Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-01-23

| adjoining parIor, Where, IN haS-e, she
| quickly put on her pelisse and her
furs. Nine. d,Aymaret ran to her and
aided her. They pressed each others
hand, and Beatrice went out.
Pierrepont, standing, motionless, 81
| lent, had witnessed in the shadow Of
the baignoire-that short scene. He
rejoined Nine. d'Aymaret in the little
parlor. She was seated upon a divan,
breathing hard as though oppres sed.
He took a seat in front of her; his
hand shook with a slight trembling;
his forehead and his cheeks lad be
him, and it was Immediately upon be-
ginning TO speak that he began to
apologize for his conduct.
"Tt you, may say, with respect
that my intention was not, nor nas my
custom been, to insult ladies, and 1 do
not think I merited what she ans
Wered me. For the rest, it is an affair
between men now. AS for you, de-
sire to recall some "reminiscences,
VII. Oh l hope"
All at once he ceased to speak.
Nine. dAymaret covered her face
! with her hands, and he saw the tears
trucking through her fingers.
There was silence for a minute or
two; then the Marquis de Pierrepont
became suddenly as pale as wax, and
said to her in a low but assured voice:
''Why do you cry?"
She did not answer, except by a
burst of sobs.
ooh, know" he said, shaking his
head, sadly, you are crying for me.
You weep over the man whom you
have honcred with your esteem, with
your friendship, and what today you
see fallen to the lowest degradation,
| but if l arouse pity in you, or rather
| horror, how much horror do I rouse in
myself-who is to blame?-who? If it
is not that miserable woman whu just
went out Of here?"
Monsieur de Pierrepont!"
Il tell you nothing, Madame, l sup
pose. The singular change which has
| occurred in my life is, perhaps, al
| enigma to every body but you. 1t is
possible that you, even you, do not
| know the true cause, and let me tell
the excuse"
Sometimes, no doubt" murmured
| the young woman, Il have thought
that, but how should I stop it? How
should | believe that deception, bit
ter as it might be, could cause a man
to faII?"
She hesitated.
so low" said Pierrepont, finishing
the phrase. But Heavens! Madame,
however, you have been my candidate
at that frightfuI hour of my life. Re-
call then, beg you, What to me
that deception of which you speak,
must have been. At the time when the
destiny of man is in suspense, it is
often a woman who decides it, who
determines it for better or worse. For
me, it happened that your friend was
that woman. Such as She appears to
me, the same as to everybody else,
with her too real beauty and her f1c-
titiOus virtues, she was like a charm
ing symbol of happiness which
could see at my respected fireside.
had little by little put all my luture,
all my life, in the dream Of which she
was the inspiration. You know all
that separated me from her, you know
all the objections, all the resistances,
all the obstacles that l had to- con-
quer and brave; you know I was ready.
for any deVotions, for all sacrifices;
you know that l would have accepted
all-the privations, the troubles, the
subsection, the work-provided she
would have been my wife. In all, you
know how much l loved her, with
what foolish tenderness-almost holy,
l dare say-and when she miSerably
deceived such love. you became aston
ished that I became hopeless and that
I call her a wretch.
Monsieur de Pierrepont, beg you
with all my soul. But is it worthy of
you, of your good sense, of your up
rightness, to characterize a woman as
miserable because she refuses to
marry you?"
Il do not characterize her as miser
able because she refused to marry me,
but because for months, for years, she
encouraged my passion, and because
she led me TO believe that she partici-
pated in ii, and that she deceiTed me,
you see. Madame, am I a child? Could
be deceived in regard to her atti-
tude 20 her looks, her accent, and
even to her silence? Did not all that
tell me that she loved me? Indeed,
you were convinced of it yourself, and
all that was but deception and CO.
quetry. 1t was then because l was a
good party, Notwithstanding the me-
diocrity OF my fortune and the time
When she had none. But upon the
day when a Dretendant richer than |
offered himself careless of breaking
my heart, she tire herself into his
arms"
IF you only knew, Monsieur! If
you could only know Row unjust you
arei"
She threw herself into his arms,
he continued, with a growing exalta-
ton, and from all that which passed
in ME at that moment, all that l felt
of disenchantment, Of sorrow, of hui
initiation, of savage jealousy, can you
not understand it? | thought of killing
myself. But the life that lead is only
suicide Of another order, with more
shame, it is true"
Monsieur de Pierrepont, I beg of
you be calm; beg of you"
'She made me insane. She made
me- wicked in all WAYS and she has