Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-07
CHAPTER V.


Sllhi liiN W
The Love Test.
:. Three weeks had come and gone since
the evening on which Mademoiselle Es-
telle won a 1)rind dOnna's laurels.
That first night" success had been
amply confirmed, and her reputation was
limpregnably established when we meet
her again in the saion of her own hotel
Successful artists lodge like Processes,
for their exchequers are princely, but in
other particulars THE imperial axiom set
up for Caesars wife applies to them rare
ly. Their characters are not always above
suspicion. But such was not the case
with Mademoiselle Estelle.
The petit hotel in the Champs Elysees
was shared by her mother, Madame Da-
cier, an astute New Orleaner of French
derivation, who, upon her husbands
death, returned to the old world with her
two children, Estelle aud younger sis
ter, who was neither beauty nor a sing
ing bird.
Since the eliminating hour of her
triumph, Estelle had been followed, feted,
sought, and sued she was always in n
whirlpool of adulation, yet she did not
make shipwreck of her good name.
A Russian prince, whose wealth was
only equalled by his wckedness, tried in
vain to buy her with sacks of turquolses
and strings of diamonds. He had not
the power to make her his wife ; and she
told him she had too much ambition to be
his wanton.
1t was this untainted reputation which
secured the development of Cecil's sud-
den fancy into love.
At first, after her free remarks on his
/ tn
his feelings towards her and it seemed
a moot poiut whether he could ever seek
to profit by the introduction so eagerly
sought
There is no cure for the passion of n
man of honor like the belief that his mis-
tress is Eighty and light o love. But
when the first shock subsidized, and the
young man .had time to reflect, he be-
thought him that his charmer had been
trained in Paris, where reserved speech
is not Il necessary sine qua non of femi-
nine propriety aud, moreover, she was
q popular idol, for whose privileged
tongue some allowance must be made.
&c. holding his opinion in reserve, he
watched and listened, and though he found
out that she was n great coquette, con-
summate ilirt. and a most McrOyaJie
talker, he discovered also that not one of
the men with whom she condescended to
tlirt and badinage ever dared attempt any
familiarity with her in return.
She kept her throne of maiden limo
cence unassailed, and SO, fastidious gen.
teman though he was, Cecil permitted
himself to love her. But for long time
lie continued silent suitor.
At Mademoiselle Estelle's receptions,
TO which he went, accompanied sometimes
by Mr. Foljambe, but more frequently
alone, he met SO many men of atlluence
and rauk who were his rivals, that it
seemea sheer presumption to dream that
he-plain Cecil Chesterton-could ever
carry off price for which they con-
tended.
And then his passion had its aguo fits.
There were times III the solitude of his
own chamber when the image of his
peerless mistress repealed him when,
after the glamour of her presence was re-
moved, the thought would intrtlde that
she had no heart, no depth of character,
no power OF sympathlzing with what he
recognized as highest and best.
For Il time he was dissatisfied and his
letters chnfed him, but when he saw her
lagain his misgivings vanished like n night
mare.
She was woman whose eyes were fire,
whose look was love, whose voice was the
sweetest low song, whose shape was per-
feet symmetry.
| Who could look at her and think of any
fault?
Moreover, there was one fact about her
which made Cecil hope on-or, ut any
rate, withheld him from despair.
1t was that she showed no preference
for one above another of her half-score
admirers. They crowded each Other
round the steps of her throne, but she
had never singled out one to touch hei
| sceptre.
So Cecil persisted in his continuous,
J constant, reverent suit. He was never
absent from the Opera House on nigh,
. when she was there, or failed to lay O
choice bouquet on the table of her dress
ing room lie never missed one of hel
receptions, or omitted to show his ne
spectfu affection by every unobtrusiye
: assiduity in his power
And, meanwhile, poor, unsuspicious
old Mr.. Chestcrton was congrutulatinp
n himself on the long visit he had induced
!. his nephew to pay him.
: He never noticed his long and frequent
absences, nor asked the meaning of the
I anxious, unrestful expression which hat
5 become 80 marked on the young mans
c face.
n Mr.. Chestelton had not the faculty o
8 perceiving things, therein differing dia
l. metrically from Mr. Foljambe, who hat
d not relations privilege of rcmarking OF
!. what he saw. But he used every oppor
!, tunity of covertly warning Cecil of TIN
:, pitfalls which lurked i'll the path he wa
pursuing,
~ never knew but two men who fouut
y themselves happy as tho husbands o
!. successful artists, he remarked on on
l. occasion. zone was shabby scoundre
o with two-penny title, who took to rol
r. licking on his wife's earnings and tn
3. other was consumptive visionary VIII
i died before the honeymoon was over"
5; Cecil listened, but made 10 comment
q Perhaps he thought Of the adagc. "Fal
in love when yon like, and leave off whe
=, you can.
~ Experience teaches most OF us that loy
al is very much like a Deyonshire lane
m when You are once in it, there is II
10 scrambling out-you must 60 right on 1
pr the end.
v Our hero had been acquainted wit
J. Mademoiselle Estelle for five weeks. an
&c nearly two months had elapsed since HI
III arrival in Paris, when his detected spiri
Il oppressed by long hoping against hor
H. received sudden and unexpected ia
= ly
~ On certain Thursday in June, n mt
rs nee musicale was to be given at MAIDEN
o. osielle Dacier's hotel by some of her fe
h, low professionals, in honor Of her fet
ii She was twenty-one that day. Amor
~ the invited guests We're Cecil and Mr.. Fo
To- jamie. Most Of the earlier hours of IL
o. doV were spent by the former in procu
.. IL and arranging the exquisite viii
flowers destined for birthday offering