The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-19

suddenly, 10 my surprise, NJ. &c DdLnDeEV rose
to go. He advanced to the middle of the room
and made a low bow to Mile. de st. Cyr. After
executing this vancouver, he bowed himself out
of the room, and was followed to the door by the
General and Madame. Are not they going to
ask him to STAY to dinner2 No, it seems not.
The General and Madame return without the
young man. Nine. de st. Cyr and Mademoiselle
have a hurried conversation. The young lady
excuses herself and goes to her room, and,
shortly after, l am informed by her mother that
the man does not suit.
Poor fellowr' said I, for the third time in
sympathy. 81 suppose he was very much in
love with your daughter"
well, hardly" answered my hostess, with a
colorless smile.
He was not in love with herr Then why did
he offer himself 2"
1--WE picked him out, she said.
well, really, madame, what is his motive"
III wants to get married"
Very probably" said, with some excitement,
''but l naturally assume that his love for Mile.
de st. Cyr is the moving cause"
"Well," said NINE. de st. Cyr, loftly, IF NJ.
de Lambert has fallen in love with Adele the
cataelysm took place in the short time they were
together in this room"
How soP'
IN. de Lambert never saw my daughter be-
fore this afternoon
GOOD heavensl madame, but did you not tell
me that he admired her good qualitlesF
Most assuredly; he admired them as they
were represented to him"
But 1 thought you said that Mile. de st. Oyr
was educated a rAnglaise"
And so she is; but you would not have my
daughter familiar with the young men OF Paris,
just like a big peasant girl with a farmers lad
that takes her to the fairW
But l have seen Mile. de St Cyr."
"You have seen her very little" said Nine. de
st. Cyr, alphabetically.
''That is true" said 1, t~houghtfully.
"And besides" continued the amiablo matron,
without the slightest intention to offend, you
are an American"
~ gave up the discussion in despair. That
evening at dinner l watched Mile. Adele very
closely. Her face was very impassiye. Her
eyes were bent down upon her plate. L could
detect nothing, divine nothing in the expression
less features.
The day after, a second gentlemen called upon
the same mission which had brought NJ. Lam
bert from the delights of Paris. NJ. Fernand
Naintouche was not of quite so good a family as
his predecessor, so Nine. de St Cyr informed
me; but then his means were greater. He was
something of a scientist, too, and had hopes of
the Academy. This time l determined TO be on
hand and watch the advent Of NJ. Naintouche
very closely, noting as well, the reception which
the fair Mile. Adele would be pleased to accord
him.
NJ. Naintouche was an angular gentleman with
long, coarse, black hair, sallow complexion and
thin, black beard a Ia mauresque.. When he
smiled he disclosed the fact that two Of his front
teeth were missing. The staple of his CONVEX
sation was, in the main, scientific. Politically
he most admired the writings of NJ. Louis Blanc.
NJ. Naintouche paid hardly any attention to
Mile. de st. Cyr, talking mainly with her mother
during the brief interview which enSued. | fan
cied / detected a Slight SILVER under Mile. Adele's
white piquet dress. But l suppose it was the
wind. Indeed, l believe l suggested at the time
that she was sitting in a draught.
When M. Naintouche left Troyes, a disap-
pointed sutton, a slight gloom fell over the ST.
Cyr household. The General was a little SITTER
I d.. ----1 - AFnI1--A --A..-1 - 4..A1
colder. Mile. de st. Cyr's face at dinner was a
trifie paler than usual, and her cold lips trem-
bled a little as, Just between the salad and des-
sert, her mothers eye fell upon her.
During the evening l yentured to expostulate
with the young girls mother. / was bold enough
to remind her of thefaet that she had stated that
her daughter was to be allowed a freedom of
choice.
''Mais, mon garconl" said the worthy lady,
startled into impoliteneSs by my au9acitv, my
daughter has not the world to choose from, and
really it is not every girl in France who can
have her choice between three parts"
''Do you mean to say that she will have to
take the third one, whether she likes him or
not?'
Most decidedly"
why madame, you cannot mean it; and,
besides, the girl has really had no choice. TO
make a fair thing of it, she should see the three
gentlemen together, and have a chance to com
pare"
That would be grotesque."
sit is that which is only natural and right, >
said !, losing my temper.
Mime. de St. Cyr gave me one look, and from
that hour we discussed the social condition of
France no more.
The third sutton arrived within the week. He
had a 'de" to his name; was nearly forty, and,
though / did not stay TO see him, presume that
he was the most offensive of the three. The
wedding came off with great eclat. | believe.
The couple were married by the Archbishop of
Paris; Faure sang in the choir, and the Pope
sent his blessing.
Several months afterwards 1 received a dainty
note at the American Legation inviting me to
Inner. 1t was a tete- a tete affair, as is almost
always the case, for French society, allowing
the young girl no liberty, permits the married
woman greater freedom than We, in this eoun-
try, allow even the young girl.
On arriving at the Hotel de Jarny, | hurried
up stairs into the cosy drawing-room, furnished
in pale blue satin. In a few moments a ~portiere
was thrown back and in entered Nine. de Jarny,
nee st. Cyr.
But what a change. The white pearly teeth
were frequently displayed in a frank smile; the
brown eyes sparkled with gentle malice; and
talkatiye-eyen her mother must yield the
palm.
We soon became good friends; and it did not
take me long to learn that if Mile de st. Cyr
had said little, she had, a~tleast, listened.
As we were seated, | at one end of the ia BILE,
she at the other, and, as the soft light of the
pink-shaded candles threw a cultivated reful-
gence upon the damask raole-cloth, Nine. de
Jarny, just peeping through the maidens hair
OF the center piece, said:
You know [ was educated at a 7 Anglaise.p
Yes said 1, with the impudence of sym
pathy, ARE you sorry you did not choose num-
Der onel'
Mime. de Jarny tossed her head coquetishly,
and replied, with a low musical voice:
AT any rate, | am glad to be Free
And with these words she expressed the senti-
ments of almost every French woman that en-
ters into married life.