For True Love's Sake. A tale of Paris

Front matter

London and New York : Frederick Warne and Co. 1S00. All Rights Reserved.! M ELLIN'S "FOOD FOR INFANTS AND INVALIDS. MISS STOCKER, Age 3 Tears. ISth February, 1889. d&T!S/L, 27a Sloane Street. " Mrs. A. Stocker incloses a pBoJ*pfTier little girl, who was fed entirely on Mellin's Food for more than a^^nd she has never had an illness." Samples, Pamphlet and %o$p«Sijf Post Free on Application to g, mehin;s%aelbor£0rkS, Peckham, s.e. FOE TRUE LOVE'S SAKE. FOR TRUE LOVE'S SAKE. A Tale of Paris. BY JAMES SKIPP BOULASE. Author of " The Police Minister," " Daring Deeds and Tales of Peril and Adventure," etc., etc., etc. LONDON AND NEW YORK: FREDERICK WARNE AND CO, 1890. [All rights reserved.] CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTEE I. "HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE BEFORE HE WAS ON WITH THE NEW " ... ... 9 CHAPTEK II. " only a yellow rose ? ah ! yes ; a vengeful woman's hate" ... ... ... ... ... 15

Chapter I. He Should Have Been Off With The Old Love Before

HE WAS ON WITH THE NEW. It is Whitsuntide in the Avenue de Longchamps, and " tout Paris " is there. The sun is setting behind the windmill and tower-topped hill that rises above the racecourse, and accepting this as a hint of the approach of dinner time, most of the brilliant equipages begin to bowl along in the direction of Paris once more ; horsemen and horsewomen following suit, whilst conspicuous amongst these latter, as much owing to their own good looks as to the excellence of their mounts, and to the smart, equally well horsed grooms who follow them at a little distance, are a gentleman of some twenty-four years of age and a young lady some three years his junior. She is fair, with a willowy grace of form, a lily and China-rose blending of complexion, and a melting, liquid lustre of eyes which may almost be said to be peculiar to English girls.

Indeed, one of our own bards writes of them : " Blue eyes, beautiful eyes ; Eyes that in liquid lustre swim." The particular English girl whom the reader is now invited to admire is Miss Maud Revans, and she is the only child of Dr. Revans, dentist to the Imperial family, and we might almost add to all the crowned heads of Europe whilst resident in Paris, for he has drawn more royal teeth and received more royal decorations than, perhaps, any other human being, making a by no means contemptible fortune thereby, which enables him to live in considerable style in that favourite Anglican quarter, the Avenue de la Reine Hortense. As for the young gentleman, he is an attache of the British Embassy, comes of a good old Norfolk family, is a great favourite of the fair girl with whom he is riding, owing to the double fact that they have known each other from childhood, and are engaged shortly to be married, though no one would guess the latter fact from their conduct towards each other, for, truth to tell, Harry Hastings loves another, though he has for long tried to conquer the passion, and for a good three months has flattered himself upon his successful accomplishment of the hard and difficult task.

Poor young fool ! he has yet to learn that a woman's smile and a woman's glance are capable of turning in a single instant such a hard won victory into a crushing and ignominious defeat. Besides, the task is not accomplished, the victory is not won, for, had they been, he would not be wearing that bright yellow Marechal Niel rose in his button-hole, nor would he sigh as he every now and then regards it. Ah ! what suddenly changes the somewhat sad and set expression of his countenance into one of suppressed excitement and almost rapturous joy 1 A carriage and pair passes him and his companion rapidly by, whilst their course is briefly blocked by a vehicle of extravagant shape, covered over with gigantic placards vaunting the merits of the "Moutarde Bordiu," and in it are seated an elderly military fop of the period, with well waxed moustaches and imperial, his left breast covered with the ribbons of various orders, and by his side a most lovely young girl, dressed in the very height of fashion, who, suddenly catching sight of the attache, plucks from the superb bouquet which has hitherto lain almost unnoticed on her lap, a yellow rose, the exact sac-simile of his own, and after a rapid side glance towards her companion, as though to make sure that he is not watching her, she raises it to her cherry red, yet sadly smiling lips, as she looks at the younger man with an expression that makes his heart feel almost as though it were on fire. - The lady in the carriage did not observe Harry Hastings' companion, having apparently no eyes but for him; but Harry's companion closely observed her, and what she saw gave her anything but comfort and satisfaction.

"Who's that bold, impudent creature, who has just greeted you in such a gushing, not to say indecorous manner 1 " she asked, quietly, though with flushed cheeks and flashing eyes. " Who kissed her rose to me ? Oh, Naomie de Clisson, that is to say the Countess de Beauvais. It is her husband who is with her," almost stammered the attache. " Poor man ! Is he really 1 Then I'm sure I'm very sorry for him," rejoined Maud Revans, drily. " Sorry for him ? " exclaimed Harry Hastings, too much astonished at her remark to have room in his breast for any other emotion. "Oh, Maud, surely you mean that you are sorry for her — beauty bound to beast — a mere child, sold by her parents to a man fully old enough to be her father, or even almost her grandfather." " Your sorrow is so deep, and evidently so sincere, that it will suffice for the both of us : added to which I really do not believe, from appearances, that your countess will allow her old [husband to be such an impediment to her happiness as you seem to suppose.

Pray, how did you manage to make so charming an acquaintance ? " "I saved her life, eight months ago, during the great fire in Bordeaux harbour. She was then Naomie de Clisson, the daughter of a very wealthy vigneron. The Count de Beauvais has since bartered his title for a good lump of that wealth, taking Naomie along." " And you speak as bitterly of the transaction as though you had been a heavy loser thereby." " Well, it must be a difficult thing for a man of any feeling to save a young girl's life, and thereafter not to feel a special interest in it. And then the laws of courtship and of marriage in this country are really infamous, for a girl's parents wed her to whoever they choose, and she has no voice whatever in the matter. Though she may hate the individual, she is persecuted, aye, sometimes positively bullied into accepting him ; and even a convent now affords her no escape from such a fate, as it did formerly."

" I don't think that your fair friend would have chosen a convent as an alternative to marriage, in any case. However, as you saved her life, her warm recognition of you may be excusable. Pray, did you enter into a pact upon the occasion that each of you should thenceforth perpetually wear a yellow rose in remembrance of it ? " "Why, no, hardly that," laughed Harry Hastings, with more of annoyance than of merriment in its ring. • " She certainly did give me a water-sodden yellow rose which she had worn. You must know that we were having a kind of picnic aboard a yacht, when a petroleum-laden barge burst into flames close alongside of us, and in a single flash, as it seemed, we were afire also, as, indeed, in less than a quarter of an hour were half the shipping in the port. There was a capital picture of the scene, by-the-by, in the Illus trated London News."* "Of the fire, or of your rescue of the young lady?" asked Maud, somewhat satirically.

"Of the fire, of course," retorted Harry, almost losing his temper. "She gave me the rose, saying that it was all that she could give me, and I — I — yes, I will frankly own that I have had a partiality for yellow roses ever since." " And for the donor ? " " And for the donor — why should I deny it ? Should I, indeed, be human were it otherwise ? Picture me to your self struggling almost despairingly to reach the shore with such a girl as that in tow, and through water in which streams of blazing petroleum were rushing, hissing and seeth ing, in all directions, igniting everything in their course, and tell me that if the painter and the sculptor have a right to feel an affection for loveliness of their own creation, as it is said that they often do, have I not also a very natural right to feel a — a somewhat similar sort of regard for the loveli ness which, but for my efforts, must have been destroyed, and in the destruction been changed into something hideous and revolting of aspect ?

" "Nothing more natural, my friend, and I no longer wonder at your conduct, or hers. I will also try to feel sorry that a remorseless fate has severed you two, even as I am unfeignedly sorry that it has sundered us." "Maud, what do — what can you mean? Naomie de * A fact. Clisson was lost to me, and for ever, when she became Countess de Beauvais. Besides, we never exchanged a word of love in all our lives." " But you do love, nevertheless — she and you — and I will never marry a man who cannot give me his whole heart." " Why, Maud, I have loved you from a boy. Weren't we born within three doors of each other in dear old Norfolk ? Didn't we grow up as play-fellows — parting with tears in our early teens, through thinking that maybe we would never meet again ; and lastly, has not Providence most strangely cast us together in this fair foreign capital, with the evident intention that we should be joined together for all time , " Harry Hastings was very earnest now, but Maud Revans made answer: "You think that you love me, and I doubt not that you do — as a brother.

As a brother, then, remain, until you can unwittingly cast on me just such a glance of almost worship as you just now bestowed upon the beautiful Countess de Beauvais ; or at the very least, until you can assure me, on your word of honour, that she is no more to you than any other woman. Now, not a word of pleading, for I should be wanting in self-esteem and self respect to yield to such. Your friend, your sister, your old playfellow, and your frequent companion, if you really wish it, I will still be. Come, don't look foolish or senti mental, for remember that we are in a crowd, and that the curious can note our looks, though they can't catch our speech. And — who'd have thought it — here we are out of the Bois and in the Avenue de la Grande Armee already. Will you come home with me to dinner ?

" " No, I thank you, Maud. I don't feel inclined for dinner after what has passed." " It hasn't affected my appetite in the least." "Glad to hear it, I'm sure," responded Harry Hastings, with rather a sickly smile, and adding, in a supplicating tone, " You won't tell your father or mother anything about this sudden determination of yours, I hope ? " " Why should I, as we are to continue friends ? " " Ah, to be sure, why indeed ? You are a stunning girl, Maud, and I'm not at all sure that you haven't served me just as I deserve. Well, I'll make myself worthy of you, as I aren't so at present, and all the same I shall ride with you as far as your door." " I should consider you very rude and unfriendly if you didn't." So he went as far as the door, and there took leave of his late fiancee, but now merely friend ; and then, as he made off at a canter in the direction of the Arc de Triomphe, he tore the yellow rose out of his coat, crumpled it up in his hand, and cast it angrily away from him.

It was but the anger of a moment, however, occasioned by the annoyance which the innocent blossom had caused a girl for whom he had the warmest possible regard, as distin guished from a passion which had now passed (though as yet he comprehended it not) utterly beyond his reason and control ; for he had still to discover that it was a much easier matter to tear a rose out of his button-hole than his love for Naomie de Beauvais out of his heart.

Chapter II

"ONLY A YELLOW ROSE? AH, YES, A VENGEFUL WOMAN'S HATE ! " Now, all that we have described might have transpired again and again amidst such a crowd of pleasure seekers as that which had filled, in carriages and on horseback, the entire length of the Avenue de Longchamps, without its being observed by anyone. . As it happened, however, the kissing of the rose incident was espied by two outrageously dressed women, who, in an equipage far more showy, and, in all probability, more costly as well, had been for a long while closely following up the one which contained the Comte de Beauvais and his girl wife, as though they had an especial object in so doing, and such was indeed the case. The elder of these females might have been as much as forty years of age, and the younger would certainly never see thirty-five again, though such knowledge could only be acquired by a very close inspection indeed, since at a very trifling distance both might have passed for being in their early twenties, so easily are the ravages of _ time obliterated by the assistance of art in that great city of sham and veneer, Paris.

Madame Vouziers, the elder, kept a private gaming establishment in a select quarter— well, let us say in the Faubourg St Honore at once— that was fitted up more like a palace than a hell, and Mademoiselle Lucon was a reputed cousin, bein" her companion, partner, and, to a certain extent, decoy duck ; for she was still a splendid looking woman when in evening dress, though, happily for her station in the establishment Madame Vouziers (who gave herself out to be the widow of an officer who had fallen, of course "covered with glory," in the Austro-Italian war of 1859) was vain IS enough to believe that on the score of good looks, both of face and form, her friend could not compare, far less compete with herself. And now for the reason that these two fair, yet unfair dames are following up the carriage of the Comte de Beauvais so closely.

It is a simple and an every day one enough. The count, whilst he had nothing better to do, had attended their rooms regularly, for the pleasurable excitement of high play, and in the frequent interludes had paid both women such apparently devoted attentions (an amiable habit that he exercised towards all women with whom he was brought in contact, and who had any pretensions to good looks), that egotistical and atrociously vain Madame Vouziers ap propriated them all, in her own mind to herself, and thought that the count was paying her court with the intention of eventually asking her to become his countess. Consequently, when he suddenly ceased to attend her salon, and almost directly afterwards married Mademoiselle Naomie de Clisson, she looked upon herself as most vilely treated, upon Naomie as an unprincipled little intrigant, and on the count as a heartless male coquette, etcetera and etcetera ; persuading herself that he had almost broken her heart, though in point of fact it was as tough as india-rubber ; that she loved him still, whereas she hadn't an atom of real affection for anything but eating, drinking and dressing ; and so determined that, somehow or other, she would have a terrible revenge upon the fair girl who it pleased her to believe had " stolen him from her"; which unfortunately was what she was quite capable of taking, ay, even with a French woman's ofttimes favourite, and truly devilish weapon, the vitriol bottle, when she had once worked herself up to the necessary pitch of fury.

What had mainly roused her to the comparative state of anger that she was now in, was because when the count's carriage had met hers at an early period of the evening, and smothering her resentment she had actually bowed to him, he had treated her in return to a cold and stolid stare, as though he regarded her conduct as "impudent effron tery," a supposition on her part that was correct enough, for though there was nothing, so far as he was aware, against Madame Vouziers' moral character, he was certainly incensed that a woman who kept a gambling hell should publicly salute him when he was driving in the Bois with his sweet girl-wife by his side. Yet, nevertheless, after that "cut direct," as it was both taken and intended to be, Madame had ordered her coachman to follow the count's carriage at a little distance, and had watched its inmates much as a hungry spider watches two plump flies.

The reader may imagine that, swayed by such feelings and hopes, Madame Vouziers witnessed the kissing of the yellow rose, and noted upon whom the young countess' beautiful eyes were bent at the moment, with feelings of the most intense satisfaction and delight ; and when she observed the answering glance, and that the remarkably handsome and distinguished looking young man who gave it wore a rose of exactly the same kind in his button-hole, she hugged the conviction to her bad black heart that she held the clue in her hand that would effectually bring about Naomie de Beauvais' disgrace and ruin ; that is to say, if she only played her cards skilfully and discreetly ; and, alas ! for our innocent but indiscreet little heroine, this malignant creature had been accustomed to playing cards, and to all the concomitant arts of shuffling, finessing, forcing, revoking, and, we may safely add, cheating, for more than half her life.

She was now on the look out for Naomie to compromise herself in some manner during the gay "peacock parade," as the Parisiennes call it ; for she knew the count to be some what near sighted, and far too vain to wear spectacles, whilst she could not imagine that a girl who was still in her teens, and as lovely as a poet's dream, would abjure lovers or at all events be blind to admirers, merely because bound by law to an antiquated old dandy, with almost more orders on his breast than he had hairs on his head.

Chapter III. At The Man Dressmaker's In The Rue St

HONORE. A few afternoons after the one whereon happened all that we have just described, Harry Hastings was walking up the Rue St. Honore, iu tire direction of the Faubourg, and being in a fit of deep abstraction, he came into collision with a young lady who had just alighted from her carriage in order to enter the famous man-dressmaking establishment of Monsieur Soert. His hat was off in a twinkling, but hardly had the words, " I really beg your pardon for my extreme gaucherie," escaped his lips, when their eyes met, and the young gentleman flushed and then paled as he recognized the Comtesse do Beauvais, whose confusion was almost as great as his own. Recovering herself by an effort, however, she held out her hand, saying, " I am very glad to see you, and yet can hardly give you a moment, for I have an appointment with the emperor of fashion, and he is by far the most arbitrary monarch in Paris."

"And the cleverest charlatan to boot, and yet you are perhaps happy in being able to patronize him. Most women regard him as a species of divinity, I believe." " I hope you don't class me with most women? No ;' it's my husband's wish that this monarch of the kingdom of folly should fit me out for taking first prize at the bat masque at thc Theatre du Palais Royal, a very select affair that is to come oil' on the night of the 27th, the house being especially hired for the purpose, and the admissions being by invita tion." "If you are like other girls you ought to be very happy," persisted Hastings, with a sigh. " My husband is very kind to me, and so I ought to be very grateful, I suppose. As for happiness, you know that I can never possess it as Ms wife. But there, there, what is ia the use of recurring to the old, old theme, and it is a foolish bird who bruises his wings against the strong wires of his As for me, I must court content and practise duty, intend to do both."

" You have a new footman, Naomie — Madame la Comtesse, I mean. He is looking at us very keenly and slily, under those beetling black brows. Now, if I were you, I would not keep a man like that in my employ." "Oh, he's a great favourite with my husband, and the poor fellow can't help his looks, you know. Then, as I never intend to do anything that I need feel ashamed of, how could he possibly harm me, even if he had the wish 1 " " He may tell the count of this, ouipresent meeting." " I shall tell the count myself. I shall never have secrets from my husband, and pray what harm can there be in our meeting and conversing in the public street ? " " Harm can be made out of the most innocent incident, and for the sake of gain a fellow like that would build a very respectable sized mountain out of the most diminutive mole hill.

Then again, old husbands are said to be invariably jealous of young wives, and " " Enough — more than enough — it isn't kind of you to make me uncomfortable, for the count is jealous, unfortunately. Do you know, I'm not at all sure that he didn't see me kiss that rose I i you the other day in the Bois — not that he has made any sign, unless tho change of footmen, when I happen to drive out alone, happens to be one." " If so, our present interview had better end. How do you intend to go to this bat masque 1 " " That's as the emperor of fashion ordains. My instructions are to place myself unreservedly in his hands. But why do you wish to know ? " " Because I intend to be there, and so would like to get a clue to your incognita." " Mow would you manage to get admission?" " No matter how exclusive the assembly, our ambassador, Lord Lyons, with whom I am a great favourite, will be able, J doubt not, to provide me with a ticket."

" Oh, Harry, why do you wish to go ? You had far better stay away. It is really very foolish of you." " Doubtless, but folly is happiness to some, and my sole 2 — happiness is to be near you. Oh, if you insist upon it, or even wish it, I won't speak to or even approach you for the whole evening. To worship you at a distance, as some devotees worship the sun, will satisfy me, and God forbid that I should wrong your husband, even in thought, for he has at the very least'bestowed upon you an old and honourable name, which has come down to him without a stain through almost countless generations." " 1 like you for speaking like that, and, as a reward, I promise You that whatever my costume may be I will wear on my right hand the diamond and turquoise ring that I am I ou must remember." " A thousand thanks.

I shall not tell you how to detect me, because you will feel all the more comfortable through not knowing when I am near you," and, with a hurried bow, Harry Hastings (never suspecting that, like some silly moth, he was fluttering around a flame that must ere long consume him, or at the very least sorely singe his wings) . hastened away, while the Comtesse de Beauvais entered the establishment of the omnipotent controller of fashion. * * * # * Now, there had been other interested witnesses of the inter view between the girl-countess and the young attach': besides the beetle browed footman upon Naomie's carriage-box, and they were Madame Therese Vouziers and her friend Marie Lucon, who had been surveying the scene from one of the windows of Monsieur Soert's splendidly furnished waiting room.

" Ma foi ! an evident assignation ! " whispered Madame Vouziers in her companion's car. " Without a doubt," echoed her friend. " Perhaps it was all arranged by thc yellow roses the other day. Yellow means jealousy, you know, which doubtless implied the old husband ! whilst a yellow rose signifies increase of love — as between themselves, of course. Then she plucked that especial flower out of her bouquet, which may have been a long floral love letter for all that you or I can tell to the con trary, for the girls of the period are as shrewd as they arc designing; indeed, I can't think what the world's coining to, for my part ! " "Whatever it's coming to, Marie, the count has proved himself no fool, and evidently smells a rat as well, for that's Jules Charront on tho box beside the coachman, and he wouldn't have turned such a favoured and confidential servant into roy lady's footman for nothing.

Ah, they've parted, and she's coming in here ! Perhaps we shall pick up some thing worth learning if we only keep our eyes and ears open." Hardly had Madame Vouziers ceased speaking when Naomie do Beauvais entered the waiting room, being bowed in by a liveried laquey of the establishment, whose aspect was gorgeous in the extreme. As for thc chamber itself, with its velvet pile carpets, Russian leather covered chairs and lounges, gilded doors, costly lace window curtains, malachite tables, marble statuettes, anil many massively framed pictures, it might have been the anteroom to the cabinet of a Minister of State instead of to thc sanctum sanctorum of a mere man dressmaker. From that sanctum sanctorum now came the melodious strains of one of WaldteufeFs latest waltzes, played, too, by skilful hands; whereupon one of the many ladies who were patiently waiting an audience with the mountebank, who made it his business to enrich himself whilst he humbugged them, exclaimed to the friend who had accompanied her : "The dear creature is under the inspiration.

He is design ing something superlatively beautiful ; of that you may be sure, for his happiest creations always occur to him under the influence of Strauss or Waldteufel. He has told me so himself." Before her companion could make reply, the door of the inner chamber was opened, and forth stalked the autocrat himself, wearing the most wonderful of dressing gowns, huge jewelled rings on all his fingers, and diamond collar and shirt studs. He was thickset and vulgar, as far as his natural man went ; but his ambrosial locks were redolent of macassar, and his moustaches as stiff as to their points as any bayonets could have been. In one hand he carried a perfumed handkerchief, and he gently fanned himself therewith as he walked down the silent line of his mute worshippers, casting compliments and censures wholesale as he went.

Suddenly he stopped directly opposite to the duchess, who had just been so delightedly sounding his praises, and looked as though he was about to faint. "Madame," he said, gasping, "oh, what vile taste. I beg of you to take off those gloves at once, and to hide them out of sight, for they have made me feel very ill. The want of harmony in your attire is really sometimes very trying to my highly attuned and most susceptible nerves. Pray don't let such a thing occur again." Then, as the poor, high born simpleton obeyed him, feeling terribly humbled at his fault finding, he passed on until he arrived opposite to the Comtesse do Beauvais, to whom he said, patronizingly : " Come along with me, little one. Providence seems to have purposely bestowed upon you the grace that will harmonize with my own creations.

You will soothe the nerves that have just been so cruelly tried, and it is for that reason that I receive you out of your turn. The others will, I am sure, under the circumstances excuse me." And with a deprecating bow all round, he walked Naomie off into his sanctum, a subdued murmur of applause and rapture following him, rather than them, as they disappeared.

Chapter IV. Monsieur Soert Discovers That Flattery Does Not Always Pay

Monsieur Soert's sanctum sanctorum was on a par with Monsieur Soert's gorgeous silk and satin dressing gown and general tout ensemble, his too fat and too red face alone omitted. No sooner had he closed tho door than he cast himself into an arm-chair, raised his sect on to another, and without even asking the young Comtesse de. Beauvais to sit down, said to her, affectedly : " I'm sure you want me to perform almost impossibilities — they all do. But candidly, in your case labour will become a pleasure, and at the cost of a hundred headaches and a score of sleepless nights I will do your bidding. Madame la Comtesse, whatever it may chance to be." He bent upon Naomie a glance meant to be expressive of admiration, devotion, and a touch of martyrdom, as ho concluded ; but to her fancy the aspect of his face was so comical instead of sublime that she incontinently burst out laughing, ami when she had in some degree mastered her merriment, answered him with: " I am here by my husband's, the Comte de Beauvais' desire, and not by my own, so you must try to oblige him and not me, monsieur.