THE SPRIGHTLY ROMANCE OF MARSAC.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1262, 7 May 1896, Page 40

THE SPRIGHTLY ROMANCE OF MARSAC.

By Molly Elliott Seawell. f Continued.) CHAPTER 111. Tho dinner at Passy resulted in several things. Fontaine and Clare could no longer conceal their infatuation with each other, and a tacit engagement ensued, to be announced as soon as Fontaine could free himself wholly from Mine. Floury, which meant as soon as she gave up tho pursuit of him. 'lhe two friends had escaped from under the roof of 17 Hue Montignal by tho exorcise of an ingenuity akin to that which enabled men to dig under castle walls, to steal past sentries and to find their way over prison gates. They secretly hired another lodging, and, to avoid suspicion, made no move toward paying their rent to Mine. Floury. This apparent absence of cash led her to believe more than ever that tho story of tho rich uncle was an invention of Marsac's. They had little to move except their new clothes and Uncle Maurice's portrait. For a week beforo thoir flight every day they camo down stairs whistling and wearing two and sometimes three suits of clothes, which they shod, as a snake sheds his skin, at their new lodgings. At last, iu the dead of night, they crept softly out of their apartment, leaving on the table a note addresseel to Mine. Floury, enclosing the full amount of their indebtedness, and, stealing downstairs, Marsac with lik violin-case and Fontaine with Uncle Maurice's portrait, they gained the street, whero they ran as if Satan wero after them. Mine, Fleury's chagrin next morning was excessive, particularly when sho read tho note, in which Marsac thanked her ironically for her hospitality to them. She had not the smallest clue to their whereabouts, but she went to work quietly to find them out. Meanwhile Marsac and Fontaine, having her out of sight, were not disposed to trouble themselves further about her. But old Duval naturally wished his daughter to avoid any scandal that might arise over the affair, and was very solicitous that Mme. Floury be settle 1 with. ' Let sleeping dogs lie,' was Marsac's motto, and he was not inclined to hunt up Mme. Floury in order to get a formal release from her.

Meanwhile tho catastrophe indicated at tho very first meeting between Marsac and Delphinc had fallen out in the most violent manner. They foil mutually in love with a precipitance to which even Clare ami Fontaine's ardour wa s not a patch. But, although there was disaffection in tho citadel of both their hearts, pride and policy made a brave show of defence, when each only waited the demand to surrender. Marsac dared not propose to Dolphino that ho enslave her in marriage, and to secure to himself the charm of her society, and to ward off the suspicions which might arise in her mind from the sly joke-s and hints of the two confessed lovers, he gibed at marriage more keenly than over. Dolphino, who was not a whit behind Marsac in fallinjj in love, scorned tc ho outdone, and railed at love and marriage, quoted Plato and Malthas, and made herself miserable iu a manner truly feminine.

Old i'uval was bent on (lie match between his daughter and Fontaine, tho inoi- f;o as Marsac informed him confidentially that Fontaine had two more uncles in America an 1 an aged and i ilirm aunt, all ot whom intended to make him their heir, and each of whom was over eighty years of age. The two young men were much at Passy, and the invitations elsewhere which they had ones been forced to invent now really existed. Tho whole face of existence was changed for them —for Marsac as for Fontaine. Fontaine had always thought Marsac tho cleverest follow in the world, and he now ranked him with Napoleon and Alexander tho Great. The play bad been produced and was immensely successful. The picture had boon exhibited and highly praised, while at the journalists' dinner Mariac'., speech, delivered by Fontaine, had marked Fontaine forever as a born after-dinner speaker and a man of esprit. This last reputation was amply confirmed by tho articles, signed Fontaine and written by Marsac, whicli sparkled upon the pages of Ln Luna, hi short, it appeared as it the mero report of a fortune of 2,000,000 francs wore enough to produce 2,000,000 francs. And, as everybody believed in the defunct Uncle Maurice, Fontaine and Marsac actually soeined to be deceived by thoir own illusion, and would talk quite gravely between themselves of Uncle Maurice, his tastes, his habits and his appearance. As for the real Uncle Maurice, nothing moro had

been heard of him, and tho two young men easily persuaded themselves that nothing would. In any event they did not intend to cross the bridge until they camo to it, and some of the advantages gained by the fictitious uncle wero of so solid a nature that even if Uncle Maurice turned up he could not rob them of the whole fruits of their scheme.

Ono bright evening, early in May, they had dined at Passy, and after dinner sat, with the two girls and old Duval, on the terrace. The evening was warm for the season, and coffee was served out of doors. After a while Dolphino, who carried a volume of Plato about with her, as her orifbimmo of battle, asked Marsac to read something to them from tho great philosopher. This Marsac promptly agreed to if Dolphino would hold a candle, which would be necessary in the fading light. As it brought Delphine's golden head quite close to Marsac's closelycropped brown one, she consented willingly. Old Duval, who had but a poor opinion of Platj, sauntered off to tho other end of the terrace, close by tho hedge which overlooked the highroad. A tabic, with coffee, iced champagne and cigars, mitigated his solitude

Afar into tho dusk, illumined by tho wax candle that looked like a firefly, Marsac read Plato aloud, with assent on his lipn and contradiction in his heart. Fontaine and Clare, exchanging laughing glances, varied by an occasional tender pressure of the hands, half listened, while Dolphino, happy to bo near Marsac, and smiling at him, yet cherished bitterness against him in her heart for his professed disdain of love. Presently M. Duval was heard calling, ' M. Marsac!'

Marsac, to whom Plato had become well nigh intolerablo, laid tho book down with a vicious slam and walked to the other ond ot the terrace, whero they were almost out of sight and hearing. 'Come,'said tho old man, good-humourcdly, ' haven't you had enough of that old fool Plato?'

' My dear M. Duval, you horrify me—you pain me,' responded Mar Lao, in a shocked voice. (' Plato, the divine Plato, may go to the devil,' was his inward conclusion.) 'Well, well,' continued M. Duval, ' we won't say anything more on the subject, since you and Delphine are so touchy about it. Take a c;la.-.*> of champagne—.you like it.' ' I am not afraid of it,' said Marsac, pouring out a glass. M. Duval sighed, fidgeted, and then burst out with—'Do you know 1 am afraid—l am afraid I. havo been to blame in letting my daughter and M. Fontainu sec so much of each other, while inattorsarc still so uncertain about the Coinfes.se do Floury, for I see the two young people are deeply iu love with each other. Now,' ho continued, with a ninilo, 'there no such danger for you and Dclphiue, for I believe' you tall; about nothing ex jppt the foil}' of loving and being loved.' 'True,' responded Marsac, gloomily, and trying to drown in champagne the resentment he felt at the scurvy trick which tale had played him. ' 31. Fontaine i.; a. very gifted young fellow,' said M. Duval

' He is,' replied Marsac, with enthusiasm ' That picture he painted —'

'Admirable! I have no objections to a man's knowing something about art -if ho can sell his pictures,' said M Duval, with cautious praise ; ' there was—ahem—Michael Angelo, for example.' ' Michael Angelo was a devil of a fellow with a brush and paint pot, but the man who painted Fontaine's picture wasn't far behind him.'

'And that play.' ' Literally a screaming success. The women are carried out in hysterics at every performance.' 'And ths speech at tho journalist.-,' dinner—' ' Tho greatest effort of my—l mean, of Fontaine's life.'

' Tho.se signed articles arc making a sensation.'

'Ah, yes. Many a night have I sat up writing, that is, reading those articles. Depend upon it, tho things that go under Fontaine's name aro very remarkable' At that moment a footman approachod and handed Marsac a card saying—- ' The lady asked for M. Fontaine.' Marsac was about to hand the card back

when he happonod to seo on it ' M:no Floury.'

1 Stop,' ho cried imtanUy. ' Give mo a moment to think. M. Duval, here is tho Comtesso do Floury come after Fontaine. She must not see him.'

M. Duval jumped up, flurried and anxious. ' Good heavens! Let mo got away. I must keep my poor child out of sight, and Fontaine '

M. Duval waddled off, making remarkably good time for a gentleman of his years, and perfectly willing that Marsac should shoulder the burden of a .settlement with .Mme. Floury. ' f.-how the lady here,' he said, with assumed calmness, and at the same time taking anothor glass of champagne to steady his nerves. In a minute or two he saw Mmo. Fleury's imposing figure advancing along the gravelled walk, and then she had mounted tho torraco steps and was gliding over tho velvet turf toward him.

As usual, she was perfectly well dressed. Her bonnot was set on her head with tho grace of a coronet. In ono hand she carried a parasol and in the other a silver card-case. Marsac advanced politely to meet her, and tho two exchanged bows as pugilists shake hands on entering the ring. Mme. Floury lost no timo in proceeding to business. ' M. Marsac, I havo been at a grei '. deal of troublo to find you, but, as you see, I have succeeded. I wish to see M. Fontaine in regard to the engagement between us.' ' Is there an engagement between you ?' asked Marsac, innocently. Mme. Floury smiled scornfully at Marsac's pretended ignorance. 'lf it be true that he has come into a fortuno then 1 am the more determined that our contract shr.il lie fulfilled by the loth of this month. I acknowledge, though, that I have not yet been able to persuade myself fully of this old uncle's death, or even his previous existence, because you have ha i too much to do with tho affair.' ' This, indeed, is humiliating,' said Maivae, with an offended air ' Hut, madame, uncle or no uneh'. let mo beg of you to give up this out.suit of Fontaine. He loves another

voman—perhaps not so beautiful or attrac;ivo as you—but still ho loves her. I can

invent sonic plausible story to account for yonr coming here. I will introduce M. Duval to you ; he will, I guarantee, offer to send you back to Paris in a- super!) victoria.'

' Xo, I thank you.' 'in a brougham, then. The brougham is very handsome. 1 will also introduce you to M.'Duval as the Comtesso do Floury; think of that, coming from Paris as Mme. Fltury in a nab, returning as tiie Comtesso do Floury in a. splendid private carriage' Mme. Floury only laughed a little at ibis.

1 I know what your offers, to serve me mean, and a.'.so how much good-will you owe me.' •|)> you doubt, ma lame, \] yi i | havo too very Irghest regard for you? Try mo. There

is, jit behind tiie house, a well, sixty feet deep, and tho water of an icy coldness. Just you jump in and see how quick 1 will jump in after you, to .-a ve you.' Mme. Floury laughed imro thin ever as she declined this, and .-aid, bantcringly—- ' How could I believe that, considering that when I made you an offer you refused mo?' 'Oh, Mmo. Floury !' cried Marsac, actually hanging his head, 'surely I said my affections woro engaged—or—or 1 asked time for consideration, or /something of tho sort. I did not put if in that brutally frank fashion in whicli you represent mo.'

' Yes, yon did,' replied Mme. Floury. ' But I like your proposition that I shall meet M. Duval. I know a good deal about him and his family, but 1 have never seen him, and this is an admirable opportunity.' . Tho world called Marsac a clever man, but at that moment he felt himself to be tho greatest lunkhead in existence. What had he mentioned old Duval's name for? And at that very moment, tho old brewer's curiosity having got tho better of his cowardice, ho was soon advancing across the terrace. Thero was no help for it, and Marsac, with a very bad grace, had to present him to the widow. Mine. Floury was a perfect mistress of the art of coquetry, as applied to elderly gentlemen. She turned her eyes upon M. Duval with a melting glance that would have put a younger man on his guard. Not so, M. Duval. It had boon a long time since a woman so young and handsome had made

eyes at him, an.l he relished it exceedingly. Marsac almost groaned aloud as he saw, m five minutes' talk, the widow sailing into the old fellow's good graces. M. Duval offered Mme. Floury a glass of champagne, and when the two sat clown together on a rustic bench. Marsac was so ovorcomo with chagrin at the chance lie had given his enemy that he turned his tack and walked toward the edgo of the terrace. Mme. Fleury improved her opportunity. She drew close to M. Duval, and from tapping his hand gently with her card-case soon grew to letting hor hand rest on his while she poured into his ear the story or her alleged en"a"-ement to Fontaine. According to her account, Fontaine- had pursued her, and, by his importunity, had made her consenc to an engagement which ho now refused to fulfil. Her desire for a settlement of the question was simply to avoid scandal, and she dwelt upon the impossibility of her feeling any affection for so youug a man as Fontaine, and the chance she sacrificed of meeting a man old enough to please her, that old Duval began to believe that it was Fontaine who was pursuing her, and not she pursuing Fontaine. After fifteen minutes of this had gone on, Marsac turned around and glanced at the pair. It was still light enough to see—Mme. Fleury had reached the weeping stage. Her right hand pressed a handkerchief to her eyes, while M. Duval, patting her left, was saying, tenderly—- ' There, thcro, don't cry.' ' I am so weak,' whimpered Mmo. Fleury, squeezing his hand ; ' pray forgive mo ; you are so good, I know you aro so good ' ' Yos, yea, I'll forgive you,' Marsac heard old Duval answer. 'And it is a thousand shames that any man should causo that little heart of yours to ache. Now wouldn't it bo bettor for all parties if you and Fontaine could separato amicably, and then you might find some other man that you could love.' Old Duval, at this, stuck his hoad sentimentally on one side. 'A maturo man, M. Duval,' interrupted Mmo. Fleury, wiping her eyes. ' I have had enough of young men. It is impossible for mo to feel passionate regard for any man under sixty.' At this old Duval assumed a seraphic air, which fairly made Marsac, who could see it all, perfectly ill with rage. Nevertheless, knowing that Mme. Fleury and her victim both wished him out of the way, ho continued to stand his ground stoutly, walking up and down and whistling loudly and contemptuously as their voices sunk to the sentimental pitch. Presently he saw Mmo. Fleury Jake carefully out of her card-case a folded slip of paper, which she read in a low voice to the old brewer. Marsac's heart jumped into his mouth at the thought that it was the marriage contract she was reading. M. Duval kept looking toward Marsac, and at last, with the evident desire to get rid of him, said in a loud voice, meant for Marsac to hear—- ' Come, madamo, let us look for Fontaine in tho garden.' The two walked off around the corner of tho terrace in a direction opposite to the garden. Marsac knew in an inatant that Mme. Floury's manoeuvre meant a chance to finish up old Duval in private, as a tigress drags hor prey off to the jungle to devour. Ho walked over to the corner of tho terrace where tho table was, as the best point to command a view of tho grounds, and, seeing a champagne bottle half emptied, was about to drink tho balance of tho wine in order to save it, when his oyo suddenly fell upon a paper lying face upward on a fablo. It was the contract between Fontaine and Mmo. Floury. Marsac could scarcely refrain a shout of joy. Ho seized it and put it in his pocket, but the next moment ho saw Mmo. Fleury coming swiftly toward him, and

alone. ' Pardon me,' she said, in a voice that she tried unavailingly to make calm. ' I had a letter hero a moment ago, in an envelope. I put the envelopo back in my card-cane, and thought I had tho lettor in it, but I had not. Did you sco it on tho ground anywhore about here ?' ' No, madamo,' answered Marsac, looking her steadily in tho eye—a gaze that sho as steadily returned. Mme. Fleury began eagerly searching on the ground for the lettor, Marsac politely assisting and lighting matches from time to time, to supply tho fast-vanishing light. Marsac never hail so hard a task in his life to keep his countenance straight, while ho fondled the breast pocket in which lay the document that Mme. Fleury searched for so eagerly. Mine. Flouiy grew more and more anxious as she failed to find tho papor. They were both tired with stooping, and presently sat down on tho ground, facing each other, and each steadily cyoing the other. ' It is so vexatious to lose a letter,' said Mmo. Fleury. 1 Yos ; one might lose a lovo letter, hazarded Marsac. ' Not you, M. Marsac,' replied Mmo. Floury, sarcastically. ) ' True, I am not a widow,' was Marsac's response to this shot. Then they both began crawling around again, watching each other like cats. An ido'i came into Marsac's head that almost made him laugh aloud. With a great show of secrecy ho took an old bill of Landais' from his pocket, began to tear it up into little bits, which ho scattered about. Mme. Fleury saw tho bits, and, with as much secrecy as Marsac, began to collect them, smiling to herself— she was convinced that Marsac was tearing up tho contract. PreRcntlyMarsac, lighting another match, dropped it, as if by accident, upon a little pile of these pieces of paper. Mmo. Fieury pretended to Stumblo against him, nearly knocking him over, and then deftly secured tho half-burned scraps. They each sat on Iho ground and survoyod each other with an air of triumph, ' Novor mind about the letter,' said Mmo. Fleury, with a brilliant smilo and clutching her precious scraps in her gloved hand, and then they both laughed. Mme. Floury rose, and, shaking her skirts into place, said—- ' I havo not seen M. Fontaine, but I am not ill-satisfied with my visit.' ' May I havo tho pleasure of escorting you to your carriage ?' asked Marsac. ' No, no !' cried Mmo. Fleury, hastily. ' I havo promised M. Duval that he shall put me in tho carriage. A grinding of wheels on the roadway beneath them and behind tho tall hedge was now heard, and Mine. Fleury flew down the terrace steps as lightly as the swallow skims the ground, and then Marsac heard a vehicle rattle off. Marsac could hardly wait until tho carriago was half-way down tho drivo before shouting, in his delight, for Fontaine But Fontaine and Clare and Dolphine wore all peeping around the verandah, and seeing that Mmo. Fleury was gone, all three came pooping toward Maraao,

' My dear follow,' cried Marsac, in a tone of suppressed rapture, as he took out the contract, ' here is that oursed paper. Sho has gone off with a lot of half-burned scraps of an old bill of Landais' which she thinks is this contract.'

Fontaine, without a word, hugged Marsac, and Clare showed such an evident inclination to do tho same that Marsac gavo her a truly brotherly embrace, to which Fontaine made no objection. 'Hero,' ho said, tearing tho paper, ' is half of it for you, Fontaine, and, dear Clare, tho other half is for Mile. Delphine and mo, and,' he added, timidly, ' we will have a marriage contract between us.'

'To be destroyed,' answered Delphine, supplying what sho supposed Marsac meant. Then, with laughter and little jokes, and blushes on Clare's part, tho contract was destroyed. No7er were four persons morrier, until Claro suddenly asked—- ' Where is papa?' At that moment Marsac happened to glance toward tho high road that crossed a hill about a mile off. Tho sunset glow was still upon the hill, and Marsac's keen eyes recognised M. Duval's victoria, with Mmo. Fleury in it, and that stout figure, in nankeen trousers and gaiters, with the Panama hat on his lap, could be no other than old Duval.

Tho situation flashed upon them Mme. Floury had bamboozled tho old man into taking hor back to town in one of his own carriages. Marsac could only point, in silent constomation, to the carriage. The two girls burst into hysterical tears. Marsac, throwing himself in a chair, groaned aloud, whilo Fontaine alono, although pretending to be grieved, felt perfectly willing to get rid of_ Mmo. Floury at any price, even by presenting hor with tho head of his prospective father-in-law on a charger, after the manner of Herodias, another entorprising widow of a good many years ago. (To be continued.)