The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-15 00:00:00

INUNDATION OF THE NILE.

A tedepaphic despatch, dated Alexandria, Oct. N, was
received in Liverpool yesterday. It is as follows :
" ALEXANDRIA, Ckv. R.

Colton, maize, and sugar crops seriously damaged. Arri-
vals of cotton, nil. Arrivals of grain, small. Wheat,
80 piastres. Beans, 70 piastres.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

SWINDLING IN HIGH LIFE.
(raom ova OWN coaaaaroxvirr.)
PARIS, MONDAY EVENIIIIG.

A curious affair of swindling in high life, which
occupied the assize court of the Seine for several
days last week, was brought to a conclusion on
Saturday. Madame Nigon de Berty fide Labueil, a
lady of good family and the wife of a director in
the ministry of public instruction and worship; M.
Bdrard, a chevalier of the Legion of Honour, and
also a cheloalier d'irminstrie; Madame Chauffier, a
lady who ran away from her husband to live with
Bdrard, and aided him to plunder her mother; and
a certain M. Guy, better known in Europe by his
dark and assumed name of Count d'Hombres, were
accused of obtaining, by various false pretences and
fraud, large sums of money from a great many
credulous persons, among whom were priests and
women. The three first-named traversers appeared
at the bar to take their trial, but the shadowy
count, by name Hombres, who no doubt looks
down with lofty contempt from some Conti-
nental retreat upon his less adroit accom-
plices, was non est, and the judgment below
mentioned was pronounced against him "by
default." The leading point of the case, the rami-
fications of which are not worth dwelling upon, is,
that Madame Nigon de Berty, knowing 134frard to
be a penniless adventurer, introduced him into
good society as a man of wealth, and the owner of
vast coal mines in Wales, shares in which it was
represented would yield 10, 20, and 30 per cent.
profit. lidrard, with au affectation of scrupulous
honesty, insists that he never promised more than
10 per cent., but it was clearly shown that his
patroness held out the bait of the higher figures.
The perpetration of the frauds was greatly favoured
by the actual appearance at the quay on the Seine,
opposite the Louvre, of three vessels laden with
coal, which was palmed off upon shareholders as
the produce of M. Bdrard's mine. In the course
of the trial the names of two Englishmen,
Mr. Wolfram and Mr. Simmonda, were mentioned
as being alleged partners of Birard in the coal
mines, but evidence was produced to show that
they repudiated him, and only knew that he had
proposed to furnish 10,0001. for a concern in which
they were interested, but had never done it. A
very piquant episode came out in the course of the
trial. One of the victims of the swindlers, a
Madame de Grandville, who lives in the Faubourg
St. Honord, is so deaf that she cannot go to con-
fession in church, and consequently a priest,
named Jalabert, the vicar of the fashionable church
of St. Philippe du Houle, was in the habit of
easing her conscience at her house. He very
adroitly availed himself of bis opportunities to
esse her of her cash, without, however, bringing
himself within the meshes of the law.
A certain Madame Pigeon owed money to
Jalabert, and was not able to pay him. Priest
Jalabert, therefore, being in great need of
money to go on a journey, represented to Madame
Grandville that one of his parishioners, the said
Madame Pigeon, a most pious lady, was in embar-
rassed circumstances, and that it would be a work
agreeable to God to lend her 5,0001 r., he (M.
Jalabert) being responsible for the repayment, and
putting his name to bills which were to be given.
The 5,000 fr. were paid down in pursuance of this
ghostly advice, and Jalabert did put his name to a
bill of 1,500 fr. (which with great difficulty he was
ultimately made to repay), but he sturdily refused
to sign bills for the remainder, and the deaf lady lust
the money. Her simplicity in this matter marked her
out as a fit object for the rapacity of Bdranl and
his accomplices. M. Dupont de Bussac (the ex-
deputy of the National Assembly, who, after ten
years' exile, has resumed his practice at the bar)
defended Madame Nigou do Berty, and made an
unsuccessful attempt to show that she was not in
her right mind. The court found all tbo accused
guilty, and condemned Beard to five years' impri-
sonment, Madame de Berty to two years, Madame
Chauffier to one year, and each of the three besides
to 50f r. fine. On Guy, who had previously been
condemned for swindling, the sentence was five
years imprisonment, 3,000 fr. fine, and tea years'
surveillance of the police. It is a remarkable fact
that all the witnesses who had been done out of
their money by B4rard did their utmost to get him
acquitted, and declared that they still had the
greatest confidence in him. He is a man of fasci-
nating mannerly and is celebrated as a favourite
with the ladies. .

There is little news from Compiegne. The &-
leaner at Pierrefouds, and the theatricals in the
evening, took place according to the programme.
The pieces, played by the company of the Tlifittre
Francais, were Les Caprices de Marianne and L•
Plaie et le Beau Temps of IL Leon Gordan. Apro-
pos of "beau temps," the King of Holland could
not possibly have enjoyed the climate of France
under more favourable circumstances. The weather
is positively perfect. A clear blue sky, with •
genial sun and fresh exhilarating air—no dust, no
insects, no intense heat, no drawbacks of any
kind. A variation in the programme of the visit
suggested this evening is that Thursday will be de-
voted to Foutainebleau,where there is to be • second
stag.bunt, and Friday to Rambonillet for shooting.
If so, it is difficult to see how the King will carve
oat the two days which he promised to spend in
Paris. It is not quite certain that the Emperor
will accompany him in all his excursions. The
Prase says that the shooting party fixed for TUN-