The Son of Clemenceau

notary who had managed the transmission of the maintenance money to young Clemenceau. At the hint from M. Ritz, who had a debt of honor to pay the son of his dead frie

ship to which his name might exercise a spell, all the old artists who had known his

rong characters, heated passions, black vices, deep prejudices, grievous misfortunes, and even utterly ridiculous persons had disappeared. The country he had been reared in still thrilled with patriotism and meant something when it muttered threats to kill its

al institutions-schools called colleges and colleges called universities, resulting necessarily from the proclamation of man's equality. H

but life at home in a demure and tranquil suburb little suited the young meteor who had flashed across Germany. Felix saw with dismay that domestic

was indecent when the little boy died. Until then he had believed that the path of dut

ss, her mother had never inculcated evil to her child; on the contrary, impressed by the lesson of Iza's career, she had perhaps been too Puritanic with Césarine, whos

the dissoluteness, though not as coarse as at Munich, was more diffused. Here she was assured that she could gratify her insatiable appetite at any moment. She saw that the manners excused her; the laws guaranteed the unfaithful wife, and religion screened her; that the social atm

d he suspect that she had, not with any repugnance, precipitated its death? She feared this passionate man who, by strength of will, made himself calm, alarmed her more than an angry one would have done. Moved b

at she could perceive scarcely an atom of the lover. Then she vowed to torture him: he should no longer find a wife in her-not even a woman, still less a lovely companion; she would implant in him intolerable longing and guard that he might not gratify it-not even lull it on any side, while

ks and the carmine of her lips, studied useless arts of the toilet harder than a sage muses

her till s

she believed she was simply at the degree

he witch to have her fortune told and had never shaken off the bonds; these Césarine took up and drove her by them. She had led to the entrance of the girl under her roof ingen

ave urged him to accumulate wealth to expend it in social diversions; while Césarine fretted at h

e. While gliding about the quiet house in a neat dress, she imagined herself in robes almost regal, with golden or

fortune. He saw the gleam of it although he could not trace the beam to its source, too dazzling. But she had no faith in him, she did not understand his value, and from the time of his certainty that they were not the unit of two hearts to which happiness accrues and where it abides, he merely resigne

er elopement had caused her mother fatal sorrow, and her father said plainly that he regarded her as dead. Though she came to his gates, begging her bread, he would bid his janitor drive her away. Her mother

f to die in the ditch. Clemenceau gave him shelter, nursed him-for his wife would have nothing to do with a beggar-and to cover the hospitality and soothe the Italian's pride, paid him liberally to be his model. He was named Antonino and might have been a descendant of the Empe

a piece of colored chalk to a black stone, soon revealed strong gift

natural, but it was pique that she felt toward Felix. In Antonino, she saw the possible instrument of her vengeance. His good looks, fervid temperament, youthful impressi

ed him from the baseness of deceiving his benefactor, was due to honor. She flattered herself that she could pluck the fruit at any time

opera-singers, Bohemians who have made a fortune by chance, superseded politicians, officials who have perfected libeling into an art, and reformed female celebrities of the dancing-gardens and burlesque theatres. But, as society is constituted,

rprising number of visitors who "ran down" from the city. Considering her age, her activity in playing the hostess was remarkable. On the other hand, the "at homes" were most resp

o the gatherings; but the white neck-cloth and black coat suppressed gaiety in even the risi

a, initiated from the English, was a kind of penitential drink. But she became a habitué, and took a very natural liking to h

ng chilliness. A marked gravity governed them both of late; they shut themselves up for hours in their study, but instead of the silence becoming

t Césarine, dismissing

n ante-chamber to a more brilliant resort beyond, while the labora

t that her offer of a companionship had not been accepted. "All her pets had married well," she observed, as

row of honor in the large, lofty drawing-room, hung with tapestry and damask curtains, and filled with funereally garbed men and powdered old dowagers. The late comer

llent baritone voice, and the ballad, simple and unfinished, became a tragic sce

dor which Wanda had missed and Iza enjoyed, flashed up before her, and her heart warmed delightedly in the voluptuous intoxication of unspeakable bliss. On the wings of this melody, which, in truth, merely sought to picture the celestial dwelling of t

is the spot where

rief, of that apotheosis where Cupid is proclaimed superior to all the high interests of human conscienc

rcome, and she concurred beforehand with this troubadour who protes

ompliments. It was the young nobleman who had aided her flight with Clemenceau at Munich, and of whom she had not cherished a second thought! Better tha

r-hall, but the frock does not make the monk, and Baron Gratian von Linden-Hohen-Linden, Vis

shamed of, a gallery of masterpieces acquired from living painters, an unrivaled hot-house of orchids, wolf-hounds and fox-hounds and other dogs, and the rumor went

ince Prussia was supposed to be France's greatest opponent in case Luxembourg wer

ndelivered. In this attack, she was met halfway, for, had she been less eager, s

s not an undetached person whose quarrel could be kept among private ones. On the contrary, he moved the authorities like a chess-player does the pieces, and he moved them against me. At the first, they talked of nothing less than trying me for treason, since the projected arrest of the Polish conspirator and yourself-kinswoman of the Dobronowska

u; "he is one, and my cousin. The story is long and inv

xclaimed, and she no

dream ends here-on that

dreams can be repeated and continued, by an eff

but question-that I narrowly escaped the State's prison for

an and touched his lips

tly speaking, in my home, and as soon as my husband realizes one or two of the ideas over which he is musing, happiness must be

red herself presiding at an ass

for the sphere to which your grace and charms entice you. I will do anything you order; but yet, s

turning away abruptly, as if she feared her virtuous

thout any fruit. I thought the contrary from the way he rode my horse and handled the pistols. But, being an enthusiast, how can you expect to do anything but vegetate? You will always be poor, for, if the man's ideas bore fruit, he would only sink the gains in fresh enterprises. These artists are always unthrifty, and they should wed their laundresses or their cooks. But I-though they have tied up my German revenue, and I have been practically banished-enjoy a tolerable return from my property in this Empire. I have been offered a ver

listening much too long. They continued the conversatio

ich, she made inquiries upon his pecuniary standing and was rejoiced to learn that he had not deceived her in that respect. It was left to him to be a favorite in the court, which, not succeeding in weaning away the scions of the Legitimist nobility, greeted the foreign nobles cordially and sought to attach them to its standard in foresight of a European war. One thing was certain: Grat

able part in the conflict impending; such an one might emerge from the smoke a lieutenant of an em

itect whose buildings had appeared only on paper-this you

e in him. Instead of growing bolder, he seemed to hold aloof, and he fixed each new appointment at a longer interval. He was gloomy and absent, and she began to feel that her charm was weakening. She repro

politics to a woman; but you and I are as one: you should know the worst. I am not my own master, and they who rule me presume to dictate my cou

dious-that must not be! Do you mean t

e absurdity of her pro

ld up his head again. I am one of the flies on the common wheel who will be carried into the action and smashed, whoever is the victor. I am unwilling to perish thus, when I can find in love of you a paradise on earth wherever you consent to dwell with me. Listen: I am entrusted with a prodigious sum in cash by a political organization, the headquarters of which in France are here, at the old marchioness's-a veteran puller of the wires that move the European puppets. They have practically seized my German bands, and unless I retake them at the head of a column of victorious French, I may as well say good-bye to them. As for Terremonde, the revenue is falling every quarter. If it were not for this secret s

the woman, frowning as h

into sight-drafts, and we can put

political organ

and no receipt demanded. I make no secret: I am offering for your love the price of my honor. Only let us flee to a distan

I cannot doubt you any longer, if ever I did. Enou