St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-05

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| tort to you then TO remember that said
Il forgive With these words he left
| her.
Notwithstanding this little delay, the
| party reached the hotel in time to find
De BreZe'f family coach before the door
"a genuine old-time affair. with poStil-
ions in yellow liveries. The count met
| them at once.
"Ah, mademoiSelle," he began, re-
| proachtully. in very good English; Il
began to despair. Madame, am told,
is indiSpOSed; but 1 trust your fair
cousins and yourself may persuade her
| 10 accompany yod and breakfast at my
| chateau as you promised"
You need not fear of our deprivlng
! ourselves OF the charming excursion" !"
said Emily Carlyle. with the audacity Of
| her seventeen years. Mamma isn't
able to hold no her head, and viii be in
| that wrctched condition for at least
two days to come; but we are going
Amy, Nina. Mr.. Lindsay and myself" p"
The count could not suppress Il slight
| look of surprise, which, transient as it
was, caught Nina's keen eyes, and only
| added to her resentment against Hugh.
That is, il the count will have such
! 4 Juvenile party, Emily" she said.
De BreZe was no fool, and yet, for a
moment, lie was begniled into fancying
| that the beautiful American had actual
| ly been so unhappy as to fall in love
with him; and comforting himself with
the thought. as if she did not care for
| less cOnVeniepceS, he need not. he made
polite answer, and proceeded to assist
the girls into the coach.
It was ride of seven miles. Up
| through the quaint streets of the old
| town, the town of all others, that seems
10 have lain sleeping these many years,
and around which there hangs a curl
| Gus aroma of the middle ages. One can
almost fancy that you see the Modelling
plumeS and brilliant armOr of the
knights and mobiles in Duke Williams
train wind in and out the steep, mar
row streets. while from vOnder gabled
windows some fair Norman dame waves
a Silken kerchief to her passing lover.
Then on, over the hill, where stands the
lovely old church, and far below your
feet the blue water SparkleS in the sun
shine, while on either hand before you
are green banks. dotted with scarlet
| poppieS and blue cOrnflowerS.
But Nina saw nothing of this. think
| there are times when a veritable. almost
a visible. spirit of evil enters into
women, and Silencing their better angel,
leads them into pain and suffering, with
their eyes wide open. 1t was such a
| moment with Nina. Had Hugh been
near her perhaps his very presence
would have exercised the demon. and
brought back her better self; but. in his
absence, resentment and self-indulged
temper ruled. And yet never had she
been more thoroughly charming than
that day.
At last the old gray towers of the
chateau came in sight, and the girls
were wild with delight as the coach
rolled up into the courtyard. Two
ancient retainerS stood bowling at the
steps, while de Breze'S valet, an eX-
quisite, who looked strangely out of
place by their side, assisted the party to
alight. The chateau was really worthy
the exclamations it called forth from
the party, for it was replete with grand
old tapestry, china and paintings. To
be sure. the best of the latter had gone
to pay Leon's gambling debts; but the
quaint family portraits still re-
mained-until he should choose
to emulate Charles Surface-and
they were well worth looking at. The
party roamed through the old halls and
bedrooms. From the apartment where
Countess GenevIeve, LeOn'S great, great
grandmother. had mixed deadly poison
with her own fair hands, drank 1t and
lain down to die on the huge, fOur-pOSt
ed bed, because her lover had proven
false and betrayed her to her lord
from that CHASTITY room to one once oc-
cupied by Catherine de Medlcis, and
thence, through the suite, down to the
one used by the present countess, with
its modern IuxurieS and Partisan COM
forts. Then they passed through the
dining hall. and from its vast and SOM
ber StatelineSS were uShered into a
bright, modern bOudOir, where break
fast was served in the daintieSt man
ner. Altogether, it was a charming
day, and might have left but the pleas
attest of memories, save for Niua'S
own suggestion.
After break fast was over she was
seized with a desire to explore the
grounds and park, which the count said
was extensive; and, although even
Lindsay looked disapproval of wander
ing about the place sans chaperone. she
persisted, and. after an hour or so spent
in dawdiing in the gardens, the party
scattered, Leon, however, keeping close
at Nina'S side.
They walked on ana on, through the
beautiful trees. until finally, far away
OIL the left, Nina spied a low, gray tur-
ret lifting its head among the trees.
What is that?' she asked, eagerly;
''another chateaum
That" said the count. with curious
smile, sis an ornamental tower, very
old, of which the lower part only is safe.
Would you like to go inside?"
Nina seized upon the idea, and pres
emily they reached the tower and as
cended the somewhat inseeure-looking
steps. There was a queer. lower door
just in front Of them, and rusty key
turned in the lock with a groan and
creaK, but finally opened, and Nina
found herself inside.
There is nothing here, after ALL" she
said, disappointed. Nothing, except
an UNCOVERED window with three Of
the paneS gone, and few lizards, who
are rapidly deserting u.s." and She
pointed where the pretty green Great
ures were gliding quickly across the
floor. NO, count; Itnink the park and
sunshine are preferable to this moldy
ROOM"
But to her amaZement, and much TO
her terror, Leon closed the door and
leaned against it. Il have much to say
to you," he began, looking her full in
the face, land it were best told here.
where, if tradition tells truly, many
words OF love have been spoken. 1t
was here that GenevleVe met her lover,
| and here that"
Count de Brezew Nina's naughty
temper was on fire now, though her
tone was most contemDtuous; Il do not
understand how stories OF Countess Cen
evieve can possibly interest me. L have
always supposed she was hardly an an
cestreSs to be proud of. Have the good
ness to change the subject"
There was bitter, black drop of
blood in the De Breze line, and the'cur-
rish taint showed i'll Leon's face as he
answered, slowly:
"Ah, why are you so cruel? Have
YOU not come to my house, eaten of my
bread and smiled my very soul away
and do you now deny NE touch of
those lovely lips, a caress of your
hand?'
Il think you are a little mad" she
said, cOIdly ignoring him. You invited
me. with my cousins, to breakfast al
your chateau: have done so. With
many thanks for your hospitality, you
will permit me to join the rest of the
Marty immediately.