Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-11
HELENE DE TALvERE
cnovxrp WITH THE rAESANp STAR
LIKE PAssioH.fIow1R.
fAuthe Year Round. !

IAN the Year Ronnd.l
One Of the most interesting pages OF
he stcry Of every country Is that WHEN
tslls Of the rise and fall Of its nooihty'
for therein lie the romance, the annals
Of love and gsllantry, so much more IN
d;cativs Of the national progress or de-
cav than the mere record Of political or
diplcmstic influence. "The Romance
Of the English Peersge" will &c
read with some emotion when the
pages Of Smollett, Hame, and binsard
are thrown aside as dry aud un'
inviting. The romantic records Of the
French mobiles are but little known 10
this country. They arc, nevertheless
even more rsple.e with moving incident
and thrilling love adventure than our
own. Throughout the whole OF France
there Is no, feudal castle, however
gloomy and fiefcely threatening 10 as
ptct, but has It's legend of tenderness
and love not the daintiest little castle,
with its quaint carvings and coquetsish
devices. but has its tale Of frantic
jealousy and bloodthirsty revenge;
while others again. amorg the
old csstellated mansions, frown-
ING and forbiddipg as they appear,
have been the scene Of many an idyl.
OF these last is the Chateau de Talvere,
which stands almost ~ the gates OF
Luneyille. IL is q ruinous old pile,
scarcely in worse state, however. than
when the two sole remaining mombers
Of the Tslvsre fsmily-the fair young
daughter and her aged grandmother
were forced to seek refugs within its
gray old walls. Early youth and ex-
treme old age, alone and unprotected,
being compelled to the sirictest seclu-
sion in order to avoid the persecution
which had fallen upon every individual
of their race--their only aim tranquil
", their only security oblivion.
When Stanislas Leczinski was named
King Of Lorraine by the favor Of Louis
XIV. there were number Of heads TO
be cut off and number of brave souls
to be consigned to living tomb in the
dungeons Of the fortress Of Luneville be-
fore he could sit comfortably on his
throne. So had it Jared with the Count
de TaIvers, who had presumed to desis-
nate King Stanislas as minion, for
cjrner, and invader" and who had con-
sequsntly had his head stuck high one
fine morning on the battlements Of the
fort to feed the ravens and scare the
crows, while his estates and fortune
served much the same purpose, feeding
the parasites Of the King and soaring
other patriots from their allegiance by
the example Of such merciless condsca-
ton.
OF all the family Of the Count de
Talvere none remained but the aged
Countess, his mother, and the lovely
Helene, Q maiden Of sixteen, his only
daughter. They had been suffered to
remain ut the chateau, whose domain
was now confined to small patch OF
orchard and garden, and from this the
two unhappy inmates Of the chateau
were compelled to maintain themselves
entirely. Upon such diet as this OBJ
LEGATION entsiled it can be no wonder
that the poor old lady should have
grown thinner and thinner, until a.
length the wood.cutters and charcoal
burners, who passed the chateau on
their way from work, would be
scared into the belief that they
had beheld the ghost Of that wicked
Countess de Talyere, who had been
executed at Bar more than half GEN.
tury before. Far different, however,
was the effect of the cruel edict of con-
fiscation (which in those days always
implied starvation likewise) upon the
beautiful Helene, the present shsrer Of
al this destitution, the future helress
TO all this decay. She seemed TO thrive
upon the scanty fare Of the chateau.
She was plump and rosy, as though she
had been nurtured in luxury; merry
and lightbearted. as though she had
never known q sorrow; scarcely con-
scious of the privstion amid which she
was living; happy in the enjoyment OF
the air, the sunshine, and the flowers,
aud in the love and devotion Of the old
Countess de Talvere.
II Was a sight TO behold this girl Of
such wonorous beauty leading at early
dawn the solitary COW, on which de-
pended the nourishment of the family
at Talvere, along the narrow paths of
the garden and orchard, pausing while
the poor animal stsid to nibblo the
scanty heritage beneath the hedge, and
plying with nimble fiogers all the while
the thread depending from the distats
fastened 10 her CIRCLE, while carolllng
forth in the sweetest voice man ever
heard some old, quaint ditty--some
tender love. song OF oldcn times-un-
known TO other damsels Of her age, and
caught from former generation through
the quavering accents of her aged grand
mother. 1t was q sight to behold her
stay now and then in her walk to caress
the patient animal, while standing on
tiptoe to whisper words Of endearment
into her ears.
And SO thought the young cavalier
who was riding alone one morning at
break Of day to join the royal hunt
down the messy path beside tho ruined
wall Of the chateau, when, attracted
BY the song and the tender speeches
which ensued, he rose in his stirrups 10
gaze over the stone coping Of the wall.
II the refined gallant OF the Court of
Luneville had been startled and por-
picked at the exquisite delicscy OF
voice and execution Of the song which
be had imagined to proceed from the
lips Of some peasant girl at her early
labor, how much more was be startled
and perplexed at the sight Of the fan.
tsstic figure which presented itself tc
his gaze Amid all the poverty
and priyation suffered at the chateal
the necessity Of their display in sordit
attire had not yet arrived. The OLE
Countess had retained the splendil
wardrobe she had owned in the days o
her glory, and the sole delight Of he
,iic was in the iashioning and furnish
ing the quaintly-cut yestments, whic
s>~shSlad worn In her own youth, to SUI
the face and figure Of Helene. We
plight the young horseman be surprise
hen be saw before him this Made
of such strange beauty. attired in