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

y ainie' oiyinpes We may have to go TO
the prefecture; we must learn where
ne, Leconte, is to be found" And learn
sne ald' and in less than an hour an
angry concierge had been paciiea with
handful of gold pieces and had
ushered into the room, where the young
sous-lieutenant sat busy with q letter.
his sister from the country.
The moment that the door closed tho
duchess dropped her vast wrap into
Olympe's hands and stood before him
in all her starry beauty, the sheen of
her pale satins. the sparkle of her in
Vulnerable diamonds, the dazzle of her
white shoulders, just as she had come
from the opera.
For moment he was aghast. But he
had sprung to his feet. ''To what do |
owe the honor" he began.
'Oh, monsieur" cried the duchess. "I
come to you supplicant! An hour
ago my husband insulted you"
BITTERLY"
"0h, monsieur" clasping her bcauti
full uplifted hands and raising to his
the eyes overlooking with tears. And
it means"
'Sapristi! 1t means bloodshed, mad
anne" he exclaimed.
"Oh, no, moi" she cried mot that,
Not that! And for such an idle thing
oh, never that! Oh, monsieur, YOU
are successful, you are powerful. the
emperor is your friend, you can afford
to be magnanimous! l beg, beg YOU
to let it pass"
LET it pass, madame! You know not
what you say. Let it pass! Ha! hal"
"What good, alas, what good will it
do you to take his life?"
at will efface the stain on my honor,
the sting of his blow. Behold, my
check burns with it yeti"
And mine, too, believe me-" she said,
lifting again the great innocent eyes
to his. 1T was hot-headed-it was
wrong-oh, if there is any repara-
ton"
"Sacre! There is no reparation," said
the officer, like hero of tragedy, "but
death-his death or mine"
"Oh, do not say so! Life is SO
precious-dea is so dreadful--and,
oh, monsieur, forgiveness is so beauti-
full"
forgiveness of such humiliation"
"is it more of humiliation than I
undergo; /, a woman, who come to you
III your apartment, and beg my hus-
bands life of you? have asxed-l
have heard-they tell me your ball
never fails"
"And is it monsieur, your husband,
who perhaps sends you here?"
"Ciel! 1t is you who now insult him
as grievously! Oh, you cannot, for
that momentary burst of foolish vexa-
ton be willing to take from him life.
from me my husband, from my little
sleeping son his fatherl / implore
you"
Duchess" said the lieutenant,
you are only wasting time, and com
promising yourself here in my apart
ment."
81 confde in your honor, your
silence" she cried.
at is WE'LL" he answered. "But no
more. You ask too much"
ooh, have you no mercy?"
None. The insult was given in the
face of all the world, and in the face of
all the world it must be wiped out"
monsieur Loconte, you have proved
your valor on the battlefield. 1t is not
the first rcncontre you have had with
pistols and with swords. Your cour-
age is byword If you treat this af-
fair as beneath notice, as the action of
an eXasperated man whom You have
reason to pity, it will not injure you.
1t will give you great friendships, of
which you may be glad in the future.
Your friend, the emperor, does not
wish an added excitement just now.
Oh, believe me, you can well afford to
send no challenge--to act as if nothing
had taken place-to give it your dis
dain."
The officer gazed at her wonderingly
so young, so beautiful, SO respondent,
so sad, SO imploring. Perhaps her last
arguments gave him cause. And then
the statements relative to his courage
they were certainly true-it was well
known. And to win the Sarazines
BcauXlieuX, perhaps, to the cmpire-it
might be worth while And then
mad, rash humor seized him. mad
anne" he said, II will acccde to your
wishes on one condition. Your hus-
bands blow still tingles on my check
will repay it-by leaving my kiss
upon the check of his wife!"
For moment the duchcsse turned,
gaspingly, holding both hands to
Olympic, and her pallor, where the rose
bloomcd beneath the ivory, became the
pallor of death. But directly she had
summoned her resources. What had
she come here for but to purchase the
life OF her boys father at any cost?
She turned again and glanced up at
him, and then dropped her lids till the
long black lashes swept her marble
cheek. "Volontiers, monsieur" she
said, and she made q step forward.
softly turning her cheek.