Year: 1878

SAS O0Sooniok BCueicuou.


There will be no need Of remember
ing them here. she said. sadly; you will
see no one but my father and myself.
l came to bring you yonr bread


She had answered with such gentle
dignity that he was at loss Of words,
and he commenced eating the bread
she had brought him. looking down up
on it, while she, in her turn, studied
his features.


Then she brought him water. to
drink. and left him to his musings,
which were different from what
they were before her c,ming.


Had this gay courtier heard enough
to abandon the project he had formed.
Of gaining his liberty through the love
be should awaken 10 the heart of one
whom be had imagined to be as
beautiful in form Is in features. when.
instead Of the idal he had formed. he
saw IN object Of pity. and from which
. man would naturally shrink


he had lived . gay. dissoluts life,
and bis heart was not one to be immed-
lately touched, but his plans were dis
concerted. 1t would not be easy. even
could he conquer the aversion he felt,
to make this girl believe that he was
even interested in her, for in this one
interview he comprehended the charsc-
ter with which lie had to deal. To
such sensitiveness ~ is ever the portion
of unfortunate beings like Louise Ber-
tole. was added the sarcasm taught her
by bitter experience. She had lived
her life alone. Years ago, when she
was q child, other children shrank
from the ceresses she would have Law
ished, upon them. and her father had
not becn able to love her, as he had
loved the perfect children whose lives
had not been spared to him.


It will take time, the Count thought;
but this girl must love me. can see
no other way of obtaining my freedom.


Gradually he gained the confidence
of Louise and learned that the place in
which he was imprisoned was house
belonging to Mazarin, and was a kind
of prison, where the Cardinal confined
his own personal enemies. Or. more
properly speaking. these courtiers
whom he hated for some real or sup
posed influence which they bad over
the Queen-mother.


At length the prisoner reproached
his keeper with being harsh and Tn.
kind to him, as she was at times, the
manner having become habitual to her:
but in her heart Of hearts there was all
kindness towards the young aud hands
some nobleman.


You should not treat me unkindly.
Louise. he said, because others have
failed to understand the beauty Of your
soul And so with gentle tender words
be melted the ice which was an outer
covering only Of the deformed girls
soul, beneath which beat generous i'm
pulse aud true womsnly feeling. Still.
the love he had determined on was
slow-s0 slow that when months had
passed, he had no longer the desire to
win her as q means of obtaining free
dom.


In Louise he found . companion.
Her clear. subtitle intellect had for him
Q sort of fascination. She had all her
life treasured up poetry and romance;
had mastered moro of science than his
idle existence had given him time to
do The Loneliness Of the prison had be-
come something of the past; the court
ier had become Q student, the cell q
library; for he was not without money
from bis own estate, and Louise could
readily get him Whatever he wished
from Paris. He had forgotten to think
of her as repulsive being, a. day by
day the beauty Of her mind revealed
itself.


She learned her power, and in this
sweet companionship his mind scared
far above the sel6shness which had
dwsrfsd it. In this strange friendship
he had found rest. t.and awaited patiently
for the time whom his prosecutors
should be induced. through the per-
suasion Of his friends. to liberate him.


To Louise this companionship had
opened new world. aad her love be-.
came devotion. Anxiously she watched
the fading Of health. and saw the face
which was to her - the visage Of an
angel. grow thin and colorless.


The room. with low arches and stone
walls, was dark and damp; Philip had
bsen accustomed to sunshine. warmth
and liberty until he was 40 unfortunate
as to incur tho Cardinals displeasure.


The bread Louise brought him was
hard; but she often contrived to elude
the vigilance of the old soldier, her
father. and carry to Philips call the
delicaciss which she had prepared.
But oil seemed of no avail, and he be-
came 10 sad that even Louise's smiles
failed tc cheer him. As his strength
failed, shs nurssd him more tenderly.
but the fever in his veins was not TO be
destroyed.


Philip, dear Philip. she said clasped
her small hands in anguish. you will
die here: then added slowly and dis
tinctly. you must 60 away


Her tender thoughtfulness, together
with the prospects Of freedom, invigor-
ated him 90 much that the color came
into his face, and the light to his eyes.
Then. - the impossibility of this pre-
sented itself to his mind, he sobbed
aloud.


No, Louise. it is quite impossible,
be answered. at length.


Nothing is impossible to those who
are determined. she said; ard so left
him to worder at her courage and de-
votion.


The following evening Louise open
Cd the door, saying. Philip. you must
follow me.


She led the way through passage
after passage. He kept close to her,
in . dream. until at length they stood
henesth the canopy which j. at night
seuddsd With staFs. i was to him rs .