The St. Johns herald., 1896-03-14
THE LIAR.

ed five years with her In perIecG nappl-
 ness. can truly say that to her l owe
 my success, because of my freedom from
 care and because she imbued me with
 some of her great ambition. From the
 first moment we met it seemed to me
 that had always loved her. Her beauty
 and character answered all my dreams.
 That woman never left me. She died in
 my house, in my arms and still loving
 me. But when I think of her it drives
 me mad. If I attempt to describe her as
 she was during the five years, in all the
 glory of her love, with her tall, svelte
 figure, her clear cut features, like an
 oriental Jews, her luminous, pale face,
 her cheerful talk, her voice soft and
 sweet as her glance; if l try to bring
 again to my mind that vision of delight, it is only to say-I hate her
 Her name was Clotilde. In the house in which I first met her she was known
 as Mime. Deloche, the widow of cap
 tain long since dead. She appeared to have travelled extensively. In her con- versation she would sometimes say, "When I was at Tampico, !" or, perhaps, "Once during a raid in Valparaiso. !" Aside from these remarks nothing in
 her manner, in her language, suggested
 anomadic life-nothing of that disorder and hurry incident to quick departures or untimely arrivals. She was Paris
 ian, dressed always with exquisite taste, without burnoose or those eccentric ,, serapes by which one recognizes the wives of officers and marines who are perpetually on the move.
 When I found that I loved her, my only idea was to ask her hand in mar riage. A friend spoke to her for me. She replied simply that she should never marry. Thenceforth I avoided places where I would see her, and as l was too unhappy to work resolved to go away.
 was making preparations for depar-
 ture, when, one morning, in the midst
 of the confusion of packing, Mime. De-
 loche entered my apartment.
 "Why do you go away?" she asked.
 Because you love me? also love you,
 only''-here her voice trembled little
 -"only am married" !" And she told
 me her history.
 It was story of love and desertion. ! Her husband was dissipated. He had
 beaten her. They separated at the end : of three years. Her family, of whom she seemed very proud, occupied high ; positions in Paris, but since her mar riage they had disowned her. She was . a niece of the grand rabbi. Her sister,
 widow of an officer of high rank, had , married for second husband the gen. , eral of the guard at St. Germain. As for herself, financially ruined by he1 } husband, she had fortunately been high ) ly educated and possessed several ao F complishments, of which she now made
 use. She gave lessons in music in the f wealthy families of the Chausee d 'Antlr , and the Faubourg St. Germain.
 Her story was touching, but quite 3 long, full of the pretty repetitions ane
 interminable incidents which crowd th'
 talk of women. I hired pretty little t house in the Avenue de pImperatrice l passed the first year listening to her,
 looking at her, without thinking O d work. It was she who first urged me tt t enter my studio and fired me with am
 bition to become great artist. coulC
 not induce her to give up her pupils
 This independence touched me deeply
 I admired the proud soul which made - me feel little humiliated before th' Q expressed wish to owe nothing excep !, to her own exertions. We were thu O separated every day.
 @ With what happiness returned home h so impatient when she was late, s' n happy when I found her there befor s mel From her pupils in Paris sh D, brought mo rare flowers often forces j. her to accept some present, but sh @ laughingly said that she was richer thal IT I, and the lessons must have been yer
 profitable, for she always dressed wit e great elegance and always ID black 7, which she wore through coquetry on ac 'f count of her complexion.
 5, Her beauty was enhanced by heav velvets, shining jets, lustrous satins an le masses of silky faces. All her pupils sr daughters of bankers and fnanclers le adored and respected her, and more tha IL once she showed me bracelet, bangl y or piece of lace which one of them ha e- given her
 Q, Except when at work, we were neVe K separated Only on Sunday she went | er St. Germain to see her sister, the vii ti of the general, with whom, long ag(
 she had made her peace. accompanle
 her to the station. She returned tt G. same evening, and often, when the day ir were long, we would make rendezvot la and go to row on the water or for la walk in the woods. She would tell n ad about her visit. how pretty the chlldre o. were and how happy they all were t' js gether. It seemed to make her so u sd happy that Iredoubled my tenderness la order to make her forget her sorrow
 What happy times of work and col = fidence we had I suspected noth1nj s- Everything she said appeared so tru ~ = so natural I could reproach her wit =. only one thing-sometimes, in tellir sS me about tke families to which her p1 -s pills belonged, she gave quantity .,o intimate details and told of imaginal .o intrieues. She saw always the roman 70 around her and seemed to live in dr
 matic combinations. These dreams tro ot bled my happiness. I, who wished D. fly far from the rest of the world to li' ur alone with her, often found her occupi' ,r. with indifferent things. But l cou
 pardon these dreams in woman your