you
are mad Some one will come in
you will compromise me-"
Alexis was a great good-for-nothing
but be was not stupid. He got up inn
mediately, sat down at semi-respectful
distance and began to deliver me lit
tie speech. He recited it very well
thanks, | suppose to a long habit Of
drawing it from his memory at given
moment. He spoke of the fatal chains