San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-11

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sunshine on the red roofs opposite was clear
and gay; the old chimney stacks, towering
into the pale blue sky threw sharp shadows
on tho rich red and orange surface OF the
tiles. Below, the court was half in shadow.
and utterly quiet and deserted. To the left
there was a CLEAN of green, atoning for its
spring thinueSS and scantineSs by a vivid
energy Of color, while straight across the
court, beyond the rich patchwork of tho
roofs ami the picturesque outline of tho
chinueys, delicate piece of white stone
work rose into air-the spire Of one OF
Wren'S churches, as dainty, as perfect, and
as fastidiously balanced as the hand of man
could leave it.
Inside, the room was such rs fitted studi-
Gus bachelor of means. The bookcases on
the walls held old college classics and law
books underneath, and above a miscellaneous
literary library, of which the main bulk was
French, while the side wings, so to speak.
had that tempting miscellaneous air-here
patch Of German, there an island of Italian;
on this side rows of English poets, on the
other an abundance Of novels of all Ian
guageS-which delights the fond heart of the
book lover The pictures were mostly auto
types and photographs from subjects of
Italian art, except in one corner, where a fine
little collection Of French historical engrav-
inCs completely covered the wall and drew a
visitors attention 10y the brilliancy of their
black and white. On the writing table were
piles of paper covered French books, repre-
sentlng tor the most part the palmy days of
the Romantics, though every here and there
were intervening strata of naturaliSm, bal
anced in their turn by recurrent volumes of
Saiute Beuvc. The whole had u studious air
The books were evidently collected with
purpose, and Tie piles Of orderly MSS lying
On the writing table seemed to sum up and
explain their surroundings
The only personal ornament of the room
was group OF photographs On the mante-
piece. Two wcro faded and brown and rep.
resented Kcndal'S parents, both of whom had
been dead some years. The other was a large
cabinet photograph of woman no longer
very younS-a striking looking woman, with
n fine worn face and general air of distinc-
ton and character. There was strong re-
semblance between her features and those of
Eustace Kendall, and She was indeed his elder
and only sister, the wife of French senator,
and her brothers chief friend and counselor
Niue. dc Chatcauvicux was very noticeable
person, and her influence over Eustace had
been strong ever since their childish days
a repetition in the present day of SismondTs
enthusiastic estimate Of tho women of the
First Empire, She had that melange du
meilleur tn, with the purest elegance of
manner, AMI Il store Of varied information,
with vivacity Of impression and delicacy of
feeling, which," as he declared to Nine
d'Albany, "bn.onga only to your sex, and is
found in its perfection only in the best soci-
city of France"
In the days Wien she and EuStace had been
the only children of distinguished and
wealthy father, politician of some fame
and souj I.law to the Tory premier of his
Young days, she had always led and infu-
enccl her Lrother lie followed her admir-
ingly through her London seasons, watching
the impression SIZE made, triumphing in her
triumphS and ut home discussing every new
book with her and sharing, at least in bis
college vacations, the secretary's work for
their father, which she did excellently, and
with a quick, keen, political sense which
Eustace had never seen in any other woman.
She was handsome in her own refined and
delicate way, especially at night, when the
sparkle of her white neck and arms and the
added brightness Of her dress gave her the
accent and color she was somewhat lacking
in at other times, Naturally, she was in no
want of suitOrS, for she was rich a d her
father was influential, but she said mo"
many times and was nearly 50 before NJ de
ChateauvieuX, the first secretary of the
French embassy, persuaded her to marry
him Sine" then she had filled an effective
place in Partisan society Her husband had
abandoned diplomacy for politics, in which
his general tendencies were Orleanist, while
in literature he was well known as a con
slant contributor to The Revue dcs Deux
MOAdeS. He and his wife maintained an in
teresting, and in its way influential salon,
which provided meeting ground for the
best English and French society, and showed
of at once the delicate quality of Nine de
Chateauvieux's intelligence and the force
and EindliucSS of her wOmanly tact