The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-01 00:00:00

BENTLEY'S MI6CELLANY.

The best thing that Albert Smith has yet written is
decidedly his description of the flight of the Marchioness
of Brinvilliers from Paris to Liege, which appears in
the present number of " Bentley." It is
and
of the
most exciting descriptions ever penned, add is quite
equal to the celebrated " Turpin's Ride to York," in
" Rookwood." She is escaping from the pursuit of
Desgrais the Exempt, who is charged to arrest her as a
prisoner. For two days and nights she has kept in ad-
vance of her pursuers, and she is at length within sight
of Liege :
"At last they entered Liege, and the pursuit now became
doubly exciting from the cries of the postilions, as they
traversed the glooming streets at a fearful pace, cracking
their whips as they whirled :them above thrir heads, and
shouting in an unearthly manner to warn the passengers of
their advent. A charette in the road offered a temporary
check to Marie's carriage, and Desgrais the next instant was
close up to her. But nearer he could not come; for the
width of the thoroughfare would not allow the two vehicles
to go abreast. They were, however, coming to a broader
street, and then Marie knew he would pass her. To avoid this,
and gain a minute of time,—for every second now was worth
the price of her life,—she collected some straw from the in-
terior of her coach, and tied it into a bundle with her hand-
kerchief; then lighting it at the lamp of the carriage, she
leaned oit of window, and threw it, blazing, directly in front
of the leaders of the other voiture. The horse on which the
postilion was riding reared up in fright, and directly threw
him ; his fellow backed as well, and the wheelers coming
over them, they were all thrown together in a terrible con-
fusion before the carriage, which by its own impetus came
partly on them. In en instant Desgrais leaped upon his
feet,—for the shock had also thrown him upon the ground,—
and clearing the rider from the stirrups, he cut the traces with
his poinard, and getting the horse upon his legs, vaulted into
the saddle, leaving the rest of his equipage to the care of the
archers who were inside. The carriage of the Marchioness
was not fifty yards a-head as it turned towards the convent
she had indicated to the drivers. Once more everything
depended on a few seconds; and Desgruis goaded the poor
animal with the point of his weapon to spur it onwards; as
the horses of his intended prisoner, equally urged, kept tear-
ing on towards the goal. At last they stopped at the door
of the convent •, md, as its heavy bell sounded with a loud
and violent peal, the Exempt came up to the carriage.
" lie sprang from his horse, and tore down, rather than
opened, the door nearest the road, and seized the Marchioness
by her mantle. At that instant the gate of the convent
opened, as she jumped from the carriage, and entered the
lodge, leaving the garment in the hand of the Exempt.
Desgrais rushed through the vehicle, and was about to follow
her, when she seized a cross from the porch, and held it to-
wards him with a smile of triumph, that threw an expression
of demoniac beauty over her features.
" You dare not touch me !" she cried ; or you are lost,
body and soul !'
With an oath, Desgrais fell back before the sacred
emblem. Marie had thrown herself upon the Church, and
claimed a sanctuary. An impassable barrier was between
them, and the whole of his toil to arrest her had gone for
nothing. The chance had been lost, in a pursuit of nearly
one hundred leagues, by half a minute."
Desgrais, however, subsequently induces her by a
stratagem to leave the sanctuary ; she is instantly
arrested, and is on her road to Paris in the custody
of Desgrais at the conclusion of the last chapter
of the novel in the present number. The out-
pourings of D. Canter are still most amusing ;
the present libation contains much pleasant gossip anent
the artists, actors, and literateurs who flourished some
fifteen years since. We are glad to see the writer does
justice to the memory of poor Nugent: ho wss indeed _a
choice spirit, witty yet kind-hearted. Peace to his manes.
" The Case of Conscience" is a good story well told, and
L" Dick Sparrow's Evening Out" is an admirable drol-
-1 lery. Maxwell gives us the commencement of an Irish
tale, "Brian O'Linn, or Luck is Everything," which pro-
mises well, and " The Gaol Chaplain" continues his se-
ries of dark pages from life's volume. The present Num-
la,,r of " Bentley" fully maintains the reputation of the
Magazine.