Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-01-29
CHAPTER Xv.-lconlinued.l


great deal of interest She had been
married at fifteen to a Russian prince
many years older than herself, and OF
dissoiute character. At first he had loved
her passionately; then, as he found il
impossible TO overcome her GOODNESS and
Indifference, he had come to dislike and
treat her with harshness. He had taken
her away to Russia very young. very
friendless, and intensely unhappy. There
he had neglected her She had two chill
dren1boys: and all her love seemed
bound up in them. Then they died; the
cold of Russia killed them, aud she al
most died Of the grief
The physician at st Petersburg insist
ed that she should return at once to
Paris at is the only way to save her
life he said TO her husband. 80 after
three years weary absence, she return
led to her birthplace, and there, after a
time. she recovered. At the French
court she was greatly admired and sought
for young man Of high rank con
keived a wild passion for her. He was
30 handsome. SO distinguished. no one be-
!ievcd she could resist the devotion he
eonstantly and so openly offered her 1t
utterly unmoved by his passion. but all
the world said that she never gave him
any undue encouragement. Still, Prince
Zelik0f became jealous. One evening the
princess dropped her bouquet; Monsieur
de Ligr picked it up, bowed over it, and
returned it to her. Prince Zelikoff chose
10 imagine the accident was prearranged,
and that De Ligny had taken the oppor-
tunity of concealing a note among the
flowers. He snatched the bouquet VIC
iently from his wife's hands. In her sur
prise she made some resistance; he grasp
ed her arm and pressed the sharp-ponted
diamond bracelet unintentionally into the
flesh. A little jet Of blood spurted forth.
The enraged De Ligny b'held it, and in
a moment Prince Zelikoff lay stunned and
bleeding on the ground. A crowd closed
round them at once; with some difficulty
the angry men were separated, but, Of
course, only blood could wipe ont such
stain. A meeting was arranged the sec
Onds made the customary formal at
tempts at a reconciliation without sue
cess.
Valerie de Zelikoff knew well enough
what the end of such a quarrel must nat
urally be. She knew her husbands fierce,
indonitabLa temper, and she guessed the
rage that had filed De Iigny's heart at
seeing her treated with violence and in
dignity. Her heart was torn-In very
truth she cared more for the handsome
accomplished man who loved her so des
perately, than for her dissolute, gray
haired. Indifferent husban. Bus her re
Iigiou had taught her faithfully he duty
of sacrificing everything to right
The morning Of the duel arrived. no one
was ON the ground but the seconds,
doctor and his assistant. The doctor
stood near De Ligny Prince Zelikoff
was known as a deadly shot. One, two,
three, two flashes, two reports, a wild
shrek. and fall. And yet neither o.
the duelists was harmed or scathed. At
the moment of firing the Doctors assist
ant had flung himself in front of the
prince, had turned up the hand which
held his pistol, and received De Lignys
shot through his shoulder. De Liguy,
the seconds, and the doctor rushed to-
ward him; the prince had already raised
his head. and recognized Valerie de Zeli-
koff his wife The doctor explained it.
He was an old friend OF the family; she
low her TO be present at the duel urg-
ing that she bciurci herself able to pre-
vent il, and after much hesitation he had
yielded. The wound was not serious
one: many a woman would have been
glad to purchase the reputation for hero
ism that came undesired to Valerie de
Xelikoff q so small price of pain.
The action was thoroughly French. and
as such intensely appreciated by all
p1~.;s. Ii was q crown of glory To her
husband, and battered his vanity to a de-
gree that made .h:m love her again rs in
the oIden days Great as the triumph
was to Zelikoff, was the defeat to De
Ligny. His amour propre could not
recover from such a terrible blow: he
had been prepared to risk his life 10 q
wcli-known deadly shot to avenge an in
suit on the woman he loved, and she had
received his bullet in her own tender
flesh to save the husband .p had so
grossly wfonged her. He WEI lway IN
til the affair had blown over. I'd then re-
turned TO Paris with a very young. fair
wife. who had been taken from convent
20 marry him. She adored him: he WAS
cold and Indifferent to her. nay. he al
most hated her, when. six months later.
Prince Zeliko6 died Of fever, and the
beautiful Valerie was left widow at
twenty-five. She passed a year in seclu-
sion. then She again went into society,
and. as has been said, came TO London
few weeks before the close Of the sea
son. She was staying in the house of
Lady Dora Amnesty, Mr.. Hastings cous-
in, and her greatest friend.
Mr.. Hastings saw great deal Of the
beautiful Frenchwoman, and admired
her exceedingly She was not Ike any
Frenchwoman he had met bcfore-she
did not talk much, or gcsticulate. or seem
to desire admiration She was pale, large
eyed, essentially spirituelle. The c,iei
fascination she possessed for him was the
low. musical tone Of her voice
Il wish you would come more often tI
us. Enrol" his cousin said; I'VE see Sc
little of you. am so anxious that Ma
dame Zelikoff's visit 10 US should be
pleasant one, and she always seems hap
pier. brighter. when you are there"
You do me too much honor" Mr.
Hastings said, mockingly.
at is no empty compliment indeed
Frrol," returned Lady Dora. Il am sur
she likes you much better than any on
else who comes here. You ought to fee
hattered; the Princess De ZelikoG's cold
ness and Indifference to mems attention
has almost become a proyerb in Paris
a.. surprised you do not prefer high
bred. graceful woman Of the world, L
an uninformed simple country girl hk
that Miss Eyre You see have diseoy
cred your secret.
8