Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-26

were you speaking What is 1t that you
say about dianonds?r
She threw out her hands toward the
empty cases en- the table, his eyes follow
ing the movement. For a moment he was
silent and transfiXed,, and he remained 81
lent with perplexity and wonderment. But,
directly his quick wit had taken in the
truth, he locked at her again, the tears
sparkling suspended on her cheeks. There
We're tears in his. own eyes. He took her
hand. my mother he said. Il would
rot think that under any circumstances
you could have believed this of your son.
Do you not see how it is? Victorine took
your jewels. Pierre has disposed OF them,
and with the price Of them he goes into
his enterprises 1t is the meaning of his
wealth. And it is with the money he re-
ceives for the Beauxleux diamonds that
he buys the Bieuxleux titles!''
What is it that 1 hear you say?" cried
the duchess half startled out Of the one
terror by new ore. THE Beauxlieux
"Why. nothing, except that I sold them
to Pierre last June and it is the matter of
which I have been speaking. Not yours,
madame; not any title belonging to you;
you still lctain your address of honor, you
are still the Duchess des Sarazines Beaux-
lieux. if YOU choose, douairiere But those
which were my own, have I any use for
them? ], man without fortune. and
| with other views? In these days when
throres go under and empires disappear
In the gulf, anC man, man climbs out my
| mother, I count it shame to hold titles. not
very ashes no longer exist! l say to my
| self-the titles, they are voice, a breath,
they are non-existent attributes. But with
| the money that foolish Pierre is willing to
| pay me for leaving him alone If he as
| sumes them what can not do Cor the peo-
| pie that were given in trust to those an
cestors of mine who betrayed the trust?
| 1t will buy land, houses, maintain the pro-
| phets, the priests of liberty. Perhaps-who
knows-buy dynamite"
| 'Reauxlicux!'
1T win, at any rate, make my mother at
| ease all her days, l said. What succor will
| 1t take to sufferers! And if by means of it
can forward the cause of their uplifting
| and their freedom-ah, were it only one
man VINO had held his head like beasts
to the earth that I helped to hold it up in
| the face of God. it is better worth to me
than all the titles of all my forefathers
And SO sold them to him; sold them every
| one. l, Louis Dagobert Clovis Francois
Maria Angelique, no longer Duke des Sara
| zines BeauxlieuX, Prince De Franche
Haupte. Count des Aiguiiles, Conte de
Grandes Landes, Baron Botssy. and all the
| absurd rest of Them my mother!''
| And for what remains he said, after a
pause, 'if it is honor to be Beauxlieux, the
| sale of no title can take that honor away.
| l am always and forever Beauxlieux," with
| an ineXpressble pride of bearing.
But it is impossible! cried his mother.
| II forbid it,!
| ut Is DONE" said Beauxlieux
| but you do not confer titles-it is the
| king, the council, the ministers, the gov
| eminent"
THE government confers no more You
| forget that, whether one lives up to it or
| not, the motto now is liberty, fraternity,
| equality"
You appall me! And, besides, he will
| not be allowed to wear them, the lache!''
| who is to interfere? l shall not. Nor
| am ] ever to marry. Nor as he saw the
| protest in her face. Bring others into the
| world to sorrow, to struggle. to endure?
No, no, there will never be anyone to dis
| turb him. He appears In the world Of
| Paris as the Duke des Sarazines BeauX-
| lieux, and one will ever be the wiser"
| But, my son, heaven forgive. me-do you
| then assist at a fraud, q feony?"
| Hardly" said BeauXlieux, 1.-The thing is
| too unsubstantial. What do the titles mean
now in republic? Nothing. He gives me
a certain payment for leaving him to play
| his part in peace. My pride might rebel
| but the money is SO needed by those others,
| Beauxlieux. Il find the play sufficiently en-
| PERTAINING"
And then suddenly the duchesse threw
| back her head and opened her mouth with
such peal OF laughter as in many a year
| before had not rung through that old pile.
| "Nctorine!' she cried. 'VictOrine the
| Duchesse des Sarazines BeauxlieuX! Vic
| torine. Oh, l see her now Siegneur Dieu,
| but it is too amusing! Victorinet' And
| all her white teeth glistened and the tears
| rolled out Of her eyes, tears of merriment
| tears Of joy.
But not the less" she said. 'if Vic
| torine is thief, if the Duchesse des Sara
zines Beauxleux is thief. she must be
| brought to justice!
No" said Beauxlieux. 1--WE, who are
| Beauxlieux, cannot afford to have the
| Mans. dragged in the dust. All the dia-
monds in the world would not be worth it.
And l have contracted with Pierre-1 mean
| the duke-to that effect. If he in any way