Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-08-11
DUKE AND MARQUISE.

In the time of powder and patche-, of
silly adventure and of long lawsuits, the
Duko de Troncantique and his noble
neighbor, the Marquise of Souchevieille.
were disputing hotly over the possession
of q certain hazel copse.
Which of the two belligerents had tie
best Of it? Itwas IL difficult problem, truly
Perhaps the marquise, perhaps the duke.
The lnisanthrope Rochefoucauld has said
that quarrel can never last long unless
there is wrong on at least one side The
dispute of the duke and marquise kept up
seven years.
While the most illegible scrawls poured
in without cessation upon the two cha
teaus tho two owners experienced an
equal uneasiness as to the issue of their
suit. To be sure, the decision of the
tribunal could not cause great pecuniary
loss to the yanquished. but since the
''amour propre'' of each was involved the
rancor of the two disputants would have
been quite as great with only pin at
stake. Indeed, so carried away did both
become with the fear of losing as well as
with the hope of winning that they finally
bethought them of compromise
One fine day the Duke de Troncantique,
feigning, out of kindness of heart, to come
to terms, solicited the hand of the mar
quise in marriage, and she, pretending to
be overcome by such graciousness, condo
scended to grant his request Thus the
hazel c0pse was to be owned by them con-
jointly.
The betrothal, hastily announced set
everybody agog, both far and near, who
had heard of the tiresome litigation The
gentlemen of the law turned their backs
upon them in disgust.
''Poor creatures they said apologet-
ically "The idea of marrying to end
quarrell 1t is as senselcss as the crazy
man who jumped in the river for fear of
getting damp"
The families of the duke and the mar
qufse shrugged their shoulders and crit,d.-
A lawsuit is more expensive than one.
would suppose. y
But the world at large applauded the
arrangement and declared it most reason
able.
''They both,'' remarked tho Countess
de Languefne, "bear aristocratic names
and own fine fortunes. Both are widow
ed, both are old, both are ugly, and they
detest one another. What more could one
demand in a matrimonial ventureg''
AS to the bride and groom elect, they
paid small heed to the gossips, contcnting
themselves with deploring the exigencies
of fate and retarding as much as possible
the fulfiilment of their mutual promise.
The gallant lover pleaded business in
the city, and his fancec pretended to have
urgent duties in the country For tho
sake of the proprieties they agreed to write
to each other while thus separated
The duke took refuge in u suburban
hotel. Seated upon Louis XIII chair
and looking almost imposing, with his
white hair and amaranthine coat framed
by the somber tapestries on the walls, he
absentmindedly broke the seal of letter
bearing coat of arms which he had just
received. C6ancing at tho feminine hand
writing covering the pages, he remarked,
smiling:
"Some work for you, my nephew,
Cleante." Cleante was standing in the
embrasure of the loaded glass window
His 20 years, his eyes of periwinkle blue,
his blond hair, frosted with powder and
his violet doublct, quilted with lace, bright
ened the old room He was as piquant
and catchy as Inadrigal, as young and
fresh as the springtime He seemed to
have been created for the pencil of La
Tour or the pen of Mariyaux
fHow my worthy friend would turn up
her aristocratic nose if she knew how /
disposed of her epistoary offortsl, added
NJ. de Troncantique. tanning himself with
his mechlin lace handkerchief, while
Cleante took the letter of the marchioness
and read it over carefully in order to ac
quaint himself with its contents.
1t was so full of vivacity and sparkle
that one felt sure tho heart of Nine. de
Soucheyieille was still young evcn though
her face was scanned with wrinkles She
wrote of serious things without pedantry
and amusing ones without frivolity. Here
and there was a-hint of philosophy and oc-
casionally ono of politics Indeed it was
charlning--this letter, written scarcely a
century after Nine. dc Soyigne, at period
when Nine d Epinay, Nine du Deffand
and so many others eonvcrsed with their
pens like Voltairc or Didcrot
Cleante read each paragraph eagerly,
inhaling at the same time the fragrance of
the rose tinted paper And what images
this subtitle perfume evokcd-a white
hand. Il rebellious little curl a lace flchu
crossed modcstly over n young and palpi
tating brcastl II he had only not known
to a certainty that tho writer was q gray
haired woman of 60l The young man
smiled to himself
rs it possible that am becoming
enamored of Il person of that ages' he
queried
"Wcll nephew, demanded the duke,
awakening from short nap, 'is the mar
quise as loquaeious as usual? If YOU will
reply to her letters for ise, in my name,
you will render me service cannot soon
forget Would to heaven that you could
permanently fill my place therel'
At the chateau OF Suuchevicillc the mar
qulsc reclined III an easy chair, surround
cd by dainty tribes. and read the New
HeIoise'S from thine to time, having re-
course to her enameled snuffbox.
A few steps from her young girl was
busy writing at rosewood desk. She
worked rapidly, punctuating the phrases
with graceful movements of the head, as
though admiring the delicate black char
acters which, without speaking, expressed
SO much.
She was graceful girl of 16, and her
1.-THE, young figure looked even moro grace
full than its won't, emerging from the yo-
luminous paniers Of her brocaded gown,
while the velvet about her neck and the
patch upon her chin and under her left
eye appeared indescribably black against
her milk white skin
In the name of heaven, Doris, my
child, how do you find SO much to say to
the duke?'' lazily demanded the old lady.
All, aunt, dear, have nos yet written
half as much as he wrote to you, replied
Doris, with a smile 'sThe duke must in
deed be llassionaffif in 1--we with vor tn