()48 THK FRENCH CONVULSIVE*. 



he appeared to both to be nothing more than what he assumed to be; 

 as a disguise a confirmed egotist, who had outlived all passion, and 

 whose philosophy was, in one word, ease. This is the man of pro- 

 bity. As a contrast to him we have the man of society, the man of 

 the world, with all its selfishness, hypocrisy, arid tinsel virtues, in the 

 person of the young and noble Raymon de Ramure, whose estate ad- 

 joined that of the Delmares. 



Patronized by the court for his powerful advocacy of the cause of 

 the restoration, gifted with mental and personal endowments of the 

 highest order, he had acquired unbounded influence over mens' 

 minds, and complete success in society. This species of Mirabeau 

 had become enamoured of the Creole maid of Madame Delmare, who 

 almost equalled her mistress in beauty. He was struck with admi- 

 ration of her large black eyes at a rustic festival, and had the glory of 

 triumphing over a host of rivals. He paid his addresses to her at 

 first from mere idleness, and success had awakened his passion ; white 

 the Creole, on her part, loved with all the wild fervour and headlong 

 clevotedness of passion that characterizes the children of the tropics. 

 The circumstances of romance attending their stolen interviews lent 

 a charm to the affair which was pleasing for awhile. But Raymon 

 was not long in being awakened to the difficulty and embarrassment 

 of the consequences attending it. He had been surprised into a 

 holiday amour; what was to be done? To marry her was to entail 

 misery on both parties ; so he took the resolution of forgetting her ; 

 he left his country-seat, and once more mingled in the gay world, the 

 scene of his triumphs and success. Accident here brought him in 

 contact with Indiana at a public ball, and he no sooner saw her than 

 he conceived a strong attachment for her. With a man of his con- 

 summate skill and experience in the art of winning hearts, all resist- 

 ance was vain. Indiana felt the effect of his impassioned declarations ; 

 she thought not of the duties which had been imposed upon her, nor 

 on the prudence which had been recommended to her, nor to the 

 futurity which had been predicted to her; she only recalled the 

 odious past, her long sufferings, her despotic masters. Neither did 

 she think that this man might be a deceiver or a trifler. She saw 

 him as she desired him, as she had dreamed of him ; and Raymon 

 might have deceived her, if he had not been sincere. Raymon had 

 loved Noun with the senses ; he loved Madame Delmare with his 

 whole soul. So far he had not deceived either of them ; the point 

 was, to effect the removal of Noun before a secret, which must bring 

 despair to her heart as well as that of her mistress, should be mutually 

 communicated. To make her an offer of half his fortune was nothing 

 to the difficulty in being obliged to confess to her that he did not love 

 her. With this view of adjusting matters, he appoints an interview 

 with her in the park of Lagny, during her mistress' absence. Noun 

 lead him into the house, and into the cabinet of Indiana. She used 

 all her arts, and tried all the force of her charms, to win back his 

 estranged affections. But when he made her his proposals with re- 

 gard to her future disposal, she burst into a transport of rage, and 

 sought to destroy herself. She rejected them with scorn, and said 

 ehe would throw herself at the feet of Madame Delmare, and confess 



