A DASHING YOUNG FRENCH BEAU OF 75.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 309, 30 November 1883, Page 5

A DASHING YOUNG FRENCH BEAU OF 75.

— ♦- 1 [Paris corrsspondence 'New York Times.'] I will cite the Margins L. de N^tjor hejyas Xwon3erT"T meTa lm~ErsF aVa" ?u"ppe|r a *^F an opera ball in Paris in 1874 ; there were millionaires at that banquet, clever novelists, noted for their wit and conversational powers) long-haired poets; pretty men whose only occupation in life was to be pretty and. make the most of it, and the womea were actresses and demi-mundanes of mark; whose hearts rarely open* to other than a golden key, and yet, of all that gay crowd, the Marquis was undeniably the favored guest. Men and women alike bowed to his superiority, and when the fairest of all, a pearl of exceeding great beauty, which a Jew Baron was trying to purchase for his casket, threvr over the Israelite for the gp.ntlemanjno one seemeel astpnishod ; at her choice, though the Marquis was known not to be wealthy and made n« secret of His circumstances. But he was so polished, so refined, that the women adored him, and he was such a viveu'r that the fastest men of the capital were phy of aD encounter with him at the dinner table. Every one knew that he was a mystery, but it was given to no one to fathom it. There was not a wrinkle on his face, his mouth was irreproachable, his features a little' too delicate, perhaps, as his complexion was a little too pink, ' but his eyes were . oIQaT, his hair could not be suspected of a dye, he rode like a centaur, and handled sword and pistol with deadly . dexterity.. In short, he was a marvel, and his associates would have paid handsomely to get hold of his secret. But they never did, though every device was tried.; Nothing could , corrupt the fidelity of, his; valet de chambre, who alone knew what that secret was ; no artifice succeeded in getting the Marquis to betray himself. Once: a lady, to whom he was tenderly attached | tent word that she was dying ; four hours afterward only did he make his appearance, at her bedside ; not even to save her life, and there could be no doubt of his sentiments, would he show himself without being properly gotten up, and when on his own death-bed Dr Piogry warned him that the time had come to make his peace with God, he would not receive the priest until after the usual four heura' performance of his faithful Vpllet. Of course, he was not immortal, and the pitcher got broken finally, but in circum- 1 stances of themselves typical of the individual. His son, an officer of the Army of Africa, wrote that he must have 200,000 francs, to pay a debt of honor ; the Marqius telegraphed : " Come and get it, but be careful, it is nearly all left to me of our fortune." The '• boy," as he called him, came, and te ! the surprise of Mme. de C, who was on a J visit to her lover, turned out to be a white, moustached LieutenankColonel of cavalry, of certainly not bss than 50 years of age. The Marquis reoeived his " boy " affectionately f gave him the money, and, as ho bade him good.bye, remarked, quietly : " My dear Georges, I have only one reproach to make ; j how could you be so thoughtless as to come here without dyeing your board V Mme. de 0. thoughtlessly related the scene, it was commented on at the club, the Marquis challenged the joker, they fought next morning, and the Marquis was brought home mortally wounded at the age of 75