Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-01-03

stone fronting q fair stretch Of wooded
lawn, cut by Q brook that went splash
ing over rocks near by, and sent It's
velvet voice through the wood and
field. A road Of fine gravel led through
groves of beech and oak and pine
to a grassy terrace under the castle
walls. Presently tall, handsome
man, with black eyes and iron-gray
hair and mustache, came down path,
clapping his hands.
Welcome, gentlmen! It is the
Capt. Bell?" said no, with a marked
accent, as hecame to me, his hand ex-
tended. "You come from Monsieur the
Gen. Brown, do you not?'
do," said I, handing him my mes
sage.
He broke the seal and read it care
fully.
t'T am glad to see you-ver' glad to
BEE you'll" ssid he, laying his hands
upon my shoulders and giving me .
little shake.
The two servants went away with
D'ri and Seth and the horses.
'Come, captain" said my host, as he
led the way. "You are in good time
for dinner"
We entered q great triangular hall,
lighted by side windows above the
door, and candelabra of shining brass
that hung from its high ceiling. There
were sliding doors Of polished wood
en- each side Of it. A great stairway
filled the point of the triangle. /
was shown to my room, which was
as big as q ballroom, 1t seemed to
me. and grandly furnished: no cas-
tie of my dreams had been quite 50
j fine. The valet of the count looked
after me, with the offers of new linen
and more things than could see use
for. He could not speak English, !
remember, andlI addressed him in the
good French my mother had taught
me.
The kind of life saw In this grand
home was not wholly new to me, for
both my mother and my father had
known good living in their youth,
and I had heard much of 1t. I should
have been glad Of my new uniform;
but after ] had had my bath and put
on the new shirt and collar the valet
had brought me, I stood before the
long pier-glass and saw no poor figure
Of man.
The great dining-hall Of the count
was lighted with many candles when
we came in to dinner. 1t had big
fireplace, where logs were blazing, for
the night had turned cool, and long
table with a big epergne Of wrought
silver, filed with roses, in IT'S
center. A great silken rug lay un-
der the table, on a polished floor, and ]
the walls were hung with tapestry. I
sat beside the count, and opposite me
was the daughter of the Sieur Louis
Francois de Saint Michel, kings for
ester under Louis XVI. Therese, the
handsome daughter of the count, sat
facing him at the farther end OF the
table, and beside her was the young
Marquis de Gonvello. M. Pidgeon, the
celebrated French astronomer, Moss
Kent, BROTHER of the since famous
TchanSsSbf, tag SssG S1fcH9l, ahd the
Baroness de Ferre, with her two wards,
the Misses Louise and Louison de
Lambert, were also at dinner. These
young hdies were the most remark
able Of the company; their beauty was
so brilliant, so fascinating, 1t kindled
great FIRE in me the moment l saw
it. They said little, but seemed to
have much interest in all the talk OF
the table. looked 1t them more than
was polite, am sure, but they looked
at me quite as often. They had big,
beautiful brown eyes, and dark hair
fastened high with iewelled pins, and
profiles like those Of the fair ladies
Of Sir Peter Lely, 50 finely were they
cut. One had form bit fuller and
stronger than the others, but they
were both as tall and trim as young
beech; with lips cherry-red and cheeks
where one could see faintly the glow OF
their young blood. Their gowns were
cut low, showing the graceful lines OF
neck and shoulder and full bosom.
1 had seen pretty girls, many Of them,
but few high-bred, beautiful young |
women. The moment I saw these two
some new and mighty force came into
me. There were wine and wit a plenty |
at the counts table, and other things
that were also new to me, and for
which I retained perhaps too great a
| fondness.
The count asked me to tell Of our
journey, and told the story with all
the spirit could put into my words.
am happy to say 1t did seem to hit
the mark, for I was no sooner done
with our adventure than the ladies
began to clap their hands, and the
Misses de Lambert had much delight
In their faces when the baroness re-
told my story in French.
Dinner over, the count invited me
to the smoking-room, where, in cor
| ner by ourselves, had some talk with
him. He told me Of his father-that
he had been a friend of Franklin,
that he had given ship and cargo of
gunpowder to our navy in '76. Like
others l had met under his roof, the
count had seen the coming Of the Reign
Of Terror in France, and had fed with
his great fortune. He had invested
much of it there in the wild country.
He loved America, and had given free
ly to equip the army for war. He
was, therefore, man Of much influ-
eace in the campaign Of the north,
and no doubt those in authority there
were instructed, while the war was on,
to take special care Of his property.
"And will you please tell me-" said
at length, "who are the Misses de Lam
bert?"
Daughters of a friend in Paris"
said the count "He is great physi-
clan. He wishes not for them to mar
| ry until they are 81. Mon Dieu! it
was a matter of some difficulty. They
| we're beautiful"
every beautiful" I echoed.
"They are admired" he went on.