Gerfaut -- Volume 4

andeuil was seated in her armchair reading the periodicals which had just arrived; Aline was practising upon the piano, and her sister-in-law was seated before one of the windows embroide

tened her beauty; her eyes never had sparkled with more brilliancy; but if a hand had been placed upon her forehead, one would have soon discovered by its burning the secret of all this unwonted color. In fact, in the midst of this sumptuous room, surrounded by her frie

elt that her mourning would be brief; young, beautiful, surrounded by all the privileges of rank and fortune, life was closing ar

ck?" Aline exclaimed with surprise; "it l

ch stood out against the horizon, and then let her head droop upon her breast. Mademoiselle de Cora

g fire to the whole woods. Really, I do not know what to think of your husband, Clemence; he takes everybod

d she would say something to keep the conversation alive,

y at the first notes; "you have split our heads long eno

il in disgrace. A deep silence reigned. Madame de Bergenheim had dropped her embroidery without noticing it. From time to time she trembled as i

Yesterday a woman twenty years of age ran away to Montpelier with her lover; to-day, here is another, in Lyons, who poisons her husband and kills

with an effort, and ans

don her, sinc

old aunt; "such creatures ought to b

wives, but not so often of wives killing their husbands," s

he morals of the age! It is the effect of all the disgusting stuff that is acted nowadays upon the stage and written in novels.

all never kill my husband," replied the young girl

rgenheim could not suppress, attrac

Corandeuil, noticing for the first time her niece's d

latter; "I think it is

, then went and took her sist

s burn and your forehead also; I did not

e Bergenheim uttered made the

demoiselle de Corandeuil, who thou

room door; but, instead of opening it, she leaned against it with arms crossed. Then she ran two or three times around

aid. A rumor which had just begun to arise in the courtyard was distinctly heard when the door was thrown open. A moment more, and a piercing shriek was he

head and, placing her hands upon Aline's shoulders, she pushed h

" she asked, i

red with blood!"

was a horrible joy at not hearing the name of Octave; but she tried to smother her hyster

reign among the people outside. At last, several men entered the drawing room

tened. It is only a slight accident, without any danger. Monsieur de Bergenheim

own open, and two servants appeared

e de Bergenheim did not stir; she lay upon the sofa with eyes and ears buried in the cushions, and seemed deaf and blind to all that surrounded her. Mademoi

ed, in a low voice, o

e latter, in a tone which anno

sician bee

nt, Epinal,

ure of his sister's arms. He opened his eyes and, closed them several times; at last his energy triumphed over

aid he, in a

ss, and silently took her place beside her husband. Her features had changed so terribly w

sengaging his hand from the young girl, w

er!" exclaimed Aline, as she was drag

continued the Baron; "I w

de Gamier a questioning glance, as if to

e," said the latter, in a low voice, "and p

emained motionless in her place, apparently insensible to all that surrounded her. The noise of the closing door aroused her from her stupor. She looked around the roo

, "I have not strength

d soaked Christian's right sleeve, she closed her eyes, threw back

ou delight in causing a murder, but the slightest scratch frightens you. Pass over to t

ice in which he spoke at this moment. Clemence fell

on! p

his wife's head, and, looking at her a

No tears! What! not one t

," replied she;

d, and it does you little honor-try to shed a few tears

r!" she said,

sell crape, would it not? Ah! only you women have

! tell me that you will not die

n my chest-I feel it-I am the one who is to die-in less than an hour I

w shorter with each word; a wheezing sound within his chest indicat

the unhappy woman, prostrat

, as he fell back upon the mattress, exhaus

floor, and the old portraits, suddenly lighted up, looked like ghosts who had left their graves to witness the death agonies of the last of their descendants. Christian, refr

o himself-"all our family die during the beautiful weather-ah! do

his gloomy contemplation. When she returned to Christian, his eyes were flaming, a flush like that of fever had overspread his cheeks, and a writhing, furious indignation was depicted upon his face. "Were y

repeated, not unders

"let my body get cold-when you are a widow you can do as you like-you will be free-a

bleed," said she, bending toward him and te

sting strength to reach her, he said, in a voice w

nor me by giving yourse

if I thought that

med; "do not drive me mad. Do you

eir husband's blood upon their lov

a sob. His eyes closed, and some unintelligible words died on

down upon the floor, heard him

se you-I wou

to see herself better, the hair which covered her forehead. Suddenly a flash of reason came to her; she uttered a horrible cry as she saw some blood upon her face; she looked at herself from head to foot; her dress was stained with it; she wrung her hands in horr

d the following paragraph, written with the official s

n domains. It was by the hand of one of his best friends, Monsieur de Gerfaut, well known by, his important literary work, which has given its author a worldwide reputation, that he received his death-blow. Nothing could equal the grief of the involuntary cause of this catastrophe. Madame

urnals, in their turn, inserted, with but

nce literature has deplored for too long a time, distinguished himself so highly. His early departure for the East is announced. Let us hope that this voyage will turn to the advantage of art, a

an incredulous smile the purity of Clemence's winding- sheet; and the world did not re

iated into its mystery. When the bitter cup of memory overflowed in them, they believed it to be a new vein which had opened in the writer's brain. Octave received, every day, congratulations upon this sadly exquisite tone of his lyre, whose vibrations surpassed in supreme intensity the s

ITOR'S B

abyss of

y of dru