Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-01

II
| reconciied to the loss OK the visit which
| brought her so much Joy. and after the usual
| exchange OF the compliments OF the day she
babe her son close the door Of her boudoir and
| take a seat beside her.
My son" she began in an almost solemn
tone, I've been thinking great deal about
you Of late"
| ''Oh. mother"
Nay, don't interrupt me, Charles" she con-
| rnued, laying her hand ON his arm And the
| thought came to me that was growing old
and that would be willing to face death SO
much more contentedly if could first see you
happily married"
Count Charles gave a start, and the blood
| surgcd up to his brain.
| But. mother" he stammered, "you forget
hoDert-my soa--"
No, cain yourself. / remember every
| thing, replied the dowager, with singular
hrmness. II have discovered to my inexpress-
! Idle JOY that certain young girl OF the oldest
| nobility, but without dover, and one who has
always loved you and adored your genius, is in
| nowise scandalizsd by Roberts existence-"
| Count Charles dared not look upon his
| mothers face. He felt as if the whole world
was crumblIng away beneath his feet. His
mother pretended not to notice the look Of
| mingled dread and anxiety which had settled
| upon his countenance.
Yes, nv dear son." she went on coldly and
| Calmly, this adorable young girl met Robert
/ here only last week and such was the warmth
| with which she c.asped the child to her bosom
| that was emboldened to interrogate her. My
| son. you are a fortunate man. Attribute this
| concession to your genius, for can assure you
that France holds no nobler, purer--"
Mother, mother" cried Count Charles,
! springing to his feet.
silence. my sonr exclaimed the countess
dowagcr, her face purple with rage, ''you shall
| hear me out. l tell you you stand upon the
| brink OF preclpice. Collect your thoughts
and call to mind, sir, that it lies within my
power to name the legatee of 10000 francs in
come, my private and separate estate, to which
your father had no claim, and that unless you
| consent to marry Aurelie de Seychelles within
one year"
Impossible" broke in Count Charles facing
the dowager with yisage SO infaUed with an
ger that she invOlun:arIly drew back. She
never had seen her sons cain and placid coun-
tenance thus distorted.
impossible say, madam" he burst out
you have thought of Robert but there is
still another, Of whom you have not thought
you have not thought of Irmar'
1t was the first time Count Charles had ever
mentioned lrma's name In his mothers pres
ence. 1t had cost him effort but now that
his ears had heard the sound it had no moro
terror for him, and he repeated:
You have not thought of Irms, Of Irma
say!''
Tut, tut wild boy. compose yourself" re-
joined his mother, taking one of his hands in
hers. You wrong me; have thought of her"
And" half gaspcd Count Charles.
II will provide Tor her generously, very gen.
erouSy, my son. Don'G worry; she'll be de-
lighted. mark my words; she'll be handsomely
fixed for life, and i'll few years she, you, /,
all OF us will forget everything, everything,
my son.
Spare me. mother, spare mel" exclaimed
Count Charles, hiding MS face Ill his hands.
At that moment MademOiseile Seychelles
was announced, and as soon as the countess
dUUdger had passed into the salon her son
ed he bvlt "a dar 90 bac
to his apartments. lrma would read his most
secret thoughts. Il must calm down before
ms citing her, he whispered to himself. .'She
has the instinct OF the deer of the forest and
would scent an enemy instantly. Oh, my poor
boy, nv Robert, my Eobertm
Not until after a long walk did Count Charles
return home, and even then it required all his
depth of feeling to persuade lrma that nothing
unloyard had taken place.
The countess dowager had been somewhat
startled by ner sons snow of opposition to her
wishes and realized the fact that she must
change her tactics IN order to insure even q
promise OF victory IN the end. Hence, from
now Oh, although Mademoiseile Aurelie was
from time to time skilifutiy brought to Charles
notice, and although the Young poet often
found himself IN some mysterious way alone
with her III his mothers salon, upon which oc-
casIon she never failed to quote TO him from
his own poems in most hattering and seduc-
tive manner, yet the countess dowager took
ROOU care NOT 10 InclllOu lEIld again. IL was
plain. however, to Charles that this WAS not a
retreat, but rather halt to prepare for more
vigorous attack.
Meanwhile little Robert turned his first
milestone with as chubby little pair of legs as
ever delighted grandmo;her's heart and no
matter how much OF inde1inable regret that
lady's sharp tug at the bell pull may have car
ried to other hearts, 1t was q, joyful signal for
little Robert. Ii were vain to attempt to de-
scribe the countess dowager's bliss on the
morning the bebe yiscOunt hrst toddled to the
door to meet her.
The reader need scarcely be assured that
Aurelie de Seychelles never accompanied
Madam dAthis-Mons on these visits to her
sous apartments, but that fact had not pro-
vented AurelIe and little Robert from becoming
. the best of friends, for the bebe viscouut was
pretty sure to find the ''lady with the golden
hair. as he called her, whenever he visited his
grandmother. and many were the tales of won
der which he carried home with him concern
ing this same lady with the golden hair
The period set by the countess dowager
within which her son was to make his election
was now drawing rapidly to a close. Charles
was conscious of ~, and conscious, too, that
Aurelie had succeeded in wrestling a sort of
mute admiration from him. Aureiie do Sey-
chellos mad much about her to fascinate man
of dAthis Intellectual and emotional build.
Her large and expressive blue eyes, which
seemed forever glistenips with an unshed tear
and especially her full round, sweet and SYM
pdtncUc voice, winch she knew now to use III a
dellc1ouSly seductive way Ill reciting Charles
dainty and oitent,nes pathetic verses, would
have rendered her a dangerous woman for any
poet to meet But FOR Charles d FAITHS she was
particularly dangerous, for either Willingly,
through the assistance of the countess dowager
or, possibly, quite unconscIously. she had dis
covered the weakest joint in the poets armor,
and she never let slip an opportunity to set her
spear against 1t. but SO skillfilly did d'Athis
conceal the wound that Irma's life was begin
ming to rid itself of that indescribable feeling
of pressure, that secret dread of something sus-
pended by too slender thread, something bal
sEced upon too frail pedestal, when Count
Charles himself, by careless act gave to
irma's suspicion the very form and potency Of
fact.
Entering his apartments hastily one day about
the dinner hour he proceeded to attire him
self in evening dress, and although lrma COM
planned OF a migraine and low spirits, and fixed
her glorious eyes plesdingly upon him. he
urged tenderly but forcibly that his mother
had sent for him and that there was no help
for it.
Scarcely had the door closed upon him when
as lrma turned to take up his coat from the
sofa whore he had thrown 1t, a folded sheet of
roSe-sin;ed paper met her gaze. She drew it
forth and although the tiny square of pink
gloTed like n sheet Of fame before her ewes
she succeeded at last in deciphering the words
traced upon IL:
My Dear Poet: am at madame, the count
ess dowagers, where l have been kept by u
shght illness for several days. Will you not
come to your prophecies for brief half hour
this evening, dear master?"
With a sob that seemed to have cleft her
IrnN h4ra