Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-11-28


logic that he was her lover.
However it was, Nine d'Aymarec
was to Beatrice, in her total abandon
ment CONSIDER and a confidante of in
flhlta Price; before her only Beatrice
would lower her impressive mask, ana
allow her tears to flow. But, however.
even with her, ner heart kept one Sc
cret
One day the Vicomtesse having
found her in tears in her room, after
cEe of those mys flying scenes which
Nine. de Montauron did not in the
least try to spare her, pressed her to
instantly quit the house of the
baroness and take an asylum with
Ter. Beatrice hesiiated, and after a
little reflection said:
q thank you" as she kissed her;
but you must excuse me. am yet too
proud Notwithstanding all this to ac-
cept food.and lodging by pure charity
Here at least | am good for some
Il jnS-1 earn my bread AT your hons
| should turn a parasite" And then,
as her friend tried to overcome
Der scruples: And moreover" she
said with sad smile your husband
would court me-"
Nine. d'Aymaret, who we'll knew her
! husband. and we'll knows him
capable of violating the holy laws OF
Hospitality, shook her head sadly and
cid not insist.
The VicOmte d'Aymaret, like many
men in the world, asked to be nothing
more than a perfectly honest man,
! sober, regular in his habits, and al
! enemy Of the queen of spades. If he
| loved play, women and wine, even to
the extent Of debauchery and degener-
| alton, it was because he could not re-
| sist the temptations.
| Psychologists would have probably
re garded him as victim of determina-
| ton. But to the common people he
was simply a fool.
He was of an agreeable exterior and
I was not lacking in esprit. His wife
lad loved him much; but he had so
| deceived her, discouraged and dis
| keartened her, that she bore him no
other sentiments than those of indiff-
erence and suspicion. However, she
pitied him as one might pity an in
Valid. She often thought OF the singI-
lar mania with which he was afflicted,
and which consisted in confiding to
Der, sometimes crying, his losses at
pay, his amOurs, mis- mortal distress,
end of how he needed women to con-
sole him for losses in gambling, and
wine to console him in his TrahisOns
Ges femmes. They said of her that she
had much goodness of heart to listen
t. him. But there are women of a d.
Vine kindness.
Nine. d'Aymaret had had two child
rem Dy that unworthy husband-two
sons, to whom she gave her whole time
ard attention, and upon whom sna
seemed to have showered her whole
love and affection.
She was one Of the very few women
whom the Marquis de Pierrepont had
seriously loved. He had loved her Tor
the pure charm and the sort Of lumin-
Gsity of heY blonde hair; Tor the
grace with which she walked; for the
tender cIearness of her eyes, which,
like those of Henrietta of England,
sc emed to always claim he right to
ones nCart Still more did he love her
for her honesty AID attraction for for
hidden fruit; somewhat, also, it is 10
be hoped, a warmth of sympathy for
ho,
anyone else did he know of the sOr-
rows of her life. He was of the same
club as M. d'Aymaret, and more than
once had he seen his wife, in the early
days of their married life hunt him Up
in the early morning, with her eyes
red from, tears and insomnia.
In short, he had tried to console
her. He had not succeeded. Much as,
tOnished and much mortified by the
unsuccessful attempt, he had, how
ever, assumed the position Of tn gal
liant man, and had willingly accepted
the kind Of reserved friendship that
that charming woman frankly offered
him. Since then they had frequently
enough been to each other friend and
confdante, merry and slightly ironi-
cal.
Nine. d'Aymaret, who was inter
ested il matters of art, had an en-
enthusiastic admiration for Jacques
F'abrice. She had some water coIors
dated in the youth of the painter, and
Of which she was justly proud. The
arrival of Fabrice at the Chateau des
Comets had reused in her a lively
curiosity. The man pleased her by his
modest manner and his melancholy
gravity. Always occupied in thinking
of the distressed and precarious Pc
SitiOn of her friend eBatrice, she re
membered that before the family dis
asters the young woman had eX
pressed an earnest desire to learn to
Faint in water colors; and she
thought to herself that, during his So
jCurn at Comets, Fabrice might give
her few lessons to encourage her
disposition, and as far as possible to
develop the germs of a talent which
might one day assure the orphan Of
livelihood. Beatrice. in hel. bitter dis |
enlargement of all things, welcomed, |
however, this idea with some inter
est.
But" said she, how shall l be
able to ask this of Monsieur? I shall