Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-07-30
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAfIEh AAlN.
Three days later NJ. de Bonfons was
hack In Saumur again, and announced
his marriage with Eugene. After about
six months he received his appointment
a. councillor to the court at Anglers, and
they went thither. But before Eugene
left Saumur she melted down the trim.
kets that had long been 40 sacred and
10 dear a trust. and gave them, together
with the eight thousand francs which her
cousin had returned to her, to the parish
church. whittier she had gone 30 often
to pray for him. Henceforward her life
wns spent partly at Anglers, partly at
Saumur. Her husbands devotion to the
government at a political crisis was re-
warded; he was made First President.
Then he awaited a general election with
Impotence; he had visions OF a place In
the government; he had dreams Of
peerage; and then. and then
"Then he would call cousins with the
king. I supposef" said Nanon.
Yet, after oil. none Of these ambi.
tious dreams was TO be realized. and
the name Of NJ. de Bonfons was to I'M
dergo no further transformation. lie
died only eight days after his appoint.
ment az deputy of Snumur. Nine. de
Bonfons was left a widow three years
after her marriage, with an income Of
eight hundred thousand livres.
She was beautiful still, with the beau.
~ of n woman nearly forty years Of
age. Her face was very pale and quiet,
with tinRe Of sadness In the low tones
Of her voice. She had simple mann, rs,
all the dignity Of one who had passed
through great sorrows, and the saintli-
ness Of a soul unspOtted by the world:
and, no less, the rigidness Of an old maid.
the little penurious ways and narrow
idehs OF a dull country town.
Although she had eight hundred livres
a year, she lived just as she used to do
In the days Of stinted allowances Of fuel
and food while she was still Eugene
Grandet. the fire never lighted In the
pHrlOr before or after the dates Gxed
by her father. all the regulations In force
In the days Of her girlhoOd still adhered
to. She dressed as her mother did. That
cold. sunless, dreary house. always over
shadcwed by the dark ramparts. was like
her own life.
She looked carefully after her affairs;
her wealth accumulated from year TO
year; perhaps she might have been called
parsimOniOus, II II were not for the noble
use she made Of her fortune. Various
piOus and charitable institutions, aims.
houses aud orphan asylums. richly
| endowed public library, and donations
to various churches In Saumur, IRE a
| sufficient answer to the charge Of avn
rice which some few people have brought
against her.
They sometimes spoke Of her In joke
as mademoiselle. but. In fact, people
stood somewhat In awe Of Nine. de Bcn-
fons. II was as II She. whose henrt
went out 10 readily to others. was nl-
ways to be the victim Of their interested
calculations: as II for all warmth and
brightness In lior life she was to find
only the pale glitter Of metal.
mo one loves me hut YOU" she would
sometimes say to Nanon.
Yet her hands were always rendy to
hind the wounds that other eyes did not
see. In any house; and her way to heav.
en- was one long succession Of kindness
and good deeds. The real greatness Of
her soul had risen above the cramping In.
fuences Of her early life. And tits 10
the life history OF woman who dweit In
the world, yet not OF Il. q women 70
grandly fitted to be q wife and mother,
but who had neither husband nor chill.
dren nor kindred.
(Ths end.)