Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-22

l he went swiftly through the masses of l the people out and away, he little not l ed where, till he had forced his road l beyond the gates, beyond the town, be- l yond all reach of its dust and its bab- ble and it's discord, and was alone in the farther outskirts.
 Reaching the heights, he stood still l involuntarily and looked down once more on the words that told him of his l birthright. He was Viscount Royal lieu as surely as any of his fathers had been so before him and was dead for ever in the worlds belief. He must l live and grow old and perish by shot or steel, by sickness or by age, with l his name and his rights buried and his years passed as a private soldier or l France There was a passionate re- l volt, a bitter heartsicknesS on him. All the old freedom and peace and lux ury and pleasure of the life he had left so long allured him with terrible l temptation The honors of the rank that he should now have filled were not l what he remembered. What he longed for with an agonized desire was to stand once more stainless among his equals, to reach once more the liberty of unchallenged, unfettered life, to re turn once more to those who held him but as dishonored memory, as one whom violent death had well snatched l from the shame of a criminal career.
 "But who would believe me now?" he thought. Besides, this makes no l difference. If three words spoken would reinstate me, could not speak l them at that cost. The beginning per haps was folly, but for sheer justices sake there is no drawing back now. Let him enjoy it. God knows I do not grudge him it.'
 The distant mellow ringing notes of a trumpet call foated to his ear from l the town at his feet. It was sounding the return to camp. Old instinct, long l habit, made him start and shake his harness together and listen. The trum- pet blast winding cheerily from afar off recalled him to the truth, summon ed him sharply back from vain regrets to the facts of dailyllife. It awoke him as it wakes a sleeping charger. It reused him as it rouseS a wounded trooper.
 He stood hearkening to the familiar music until it had died away, spirited, yet still lingering; full of fire, yet fad ing softly down the wind. He lis tened till the last echo ceased. Then he tore the paper that he held in strips and let it float away, drifting down the yellow current of the reedy river chan nel. X
 ..So best after all perhaps" he said half aloud in the solitude of the ruined l ,rt well come to shipwreck with such a fair wind and such smooth sea. And IT am just as well here. To ride with the chasseurs is more exciting than to ride with the Pytchley. And the rules of the chambree are scarce more tedious than the rules of a court. Nature turned me out for a soldier, though fashion spoiled me for one. l can make good campaigner. should never make anything else"
 And he let his sword drop back again into the scabbard and quarreled no more with fate.
 His hand touched the 30 goldpieces in his sash.
 I He started as the recollection of the forgotten insult came back on him. He stood awhile in thought; then he took his resolve.
 A half hour of quick movement brought him before the entrance gates of the Villa Aioussa- A native of Su- dan in a rich dress who had the office of porter asked him politely his errand.
 'Ask if Corporal Victor of the chas- seurs can be permitted a moments in- terview with your mistress. I come by permission" he added as the native hesitated between his fear of soldier and his sense of the appalling unfit tingness of corporal seeking audience of Spanish princess. The message was passed aDout among several of the household. At last a servant of higher authority appeared.
 Madame permitted Corporal Victor to be taken to her presence. Would he follow p, %s s2fzss ss9 s7s.sSs} ss5ss,.
 He uncovered his head and entered, passing through several passages and chambers richly hung and furnished. She moved forward as her servant an- nounced him. She saw him pause there like one spellbound and thought it the hesitation of one who felt sensitively his own low grade in life < She came toward him with the silent, sweeping I grace that gave her the carriage of an empress. Her voice fell on his ear with the accent of woman immeasur- ably proud, but too proud not to bend softly and graciously to those who were so far beneath her that without such aid from her they could never have addressed or have approached her.
 You have come, I trust, to withdraw your prohibition? Nothing will give me greater pleasure than to bring his majesty's notice to one of the best sol diers his army holds.''
 Pardon me, madame; do not come to trespass so far upon your benigni- 1 ty," he answered as he bent before her. .I come to express rather my regret that you should have made one single error.'' s
 Error! A naughty surprise glanced from her eyes as they swept over him. Such word had never been used to her in the whole course of her brilliant and pampered life of sovereignty and indulgence.
 'One common enough, madame, in your order-the error to suppose that