Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-07-23

COnOuCt nlmSeII, IN Short, uhe n Iuuu
who resolves to make fortune no mat
ter what way, and makes haste to have
done with villainy as soon rs possible,
In order to live respected for the rest Of
his days.
With such methods his career Of pros
perity was rapid and brilliant, and In
1927 he returned to Bordeaux on board
a fine brig belonging to a Royalist firm.
He had nineteen hundred thousand
francs with him In gold dust. carefully
secreted In three strong casks: he hoped
to sell II to the Paris mint. and to make
eight per cent on the transaction. There
was also OH board the brig a gentle
man-in.orlinary to his Majesty Charles
", n NJ. dAubrion, n worthy old man
who had been rash enough TO marry
woman Of fashion whose money came
from estates In the West India Islands.
Nine. dAubrion's reckless extravaganza
had obliged him to 20 out to the Indies
to sell her property. NJ. and Nine.
d'Aubrion were now In straitened cir
cumstances. They had bare twenty
thousand francs of income and n daugh-
ter. n very plain girl. whom her mother
made up her mind to marry without a
dowry. IL was an enterprise the sue
cess Of which might have seemed some
what problematical to man Of the
world. in spite Of the cleverncss with
which q woman Of fashion is generally
credited. Perhaps even Nine. dAubriOn
herself. when she looked Mt her daugh-
ter, was almost ready to despair of get
ting rid Of her to any one, even to the
most besotted worshiper Of rank and
titles.
Mile. dAubrion was a tall. spare
demoiselle: she had disduinful mouth.
overshadOwed by long nose. thick Mt
the tip, sallOw In Its normal condition,
but very red after a meal. From some
points OF view she was all that world
ly mother. who wns 3S years OF age. aud
had still some pretentions to beauty.
could desire. But by way Of compen-
sitting advantages. the Marquis d'Au-
brion's distinguished air had been In
herited by her daughter. Her mother
had taught her how to dress herself. I'm
der the same instructor she Ind acquired
a charming manner, and had learned to
assume that pensive expression which
| interests n man and leads him to i'm.
agine that here, surely. Ii the angel
whom he has hitherto sought In vain.
Charles became very intimate with
Nine. d'Aubrion; the lady had her own
reasons for encouraging him. People
said that during the time on board she
left no stone unturncd to secure such a
prize for a sOn-in-luw. 1t IL ut any rate
certain that when they landed ut Dor
deaux Charles stayed In the same hotel
with NJ. Nine. and Mile. dAubrion. and
they all travelled together to Paris. The
hotel dAubrion was hnmpered with
mortgages. and Charles was intended to
come to the rescue. The mother had
gone so far rs to say that II would give
her great pleasure to establish son.in-
Inv Oh the ground floor. She did not
share NJ. dAubrion's nristocrntic preju-
dices and promised Charles Grandct to
obtain letters patent which should au.
thOrize him. Grandet. TO bear the name
and assume the arms Of the TAubrions.
and to succeed to the property Of Au.
briOn. which was worth about thirty. ak
thousand livrcs a year. to say nothing Of
the titles Of Capal de Buch and Mar.
quis dAubrion. They could he very
useful to each other. In short: and what
with this arrangement Of joint estab.
lishmsnt, and one or two posts about
the court. the hotel d'Aubrion might
count upon an income Of II hundred thou.
| sand francs anu more.
"And when man has n hundred thou.
Sand francs year. a name. a family and
position at court. the rest In easy. You
can DO secretary to an embassy.
She fairly turned his head with these
ambitious schemes. He never doubted
but that his uncle had paid his fathers
creditors. He resolved to strain every
nerve to reach those pinnacles Of glory
which his esOtistical wOuld.bs mother-iI.
law had pointed out to him. His cousin
was only dim spcck In the remote past
she had no place In this brilliant future,
no part In his dreams. but he went to
sse Annette. That experienced woman
Of the world gave counsel to her old
friend; he must by no means let slip
such an opportunity for nm alliance; she
promised to aid him In all his schemes OF
advancement. He had grown very at.
tractive during his stay In the Indies
his complexion had grown darker. he
had gained In manliness and self-posses'
sion; he spoke In the Arm. decided tones
Of q man who Ii used to command md
to success. Ever since Charles Grandet
had discovered that there was definite
part for him to play In Paris. he wal
himself ut once.
Des Grassins. hearing Of his return
his approaching marriage. and his large
fortune. came to see him. and spoke OF
the three hundred thousand francs still
owing to his fathers creditors. He found
Charles closeted with q goldsmith. from
whom he had ordered Jewels for Mile
d'Aubrion's corbeille. and who was sub
hitting designs. Charles himself had
brought magnificent diamonds from tn,