The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-09-08
DECEPTIONS.

When, before the altar, the priest
asked her, care you content| it was
with all her soul Gemma had responded.
"Yes.'
Oh, yes; she was content indeed
Through the cloud of costly lace which
enwrapped her in its snowy transparence
she saw the vast church all dotted with
lights, resplendent in the dark CLEAN of
mosaics upon golden backgrounds, ami
mated by the slight movement of the
very elegant crowd that filed it, lighted
by oblique rays descending from the
nave, all glitter of gold, silks and brill
iants, and it was her own future that
she seemed to see thus-the years of
luxury and wealth which her rich mar
riage was preparing for her. And had
it not been the dream for which she
sighed? She, the ideal blonde, of IS
years, with the tall and proud figure;
the pure, disdainful profile under heavy
curls like those of an archangel, with
naughty eyes sparkling like blue gems
under the golden fringes of her long eye
lashes.
She had been for long time a poor
girl, the daughter Of cii@ who had
seen better days, that ma IS a1man
lily. She had experienced al the petty
troubles, all the cruel daily sufferins3 of
misery that conceals itself. The poor
and inelegant gowns, painfully remod-
eled every year; the insolence of credit
ors; huIniliations; continual and tor
menting thoughts ef poney1she had
experienced them all. and in her little
heart. eager for pleasure and enjoy
ment, swollen with unsatisfied longings,
dream was arisen little by little, oc-
cupying all the room, rendering her in
sensible to all the rest--the dream of at
last becoming rich.
She wanted it, absolutely; she was
born for it; she was rich now. That
eyes" which she had just pronounced,
had, by its three magic letters, changed
her destly: and she was SO content, SO
happy, that it appeared to her it was all
a dream, that her Mechlin veil was a
cloud that transported her into the
realms of the impossible, across sidereal
heaven, of which the diamond pins
thrust among her laces formed the fam
ing stars: and, in order to return to
reality, she must cast her eyes toward
her husband, Luigo Marchis, kneeling
beside her in the mystic, velvety shade
of the altar, lit by the tremulous bright
ness of the candles.
All, there was nothing ideal about
him, poor fellow! In vain he straight
ened his correct person of an elegant
man, with his accurately shaven face,
with slender brown mustache, and Il
still fresh color that gave him something
the look of an actor; he renamed none
the less old, with his powerful shoulders
little bent, with his eyelids grown
heavy, and crows feet toward his tenn
Piles, with the gray locks that appeared
here and there among his brown hair,
with his forty seven years, of which the
WEAKNESS was more conspicuous beside
that radiant and blonde spring.
Forty seven years! How was it possi-
BILE? He felt his heart so palpitating.
full of tears us in youth! And he could
not comprehend how SO much time had
passed; he could not persuade himself of
the incredible fact-forty-seve years
passed without knowing Gemma.
For they had been acquainted with
each other only two months. Marchis,
however much he had frequented society,
tl,Dr h I,,, Iii
had never let himself be talked to OF
marriage. What A wife, children,
troubles, cares, disappointment Not
even by idea.
And at AZ years one evening, present
from motives of curiosity at a ball te
which the employees of his bank had in
vited him. he must needs be smitten by
the exquisite, vaporous grace of that
blonde girl, dressed simply in white, en-
tering on the arm of funny little mar
with baby face and big, silvery
beard-her father, modest clerk in the
bank; rather ridiculous little old man
who, beside that divine apparit;on, slen
der in her robes of snow, made one think
of the gnomes of folk tales, always
crouching at the feet of fairies.
All, weakness of hearts growing old
That apparition was enough to shake al
the ideas of Luigo Marchis concerning
matrimony. aud as the old gnome, de
spite his absola.c uullity, was an homes
citizen. incap. Il If resisting the assidu
ities of the director to his pretty daugh
ter, the suite ~ been greatly pleaset
with the consent of that little maiden o
ls, that beautiful creature, that blond
being, to become his wife. Now h
trembled with joy. His eyes were mist
with vivid elG3;ioA-not perceiving tina
that, too, va ,.sign of old age-and
was voice cloked with joy that to tn
question of the priest, "Are you con
tent?" replied, "Oh, yesI
Nowit is done. United, forever united
Raying arisen to their feet, she with a.
elegant and light impulse, like a ILL.,
xu,nd lIftad nm its stem ha with 4 llttl