Calvert of Strathore

encountered Madame de St. André repeatedly duri

Duchesse d'Azay at the Opéra or Comédie, he had no eyes for la Saint-Huberti or Contat, and thought that she outshone all the beauties both on the stage and in the brilliant audience. Usually, however, he was content to admire her at a distance and rarely left the box which he occupied with Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Morris to pay his respects to her and Madame d'Azay. For while Adrienne attracted him, he was yet conscious that it was best for him not to be drawn into the circle of her fascinations, and, although he made a thousand excus

loose society of the day, with such men as St. Aulaire and a dozen others of his kind in her train. But though unable to analyze her charm he was yet vaguely conscious of its danger, and had it depended upon himself he would have seen but little of her. This, however, was an impossibility, as Mr. Jefferson was a constant visitor at the h?tel of Madame d'Azay, who, true to her word, seemed to take the liveliest interest in Mr. Calvert and commanded his presence in her salon frequently. Indeed, the old Duchess was pleased to profess herself charmed with the young American, and would have been delighted, apparently, to see

a numerous company was already assembled, the older members of which were busy with quinze and lansquenet in a card-room that opened out of the salon, the younger ones standing or sitting about in groups and listening to a song which Monsieur de St. Aulaire, who was at the harpsichord, had just begun. It was Blondel's song from Grétry's "Richar

hat fell away from her rounded throat and arms, bringing the creamy fairness of her complexion (which, for the first time, he saw enhanced by black patches) and the dusky brown of her hair to a very perfection of beauty. She was standing

indly ones did, but to them the young girl paid little attention, only

ssing her on both her fair cheeks. "And if we are to have music I beg you w

little disdainfully. "Mr. Calvert is

Mr. Calvert, good-nature

Madame, I am noth

Paris," said Beaufort, joining the group at that instant. "Dost thou remember that pretty ballad that thou sangst at Monticello, Ned?

this another jest? But I must hear this song," she

lay for you as I used to do." He took from its case a violin lying upon the harpsichord and, leaning over it, he began sof

o the voice, which still retained much of its boyish sweetness and thrilling pathos. Amid the applause which fo

ish, so sing us something in French, Monsieur, tha

y, to which he had fitted the words of a song he had but lately read and greatly admired. Being, as he had said, nothing of a musician, the delicate accompaniment of the song was quite beyond him, but having a true ear for accord and a firm,

du monde où les

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ce d'u

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eau la

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nd pas no

ly looking on at the scene and whom he hated both for his devotion to Adrienne and because he was of the Orléans party, he said, with languid malic

he hilt of his silver dress sword, the other holding his chapeau de bras. He regarded

a mistake. I had thought you a past master in the art of skating, now I see that your true role is that of the st

akes. I am neither skating nor singing-master, nor clown nor coward. I am an American gentleman, and, should anyone be inclined

self-control and outward composure, so strange a smile played about his lip and so meaning an expression came into his eye as caused no little surprise to St. Aulaire, who had entirely underestimated the spirit that la

unt of battle nor any service in the royal cause. On her father's side she was sprung from that great warrior, Jacques d'Azay, who fought side by side with Lafayette's ancestor in the battle of Beaugé, when the brother of Harry of England was defeated and slain. On her mother's side she came of the race of the wise and powerful Duc de Sully, Henry of Navarre's able minister. One of her great uncles had been a Grand Almoner of France, and another had commanded one of the victorious battalions at Fontenoy under the Maréchal Saxe. The portraits of some of these great gentlemen and of many another of her illustrious ancestors hung upon the walls of the salons and galleries of this mansion in the rue St. Honoré. The very house bespoke the pride of race and generations of affluence, and was only equalled in magnificence by the Noailles h?tel near by. As Mr. Calvert looked about him at the splendor of this mansion, which had been in the d'Azay family for nea

in his expression, for it was with a somewhat embarrassed l

seldom. Were you provoked because I rebelled at being taken to task that afternoon on the ice? But see! Am I not g

utiful," said Mr.

ot careful," returned Adrienne, smiling divinel

nt, Madame, but

'tis difficult to recognize it! But if it was the truth I fear it was not the whole truth, sir. I am sure I detected an uncomplimentary arrière

ements for lesser beauties but are beneath the uses of Madame de St. André," returne

hink, sir, that I, who have been assured by so many gentlemen to be perfection itself, must, after all, be a most faulty creature since you find rea

of headache, and, though no one was ever known to be so cured, 'twas easy for the illest beauty to perceive that they made her complexion appear more brilliant by contrast. The poets declared that Venus herself must have used them and that they spoke the language of love; thus one on the lip meant the 'coquette,' on the nose the 'impertinent,' on the cheek the 'gallant,' on the neck th

ely, "if you will still let me be of my o

ked all the ladies and would have continued to like them had they worn rings in their noses! But as for you-'tis impossible to please you. No wonder you Americans broke with the English! You are most difficile

of saluting Madame de St. And

ad about given over seei

Calvert have bee

d fortune, Madame! But

ied Adrienne, laughing. "'Tis no better t

turns him around so fast that he can see nothing. 'Tis no wonder that the people of this metropolis are under the necessity of pronouncing their definitive judgment from the first glance, and, being thus habituated to shoot flying, they have what sportsmen call a quick sight. They know a wit by his snuff-

always à propos, Monsieur! We have just finished our game and are ready to listen to the latest

Délille, who hates damnably to lose," whispered Ségur to Calver

he pleasure of seeing Madame de Flahaut, but am just from the Club de Valois

these gentlemen this evening from discussing such subjects. Indeed, I think Monsieur Jefferson and Monsieur de Lafayette, in spite of my defense,

Mr. Morris, "to burn my instructions from the noblesse, which engage me absolutely to favor the vote by orders and not by persons, and, should this produce an irrevocable rupture with my electors, boldly to take my stand with the tiers état. I have se

nger believe. Should you continue their representative your conscience will be continually at war with your duty. Should you break a

d. Shall Monsieur de Lafayette deprive the tiers état of his enthusiasm, his earnest convictions, his talents, when, by an act of courage, entirely in accord with his conscience,

n. This annihilation of the distinctions of orders which you speak of seems to me to be the last thing to be desired. Should the nobles abandon their order and give over their privileges, what will act as a check on the demands and encroachments of the commons? How far such ultra-democratic tenden

a bitter smile on his disturbed countenance, for his vanity, whi

ich have won for him so lately his freedom and his glory! As for me, I think with Mr. Jefferson a

hich is the state. It has been my firm belief that with a great people, set in the path of civil and religious liberty, freedom and power in th

but their priests, no law but their superiors, no morals but their interests. And how shall we expect a people to suddenly become wise and self-governing who are ignorant of statecraft, who have existed for centuries under a despotism? Never having felt the results of a weak executive, they do not know the dangers of unlimited power. No man is more republ

hey are also energetic, lively, and easily aroused by noble examples. Moreover, the public mind has been instructed lately to an astonishing point by the political pamphlets issued in such numbers, and 'tis

ing place daily in all the notable salons of Paris. As for Calvert, although he loved and honored Mr. Jefferson before all men and held him as all but infallible, he could not but agree with Mr. Morris's views as being the soundest and most practical. Indeed, from that day Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Morris

too much warmth, made no reply to Monsieur de Lafayette's last words,

house of a paper merchant, Reveillon. The villains have broke into his factory, demolished everything, drunk his wines, and, accidentally, some poisonous acid used in his laboratory, of which they have died a horrible death, and all because the unfortunate merchant dared in the electoral assembly of Ste. Marguerite to advocate reducing the wages of his men. I ordered my coachman to drive by the faubourg, hoping to see for myself if the affair had not been greatly exaggerated, but I was turned back by some troops proceedi