The National tribune., 1882-08-12

important for the result OF that desperate
fight-and was nearly cut in two by the
fragment of shell. / hurried on to Ales-
sandria to nurse him. Poor soul, he hovered
for weeks between life and death, and the
war was over and half forgotten when he
recovered. Then he was summoned to Paris,
and the Emperor gave him the cross of the
Legion of Honor and the choice of place
in high official rank or a commission of Chef
de Battalion in the army. VerGier left it to
me, and preferred the army to the bureau,
so Verdier was made major and assigned to
staff duty in Paris. For the first time we
came to live at the capital.
Verdier was forty-f0ur then, capable,
accomplished man, and people made much
of him. / was forty, quiet mother OF
family, content to live at home and enjoy
my good husbands honors But one day [
received an invitation TO accompany Verdier
to ball at the hotel of Nine. Pontiac Delfuss
de Pontacque. "You must go, Aline," said
Verdier; Nine. Delfuss is a great lady of
fashion and good friend of mine, and Mon
sieur Delfuss is the one of the ministers most
capable of advancing my fortunes" So
procured myself an elaborate toilet, and
went, of course. 1t was great occasion.
NJ. Delfuss was the man of the hour-im-
mensely rich-great genius-superb orator
accom- mplished Observation-Disclosures of the
hdute UOIce His hotel was palace-a treas
ure-house of art and magnifcence. There
were thousand guests present-half the old
nobleSse-all the new-members of the I'M
perial family from the Tuileries as well as
the Palais Royal-a dazzling scene. M. Del
fuss received Verdier and me with great
empreSSemGat-a little man with an immense
big head and enormous spectacles over his
round, green eyes. A grin on his lips and
white, false teeth behind them-a stomach
from chin to legs like frogs, and thumbs
bent way back like sickles. Let me pre-
sent you to Nine. Pontiac Delfuss," said he,
turning to a superb figure in a superb dress.
Non annie in-the lady turned-it was Mar
celine Hon!
was struck dumb, but Nine Pontiac
Delfuss de Pontacque, though she knew me
quite well and was aware l knew her, made
no sign. Al am charmed to meet the wife
of my gallent friend Verdier," she said
"you must know lie is particular favorite
of ours, and NJ. de Ministre and myself have
resolved he shall be brigadier. We were
speaking of it to-day, were we not, my
friend?" The Minister assented, and Nine.
Delfuss, protesting desire to talk with me,
led me to a seat. How lovely she was-how
calm-how easy! All the time she was
talking with me so kindly about myself and
my family and my husband 1 was so confused
l did not dare look at her scarcely, but all
the time l seemed to see that poor strangled
baby lying dead and deserted on the strand
and Marceline Hon with defiant black eyes
asserting her innocence.
After the ball, when we got home, told
Verdier "You must say nothing about it,
of course" he told me; "she has it in her
power to advance our fortunes rapidly, and
she will be grateful for your silence" "Oh,
but how can / meet her again, Verdier?"
said I. "She is so calm she wears such
mask, it makes me blush and stammer."
" Nonsense!n laughed he; the scandal is
dead twenty years ago-be careful to do
nothing to revive it." After that Nine. Del
fuss invited me often, Verdier made me go,
and my old compatriOt paid me great atten-
ton, but never alluded to the past, nor
seemed to know that she like I, was from
st. Brion. The past, indeed, knew she
wished to deny, for she called herself no
longer Marceline, but Raymonde. Not that
she could keep down all scandal, however,
for Nine. Delfuss, though great leader in
society, was anything but a favorite, indeed
was particularly unpopular because Of her
hauteur, her cutting sarcasm and her in
triguing disposition. She carried it with
high hand, and her intimates avenged them
selves with mods and winks and sly whispers.
So heard that the Delfuss were nOuUedur
riches and perfect parvenues-Delfuss an Al
sacian ron-fOunder who had got rich by
railroad contracts, and increased his wealth
by enormous and lucky operations at the
Bourse, favored by illicit trading in Cabinet
secrets His POntac-Delfuss de Pontacque
was bought title, an annexation" SO to
speak, his proper parent having been an
honest blacksmith of the name of Fuss. AS
for Madame Brave airs, was she not cham
bermaid in an inn at Baden Baden, and then
a danseuse at Vienna and afterwards an
actress at the Strasbourg Theatre-if no
worse? A pretty queen Of fashion she to
dictate manners to the court and make the
bluest blood of the Faubourg Saint Germain
dance attendance in her ante-rooms. eff no
worse!" / thought what / heard was bad
enough, and kept my own counsel, went to
Madame's dinners and balls, and received
many attentions from her. M. Delfuss pro-
cured colonelcy for Verdier, and the brig
ade was not far behind when the catastrophe
came, promoted by my giddiness.
If there was anything which most pro-
voked the ladies who visited Nine. Pontiac
Delfuss and ate her dinners and danced at
her balls, it was her way of being late and
keeping her guests waiting, and then, when
their patience was tired out, dropping Ian
guidly into their presence and carelessly
hoping they would excuse her. Such things
are annoying at any time, under any circum-
stances, besides being so impolite; but in
Nine. Delfusss case the evident intention
with which the thing was done converted it
into an impertinence of the worst kind. At
last the thing got so bad that some of her
!