The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-07-11

~ npOke IN anger! oh, forgive me, lover
FANNY FoRnEsrER.
The Passion Flower Ofthe Talvcre
One Of the most interesting pages of the
story of every country is that which tells
Of the rise and fall Of its nobility, for there.
In liz the romance, the annals OF love and
gallantry, so much more indicative Of the
national progress or decay than the mere
record Of political or diplomatic influence.
.'The Romance Of the English Peerage" will
he read with some emotion when the pages
of Smollstt, Hume, and Lingard are thrown
aside as dry and uninviting. The romantic
records Of the French mobiles ara but little
known in this country. They are, never
theless, even more reple:e with moving in
cid.nt and thrilling love adventure than our
own. Throughout the whole Of France there
is not t.udal castle, however gloomy and
flercely threatening in aspect, but has its
legend of tenderness and love; not the
daintiest little castle, with its quaint carv-
ings and cOquettish devices, bnt has its tale
Of frantic jealousy aud blOodthirsty revenge;
while others again, among the old castellated
mansions, frowning aud forbidding as they
appear, have been the scene Of many an
idyl. or these last is the Chateau do Tai
we're, which stands almost at the gates Of
Luneville. It is a ruinous old pile, scarcely
In worse state, however, than when the two
sole remaining members Of the Talvere FAM
tly-the fair young daughter and her aged
acknowledgements forced IN seek refuge
within its gray old walls. Early youth and
extreme old age, alone and unprotected, be-
log compelled to ths strictest seclusion In
order IN avoid the persecution which had
fallen upon every Individual of their race
their only aim tranquility, their only Sc
curity oblivion.
When Stanislas Leczinski was named King
81 Lorraine by the favor of Louis XIV there
were number of heads to bs cut Off and a
number Of brave souls to 10 consigned to q
living tomb in thu dungeons of the fortress
OF Luneville before he could sit comfortably
on his throne. So had IL Jared with the
Connt de Talvera, who had presumed TO
designate King Stanislas as 'imipion, for
eignar, and INVADER" and who had conse,
quently had his head stnck high one fine
morning on the battlemen's of the fort to
feed the ravens aud scare the crows, while
his estates and fortune served much the
same purpose, feeling the parasites of the
King and soaring other patriots from their
allegiance by the example Of such merciless
con1soation.
or all the family Of the Count ds Talvere
nona remained hut tie aged Countess, his
mother, and the lovely Helene. maiden Of
sixteen, his only daughter. They had heen
suffered TO remain at the chateau, whose
domain was now confined TO q small patch Of
orchard and garden, and from this the two
nnhappy inmates Of the chateau were com
PEELED 10 maintain themselves entirely.
Upon such diet al this obligation entailed
Il can be no wonder that the poor old lady
shonid have grown thinner aud thinner,
until at length the wood enters and charcoal.
burners, who passed the chateau on their
way from work, would ba scared into the
belief that they had bsheld the ghost of that
wieked Countess de Talvars who had been
executed at bar more than half century
before. Par different, however, WAS the
affect OF the cruel edict of conHscation (Which
ia those days always implied starvation like
wise) upon thu beautiful Helene, tho present
sharer of all this desiitution, the future
heiress to all this decay. Shs seemed to
thrive upon the seanty fare of the chateau.
She was plump and rosy, as though she had
besn nurtured In Injury; merry and light
hearted, as though she had never known q
SORROW; scarcely conscious Of the privation
amid which she was living; happy in the
enjoyment Of the air, the sunshine, and the
flowers. and in ths love and devotion Of the
old Countess da Talvera.
II was sight to b.llold this girl Of such
wondrous beauty leading at early dawn
the solitary COW, on which depended the
nourisllmeut af tia family at Talvsrs, along
the narrow paths af tls garden and orchard.
pansing while tine poor animal siaid Ia
nibbie the soanty heritage b-peAth the hedge,
aud plying will, nimble fingers all the
while the threat dapanding from the distaii
fastened To hav girdla, while oarolling forth
in tho sweetest voica man ever heard soma
old, quaint ditty, some tender Iowa song OF
oldsn times, unknown to other damssls Of
her age, and caught from former generation
through the qnaverIng accents Of her aged
grandmother. II was sight TO behold her
stay now and then In her walk To osrsss the
patient animal, while standing ON tiptos IA
whisper words OF sndsarmsnt into her ears.
Aud 30 thought the young cavalier, who
was riding alone one morning at break oil
day to join the royal hunt down the mossJ
path beside tina ruined wall OF tho ohataan,
when, attracted by the song aud the tender
speeches which ensued. he rose In ILLS stir
rups to gaze over the stone coping Of the wall
1.-THE refined gallant of the Court Of Luns
Vile had lssn startlsd and perplsxsd at tn.
exquisite delicaoy OF voice and sxscntion o.
the song which he had Imagined TO proceed
from the lips of some peasant girl at hs
early labor, how much more was he startled
and psrplsxed at tho sight Of the fAntas
tic figure which presented itself 4
his gael Amid all the poverty anf
priyaiion suffered at tho cLaieau the ne
csssiiy Of their display In sordid attire ha'
not yet arrived. The old Countess had no
tanned the splendid wardrobe she had ownat
In the days OF her glory. and tbs solo d-ligh
OF her life was in the fashioning aud furnish
ing the quantity cut vestments which sh
had worn in her own yOnth TO suit the fac
and figure OF Helene. Well might ths yonnl
h0rseInan bs surprised when he saw befor
him this inaidsn OF snch strange beauty
attired In costume of which lie had rea,
and heard aud gazsd upon in pictures, bu
which he had never before bsheid, occupies
in work familiar 10 his mind aud conneole
only with the hnmblast drqigsry Of pssssn
Iifa. II seemed % IL some fairy appsritio
had suddenly risen from the earth to bevil
der his senses. Kverything assmsd uprea
aud intangible In the so8pe. The fresh love
llness Of the little maiden, With her delic4t
pink and whita complexion. the sparklin
eyes, the rosy lips, and golden hair, the soft
sweet voice. all spoke OF the warmth aud powe
OF youth aud life; the costume OF q bygon
generation, OF old ago. OF moth aud mold, {
oblivion and the grav'; the ocoupstiup of th
rudest poverty aud TOLL the dress, apsl
from its cut aud fashion, Of wealth aud di'
tinction, from tho riohnsas Of the material
Of which II Is composed. The psttioost wa
Of brocadsd satin, the embroidered insts. au
corps OF ruby velvet, tlle open rohs Of broei
telle; faded aud out Of data all might be, bu
without spot or Flemish. All was so strana
aud uuearthly that the fairy tales Of Madam
d'Auln0y, the fashionable reading It th
Court OF Lnnsville, crowded on hls msnlor!y
aud for moment he renlsined convince
that the bssutsous form on which he gaze
must OF necessity be- that Of the Princes
Gracloss; that the lime blossoms which FOL
Ia thick showers FROM the boughs rs the 90
disturbed them Ia her slow advance WEI
thrown by the hand Of her fairy godmoths
from the clouds; and that the daisies an
butteroups which bent beneath the maiden
feet we're real pearls aud topasss, spread o
the path by the came powerful protectress.
Iflsuoh were the impressions conveyed
the brain Of the young cavalier. II Ia I
Yopder that he found himsslf suddenly tran