Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-15

And when her son was born she
seemed to forget she had any share in
him herself, so proud and glad was she
over this concentration and COM
pletion, this disqualification in one
OF all the glories of the house
of Sarazines BeauXlieux. Only when
she saw how black was his hair,
hair, how dark his splendid baby love-
illness, she had an aching self-rcmcm-
brance that half the blood in the little
princeling was her own, and that some
where in her own line was peasant
strain to which she owed her beauty.
For years she watched the child lest
the strain should anywhere appear,
and half the teaching that she gave
him was concerning the greatness OF
his ancestry, the mightiness of his in
hcrltance of renown, the grandeur it
had given him and the duty he owed it
in turn.
So absorbed was she in the magnitude
and virtue of her husbands house, that
even the downfall of the king gave the
young duchess but little concern, since
in her estimation there could be no
downfall for the Dues DIES BeauXlleux;
and even when, after the many agita-
tions, the new empire was proclaimed
she regarded it as all disturbance
that would presently compose itself.
For the sake of her fathers love of the
Corsican, as the duke phrased it, she
might herself have looked with favor
on the imperial order of things; but it
was enough that her husband, loval to
his past, remained violent partisan of
the dethroncd king, for her to shut her
self up in superb seclusion from the
canaille OF the new riches and power.
And perhaps by strengthening his
arrant contempt for the new people,
the duchess herself, and ala unwilling
ly, was IN some measure the means of
assisting the duke into the obscurity to
which he presently found it best to re-
tire.
There had been grand occasion at
the opera, to which the empress had
given the exquisite charm and radiance
Of her presence, and the leaders among
the women of the royalist party
had urged the duke that the
duchess might appear and show
'that woman" as they always called
hey, that queen of farce, what the
grd71de dame really was And, er-
tirely ignorant of their purpose, the
duchess had, of course, assented to her
husbands wish.
They rallied round her that night il
all the splendor of their ancien regime
and the duchess was herself immeas.
urably magnificent. But, sooth to say.
the gentle lady in the imperial box
with the gruesome man of power be
side her, wore her diadem with as fine
grace and was triflc more magnifi.
cent yet-she could not be more beau.
tifnl. The duchess herself was not Glow
to see that charm of distinction, and tc
acknowledge it with her own lovely
graciousness.
1t was when they were leaving the
house that just as the duchess was
passing to her carriage, her cloak
slipped from her shoulder, and young
officer of the Imperial guard, standing
near, passed an idle jest, only half I'M
der his breath, about that dazzling
shoulder
The duke waited upon his wife to her
carriage, and then returned; and paus.
ing deliberately to draw off his glove.
he slapped the young officer with il
across the check, and went back to the
carriage which was waiting.
at was foolishness," the duchess
heard NJ. Etienne saying when he came
in shortly after their return. st was
madness! Why have heard it? Why
have fiattered the faneur with notice?
At time, too, when we wish especially
for quiet. His friend will be here to-
morrow-and of course the duke will
waive considerations of rank"
"What! A duel!"
"The Bots"
"You mock yourself with mel" said
her grace.
mot at all. 1t is sous-lieutenant
of the Imperial guard-born in some
barrack-and although the duke has
been an unrivaled swordsman, his
hand is less sure than it was, and this
M. Leconte is the finest swordsman in
France"
II cannot believe I'll"
GAS your grace pleases. But it will
be all the same If it is pistols, for Lee
conte's BALI made inquiries-goea
straight as sunbeam"
''Oh, NJ. Etienne.' crieo the duchess,
clasping her hands. ''Do you mean"
81 mean," said M. Etienne, quite
needless in his vexation, shat it is ex-
ceedingly doubtful if the duke is alive
tomorrow to regret his folly"
CHAPTER IL