The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-04
Countess ROSalie.

mark and name, nad long passed. TIC
flower of his age, without dreaming OF
linking his tdestiny to that of any OF
the fair danes who figured at the court
of France, or won the admiration of the
knights of Paris. In fact he was no
carpet knight. He better loved the rude
shock of arms, the charge of steel-clad
cavaliers the hand-to-hand cambats of
the stricken field, than the less danger
Gus encounters of the tournament; yet
even these he preferred to the fest1v1-
ties of the palace and the banquet hall
He was a man of war, and rudely
stamped with the toughest impress of
his age. His helmet had worn away
his once luxurlant curlS, his lace Was
mined by thousand wrinkles, his com
plexion was bronzed and weather.
beaten, his manner was harsh, his IAN
guage brief and stern.
Yet it SO CHANGED that in his "sere and
yellow leaf" D'Armaignac conceived the
| idea of taking to himself Wife TO ac-
complish this object he addressed him
self, not to the lovely and high-born
damsel whose charms had penetrated
even the iron hauberk that incased
what he was pleased to term heart,
but to her father, an old companion IN
arms, and one as rude and unpublished
| as himself Between the two the mar
riage was arranged, and the father OF
the beautiful Countess Rosalie de Clair
vile, in his dying moments, enJolned II
on his daughter to accept the hand of
| DArmaignac, under whose charge ana
roof he ordered her to remain until such
time as the old soldier chose to lead her
| to the nuptial altar After thus max
| ing his last moments disagreeable as
possible, he kissed the cross-hilt of his
sword, closed his eyes and was laid with
| the ashes of his fathers.
So the Countess RoSalie was taken
home to the feudal city of D'Armaignac,
where all scandal was avoided by the
| perpetual presence of one of the starch
n a
had been imported from Spain expressly
for the purpose. The countess was
watched and guarded as strictly as If
she had already become the property
of the constable
Now it so happened that, without
consulting her father, the lady Resale
had already fallen in love with a young
gentleman of the court, Savoisy, son of
the chamberlain of King Charles VI.
ShS had numerous other su1torS, all OF
whom were dying of love; but Savoisy
was the only one who could boast of en-
joying her smiles.
D'Armaignac made, every day after
dinner a formal visit to the apartments
of the countess, and there paid his adj
dresses in good set phrases; but there
was no heart in his wooing, and 1t was
evident that he merely paid his devoirs
in this manner for forms sake.
One day the aged wooer found the
fair one reclining beneath the canopy
of her reception room asleep. Still he
ventured to approach her, and kneel-
and bearded lips.
Dear Charlesi" said the lovely girl.
still dreaming on.
D'Armafgnac started to his feet as if
an asp had stung him. She had a lover,
then-his name was on her Hps-hiS
image in her heart. Full of rage. and
jealousy, he sought out the duenna-
Tell me, Spanish hag!" said he, Se1z-
ing her rudely by the ARM who is this
Charles?"
who has told you about Charles. my
lord?" asked the duenna, incautiously
betraying her consciousness in her first
terror
There is a lover, theni" growled
D'Armaignac, hoarsely. You have
pledges. He comes here in my absence
4 know it My wife-for she is mine
to all intents-receives him. Speak out,
or you shall taste my dagger's point
Tell me all-the days, the hours, the
manner, the place of their meeting"
Il will tell you nothing" answered old
Margarita, boldly. XIII mel viii
never betray my sweet young mistress
D'Armaignac half drew his dagger
from its sheath, but he returned it to its
scabbard, and with a bitter curse,
turned upon his heel and again sought
the presence of Resale. She had
awakened from her brief slumber and
was sitting in an easy attitude, resting
on her gracefully rounded arm.
irefully, "if young lips babble in then.
sleep, old ears are apt to catch their
meaning. Who is this Charles, of whom
you dream by day so fondly?"
"CharleS!" cried the countess, turning
pale.
"Ay, madam-you We're not dreaming
of Henri D'Armaignac, the only man of
whom you have a right to think Hal"
he added, Il will spare you the trouble
of confessional can be no other than
Charles Savoisy, son of the chamber
lain"
"No-no'-said Rosalie, turning dead
ly pale and trembling; you have no
ground for your suspicious, my lord
you are mistaken in your conjectures;
love not Charles de Savoisy-indeed, he
never dared to address me-"
His horse has been seen saddled in
my courtyard. How many times he has
been here, secretly, cannot tell; but by
heavenl you shall confess. Out with it,
or worse shall betide you"
My lord! my lord!'' cried Rosalie, in
agony; spare me-pardon me!''
D'Armaignac checked himself in the
heat of his passion.
Go thy ways, mistress" said he; 81
meant not to harm thee But my rival
had better look well to himself. Were
he the proudest noble of the realm, who
dare interpose between me and my af-
ffanced bride, I would slay him like a
dog at the foot of the throne ITSELF
With this chivalrous declaration,
D'Armaignac went forth to interrogate
the servants, and to see whether he
could not obtain from their replies
wherewithal to feed his mounting jeal-
ousy. He was terrible in his anger, and
they all lived in a most Wholesale
dread of his wrath. None of them s as
pected the serious mischief which IAy
at the foundation of these astute and
summary interroga tories; but from all
they said D'Armaignac came to the
conclusion that none of them had been
cognizant or abetting of any misdoing
except a dog which he had commission
ed to watch the garden, and which,
having surprised asleep in his kenne,
he Immediately strangled, by way of
relieving his unbounded passion. This
fact led him to suppose that Rosalies