San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-21


bench; servants were standing about in
awestruck groups exchanging scraps Of
CHASTITY gossip below their breath. Every
thing bore deathlike stamp, and smelled,
so to say, of Grape and Expresses; everything
in this vast, well appointed house had got
out Of its usual groove, merely because
one little girl had closed her eyes.
Clara passed down the gallery, and
opened the door of the saloon which was
at the further end.
This room was the ballroom of the
chateau, and not used on ordinary occa-
sons. The furniture ranged along the
walls was Of white and gilded woodwork
in the Louis XIV style, and cushioned with
amber damask; the curtains, amber dam
ask likewise, and amber damask let
into panels on the walls. Large pier
glasses, reaching to the ground,
alternated with full length por-
traits representing the most distinguished
ancestors of the Froloff family-grimly
aristocratic and uncompromising indi-
viduals. The floor was parquetted with
polished oaken boards, and from the cell
ing was suspended q gigantic Venetian
candelabra.
All this magnificence was but dimly
seen in the gathering dusk, as was also
the tall, stiff figure Of Count Frolof, aged
about 40, quite as aristocratic and almost
as uncompromising as his painted an
cestOrs.
He bowed courteously as Clara entered,
but made no attempt to offer her seat,
neither did he sit down himself He
scarcely glanced at her as he said:
excuse me for asking you to come
down here in the cold room, mademoiselle;
was afraid of disturbing the countess"
(he always spoke of his wife as the
countessl "as her room is too near the
other drawing room. She is very seriously
unwell, indeed"-
'!May / go in to see herr" asked the
young girl.
The count frowned ever so slightly.
''Oh, dear, no; that is not to be thought
of for a moment In fact, it was pre-
cisely on that account that asked to see
you, mademoiselle. You will understand,
of course that after our-our loss" he
grew shade paler, ''we shall have to
make various changes in the household,
and as you have nothing further to detain
you here, you will doubtless be glad to re-
gain your own country without delay. Per-
nit me to offer you six months salary in
advance to compensate you for any incon-
venience this change of plans may cause,
and which, along with your travelling ex
penseS, you will find contained in this en-
velOpe."
He ceased speaking, and held out the
paper toward her; but too much Devil
dered by the upshot of his words, she did
not even put out her hand to receive
it. Clara felt rushing sound rs of
water in her ears, and convulsively she
clasped the large white garland to her
breast, us though to gain support by
leaning on it, Dismissed dismissed! was
that what it meant?
you want me to go away?" she gasped
out at last with stupid inquiry Even
now she thought she could hardly have
heard Alright
The count gave a slight, very slight,
sniff of his fine cut nostrils. How
coarsely those bourgeois people always
expressed themselves! He was surprised
at this girl who had always appeared to
be quite harmless, quite negatively lady
like, being betrayed into such uncouth
phraseology.
"It will, fear, be necessary for US to
part" was the way he put it, correctively.
"And when;n she inquired, still be-
wildered.
ooh, whenever you please; just at your
own convenience" said the nobleman in
the same irreproachable tone of con-
ventional politeness. Il would not wish
to hurry you; but, only on account of the
countess, it would be better if you were
not TO meet her again"
''Do you mean not say gOOd-by to her?n
asked Clara, like child learning O lesson.
"Just so; / wish to avoid whatever
might agitate her, by reminding her Of
what we have lost. AS soon as she has
sufficiently recovered, and-all is over,
shall take her to Italy for the winter, but
| am anxious that nothing should occur in
the meantime to upset her, and you will
understand that your presence Here
the count came to standStill, counting
on the intelligence of Fraulein Elsinger
for deciphering the rest of the phrase. He
felt that he had already needlessly gone
out of his way in cOndescending to explain
himself thus far But the young Ger
mans obtuseness baffled him again as she
repeated, interrogatively:
''My prcsence|'-
Twill, of course, remind her painfully
of our poor darling, he said rather testify.
And then, of course-we do not mean to
rcproach you; everything is in the hands
of God-but the unfortunate chance which
made you the indirect cause; the long
row on the river, perhaps wet feet over
looked But pray do not distress your
self''-as Clara showed signs of beginning
to sob-''it can do no good now''--waving
off her emotion with a half impatient
gesture, which seemed to say, "For mer-
cy's sake let us keep TO business, and
spare me the exhibition of your private
feelings, which can in no wise interest
me-"