The herald., 1893-11-10

And what other man but himself had a
right to addxess her as my darling?"
He opened the letters one after an
other. There was little variation in the
way they began-it was either sMy
adored one" or my well beloved"
Well, he would get at the heart of the
matter, SO he began to read one of the
letters, the one first under his hand.
This is what it contained:
My DEAREST WE'LL BELovrfN When you In
formed mo yesterday that they were forcing
YOU to marry In order to forget me; that your
parents obliged you to prefer my rival, could
not refrain from tears and reproaches. You
know my love for you-that is my only excuse.
Today ] am coming to beg you to postpone this
impossible union. Tell this man that you do
not love him: that you can never lovc him. He
will understand and retire. II he persiats,
then so much the worse for himl Fear MOTH
ing-l am not threatening you-today l am
calm. My whole happiness is in your hands
await your answer with impatience, but CON
fldente. With deepest love. JULIEN.
He passed his hand tremblingly over
his forehead, looked around him stupid
ly, asking himself IL this was not some
frightful dream.
No, he was at home in his own parlor
near his wife's secretary, and in his hand
was letter-a love letter.
Then Fabienne-his Fabienne? No,
mol 1t was impossible! He threw the
letter from him angrily. Then curiosity
again seized him, and he took up one of
the other notes-a short one containing
only few lines:
NV Apcpvp-yVhay x,o,, raoa;,,a tl, ,,s. H.. 7
shall have left France. shall not come back
until you recall me. l cannot be the accom-
plce In q lie, or live near you and the husband
they have forced upon you any longer. God
giant that you may never have to repent.
Farewell, FAREWELL A last kiss ON the lips !
adore. JULIEN
This was too much. He rose with
bound, scattering the letters on the
floor, where they fluttered like a flock of
frightened birds. He staggered to the
window TO cool his burning forehead.
He stood there for a moment stupefed,
his eyes on the clouds, then began to
walk up and down the room with nerv-
GUS strides, like a Gagged animal.
After while he sat down and reflect
ed. Itewas true-Fabienne whom he
loved SO much and in whom he had so
much confidence, was like all other wo-
men! She had lied to him from the first.
She had lied him since, every day. All
those little caresses and evidences of af-
fection had only served as a mask for
the basest treachery.
He had been too happy. 1t could not
last.
How could she have deceived him so?
How could a woman with character SO
sweet yet SO decided, who spoke so frank
ly, whose look was SO pure and loyal
how could she stoop to such duplicity?
How had she begun to play such a part
when nothing in her way of living. IN
her language, her manner, betrayed Sc
cret preoccupation? By what power of
will had she been able to conceal mys-
terry SO deep and penetrating? Well, it
was all over-this fatal discovery was
the supreme blow. His life was broken
forever!
As he sat there the panorama of his
life passed before him. The days of his
childhood came back one by one. He
saw himself again running like colt
through the woods of his country home,
startling his mother by the audacity of
his exploits. Then one day his fathers
sudden death and the departure in tears
Years of battle followed. The little
rooms in the Rue Truffant, with Lise,
the old servant, who would not abandon
them. Then college, with its long and
tedious lessons, and finally the crown
ing step to success, his admission TO the
governments Office, where he made his
way rapidly.
He recalled his meeting with her. It
was in the Aouse of an old friend of the
family at a soiree. He was standing
awkwardly in corner of the room rub
bing his white-gloved hands nervously
together when she came in followed by
murmur of admiration. She raised
her eyes, they met his, and the romance
of his life had begun. Delicious memo
ries followed-he loved TO linger over
them now as over beautiful dream that
cannot, must not be forgotten.
Seated here in his own parlor that had
been the scene of so much happiness,
terrible sadness oppressed him. The
romance was over; the book must be
closed. He felt that awful sensation of
the irreparable, that impression Of emp
tiness which seizes one after great mis-
fortune-one ON which our entire life de-
pends. His anger fell. and he regretted
that he had found these letters. Better
to have lived out his days in peace and
ignorance. How many husbands quite
as unfortunate as himself in other ways
were living in tranquility, free from
doubt. Cursed lettersl
But what reason had he for thinking
that they were written to her? They
were not in envelopes. There was no
address. Perhaps they belonged to
friend. 1t would be just like Fabienne
to have taken charge of secret CORES
pondence to help one she cared for. But
was he not part of her? She need not
have confided everything to him, but
she might have spoken about it. Per-
haps she had forgotten to OF feared to
anger him. Some day, no doubt, she
would tell him all. He was ready to
seize at any idea to dispel his suspicious,
and as he reflected he recovered in a
measure his spirits.
He made the resolution to return the
letters to their hiding place, put every
thing in order and say nothing for the
present about the matter Dhen some
day he would suddenly unmask his bat
teries, and his wife would be forced to