DEATH
IN
LIFE .
BY AGNES JAMES .
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 101. A WEEK of Philip Saint Evremonde's odious society Vivienne was compelled to endure. Then he left the chateau, and her life settled again into its quiet routine. She faithfully nursed and tended her invalid mother, whose days seemed to be passing sweetly and tranquilly on to the end- and who never, for an instant, was allowed to see the thousand alarms and forebodings that tortured her daughter's heart. Vivienne felt, day by day, that the marquis was waiting till a set time came for his revenge. It was only deferred- not forgotten. She was constantly made to understand this by his harshness and coldness, and by the strict surveillance which did not leave her a moment unwatched, or permit a letter or messenger to leave the chateau unexamined.
wife, now stared blankly and horribly through the glaze of death ; the lips that had uttered such harsh and sneering words were silent forever ; the heart that had loved her so fondly, and hated her with so deadly a hate, bent no more with either love or hatred. But as Vivienne stood gazing down upon his white face, and trying to close his staring eyes, her tears fell fast for the kind old man who had loved her long ago, and she forgot the tyrant whose death set her free. They led her weeping from his bedside, and she sobbed herself to rest in the arms of her mother, who mingled her tears with Vivienne's, and murmured tender praises of the dead man . The stately, magnificent funeral ceremonies were over, the body of the marquis rested in Meanwhile, had escape from this tyranny the silent vaults beneath the chapel ; and of all been possible, duty and affection chained her the train of relatives and friends who had assemto the side of the declining mother, whose last { bled at the chateau, no one remained but Philip days would have been rendered miserable if she Saint Evremonde, his nearest kinsman, and the had discovered the estrangement between her inheritor of his title. A very small portion, however, of the vast wealth of the marquis acdaughter and the marquis. So the autumn and winter wore away, and companied the title ; the greater part becoming March winds began to wail around the turrets, the property of his young widow. and bend the sturdy oaks of Hautlieu. But the notary, who had drawn the will of One wild, stortay night, Vivienne was kept the late marquis, on the evening of the funeral awake till daydawn by the restless wind, and requested the presence of the marquise, and of the rain that sobbed against her windows. the new marquis, at the reading of the will. They seemed full of sorrowful voices, of shrieks Vivienne came in her sable dress, and, without of despair, of moans from some distant battle- raising her eyes, slightly returned the salutafield , where, perhaps, Leon lay dying, of sobs tion of Saint Evremonde, seated herself, and and lamentations. She could not sleep till the listened to the reading. gray dawn stole in, and her windows and the She scarcely understood the involved legal wind was lulled to rest. phraseology of the document. She only comShe was awakened by an eager, agitated voice prehended that it put her in possession of almost in her ear. Elise, one of her attendants, stood fabulous wealth, which was to be hers, however, beside her weeping, and exclaiming, " Oh, ma- upon one simple condition. dame ! will you rise, and come with us to see The notary paused in his reading a moment, Monsieur le Marquis ? They cannot awaken and Vivienne, raising her head with languid him ! Oh, madame ! they are afraid- " interest, saw that Philip was watching her with Vivienne did not stay to hear the girl's story. eager, expectant eyes. The notary continued , " All these moneys and Hastily wrapping herself in a loose robe, she entered the apartments of the marquis, which estates I do hereby give and bequeath to my adjoined her own. A crowd of frightened ser- wife Vivienne de Hautlieu, on condition that vants were gathered around the bed, and on it the hours between eight o'clock in the evening lay, cold and rigid , the body of the Marquis de and six in the morning, shall be spent by her, Hautlieu . He had been dead many hours. The alone, in the vaulted chamber adjoining the eyes that had gleamed so cruelly upon his young chapel of the Chateau de Hautlieu, and leading 193
