Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-12-19

raising that noble woman from sucn
a sort Of abandonment, into which
fate had cast her, had for men an in
finite attraction. But beside that and
above that, from the first hour | was
conquered Jy her beauty. You have,
you have said, known MademoiselIe
de Sardonne from childhood, and it is
possible that the long familiarity, as
sometimes happens, has made you
somewhat Indifferent 20 the charm Of
her person. But the charm is great.
She has the pure, serious and some
what tragic grace of those Muses. up
on whose brows they place a star
She has also the musical and grave
voice of a Muse. 1t is enchanting 20
hear her read, and in our sitttngs for
the portrait of your aunt, in seeing
and hearing the beautiful reader,
have often had the foolishness OF
transporting her in thought to TINS
studio in which we now are, and II
would become Immediately paradise
of light. Had | met Mademoiselle dc
Sardonne in the social position III
which she was born, there IL would
have been, doubtless, but the passing
dream of an artlst-one OF those very
aristocratical lovers. Three-fourths OF
the time we live, in imagination, IN
high society. We Familiarity keep
company with the great ladies, upon
the terraces of their palaces, and
eoddesses in the clouds. 1t is one OF
our great sorrows that we fall from
that society and those regions to the
earth, into the world, and the platl-
tudes of reality. And it is above all
in the matter of love and Of marriage
that our descents are profound and
| our disenchantments, bitter. Alas!
who knows it better than /? Well, /
would tell you that if I had met
! Mademoiselle de Sardonne in all the
! ecIat of her birth and her fortune,
( know too well the laws and customs
| of the world to ever even for once en-
: terrain the idea of asking her hand.
But then [ see her unhappy and poor,
and am, at least, upon the road TO
wealth. 1t is like a correspondence be-
! tween US. | may, then, at present,
/ offer her an Independent existence,
! place her beauty in a worth setting
and | allowed myself to give way to
! such ? strong temptation when 1t
! seemed to me that your friendship for
! MademoiseIle de SardOnne took the
| character Of a serious attachment
From that time my course was clearly
! indicated. I came away"
my dear MASTER" said Pierrepont
you are a grand fellow. You should
| have told me that below, That, would
have saved you the journey going and
| coming"
III i should give course to this
DREAM the painter continued, Il may
count, my dear Marquis, upon your
sympathy and your good counseis?''
AS for the sympathy, you have it,
| but as TO counSels, they should always
| be delicate in such an affair. l would
not be the cause of your making a
! false step. And before that l must
know if Mademoiselle de Sardonne
returns in some measure your senh-
ments?"
She knows absolutely nothing OF
| them," said Fabrice.
Are your sure? In your long tete-
a-tete, during your lessons in water
| Colors, not a word has ever escaped
you that would lead her to suspect
| it,"
Never. l was your guest"
you are a true man. But hence
, forth, as far as l am concerned, you
are free. l have neither the right nor
the desire to oppose the happiness of
| Mademoiselle de Sardonne, should
she find it by yours"
But you who have known her for
long time, my dear Marquis, do you
think that there is any hope of her
welcoming my demand, should I ever
Care address it to herr"
On that regard l do not know as
much as you think. She is a very mys-
FERROUS person. She has had, they say
for some time, an idea of entering the
convent But that is, perhaps, in lieu
of nothing better
Your aunt?"
MY aunt holds tight to her reader,
and you need not expect at any time
any good will from her. But she has
TO legal authority over Mademoiselle
de Sardonne, who depends solely upon
her tutor. an old friend of her father,
and who is careless. He will certainly
do as she desires"
After a short silence:
DO you think" began Fabrice,
that Mademolsene Beatrice will like
my daughter, that she will be good to
her?''
Why suppose the contrary?"
No doubt. Since your aunt permits
me to take her down.
She asks you to do So"
There was a new silence.
We'll my dear master, is that all
that you desire to know from me?"
That is all am a thousand times
obliged 10 you. VIII you give me your
address in England? ?"
Pierrepont arose and wrote two
two lines upon a card which t'abrice
gave him and returned it.
Here it is: Batsford Park, Moreton-
in-Marsh, Worcester. I must go.
Aur revoir.