Litchfield enquirer., 1881-01-20

CnfOugn the Qro8Sl ug-rOOIn, anu 90 lntO 0 nar- f row passage, which led to her own part of the
 house. Frank opened the doors for her. and
 shut and locked them securely when she was l gone. He then returned to his chair before
 the red smouldering fire, to muse over the
 strange explanation of his Marguerite's sad- ness. ---lf .fa-. 1 Albert kept his word, and the next day af- ter breakfass Frank found himself left alone | in the salon with Marguerite. He poured out
 his feelings with the demonstrative candor I natural to him, which did not seem to offend 1 this French lady. Her English lover seemed l to her a charming and wonderful crrature; perhaps little wild and unmanageable, but | still creature with whom one could be amaz- I ngly happy--if only things would go welE l The shadow of the past still clouded her eyes and saddened her smile. Could any mortal man
 be master of Fate. Certainly if anyone. Frank l Morley ale gf,.p i.7rs.siis, gf,a. s 9i l..... | I know you think me very sad and stupid, l she said by and by. Believe me, have had l good deal to make me 80. Only take care of yourself, and I shall forget it all presently l Am m any danger, then 1? said Frank. 70 no; not any real danger! But think
 we are an unlucky family. Perhaps some day may be able to tell you why
 Tell me now, can't you9 But in the mean- time you need hardly wear mourning for me in prospect, Marguerite. l have not the small lest intention of dying at present. ''a 'e | He wastwiuing one of her black ribbons l round his fingers as he spoke, 2. s... ...:. -. f 'Ah, she said with almost little cry, I ought never to ve'allowed it. ought never | to have said yes. l ought never to have cared
 more-ah, Frank. have been selfish, and self Fishness is sure to be punished S F H | Nonsense What are you afraid of ? said Frank gazing earnestly into her face. She
 shook her head, and looked down. Then she
 lifted her eyes again with little air of proud resolution.
 | I will tell you,' she said, 'and then you will
 be warned, perhaps, and go away. You ought to have known it all before you have | been deceived. We have all joined in deceiv- 1 ing you. At first 1 did Tot think what was
 doing, but now know, Frank, thought it | would be easier to die than to tell you all the story but now will, for you are giving yourself ignorantly. And will not have it; you are too dear and generous ...... Frank smiled as he listened and watched
 her face. '4 4.n "'.t t' r'.-. I think you are disturbing yourself about nothing, my dear child he said. ,, Indeed am not. An, you would not say
 that if you know what pain it is to me, how all the old pain comes back Only this is | fifty thousand times worse because do be- lieve-' 4..t ~ N l} That you love me, and love you' Frank finished her speech for her. I should say I that made it fifty thousand times better It strikes me you don't quite understand the force of what you are saying Under those
 circumstances is it likely that should give you up, whatever you might have to tell inc Listen. You are like some princess in a fairy
 tale, who put all her lovers to death if they | couldn't answer certain question; What is
 my thought like2 Don't you know? We'll,
 lots of them came to an untimely, end but at last | the right man came and answered it. He all
 ways does. Your question was different. You asked it me one morning as you went
 cut of that door, and would not stop to hear
 the answer, because you knew it would be the
 right one So altogether 1 don't see what
 there is to vex yourself about
 Frank spoke very deliberately, with cool
 reasoning air. A look of great surprise came into Marguerite's face she flushed up as she had done that morning, which both she and 1 Frank remembered so well. You say very strange things she murmur- I ed, after little silence
 1s there anything quite untrue and ridicu- lous in what have said2' o Frank, you puzzle me completely You see you need not trouble yourself to
 tell me anything, my dear Marguerite And as for pain, old or new, don't mention the
 subject again, please. You are going to be
 happy, and you will ohlige me by taking of
 these horrid black ribbons .t .-, a.s 7
 Frank You know it makes no differ
 ence P
 It makes this difference-th will not
 wait for you more than month. 1 am not
 going to let you stay in this gloomy place,
 with ghosts and mad people, day longer than + l can help
 'Ah, mon Dieu! It was my aunt; you have
 seen her! When was it2 What did she say ! to you?' 1aa ,'t
 She was very much agitated. Frank sooth- ed her as well as he could, and told her by
 degrees the story of his visit from Madame de Maupas Marguerite cried 8 little, and could
 hardly believe that he was uninfuenced by
 all the horrors he had heard. Frank
 had to soothe and reassure her all over again.
 By and by she looked up at him, her eyes
 smiling, the wild, weary look in them gone
 forever.
 I am happy now,' she said. I feel the
 sunshine; there is no more cold wind ;'and
 she broke into little joyful laugh. After
 all, this is very good world. she said.
 Frank afterward described his interview with
 Madame de Maupas in much more unvarnish-
 ed was to her nephew Albert, who told him
 that all the story, was true He added that h
 poor lady, always peculiar had been lItIle
 touched in her wits since the war and the
 death of her sons. Sine had become super-
 stitous and revengeful, throwing ali the
 blame of their deaths on the ill-luck of Mar
 guerite Her late husbands brother, the pres
 ent Comte de Maupas, was athUrouah Pari-
 sian. and had DO use for such a middle-age
 abode as the Chateau de Naupas. He was
 glad that the Sant-Flors should make their
 home there, and take charge of tie old lady,
 and having no children of his 'o~n he meant
 to leave the place to Albert, with the small
 quantity of land that remained to it. ,-. It seemed only right that Frank should
 know all the family history, the chain of cir cumstances which hadled to his meeting with
 Marguerite. It was a rough way by which he
 had reached her, certainly; of battlefields dy
 ing men, accidents and terrors, the de-