Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-16

l =
than twenty-five years old at the most, al
though she had been widow for seyera
! years.
From the choice of the dwelling and its
furniture, 1t was easy to form a rather ex.
act idea of the character of Madame de
! Flayigny, which was of extreme elegance
: combined with the most severe simplicity
Lady Cavendish and Madame de Flavignv
Notwithstanding the conformity of Their
age, education, fortune, beauty and aristo.
cratic grace, were two antitheses in their
tastes and habits. Madame de Flavigny
lived apart from the word; Lady Caven-
dish found in it her greatest delight
Balls, theaters and the excitement of social
life suited the latter, while the former
took pleasure only in seclusion and the so
ciety of 4 few intimate friends.
The salon in which Madame de Flavigny
habitually received her favored guests was
noticeable for the profusion of its books,
albums and portfolios of charming paint
ings. Here and there were scattered beau
tiful pieces of needlework in various stages
of completion, and near the piano stood a
rich collection of music In fine, the at
mosphere of this salon was impregnated
with lnexpresSible emanations of intelli-
gence, which engendered and nourished
conversation In Its highest planes. II
sufficed to cast but a glance at the sur
roundlngs to lind at once a thousand in
spring subjects for agreeable reflections
None of the austerity of prudishness could
be found in the habits of Madame de Fla
yigny. She was lively, pleasing and affa-
BILE it was easy to see that widowhood
was not for her definitely settled state.
1t was even limited that among her most
assiduous visitors was certain young man
upon whom, some day or other, her choice
might fall. Madame de Flavigny had
never examined the state of her own mind
in respect to the matter, but the persons
who surrounded her fattered themselves
as is generally the case, that they could
read her thoughts better than she could
herself
The young man in question had indeed
all the qualities which corresponded to
| the favorite ideas of Madame de Fla
vigny. He was grave, sentimental, and,
at the same time, studious and enthusiastic
He had none of the ambitious desires OF
the youth of the day. His enthusiasm
seemed to concentrate itself within the
! circle of the affections of the heart and
soul. 1t was for that reason, principally,
that he had succeeded in winning the re-
gard Of Madame de Flavigny. Notwith-
standing the frequency of his visits, she
always experienced the Hveliest emotion
as the hour at which he was to present
himself drew near. The punctuality OF
her visitor-who arrived invariably at the
very stroke of the clock-charmed her be-
yond measure, for she saw in that the un-
denlable proof that worldly obligations
and ambitious preOccupations were of no
value in the estimation of the young man.
| Does the woman who, like Lady Caven-
dish, wishes her lover to be influential,
sought after, and admired by all, love
more or less deeply than the one who, like
Madame de Flavigny, wishes him to be
hers alone, to live and be absorbed in the
affection which she bears for him? That
is the great question of the metaphysics
of the heart, the solution of which is yet
to be found.
When Madame de Flavigny turned her
thoughts seriously toward the future, in
which she unconsciously included the
young man whom friendly gossip declared
to be the favored one, she felt natural
curiosity concerning his real nature, and
| sought to fathom the innermost recesses OF
his character.
81 can scarcely understand" said she
to him one day, how in the midst of
young companions completely engrossed
by ambitious ideas, you can realize that
| happiness is not in fortune and fame
| You will have to reveal to me the secret
of your exceptional indifference to the
idols of the day"
According to my ideas, glory and riches
may satisfy the vanity, and may obtain for
their possessor consideration and pleasure,
but not real happiness. Seclusion is the
real abode of the heart"
| "In what condition would you place
yourself, had you the choice of your des-
tiny"
"In the first place, l would desire a
position of independence; next, the blessed
society of one who could dispense with the
Interior attractions of the world"
Yes" said Madame de Flavigny mus
ingly, "true and lasting happiness is not
| to be found in turmoil and vanity"
Their interchange of ideas on such sub
iects always stopped at this point, beyond
which would naturally come those avowals
which Madame de Flavigny would have
nate though these conversations might be,
| they often lasted for hours. 1t frequently
| happened, after one of these long seances,
wnen the large clock of the dining-room
warned the friends of the necessity of sep
arating, that Madame de Flavigny would
turn toward her companion look which
said: "How sad that you must gor'
| Then he would take his departure, and
stepping into the cab which always
| awaited him at the outer gate, would ar
rive-still under the influence of that
soothing presence-at his quarters in Pi-
gale street. For the grave, sentimental,
studious and enthusiastic young man, the
lover of solitude and exclusive affection,
was none other than NJ de Blainvilliers
himself. A perfumed billet, with her
| aldic seal, which he often received from
the hands of his concierge on reaching
home, would suddenly awaken him from
his day-dream, and turn his thoughts into
an entirely different channel, for this
billet bore the signature of Lady Caven-
dish.
NJ. de Blainvilliers found himself in a
delicate position. Circumstances, as we'll
as the good and bad qualities of his organ
zation, had placed him therein. He had a
| kind and generous heart and noble
mind; but, unfortunately for him, he was
endowed with too great power of assimila-
| ton. His enthusiasm yibrated at the con-
tact of every poetic idea. As a man of the
world, he had been thrown into the circle
of Lady Cavendish on the one hand, and
of Madame de Flaviguy on the other. At
first he had simply taken pleasure in the
society of these ladies, and enjoyed the
charm of their presence, without any pre-
conceived intention. With the brilliant,
vivacious, naughty Lady Cavendish he
b7eathed the poetry of greatness, ambition
and success. With the kind, elegant, gen.
erous, timid and secluded Madame de
Flavigny he was affected by a more tender
and profound influence Later, the attrac-
| tion which he felt became sentiment, and
the sentiment strengthened with the GER
tainty which he soon acquired, that par
ticular place was reserved for him in the
feelings of these two young ladies.
Possessed of only very modest patri-
Ihony, NJ. de Blainvilliers realized that, in
order to secure for himself any standing,
he must bring his talents into play. There
fore, when his prediction for Lady Cav
endish assumed a serious character, his
zeal for work redoubled He sought the
protection of the influential, and made
friends among those who determine social
| position in Paris LADY Cayendish had