The Portland daily press., 1881-05-07

Lelange. You will not so ill use your time
here as to bring any unhappiness OH the
house of your good uncle. YOU will get
over this in time. A few years of absence
has wondrous effect i'll curing some love
affairs"
''You have never loved, my father" was
the answer of the young soldier.
''Ah, say you SOP" said the priest, with
sad, quiet smile. 81 once was quite as
young as you. You would not think that
this feeble old body was once covered with
the scarlet uniform of the Kings body
guard. Aye, aye, young friend, too once
heard the guns and shouted in the charge.
But, come, let us stroll to the village"
The pair walked out on the high road. 1t
was now quite dark, and even the white
walls of the cottages could hardly be seen as
they passed close to them. The priest held
the young mans arm and leaned heavily up
on it. AS they neared a part OF the wood
which came close to the road a white owl
came fluttering out from the trees
''That is a bad omen, is it not?" asked de
Mochrivart.
'sIf there be such things as bad omens,"
said the priest. ''No ill is likely to befall
you, my son; although in these troublous
times You are much too free of speech, and
do not sufficiently render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesars"
came up the road. A carriage stopped, and
man alighted, followed by two others. A
lantern was raised, and the light fell on the
face of the young man.
"Monsieur de Mochrivart," said one of
them, 81 arrest you in the name of the
King" And the two others came UP and,
stood beside him.
Good heavens! On what charge ?"
asked the young man.
n,,{ l,,,o al, 49,, lav,
guage. [ have with me the warrant, and
sufficient force if you should attempt to re-
sist."
ga charge, I presume" preferred by the
Count de-Lalange?" said the soldier; "and
my destination is Paris, and my abode to be
the Bastile?''
''And your abode the Bastile," was the
answer. 81 give you five minutes to say
farewell to the good cure here; but do not
attempt to escape, for regret to say that if
such be the case have given orders to fire
upon YOU" And the officer bowed.
The young man stood silent and then a
thought struck him.
Father he whispered to the priest,
''near Paris 1 had strange adventure.
Some one, know not who, gave me this Gu
rious ring. Take it now. He told me that,
if ever imminent danger threatened me, l
was to open the lid at the back, and there 1
should find his name and crest. l was to
apply to him to help me, and"
''Tme presses'-the voice of the officer
came through the darkness.
''God and the saiuts protect you, my son."
said the priest, and he clasped his hand. In
but few seconds the carriage had rolled
far away into tue night
The priest went to his house. He turned
the ring round, and opened the lid inside
| it. There was the crest of deer's head in
colored enamel, and beneath the word "Ba-
haine."
"The most profigate of the friends of the
Due de Rchelieu," he said aloud. ''Still,
mercy mere may come through curious chan
Y ~
In the great garden of the Chateau de Ba-
haime was a scene such as Vatican loved.
Nature was there, certainly, but nature
trimmed, and cut and twisted, aud disguisd
by what was called taste; nature, not as a
genuine goddess of beauty, but bedecked
and bedizzened like Roman dancing girl
| painted and pranked out for a banquet. Not
a branch of yew could grow its own way;
the very lines were wrenched aid twisted
into arbors; the fresh buds of the myrtle
were ruthlessy chopped off from the hardest
curves, and the orange trees were cut into
great green bee hives. And on the level
lawns the stone satyrs and fauns grinned
with their hard, hideous lips and looked up
on the scene with fendish sneer. And
these beauties of Louis Quinze were suited
to what was arouud them. What stiffened
hoops and rouged faces, and wrenched-up
and powdered hair! What priestesses of
shams they all were, and how they seemed
to be trying to convert nature into sham
likewise!
Beneath a white awning, festoOned with
roses, sat the Marquis de Bahaine. He was
listlessly trying to conceal his attempts to
yawn. For few minutes he had been ad-
miring the excellent fit of his silk stocking
on his shapely ankle, then came the desire
to yawn; then he checked it, and looked
over his garden to the prospect.of the coun-
try beyond. He could see in the distance
| the peasants working in the fields. He 10
| ticed the bent and bowed backs of pair of
women who were Juggling a low cart along
a steepish part. Some sort of vague idea
was suggested by this, and he turned to a
| guest seated near him to give it utterance.
ode Lalange," he said "the worthy priests
tell the peasants that they go TO heaven, do
they not?"
II believe SO, my dear Marquis" was the
answer of his companion, a tall, dark man,
clad in complete suit of delicate light blue
| silk.
''Then all I can say is that heaven will
suffer most confoundedly from the scent of
goats. 1t is enough to give one still great
er longing for delicate atheism And t he
Marquis slipped his chocolate. The strai ms
Of minuet music came through the trees.
The Marquis raised his delicately penciled
eyebrows. ''But, Count. are you not to
dance this coming minuet?"
| 81 had forgotten, my dear friend" said
the other, moving away.
:" My dear friend, and my dear Mar
| quis,'" the owner of the chateau murmured
to himself with a smile; "and that dear
creature De Lalange has twice within the
last year tried to get my throat cut. If it
had not been for that interesting young gen.
tleman from India, last time he wonld GER
tainly have succeeded"
For while the noble, with half-closed
eyes, listened to the music of his band of
violins. Then he arose and walking up to
the great stone clad pond near by, stood
looking down at the carp which came to the
side to thrust their noses into the air. A
lackey now approached him, and informed
the noble that an old priest, who would not
SO much as give his name, wished for an au-
dience. The marquis bowed assent, and the
| figure of the cid cure of Haigniere soon
darkened the broad walk. The marquis was
no great lover of black cloth and cassocks.
He looked at the old man, and on his lips
was half-smile of contempt
ITO what stroke of good fortune, mon
sieur, do l owe the honor of this visit?" he
asked.
'Monseigneur," said the priest, with a
flush upon his withered face, "the world
says that De Bahaine departs not from his
word-his word once given in good faith"
Gas rule, monsieur, the world lies, but
in that particular it speaks the truth" And
the Marquis took pinch of snuff.
| "Monseigneur," continued the old man,
ga dear friend of mine, the Captain de
Mochrevart, has been suddenly taken from
me. He was arrested on charge of sedit-
ion, believe preferred by the Count de La
LANCE. He is now in the Bastile. Before
he left me he gave me this curious ring and
desired that should open it, and finding
the name euameled within should take it to
him who bore that name"
ga curious thing is fate, is it not, mon
sieur?" said the Marquis. '"Tis but month