The record-union., 1891-04-19
THE NIHILISF.
Translated from the French of Leon Tinseau
by Mrs. n. E. White, for the SUNDAY


by Mrs. n. E. White, for the SUNDAY
UNIoN.l
In 1S7-, short time previous to the
tragic death of the late Gar of Russia,
one of the most distinguished men of
that empire was Prince Michel P,
whose illustrious family name the writer,
for good reasons, refrains from mention
ing.
During a visit to Paris shortly after
the war he had met at a reception given
by the Princess Lise, that magnificent
the Partisan world, arising ph9nix-like
from its ashes, already worshiped under
the name of ''Lo belle Mode{eine," mar
velously beautiful girl, whose poverty
was as marked as her beauty.
Michel was captivated, notwithstand-
ing his forty years and his positive deter
mination Of remaining a bachelor-a de-
termination against which all the maids
and widows of the Russian aristocracy
had expended the batteries oftheir charms
with as little effect as a fusilade Of roses
or lilies would have made upon the for
bidding sides of an ironclad.
Mother" said Madeleine one evening
to the widow of the hero of Gravelotte,
would you be delighted if l were TO be-
come princeSS?
''Not altogether, my dear, for you are
beautiful enough to be queen," re-
piled the mother fondly, ''still, it is true
that at the present time queens are not
- but the seditiouS sentence was
gaily checked by kiss from her radiant
daughter.
1t must be admitted that Madame Con-
a no her h
ter's gift, for, in truth, l cannot remem-
Der having ever met any other type OF
beauty so nearly perfect. 1t seems as
though l still see the adorable creature as
she appeared at the opera one evening
few weeks after her marriage. There
were in the parquet at least fifty specta-
tors who had been more or less i'll love
with her, representing all degrees Of in
fatuatiOn, from the mere passing fancy TO
the most intense and despairing passion.
1t is easy, therefore, TO imagine how lit
tie pleasure these luckless lovers derived
from the enchanting strains Of Les IiW-
guenotS. MireiUe would have suited
them equally as well under the circum-
stances.
That evening was probably the most
memorable of Madeleine's youth. She
felt as if she had taken her revenge upon
the whole masculine sex, which at that
time inspired her only with the bittereSt
willingly have impoverished themselves
for the enviable privilege of enjoying her
favor for q single hour, there was not one
that, before her marriage, had not thought
her too poor to become his wife.
She sat at her husbands side in the
most conspicuous box, Outwardiy calm
and naughty, but inwardly quivering
from head to foot with the pride OF her
triumph, while her marvellous beauty
excited universal admiration as readily
as her diamonds reflected myriads Of rays
of light. She was a living superlative,
for she could say, as she surveyed the
brilliant threng:
I see here tonight twenty-five beauti-
full women, but l am the most beautiful
of all 20
That same night an American lady, the
pOssessor of many million, but no
beauty, made the following avoWal to her
party:
81 do not wish to resemble the Princess
Michel-that would be asking too much;
but, to have even such teeth as hers l
would give my mansion in the Champs
Elysees with all that it contains, even to
my jewel-casket. y woman with teeth
like hers does not need to be pretty. She
smiles-or yawnS, as she pleases-and the
world is at her feet"
''rhat is, at the feet of her teeth" re-
torted diplomat who was listening; "but
l fear the Princess is doomed to yawn
oftener than she will smile. His Excel
lency, the Prince, appears to be neither
amusing nor agreeable. predict that
more than once in her life Ia belle Made
leine will sigh for Paris"
No, IN truth, the Prince was not very
agreeable, even in the first days of his
marriage. But some years later he was
far less so, as the Princess could sorrow
fully testify.
To his wites coquettishness he was in
debted for a tigerish jealousy of DISPOSE
ton, and to the favor of the Gar he was
beholden for the important office of Min
lister of the Police-twO conditions of
things not very conducive to mans
amiability, it must be acknowledged.
However, Prince Michel managed to
utilize his public functions in the service
of his private jealousy. Just as in our
own administration the foppish young
employe OF the departments sends a
cuirassier armed to the teeth, and even
higher, TO solicit couple OF tickets for
the circus.
But the Prince did not avail himself of
the services of the cuirassiers, although
he had any number of them at his dis
pOsal. He had found it much simpler to
select from among the most trusted Off
GERS Of his corps the coachman who drove
my lady'S carriage. as well as the cORci-
-
sion. Then, as auxiliary to these eff
cient means of surveillance, he had the
cabinet 0oir, aud l will not offend my
readers by insinuating that they are ig-
norant OF what the dark closet is, al
though such thing is, of course, un-
known in our country, for of what use
would it be in republic?
In the beginning the unfortunate Min
lister had thus intercepted dozens of am
orous epistles addressed TO his wife in
every key both within and without the
bounds of reason. Then the fervor of
these missiyes had seemed to diminish
not that the Princess was any the less
fascinating, but her admirers began to
grow suspicious. Those who had con-
hded to his Majesty's mail and telegraph
service their hopes or fears, had been al
most sure to find misfortune following
in their wake under the most diverse and
unexpected forms. As one of the luck
less victims was heard to exclaim, 1T
was hard TO tell whether the Princess had
the evil eye, or the Prince an exceedingly
good one"
OF course the billets-doux, as well as
their replies, always passed through the
cabinet noir, and his Excellency, the
Prince, was constrained TO admit that he
was the husband of desperate coquette,
although her tlirtations never over
stepped the line of propriety-a fact
which afforded him relative degree of
satisfaction. For it is relief when one
hears that his house is on fire to ascertain
that the conflagration is confined to a
blaze in the chimney. AS for being him
self the chimney-sweep, and clearing
from the Princess pretty little head the
romantic ideas which were so easily in
famed by every passing fancy, the poor
Prince had not the time. for he was as
much worried about the life of the Car.
on account of the Vaccinations of the
Nihilists, as he was about the Princess