Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-06-10

ton of occasionally making remark upon any
other topic but the all engrossing one. Lord
Castietord rested with his arms on the table:-a
false tooth had got unhinged. His Lordship, who
at anv other time would have been most annoyed,
coo!y put it in his pocket. His cheeks had fall
Ell, and he looked twenty years older. Lord Dice,
had torn off his cravat. and his hair hung down
over his callous bloodless cheeks, straight as SILK
Temple Grace looked as il he were b''ghted by
lightning: and his deep blue eyes cleaned IKE a
hyena. The Baron was least changed. ION
Cugit. who smelt'that the crisis was at hand, was
as quiet as brihed rat.
On they played til, nix o'cock in the evening
aud then they agreed to desi't TIL after dinner.
Lord Dice threw himself OH sofa. Lord Gas
teford breathed with difficulty. The rest walk
ed around. While they were resting on their
oars, the young Duke roughly made up his &C
counts. lie found that he was minus about ole
hundred thousand pounds.
Immense as this loss was, he was mere struck,
more appalled,, let me say.-at the strangeness
of the surrounding scene, than even by his own
ruin As he looked upon his fellow gamesterS, he
seemed for the first time i'll his life. TO gaze upon
some of these hideous demons Of whom he
had read. He looked IN the mirror at himself.
A blight seemed to have fallen over his beauty,
and his presence seemed accursed. lie had pur-
sued Gissipated. even mOre than disspated
career Many were the nights that had been
spent by him, not Oh his couch; great had been
the exhaustion that he hal often experienced;
hasgard had sometimes even been the ustre OF
his youth. But when had been marked upon his
brow this narrowing care? when had his features
before been stamped with this anxiety, this an
suish, this baffied desire, this strange, uuearthy
scow, which made BIN tremble? What! was it
possibs EFT could uot be-that in time he was
to be like those awful. those unearthy, those un-
hallnwed things that were around him. He felt
as if he had fallen from his state, AS if he had
lishonored his ancestry,-a if he had betrayed
his trust. He felt criminal. In the darkness
Of his mcditatons. fash burst from his lurid
mind, celestial light appeared to dissipate this
thickening gloom, and his soul felt as it were
bathed with the softening radiancy. He thought
of Mary Dacre. he thought OF every thing that
was pure, and holy, and beautiful, and luminous.
and calm. 1t was the innate virtue of the man
that made the appeal to his corrupted nature
His loss seemed nothing; his dukedom would be
too slight ransom of freedom from those ghosts
and for the breath of the sweet air.
Hc advanced to the Baron, and expressed his
desire to play no more. There was an imnedi-
ate stir. All jumped up, and now the deed was
done Cant, in spite Uf their exhaustion, assum-
ed her reigu-I'hey begged him to have his re-
venge.-were quite annoyed at the result, had 10
doubt he would recover if he proceeded. With
out noticing their remarks, he seated himself at
| the table, and wrote checks for their respective
amounts. Tom Cosit jumping up and bringing
MN the inkstand, Lord Castleferd, in the most
affectionate manner, pocketted the draft; at the
same time recommending the Duke not TO be in
hurry, but to send it when he was cool. Lord
ciee recsived his gsith oo@t-Fsmp!e Grace,
with sieh--the Baron, with an avowai Of his
readiness always to give him his revenge.
The Duke, though sick at heart, would not leave
the room with any evidence Of broken spirit;
and when Lord Cas.leford again repeated 9 Pay
US when we meet again." he said; I" | think it We
~ improbable that ss-shall meet again, my Lord
| wished to know what gaming was. had heard
great deal about il. 1t was not so very disgust
ing; but am young man, and cannot play
tricks with my complexion"
fTe reached his house. The bird was out. He
gave orders for himself not to be disturbed,
and he went to bed sbut in vain he tried to sleep.
What rack exceeds the torture of an excited
brain, and an exhausted body? His hands and
feet we're like Ice. his brow like fire, his ears ruDg
with supernatural rearing: nausea had seized
upon him, and dealt, he would have welcomed.
In VAIN, IN vain ne Sourted repose-in VAIN, IN
vain he had recourse to every expedient to vile
himself to slumber. Each minute he started from
his pillow with some phrase which reminded him
of his late fearful society. Hour after hour NOV
ed on with its eaden pace; each hour he heard
strike, aud each hourseemed an age. Each hour
was only signal to cast off some covering or shift
his position. 1t was, at length, morning. With
feeling that he should 90 mad it lie remained
any longer in bed, he Iose, and paced his cham
ber.-The air refreshed him. He threw himself
on the floor; the cold crept over his senses, and
he slept.
True Nobility. LIN 1929, two young commits
sion merchants of tIss4,ty failed, and surrender
ed up their whole property to their creditors,
which fell short Of their debts more than twenty
thousand dollars. ,Thes received from their Gre
ditors full and entire discharge from all their
debts and responsibilities. and soon after dlssoIv.
ed their business connection and began the world
anew. Sometime last year one of them present
ed to each of the creditors of the firm check
for twenty-five per cent Of the deficiency which
had been relinquished. This week, the other pre-