The Dickinson press., 1884-09-13
8 chin, looked knowingly at hia

III Is 8ll SeGGl0O, MIMI"
"The Forgats consent"
Eyes; and Leon will marry Hortense
in six months; and our daughter-in-law
will come and live with us. Yes, Nor
inc, you knew nothing about it for one
doesn't talk of those things before
young ladies'; but for the last year or
more, Leon has been in love with Hor-
tense Forgat, and has done nothing but
torment US to give her to him. Par
bleu! it was not difficult-we had only
to speak the word. Leon is q good
enough match. The only difficulty was
that we wanted to keep our son with
us. However, now everything is set
tied, and your foster-brother will have
the wife he wants. Are you glad?"
Every gladl" answered Norine.
o deaf ears! o blind eyes! They
never heard Norine's voice when she
answered them-the dull, sad tone that
is the echo of q broken heart! They
never saw that Norine turned white.
and her head, as though it had sudden
" grown too heavy, rolled from side to
side as if she were going to faint. They
guessed nothing, they understoodnoth.
ing-this long time they had guessed
and understood nothing. And yet they
are all fond of her-Norine, who is the
charm and the ornament of the house.
They even think, good people. Of mar
rying her some day to their head shop
man, q widower who has saved money,
and who is Everything q woman could
wish to make her happy" Leon loves
her too, with all his heart, but as 2
sweet and kind sister, and he never
guesses, this great spoiled boy, that
poor Norine is in love with him, and
ready to die of the sorrow of it. No.
not even this evening, when they have
unconsciously inflicted one of the worst
of tortures on her, do they suspect the
truth. And they will all sleep peace
fully, dreaming pleasantly of the fu-
ture, while Norine, shut in her room
her that is separated from her
adopted parents by so slight o parti-
tion-will fall upon her bed, fainting
with pain, and bury her head inthe pill
low to stiae her sobs.
The ball is over, the rooms are begin
ming to empty, here and there the can
dies that have burned down in their
sockets have broken the bobeches, and
the bits of glass lie scattered on the pol
ished floor.
The Bayards were determined to have
the wedding at their own house. And
with plenty of fowers-for they are in
the middle of summer-they have decked
the Rue Vieille du Temple, till it has
quite a festive air, and there they have
trumhpantly installed their daughter
in-law.
It is all over at last. The young bride
and bridegroom are in their wedding
chamber, where Madame Bayard ac-
companied them q moment. AS she
comes out she meets Norine in the small
drawing-room, where she is helping the
servants to put out the lights, and kissed
the young girl tenderly, saying:
eco to bed, my child; you must be
tired" And she adds with a smile:
sit will be your turn next"
And, at last, Norine is left alone in a
darkened room, only lighted by the bed
room candle, which she had put down
on the piano.
How strong the flowers smell; and
how her head aches!
1t has been o horrible day! She has
suffered agonies from the moment when
she knelt before Hortense, her rival,
with her mouth full of pins, like any
lady's maid, arranging her white satin
train, until just now, when Leon, with
his arm round his young wife's waist.
had drawn her toward him, and, hus'
band and wife. had almost mingled theil
kisses on her forahead."
All, the scent of the flowers is unbear-
able, and she feels quite giddy.
She falls down into an armchair,
worn out with the dull pain in her head
and. with her head thrown back, and
her forehead pressed between her two
hands, watches that door-the door OF
the room where the young bride and
bridegroom are shut in together. She
is almost delirious! Oh, how the scent
of those flowers hurt her! And what
thousands of memories come crowdine
on her! She sees herself again q little
girl in an inn at Argenteuil, and the Pa
risiansU arriving so we'll dressed and ca
ressing her; and the pretty little boy
with q white feather in his hat kisses
her. The other pictures follow eacl
other rapidly through her mind. The
school in the Rue de l 'Homme-Arme
and Miss Merlin, with her knitting.
needle sticking in her chest, pointing
with the end of her wand to the table
of weights and measures; the darkcneC
drug-shop OF Sunday, when the shut.
tiers were shut and she and Leon played
hide. and-seek behind the sacks anC
barrels.
Oh, God! Is she gone mad? Nov
she can not help humming the air O.
that waltz she was dancing with Leo1
just now. She is suffocated!-oh, those
fowers!-She must goat least she
must open the window. But she can.
not get up, she has no strength left
Is this death? Her forehead seem.
bound by two fingers Of iron. Oh
those roses! those orange-blossoms!-
those orange blossoms above all!
At last, with great effort, she rises
straight and pale-so palein her white
dress. But suddenly she falls-irs
upon her knees, and then striking hel
} head and shoulder upon the floor.
: Poor, poor Norine! She lies out
stretched at the door of the bridal cham
ber-dead.
But was it a broken heart, you ask
"Not So" says q cynic. "Peopl
do not die of broken hearts,"
True. Then it must have been thu
heavy perfume of the flowers .-Adapt
ed for the Argonaut from the French
by Mile. Boucher.
1.ioh%nino 2trokos.