, 1884-09-18
THE LIONS CLAW.


he mother ana sister on eaoh side OF mini
how lovingly they had nursed him. the good
soulsl-those shivering fits still came over
him sometimes il the autumn winds were
colder than usual.
You should go TO Pau for the winter"
said the doctor; athe climate is mild and not
too hot-just the thing for you-calmlng and
soothing. and you viii come hack to your
mother in three months time a man again"
And 50 Il was that, toward tho middle OF
November. Julien de khe, leaning from his
suniit window In the Hotel Garderes, looked
out upon the sublime panorama OF the Pyre-
nees, pulling the while at those cigarettes
which seem 50 delicious TO a convalescenf.
and fell to thinking Of those he had smoked
formerly in secret between decks on the
Borin. They brought back all the sensations
OF his sixteenth year.
why, the place is full OF pretty women. :"
said the young fellow the first time he went
out to listen to the band in the Place Royale,
and 10 stroll in the sun In front Of the statue
OF good King Henry; and though he was
Mother a libertine nor a fop, the sailor, be-
ginning To enjoy life again. dressed himself
la his best cap, and his frock coat with the
three new gold bands, and the rosette OF the
| Legion Of Honor, that his mother had brought
70 him when he lay in bed 80 III that he never
hoped TO wear Il but once-on the black
cloth Of his coffin.
1t had beon a good idea, all the same, to
come 10 Pau. How beautiful IL all was-the
sun that warmed without burning, the blue
heavens, the wide landscape. with its far of
boundary OF hills. and beyond It's snow peaks
rising into the sky. And how amusing II was
10 stroll about In that cosmopolitan crowd,
among the fair foreigners, and listen TO their
voices talking every language in Europe, and
rufnulfuU fnrnfhar lrra tha AlRaranf uoDor ~
the birds in an ayiAry. It is true that there
were some disagreeable sights as well-such
as the young Englishman. for instance, in the
last stage OF consumption, who was wheeled
about In a little carriage by his servant,
wrapped In shawl and comforter; the Eng
lishman, who mad eyes like n boiled goldfish,
and wore a black respirntor over his mouth
Ali II was enough 10 make one shivcr. And
then after the first movement OF pity-men
are such egotists-Julien remembered what
he looked like himself when he landed at
Toulon, MS hin as q skeleton, with circles
round his eyes like two rings OF chocolate
and he thought that, now no was cured, he
had had a narrow escape.
And Julien de Rhe felt that 1t was a good
thing 10 be alive, to breath the warm soft air
out there In the sunshine, well dressed,
freshly shaved, and proud OF tho rosette Mt
III ~ h1ANs AhAa A1 hAN1 AA1AAA - NAa
| beggars, ga1cd after the pretty women who
passed him. and at hast stopped, feeling quite
| softened at the sight, 10 watch the pretty lit
tie American girls In black stockings and
gloves, and floating white dresses, who were
| dancing In n ring around one Of the trees Of
the Place Royale, TO the tune Of the double
quick march which the band was playing.
He wa just ready TO fall in love, this
happy couvalescent, and II was a case Of love
at first sight tho day he saw Mademoiselle
Olga Barbarine, the most beautiful girl OF
all the Russian colony, jump from her horse
In front Of the Hotel G~assion, where she
lived with her mother.
1t was 8 o'clock In the evening, and she
had just returned from the hunt, The five
or SIX admirers, In pink, who accompanied
her had jumped off their horses together, to
help her down. She took tho first hand that
came, and a. soon as she was off her horse,
she knocked on one OF the tables In the YER
andR with the handle Of her riding whip,
and, calling for a cup OF milk, which she
drank at u drnught, stood there a moment,
laughing, looking like some goddess OF old,
with her slender form distinctly outlined, as
il molde In her black riding-hRbit, and the
waves OF her shining auburn hair loosened
from her MANY hat and falling on her shout
ders. She held her empty cup In both hands,
satisfied, and, m IL were, intoxicated by the
fresh beverage. and behind her the setting
sun lit up her golden hair till 1t encircied
her face like a halo.
Then, suddenly grave a gain, she put down
the cup ON the table, gayoa slight, disdainful
bow to tho group In pink, and walked, with
a queenly step, into the hotel, tapping her
boot with her riding whip.
Three days later julien de Rhe, who had
- IL. Al. III. IL. E-I-.l. ~ l.
shei am badly In love with her; l adore
her. ct, was introduced-not a very diff
cult mattar-to the Barbarfnes, and made
one Of the squadron OF admirers Of the beauti-
full Russian.
Wns she really a RusAinn, this intoxicat-
ing creature, who had been galloping about
all day and waltzing all night, ever since tho
beginning OF the seasonf Yes, by her re-
puted father, her mothers first husband, the
Count Barbarine. But every one knew the
mother had been divorced just at the very
time OF her daughters birth, and that Mad
anne Barbarine, whose father was a New
York banker named jacobson, had long kept
up a lihison that was almost public, with a
northern prince-some Christian on Oscar.
Had she any nationality, this child who had
been brought up, by turns, in a Scotch nur-
sery, In a convent at Naples, in a school at
Geneva; who had slept half her nights on the
cushions Of express trains, and in whose
memory, rs in a stereoscope, there was moth
ing but n succession Of Watering places, sea
side towns, winter cities, and othor places OF
fashionable resort, 10 which, for the last If
teen years, her mother-still i handsome
woman, in spite of the eruption OIL her face
had carried her hlase person, her ennui, her
samovar, and her pet monkeysi Alas she
had no country. this strange girl, who, with
all the mOdesty Of a maiden. had the audncity
OF n boy. and who said, laughing at herself
-As for me, l am neither from London nor
from Paris, nor from Vienna, nor from
St Petersburg. i am from the table d'hote. d
Had she any relAt.onsi None, il seemed.
Her true father-the Oscar, or Christian, "a
whom Madame Barharsne 40 often alluded
Ind been dead several years, and her father
according TO the law-the Russian count
had never taken any notice OF her. He was
completely ruined, and had no other means
Of existence but his gun. He was a dead-shot,
and earned his living by winning prizes AT
the pigeon matches, like a sort OF civilized
Le~athertocking. As for the countess. though
she had periodic attacks OF motherly senti.
mentalism that set ones teeth on edge they
ran ~ false, she was blessed with the most
perfect, absolute, and utter selhxhness. Wher
Olga, who was then 8 years old. had had ty.
phoid fever, and nearly died of 1t, MADAME
Barbarine. while she was nursing her little
girl for Appearances sake, never once forgot
10 put on her creased gloves at night to keeT
her hands white.
Julien de Rhe learned all these things wher
he enrolled himself in the flying squadron
that was always mannuvrtng round about
Mademoisele Olga Barbarine. Yet he fsf
In love with hor desperately, this strange And
touching girl, who looked him 30 straight IN