Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-27
eyes, very well; they are friends of my

es, very well tney are friends OF my
father
"'What are you called?'
| told her my name. She regarded me
fxedly, then said, in that low voice which
is reused by memories:
"'Yes, yes, l remember well. And the
Brisemares, what has become of them !?
"'They are all dead
"sAhi And the Sirmonts, do you know
them?'
"'Yes; the last of the family is a Cen
eral.'
"Then she said, trembling with emo
ton, with anguish, with | do not know
what, feeling confused, powerful and holy,
with | do not know how great need to
confess, to tell all, to talk of those things
which she has kept shut in the bottom of
her heart, and to speak Of whose name dis
tracted her soul:
eyes, Henri de Sirmont / know him
well. He is my brother
"And l lifted my eyes at her, aghast
with surprise. And all of a sudden my
memory of it came back.
at had caused once great scandal
among the nobility of Lorraine. A young
girl, beautiful and rich, Suzanne de Sir
mont, had run away with an under officer
in the regiment of hussars commanded by
| her father.
He was handsome fellow, the son OF
| peasant, but he carried his blue dolman
very well, this soldier who had captivated
| his Colonels daughter. She had seen
! him, noticed him, fallen in love with him,
doubtless while watching the squadrons
filing by.
But how she had got speech of him
how they managed to see one another, to
hear from one another, how she had dared
to let him understand she loved him
that was never known.
| Nothing was OWNED, nothing sus
pected. One night when the soldier had
just finished his time of service, they dis
appeared together, Her people looked fol
them in vain. They never received It'd
ings, and they considered her as dead.
So found her in this sinister valley
Then in my turn | took up the word
| Yes, | remember You are Mile. Su
zanne.'
"She made the sign yes with her head
Tears fell from her eyes. Then with &
look, showing me the old man motionless
on the threshold of his hut, she said:
"'Thatis he'
"'And | understand that she loved hin
yet, that she still saw him with her be
witched eyes. asked:
"sHave You at least been happy?'
"She answered with voice from hel
heart.
ooh; yesl very happy. He made nlt
very happy. | have never regretted
" looked at her, sad, surprised, aston
ished by the strength of love! That rict
young woman had followed this man, thi.
peasant. She had become herself a peas
ant woman. She had made for herself g
life without charm, without luxury, with
out delicacy of any kind she had stopped
to simple customs. And she loved hin
| yet. She had become the wife of rustic
in a cap, in cloth skirt. Seated ON 8
straw-bottomed chair, she ate from ar
earthenware dish, at wooden table, 3
soup OF potatoes and of cabbage with lard
She slept on mattress by his side.
She had never thought of anything bu
him. She had never regretted the jewel.
or her fine dresses, nor the elegancies o.
life, nor the perfumed warmth of the
chambers hung with tapestry, nor the
sottness of the down beds where the BODY
sinks in for repose. She had never had
need of anything but him; provided he
was there she desired nothing.
Still young, she had abandoned life and
the world and those who had brought hei
| up, and who had loved her. She had
come, alone with him, into this savage val
ley. And he had been everything to her
all that one desires, all that one dreams of
all that one hopes for without end. He
had filled her life with happiness from the
one end to the other.
| She could not have been more happy
And all the night listening to the hoarse
breathing of the old soldier stretched or
his pallet beside her who had followed him
so far. thought of this strange and sim
pie adventure, of his happiness so com.
plete, and so true, made of SO very little.
| And l went away at sunrise, after hay.
ing pressed the hands of that aged pair"
| The story teller was silent. 4 woman
said
| All the same she had ideas which were
too easily satisfied, needs which we're toe
primitive, requirements too simple. She
could only have been fool"
Another said, in low, slow and tender
voice, What matter. She was happy"
And down there, at the end of the hori.
ION, Corsica was sinking into the night, re.
turning gently into the sea, blotting out
her great shadow which had appeared as
If in person to tell the story of those two
humble lovers who were sheltered by he,
coasts.
l