The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-05
THE MARCHIONESS.

mil, soincWbcfe DctWocu morthBno anu
Conde-sur-l' Huisne. 1t was comfortable
looking place, and determined to solicit
the owners hospitality.
The miller received me very oourteously
and was soon stretching my legs under
the table and partaking of tho most ex
quisite dejeuner that was ever placed be-
fore a hungry sportsman. There were
trout from the mill stream and partridges
from the neighboring moor, cooked to a
turn aud accompanied by some really ex.
cellent wine, not the "petit win" of Nor
mandy, but good mellow bordeaux. This
somewhat surprised me, but when at des-
sert the miller invited me to visit his gal
lery of family portraits was perfectly be-
wildered.
"Whatl' said I to myself. "a picture
gallery In a mill"
OF course l accepted his invitation and
found that the pictures really existed and
were fine ones too There were n dozen of
them, representing Louis XIV courtiers
and marquses and marchionessos Of the
times of Louis XIV and Louis XVI, the
series being closed by buxom looking
farmers wife in white sunbonnet next
TO delicious little marchioness.
Stopping before the two latter portraits,
the miller said:
"These are mother and daughter. +"
He appeared to be amused at my sur
prised expression and continued:
Eyes, sir, this country woman is my
mother, and that pretty little marchioness
smiling there is my grandmother. 1t is
strange story. Everybody round about
knows 1t, and may as we'll tell it to you
LAS you have probably surmised from
the age of these portraits the story is laid
during the terror. The father, mother and
elder sister of yonder little marchioness
were arrested, and soon afterward judged
and executed The little marchioness, my
grandmother, sir, found safety only in
flight. The poor orphan took refuge with
one of the farmers on the family estate,
whom she knew she could trust. This
farmer was young man. He was only
about 80 years of age He had known the
little marchioness from her babyhood and
was devotedly attached to her. In fact, to
be frank with you, sir, In his heart of
hearts he loved her.
"He was greatly troubled by the peril
Gus position in which her presence placed
him; but he could not turn the poor child
away w no mdesacieu ny tilo bdNdS6 r6fO-
lutionists He hid her in the cellar, and
the mob vainly secured the whole country
In search of her. But neighbor, fero-
cious Jacobin, had marked the farmers
trouble, and suspecting the reason for it
denounced him to the revolutionary COM
mittee.
sin few minutes the house was sur
rounded by horrible mob, bowling for
nf hn tod 81
battered in tho front door and poured into
the place All, sir, it was terrible mo-
mentl''
Hero the miller paused and mopped his
brow, while his eyes glistened with excite
ment
"TLe first room was empty" he went
on. "They smashed everything in 1t they
could lay hands upon, and were about to
break open the door of the next room when
1t suddenly opened and the marchioness
stood before them, beside the farmer, who |
was half dead with anguish and terror.
For an instant the mob stopped short |
But II was only for an instant. Shrieks of |
Down with the a.istocratr XIII herr
Away with bert Burn herr 'Tesr her to
paecesp arose, and the nni;v;SSdathirsty brutes
!, Sre .sccas &c Tiash Onward when the lit
be marchioness was suddenly struck 's
an inspiration. All, sir, 1t must have come
from on high. She made signs to them
eh.t she wished to speak.
"'Citizens, she began.
"Unaccustomed to hearing such an ap-
pellation from the mouth of dainty aris-
tocrat, the mob again stopped. She profit
ted by the pause, and continued:
"'Citizens, what do you want with me?
Why are you incensed against me? What
have done to you? am one of you-I
am your sister,!
"Murmurs Of approval and of protest |
were heard, but In tho main the mob ap. |
peared to be astonished and suspicious
"'She's fooling us, the aristocratp |
shrieked q woman, who, with her dshev- |
eled hair flushed face and crooked fingers |
ready to claw the delicate girls eyes out,
looked like one Of the furies let loose,
"'No, no' exclaimed the marchioness
earnestly. Il swear to you that am no
longer an aristocrat, but woman of tho
people. In proof Of It, here Is my future
husband And she pointed to the farmer,
who, too overcome to utter word, woald
have bent his knee before the brave yotlng
girl, but she prevented him.
"Her remarkable presence Of mind was
their salvation. The fact that she was
willing to marry q simp..e citizen caused
complete revulsion 81 feeling, and the
wretches who n.oment before had been
lusting for her blood now applauded her.
"'We mast be married under the tree of
liberty she added, and, citizens, we In
vite you all to the wedding
"Another burst of applause followed this
Invitation. Friendly hands seized the little
marchioness and the farmer, and they were
straightway shouldered and carried in tri-
umph to the tree of liberty, escorted by the
cheering mob. waving their pixies and
scythes.
"The marriage took place, and the crowd,
Joining hands, danced the carmagnole
frantically around the newly made hus-
band and wife, and the festivities, with
eating and drinking, were kept up till
nightfall, when those Of the jewellers who
were not too intoxicated escorted the cou-
ple back to the farm.
"As soon as they were alone the assumed
familiarity Of the farmer Immediately van
ished. Dofiing his hat, he bent respectful
" before the mnrchioness, and with tears OF
- "A .r.t.x xs~l.