University of Virginia Library

9. IX.

Two months had not passed after the love passage
in the Cathedral, when all Paris knew that the West
India beauty, Louise D'Avigny, was to be led to the
altar by a scion of one of the oldest houses in France,
the young Baron Caronde.

The day of the nuptials arrived, and before the altar
of the same Cathedral which had witnessed the first
meeting, the lovers stood surrounded by their friends,
prepared to enter into the marriage covenant.

The father of the bridegroom had been expected
from the army, where he was in command, to honor
the ceremony with his presence; but the rites could
not longer be delayed, and the priest opened his book,
and, after the imposing forms of the Romish church,
the marriage was solemnized.

Emilie embraced her daughter. Her vow had been
fulfilled. Her triumph was complete. At this moment
an officer of high rank entered the Cathedral,
and hastily approached the star. It was the Baron
Championet, now Marquis of Caronde. He embraced
his son, and was presented to the bride. He started
with an exclamation of surprise. But as he directly
recovered himself, and tenderly embraced her, his emotion
was supposed by the bystanders to have been
caused by her extreme beauty. His son next presented
Madame D'Avigny, or, as we better know her,
Emilie, who had been surveying his features between
doubt and eager curiosity. He advanced to take her
hand, when, fixing his eyes on her still beautiful face,
he recognized her.

“Emilie!”

“Championet!”

“Speak,” he cried, looking at Louise, “is she —”

“Your daughter. But, tell me! he! is he —”

“My son!”

A wild shriek filled the temple, and Emilie fell on
the marble floor, and the blood gushed from her temples
at the feet of the Baron Championet.

The surprise and horror of those around was raised
to a feverish degree of excitement and curiosity. But
Emilie never spoke again, and the baron kept the secret
locked up in his own breast.

Louise was removed to a convent, and in a few
months died of a broken heart. Her husband and
brother threw his life away shortly after in battle.

Such is the end of characters who really existed,

and the sad conclusion of a story founded on actual
occurrence. It has been written to illustrate, in some
degree, a state of society which once existed in New
Orleans, many of the most prominent features of
which are still retained.