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About The American. (Omaha, Nebraska) 1891-1899 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1898)
THE AMERICAN. THE WANDERING JEW.,;. t hltl M t uurn nv A t o t II i H Ul KM 'I h f. 1! HiU MP k j I ti P it ft iUl It ft I It r 1- in. n n t f .itr rti n ly Nitnt M 'tilnt Md'Sr do r.!r wa etrttpj, jtt a dirmny i,. I, in ,i r !ititl, lii h w as hint w it It firm i!k, &u I fut i)hed w ith an tlmiiy I I'irtry, Ilia luttitol with bug btotir i aty atides. I'y soite Mti:li. ant ido, one i oul I pi trri i that Mdlle. i!e 'rtlit ill' had nituRliI in the lit i airs mtiif ti In f fin n . itn-l riotu ili Hilitt . Near an open piano, was n harp, pined I t fnn n niuic. laud, A little ftirthrr, on n (able covi rrd ith lmc of ril mo! iilrr t ttlttr, were several brill iniil ikclt In. Most of thriii ifprreiited Asiatic scent's, lighted by Ibe lirca of an oriental un. Faithful to hrr fancy of dressing herself at home in a picturesque tyle, Madcn oiselle do Cardo villo resembled that tiny one of those jrouil por traits of Vebtsquer., with tern niul nohle aspect, llrr gown was of black moire, w ith wide-swelling petticoat, long wuixt, and sleeve slushed with roso-colored tuttin, fastened together with jet bugles. A very stiff Spanish ruir reached Almost to her t hin, And was secured round her neck by n broad rose-colored ribbon. This frill, slightly heaving, slopod down as fur as the graceful swell of the rose-colored stomacher, luecd wih strings jet head, and terminating in u point at the waist. It is impossible to express how well this bluck garment, with its ample and shining folds, re licved with roue.. color and brilliant jet, harmon. iiod with the shining whiteness of Adrienno's skin, nnd the golden flood of her beautiful hair, whoso long, silky ringlets descended toberbosom. The young lady was in a half-rccumbent pos ture, with her elbow retting on u couch covered with green silk. The back of this p'eco of furni ture, which was pretty high towards tho (ire-place sloped down insensibly toward the foot, A sort of light, icinicircuhtr trellis-work, in gilded bronze, raised alout five feet front the ground, covered with flowering plants (the admirable pussiflore qundrnngulahc, planted in u deep ediony box, from the centre of which roso the trellis work), surrounded this couch with a nort of screen of foliugo, enamelled with large flowers, green without, purple within, and at brilliant ns those flnwers of porceluin "which we receive from Saxony. A sweet, faint perfume, like a faint mixture of jasmine with violet, roso from the cup of tluso admirable passiflores. Htrunge enough, a large quantity of new books (Adrienne having bought them since the last two or three days), and quie fresh cut, were scattered around heron tho couch, and on a little table; whilst other larger volumes, amongst which were several at lases full i f engravings, were died on tho sumpt uous fur, which formed the carpet beneath the divan. Htranger still, theso books, though of din'erenl forms, and by different authors, nil treulod of the same subject! The posture of Ad rienne revealed a soil of melancholy dejection. Her cheeks were pale; a light blue circlo sur rounded her Irgo, bluck eyes, now half-closed, and gave to them an expression of profound grief, Many causes contributed to this sorrow amongst others, the disappearance of Mother Hunch. Without absolutely believing tho perfidious in sinuation of Kodin, who gave her to understand that, in the fear of being unmasked by him, tho hunchback had not dared to remain in the house, Adrienne felt a cruel sinking of the heart, when eho thought bow this yaing girl, in whom she hail hud so much confidence, had fled from her almost sisterly hospitality, without even uttering a word of gratitude; for care had been taken not to show her tho few lines written by the nr needlewoman to her benefactress, just before her departure. She had only been told ot the note for five hundred francs found on her desk; nnd thin lust inexplicable circumstance had con tributed to awaken cruel suspicions in the breast of Mdllo, de Cardoville. Sho already felt the fa tal effects of that mistrust of everything and ev erybody, which Kodin hod recommended to her; and this sentiment of suspicion and reserve had the more tendency to become powerful, that, for tho first time in her life, Mdlle. de Cardoville, until then a stranger to all deception, had a se cret to conceal a secret, which was equally her hanrduess. her sbamo and her torment. Half- recumbent on her divan, pensive and de pressed, Adrienne pursued, with a mind often absent, one of her newly purchased books. Sud denly, she uttered an exclamation of surprise; the bund which held the book trembled like a leaf, and from that moment she appeared to rend with passionate attention nnd devouring curios ity. Soon, her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, her smile assumed ineffable sweetness, and she uttered an exclamation of surprise, and she seemed at once proud, happy, delighted but, as !. Into I t Ml tht? t 4 J t , bit ft . . ft i'J i r i Hit i ifr u t sii I i'i. t( Jtt' ! Htl 'On. IImi . & 1 1 !. 1 1 t (i !l Mil t I 11,(1 Hii!, Willi! 14 I O. . I i.-.i ) I l Ml' h tlt III' to 0, to ltd U r bt It 1 Hll, 0 -,t ttt ! ;t f f tf ! Ot in j, mil i m!i pft" I it t , i(t I J M'Mp, It tr, on; tun , tiM wold it.i lint tt tttnr, b" sitM,l, ii. I in a . i.m i.iii.i I, m lib l l fn b ltd h suing it l.rf fair hai.d, hf in ii.t d 1st t i1 I , in ib t p it r if, on the p.t,,i' she bdlietl ith m Ii tritb r and n Hi"ii bne, A It it H'C i A pnit w!nh mi itl't 1 1 d hrr.lhat n tear cttittt'd i ii bt I r e, fbe noblfitly Itillted the obnne, tt si e tm tbt" i n i f the tiitnie of lh author, IVr ft m i itiid, she nntr mpbited tbi name h ith n pin'iiltir ftiprrssiitti of gratitude; and Could toil fttibt'iir tai'iiiiJ to hrr rosy lips the page mi which il wus ptinte I. After tending mviy times over the lim a w tilt whii h she hit 1 bi t n so much strut k, forgt'tliiig, iiotbiiibt, the btter in tho spirit, she begun to relied so deeply, that tho hook glided from her hand, and fell upon the carpel. Pining the course of this reverie, the eye s of tho young girl rested, mechanically, upon an admirable bas-relief, placed on an ebony stand, near one of the windows. This magnificent bronr.e, recmlly cast after a plaster copy from tho antique, repre sented the triumph of the Indian Itucchus. Never, perhaps, hud Orecian art attained such rare perfection. Tho youthful conqueror, half dud in a lion's skin, which displayed his juvenile grace and charming purity of form, shone with divine beauty. Standing up in a car, drawn by two tigers, with an air at once gentle and proud, he leaned with one hand upon a thyrsus, and with the other guided bis savage steeds in tranquil majesty, lly this raro mixture of grace, vigor, and serenity, it was easy to recognize the hero who had waged such desperate combats with men and with monsters of the forest. Tliuuks to the brownish tone of the figure, the light, fulling from one side of tho sculpture, admirably dis played tho form of the youthful god, which, carved In relievo, and thin illumined, shone like a magnificent statue of pale gold upon the dark fretted background of tho broii.e. when Adrienne s look lirst rcsteu on tins rare Assemblngo of divino perfections, her counten ance was calm and thoughtful, hut this contemp lation, at first mechanical, became gradually more and more attentive and conscious, and the young lady, rising suddenly from her seat, slowly approached the bus-relief, as if yielding to the invincible, attraction of an extraordinary resem blance Then a slight blush appoared on tho cheeks of Mdlo. do Cardoville, stole acr ss her face, and spread rapidly to her nock and forehead. She approached still cloior, throw around a busty glance, as if half athumo 1, or as if she had foured to be surprisod in a bhimible action, an d twrico stretched forth her hand, trembling with emotion, to touch with the tips of her charming fingers tho bronze forehead of the Indian Hacchus. And twlco she stopped short, with kind of modest lies- itntion. A last, the temptation became too strong for her, She yielded to it; and her alnbuster finger, after delic.ttcly carrossing tho features of palo gold, was pressed more boldly for an instant on tho pure and noble brow of tho youthful god. At this presiuro, though so slight, Adrionno Nocmod to feel a sort of electric shock; she trcm. bled in every limb, her eyes languished, and, after swimming for an instant in tb"ir humble un 1 bril liant crystal, were raised, halfclosod, to heaven Then her head was thrown a little way buck, her kne!S bent insensibly, her rosy lips half openo as if to give passage to her boated breath, for her bosom heaved violently, as though youth and life hud accelerated the pulsation of tho heart, and made her blood boil in her veins. Finally, the burning cheeks of Adrienne betrayed a species of ecstasy, timid and passionate, chuslo and sensual, tho expression of which was ineffably touching. An effecting spectacle indeed is that of a young maiden, whoso molest brow fllushes with the first fires of a secret passion. Does not tho Crontor of all things animate the body as well as the soul, with a spark of devine energy ? Should lie not bo religiously glorified in the intellect as in the senses, with which No has so paternally endowed his creatures? They are impious blasphemers who seek to stifle tho celestial senses, instead of guiding and hurmouidng them in their divine flight. Suddenly, Mdlo. do Cardoville started, raised her head, opened her eyes as if awaking from a dream, withdrew abruptly from the sculp lures, and walked soveral times up and down tho room in an agitated manner, pressing her burn ing bands to bar forehead. Then, falling, as it were, exhausted on her seat, hor tears flowed in abundance. Tho most bitter grief was viiiblo in her features, which revealed the fatal struggle that was passing within her. Uy degrees, her tears ceased. To this crisis of painful dejection, succcoded.a specious of violent scorn and indig nation against herself, which was expressed by these words that escaped her: 'For tho first time In it) bfV, I t 1 i V nl i t ti lly H!t,ti? . f t I I t At ,if 'I ! " t Oo of a I ! , t p. in. mi , 1 -1 . t i.mi.., M Hi-, .n ,t.i .,lb- ft .( ,,, , lou.f i,i!,-,t! t..nt Im-iiHc ri lin I fo ,! M'll't'lt.i hi t iiitit 'Ms 1 imf, t ti'i 1 1 ii 1 1 he I bet '-tout .. M..it! ton'" Adi ifiii, t,t wl I'M d l i Kil.il I f.'te bt t wn)i H the Hi it of t .p.tl n m t ot t oi .Of I I y thi tiutt -Hiial It t iil, iil tt (ir-nigi-tle. 'Yost I'll M. tie M titboii th.it I w ml biunt"' ' Vt , iiifll.iiiiP 'Thru big bint to walk in ' Thmuh M ile tit t'sld-tVllli' ft it Nt ttott III HIH'Ilt unit h vef I t t 1m arrival of Muiitbroit, li t lis hasten to s.iy,tlnt she riiteitained fr hint an iiliu ift fi ial nlbvtion, nnd a profound t-tcrm, though, by a tint uufie ju iil contrast, she almost always tlilb'trd fro it him In opinion. Hein e arose, when M lie. do Cardoville had nothing to disturb her mind, tho most gay and animated discussions, in which M. do Mo it hron, notwithstanding his mocking and skeptical humor, his long experience, his raiv knowledge of men and things, his fashionable training, in a word had not always the advantage, and even ac knowledged his defeat gaily enough. Thus, to givo an idea of the difference of the count and Adrienne, before, a he would any, laughingly, he had made himself her accomplice, he had always opposed (from other motives than those alleged by Mudauie de Suiut-Dizier) Adrienne's wish to live alouo and in her own way; whilst Kodin, on the contrary, by investing the young girl's resolve on this subject with an ideal granduro of inten tion, bud acquired a species of influence over her. M. do Montbroii, now upwards of sixty years of age, had been a iiiokI prominent haraclcr during Iho Directory, Consulate, ami the Kmpire. His prodigal stylo of living, his wit, his gaily, his duels, his amours, and his losses at play, had giv en him a loading influence in the bust society of his day; while his character, his kind-heartedness, and liberality, secured him the lasting fiieudship of nearly all his female friends. At tho lime we now present him to too reader, he ws still a great gambler; and, .moreover, a very lucky gambler, lie hud, as we have stated, a very lordly style; his manner were decided, but polished and lively; his habits were such as belong to tho higher classes of society, though ho could bo excessively sharp towards people whom he did not like. He was tall and thin, and his slim figure gave him an almost youthful appearance; his forehead was high, a little bald; his hair was gray and short, his countenance long, his nose aquiline, his eyes bluo and piercing, and his teeth white, and still very good. 'Tho Count do Montbron,' said Georgette, open ing tho door. Tuo count entered, and hastened to kiss Airienne's hand, with a sort of paternal familiarity. 'Come!' said M. de Montbron to himself; 'let us try to discover tho truth I am in search of, that we may escape a groit misfortune.' t!t -If of I " rt .CHAl'TEU LX. TIIK C O S V K S H I O N . Mdlle lo Cardoville, not wishing to betray tho cause of tho violent feelings which agitated her, received M. do Montbron with a feigned and forced gaiety. Cn the other gaud, notwilhtlund- ing his tact and knowledge of tho world, the count wus much embarrassed how to enter upon tho subject on which ho wished to confer with Ad rienno, and he resolved to feel his way, before seriously commencing the conversation. After looking ut tho young ludy for ijmo seconds, M, do Montbron shook his head, and said, with a sigh of regret; 'My dear child, I am not pleased.' 'Some affair of the heart, or of hearts, my dear count?' returned Adrienne, smiling. 'Of the heart,' said M. do Montbron. 'What ! you, so great a player, think more of a woman's whim than a throw of dice?' 'I have a heavy heart, and you arejtho cause of it, my dear child.' '1. de Montbron, you will make me very proud said Adrienne, with a smilo. 'You would bo wrong, for I tell you plainly, my trouble is caused by your neglect of your beauty. Yes, your countenanco is pale, dejected, sorrow, ful; you have been low-spirited for tho lust few days; you have something on your mind, I am sure of it,' 'My dear M. de Montbron, you have so much ponetrution, that you may be allowed to fail for once, as now. I am not sad, I have nothing on my mind, and lam about to utter a very silly dece of impertinence I have never thought my- self so pretty.' 'On the contrary, nothing could bo more modest than such an assertion. Who'told yon that false hood? a woman?' 'No; it was my heart, and it spoke the truth it 1 a .t 1 1 t A dt tt un, w uh a ihjjtt ti ,i ''i, t .ln f, f yon an,' b I b ! y n in, nt tht jtt j at? j i, u .f ib ;im lton i y.-ttr ft'Uf, h 4Utf o Hie J i "I I of . !?U ftlift tr 1,tMH Mi I M b'M 'lllbt.ttl, 'Vto at Alt moo with )tttiiti ii 'U t ; I ft'H thru ti;tsl t vl iiit ,ii. t r tint to t,' a 1 bl lb ( ,mut, pprAtMi; with aim i f tsl f-'ilio, 'I rr.tn4 it i p tiufiil t.t iiie.' - 'H itt!i d, I ftot as hippy is p.-il h rr rvrty itititnl I Isle delight In irpratintf, h, al ihv tto, t run fire :tho!uttdy freV' ' Y ; fit f b tot limit Jntirrlf, fioe In bo ntiirrable ' 'I'oiue, route, my tb r nuiiit! s.tid Adiiniiie, 'yott ate li vomiiifiu ing our obi quarrel. I Mill liud in Von Ibe itllv of tit v iiuitt and the Abbe r - d'Aigtigny.' J 'Yes; as the reptiblicniis are Ibe allies of the! f, Ipv'itiniisls td ilrslrnv i-iirli ntliir In their luru. i n - ' V " Talking of your abominable aunt, tin y say that she holds a sort of council at her house these last few days, n regular mitred conspiracy, She is certainly in a good way.' 'Why not? F- rnterly, she would have wished to be (Soddess of Ueasou, now, wo shall perhaps see her canonized She has already performed the lirst part of the life of Mary Magdalen.' 'You can never speak woreo of her than she de serves, my dear child. Still, for quite opposite reasons, I agreed with her on Ibe subject of your wish to reside alone.' 'I know it.' 'Yes and because I wished to see you a thous and times freer than you really arc, I advised you.' 'To marry.' No doubt: vou would have had vourdearliberty, with its consequenscs, only, instead of Mdle. do Cardoville, we should have called you Madame Somebody, bavin; found an excellent husband 10 bo responsible for your independence.' 'And who would bo responsible for this ridicu us husband? And who would bear a mocked t t m I 41 1i1 's ami iiegrii'ieu name: J, perhaps: sum Aurienuo, with animation. 'No, no, my dear count, good or ill, I will answer for my own actions; to my name shall attach tho reputation, which I alono have formed. I am ns incapable of basely dishon ouring a name which is not mine, as of contin ually bearing it myself, if it were not held in esteem. And, as otto cun only answer for one's own actions, I prefer to keep my name,' 'You are the only person in the world that has such SilltOftl ' I'tVtirj, m 'Why?' said Adrienne, laughing. 'Because ir appears to mo horriblo, to see a poor young girl lost and buried in some ugly and selfish man, and V become, as they say seriously, the better half of tho monster yes! a fresh nnd blooming rose to becomo part of a frightful thistle! Come, my dear count; confess there is something edious in this conjugal metempsychosis added Adrienne, with a burst of laughter. Tho forced and somewhat feverish gaily of Adrienne contrasted painfully with her pale and suffering countenance; it was so easy to seo that she strove to stifle with laughter some deep sor row, that M. do Montbron was much affected by it; but dissembling his emotion, he appemed to reflect a moment, and took up mechanically one of tho now, fresh-cut books, by which Adrienne whs surrounded. After casting a careless glance at this volume, ho continued, still dissembling his feelings; 'Come, my dear madcap: this is niiothefjp folly. Suppose I were twenty years old, and thuf von did me the, honour to ninrrv mo vou would bo culled Lady do Montbron, I imagine?' Tor- haps,' How perhaps? Would you not bear my name, -rt y if you married mo?' i My dear count said Adrienne, with a smile, ' 'do not lei us pursue this hypothesis, which can J only leave us regrets,' Suddenly, M, do Montbron started, and looked at Mdle. do Cardovillo with nu expression of sur prise, For some moments, whilst talking to Adri enne, he had mechanically taken up two or three of tho volumes scatlered over tho couch, and had glanced at their titles in thesamo earless manner Tho first was tho 'Modem History of India.' The ( second, 'Travels in India.' Tho third, 'Letters on India,' Much surprised, M, de Montbron hioN continued his investigation, and found that tho fourth voltimeconlinued this Indian nomenclature being 'Itarnblcs in India.' Tho fifth was 'Hecol- j ections of Ilindoi-tan,' The sixth, 'Notes of a Traveler in tho Fast Indies.' Hence tho astonishment, which, for many se rious reasons, M. de Montbron had no longer been able to conceit!, and which his looks betrayed to Xji Adrienne, Tho latter, having completely forgot. i I Irt.i lltA v.ft'S.aii.,,, r.t it... n s.si.a i n l,,.t n Irt Att l.V U,'t I f ! n; II til V J' PVIII-W Ul HIU U;i;UDill Viuniwa fj r,...,.ft- 3 she was surrounded, yielded to a movement of in- n- voluntary confusion, and blushed slightly; but, j i her firm and resolute character again coming to I her aid, she looked full at M. do Montbron, and riiil tn liim 'U'fll mv ileiir count ! wblit snrnrisfa If r - . ..v... , your A (Continued on page 5.) 1 1