The King's Warrant: A Story of Old and New France — John Shaqi
The King's Warrant: A Story of Old and New FranceEngelbach, Alfred H.
History
The King's Warrant: A Story of Old and New France
Engelbach, Alfred H.
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France) -- Fiction
In the evening he paid a visit to Madame de Rocheval, when he learned
that that lady intended to embark for France in about a fortnight,
taking Marguerite with her, and there was some talk of the possibility
of his going by the same vessel. He did not remain long, however, but
promised to call again the next day. On the following afternoon he
paid his friends a more lengthened visit, and, at his request,
Marguerite presently sat down to the harpsichord, as she had been used
to do of old, to play to him some music she had recently received from
France, and amongst these were some canzonets and other vocal pieces
which she begged Isidore to sing.
Those who should best understand these matters say that the tenor is
the most common voice with men. It may be so, but certainly the rarest
of all voices met with in perfection is the tenor of that marvellous
enchanting quality that thrills the very soul of the listener with its
heavenly vibrations. Such a voice was that of Isidore de Beaujardin,
and the instruction he had received from the best masters at Paris
enabled him to use it with uncommon taste and skill. He was just
concluding an air of Stradella's, in which the melody and
instrumentation alike were perfect, and in which a simple yet stately
grandeur alternated with the most touching plaintiveness, when he
became aware that some one near to him was sobbing violently. It was
not Marguerite, that was certain, though a tear did just then drop on
the hand that touched the harpsichord so charmingly. He turned in some
surprise, and there kneeling beside him, with her face buried in her
hands, he beheld a young girl whom, although her features were
concealed from him, he recognised at once; it was Amoahmeh. Even as
Isidore ceased, the girl's emotion utterly overpowered her, and she
burst into an uncontrollable flood of tears. Marguerite rose hastily,
while at the same moment Madame de Rocheval entered the room, and with
the assistance of a domestic they carried Amoahmeh to an adjoining
apartment, where, as Isidore could plainly hear, the strange and
distressing paroxysm continued unabated notwithstanding every effort to
soothe and calm the troubled spirit.
Presently Marguerite returned. "It is a most singular thing," said
she. "This poor Indian girl was found in an exhausted and fainting
state on the steps of our house last evening some time after you had
left. Madame de Rocheval had her brought in and attended to, but when
she revived and had somewhat recovered we found that she had evidently
lost her reason. 'Some one,' she said, 'had told her where they were,
but that she had forgotten, and had come to pray of him to tell her
once again.' We could not understand what she meant. Madame de
Rocheval sent for the doctor to consult him as to what could be done
for her, but we suddenly missed her, and saw no more of her until she
reappeared just now in this strange way."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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