Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-11-28
CHAPTER v.
VicomVesse d'Aymaret.

| The first intention Of PierrepOnt
was to 90 to Nine. de MontaurOn ana
report the still warm conversation
which he had just overheard being
! carried on by the queen pearl OF ner
diadem and her worthy institutrice.
| But after having thought a little owe.
It ne preferred 10 defer that commuu-
| icatiOn, and to reserve it as a dilatOry
argument for that time when his
aunt would press him anew for a de-
| cisiOn. TOrmented by hesitational per
| pIeXities, OF which the reader vii;
! soon know the real cause, if he
mas not already reviewed them, the
! young marquis in his irresolution de
| sired merely to gain time. linus he
! Continued upon that day and upon the
days following to mix with his cOurtG
| Gus grace in the pastime of the com
paGy at Comets, permitting his aunt
| to believe that he was following
through the play and laughter a pro
found study OF character, while in
fact he was little occupied by that.
| Meanwhile, almost every day, after
| her midday siesta, Nine. de Montau-
ron posed before Jacques Fabrice, III
! tie great white parlor, with her fai-
con on her knees. Most often Beatrice
v as present alone at these sittings
But, getting for his credit for his Com
potency i'll artistic matters, the Mar
CUR de PierrepOnt sometimes intro
dUced himself into the sanctuary,
where he seemed to follow the WORK
OF the painter with a lively interest.
Upon these occasions Fabrice was
struck. and indeed touched, with the
attentive respect LAT he bore to his
aLnt's reader He was the only one or
the whole number at the chateau who
treated her as an equal; all the others,
the women principally, copying after
the Baroness, bore toward Beatrice an
air of chilly Superiority and disdain-
full protection. Fabrice remarked also
that the most distressing part of the
duties Of the reader were spared her
when Pierre was present. 1t was ne
who rose to bring a footstool, to
place a cushion, open window or close
one, call a domestic, fan -er, do all
things to satisfy all the caprices of ar
old woman who was an invalid, AMI
nervous, and had an imperious self
iEhness. But the Baroness seemed 10
mucK prefer the services Of Mile. de
Sardonne to those of her nephew.
My dear" she would say to MIN,
that is we'll. I am much obliged. and
MademOiselIa de Sardonne also. /
suppose; but I will tell you frankly
that mans hanu is a little clumsy
for these light services. There is no
body but Beatrice lat can place my
cushion under my back without de-
ranging my pose. Is that not SO NJ.
IabTice? and besides, my dear boy,
don want to absorb your attentions.
You are the master OF the house, in
measure, and you owe your atten-
tions TO my guests, who are also
yours. Go then, and join them-go my
dear-it would please me-"
OF all the friends Of her childhood,
only one friend, who was two Or
three years her elder, had remained
Cue to Beatrice, and she had re-
Dained obsinately and Jenderly true.
! She was the ViComtesse d'Aymaret,
who was the cousin of lie de La
Freillade, and with whom the pretty
pest had perfdiously associated the
| name of the Marquis de Pierrepont in
| her scandalous chronicle. Nine. day
maret lived during the season at the
little Chateau de Loges, which was
situated about two miles from Genets.
In the country, as at Paris, she rarely
let a week pass without making
visit to Beatrice, that she might fulfil
| this duty of friendship, Drawing the
chilly welcome Of Nine. de Montauron,
vaguely questioning from certain ap-
Fearances, if that amiable parsonage