Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-04

changed all things round them into splendor.
 They dreamed not of the future. They thought not of the stern policy of father, implacable in the pride of wealth. No, tho distant storin-cloud was hidden from their radiant eyes.
 My Camilliar exclaimed the young man; think you I can fail to achieve greatness when your love is to Do the crown of the struggle? Think you I can fai,or on the road that leads 10 success, when your eyes will be the loadsta ars to guide my way?"
 The reader will see, therefore, that love ami ambition went hand :n hand in the so"l of Paul Lis imon. and that higher motives than the mere lust of gain, or even the houe Of glory, heckoned him on to victory.
 1t is not to be expected that Camilla Moraluito os was without suijors amongst the higher clas es of New Orleans.
 Had she been blind, lame. hump backed, red haired. a vixen, or a fury. there would yot doubt less, have been hundreds ready to knecl befove the charms of her fathers wealth, and to de- clare the heiress an anGHl. But when it is remembered tha. her future fortune was only exceeded by her glorious beauty, il will be th, ,Hght little marvel that she had 0 host of admirers ever ready 10 flock around her a. her fat hers soirees, to a,teni her in her drives. to haunE her box at the opera or the theater. and to talk of her beauty in all the cOGen- houses of New Orleans. Our readers must re- member that there iS much in this chief city Of Louisiana which resembles rather French than an Engh~h town. The in- habitants arc many of them of French extraction. The coffee-houses- cafes as thoS are called resemble those of Paris; tue gambling houses and 1hcatets arc rarisian in arrangements, and the young men of the upper classes hay. much of the polish of our Gailic neigh bors, mingled with not little of tL,ii frivolity.
 Amongst the many suitors for the hand of Camilla Moraquitos was no less a per. sQn than Augustus Horton.
 But the young planter did not love th- Spanish beauty; there wa- something ter ribly repel!ent in the naughty spirit of Camilla to those whom she d4u not love, andAugustus Horton's pride was woun q by the thought that his attentions possibly be disagrecable 10 any wes:.s,.. whom he condesccnded to honor b> preference. It was not love, taeIrco:e which made him so constant i'll aItcn': ance on the young beauty. No; mer- cenary motives, mingled with the obstin- ncy of wounded pride. He would not confess, even to himself, that there was any fear of his failing to obtain tho prize. He despised the young fops who whis- pered soft speeches and high-aown com pliments into the unheeding ear of ihe disdainful girl, and, thinking thee hiS only rivals, dreamt not of defeat.
 In all the planters visits to tho Villa Moraqutos ho had never yet met Paul Lisimop.
 The young Mexican sorurulously held himself aloof from tho rich and frivolous guests who assembled in Den Juans splendid mansion.
 In vain did tho Spanard bid Iii l~, tege to join in the festivities D; ,he v.J In vain did Camillia reproarh her lo%s with coldness and neglect. iaul was iH- eXorablc.
 '.No, Camilla" he said. when t;, young girl demonstrated wits. Ain, ' should hear your fathers gur,ts al earI other in the superb disdain of their creol- insoience, Who is this Mir. I4ismont 1 wait tho lime, Cam liia, whcn my ""' exertions shall have made iass simi}l- and now unknown name "t Lisimo1 familiar to every citizen of New Orleans
 While the soft echoes of piano anA guitar tloated through the luxuriosl> saloons; while the rich contral' voi"- of Camilla mingling with the chnr,i> o her guitar. enchanted her ohseliiou~ listeners. Paul toiied in his lonely cham Der, only looking up now and then from his books and papers, tn listen for few brief moments to the sounds of rev elry and laughter below.
 Laugh on! he exclaimed, as a sar- castle smile curved his tiney-molded lips; "laugh on. frivolous and ignorant ones-whisper unmeaning colupiimen S, and murmur inanities to my peerless Ca miIlia! do not fear you; for it is not thus she will be won."
 Augustus Horton was a rich man; he belonged to one of the best families in New Orleans, and the old Spaniard knew of no one better suited as a husband for his beloved daughter.
 Don Juan therefore encouraged the young planters addresses. though at tho same time thoroughly resolved to throw him off, should auy richer or more aris- tocratic suitor present himself. Camilla knew nothing of her father s intentions. All her admirers were alike indifferent to her. for her heart was ir- revocably given, and her faith irrevoc- ably pledged to Paul Lisimop. While these changes had been slowly | working amongst the heads of tho house | hold, the hand of Time had not been idle in the humber chambers of the Villa Moraqui,os.
 White hairs were mingled In the black  negress Zara was bent with ago, and | Tristan. the negro lad. had become a l mana man with powerful passions and | subtle and cunning nature, hidden be- | meath the mask of pret ended ignorance and simplicity.
 He could sing grotesque songs and l dance half-sayage dances, as in tho early l days of his young mlstresss s youth, wheE he was Camillia's only playmate. He know
 a hundred tricks of jugglery, sleight-of
 hand by which he could amuse an idle
 hour, and even now, he was often ad
 mitted to display his accomplishment
 before the Spanish girl. her devotrd at
 tendant. Pepita. and her old goveiness
 Mademoiselle Pauline Corsi, who still TO
 mained with her, no longer as an instruc
 toress. but in the character of companion
 and friend
 1 We have as yet refrained from speak | ing of the Frenchwomnn but as she ma'
 by and by play by no means an insignili
 cant part in the great life drama we ar | relating, it is time that the reader should l know more of her.
 Pauline Corsi was but seventeen year
 old when she first came to Villa Moraqui
 tos as the preceptress of Camilla. thel
 child of six She was therefore thirt 1 nf o0ft bo nf xxbiot, fo