The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-07-20
purity in white kids. But the occasion

| Well, you ask, what has all this to do Sitt
our Doctor, the chifonnier : Be PATENT We
viii como to that directly Among the eSmi
rers who surrounded the Countess was round
ehouldered, hooked-noeed, badly-dresscd sndi
vidual that one might call positively hopsely
But this gentleman was witty, eloquent, .and
| withal generous and sincere not generally *
regarded, but so in fact After one passed, i
one could, the outer line Of breakers and spray
they found sunny fields and quiet dells, fol- Of
natures richest stores. He appeared wealthy
held high official position, and had to the
world an unknown history. But he was knowr
historically to our brilliant Countess.
When the Countess was no Countess, bat q
poor girl, living with her widowed mother, in
no very magnificent style, but, to tell the tsuth
the precarious income from music and Ft4nch
lessons 10 tho samo house with her lied q
poor student. The chambers of Madame Val
mott and daughter were some distance from
| the street, but nothing in comparison to- hose
OF tho student who lodged in an unRx bwn
quarter, quite out of Paris You went Z snnd
and round until you were dizzy, then ip q
| straight, narrow flight, then YOU TURNED tud-
denly, and followed sombre passage, the. title
light Of which came, you knew not from " sere
| and seemed itself to BIO lost and faint witt get
ting there. Then you stumbled against IF a
dozen stairs-as If the habit of having airs
could not be got clear of-then you opet I'd a
door, and found a little room, queerly sh ped,
and lighted by window in the roof Bi we
have nothing to do with the little room, only
with its occupant-a silent, studious man, who
seemed to have q purpose. How he be anne
acquainted with Madame valmott and her
beautiful daughter, do not know but tb 40
quaintance was interesting and useful. He
gave the daughter lessons comforted the m, Their
| with good advice and several small losas of
money, and, | suspect, was quite in love with
his acquaintance-whenM Monsieur the Count
came in, and carried away the prize. The
were wide enough apart and quite unknown
to each other for many years but the posi-
ton of the one, and the talent of the other,
made them known to the world and to each, at
last.
The Count was ignorant of this little Eisto-
~ as all were but the two interested. He
He only noticed the frightened face and joy
Gus manner with which this gentleman was
received, the hours spent in conversation, the
letters passing to and fro, and he made up his
mind to the fact that his wife had at last fallen
in love. Tho discovery did not please the gen.
tleman, much as he anticipated Indeed, he
flew into rage, even going SO far as to con-
slider himself an Il-used man, a victim TO be
pitied and comforted if not revenged. Ma
dame the Countess certainly was very happy
in the company of her strange acquaintance,
and passed too much time enjoying it. But
the circumstances on which the husband act
ed were subsequently shown to provo her en-
tirely beyond suspicion.
This lady had never intruded her poor rela-
A. 4 L.
er, long as she was on earth, seemed quite re-
moved from the sphere usually filed by mothers
But she had ono relative dependent upoa her
bounty poor cousin, whose i'll health made
it almost impossible to serve. Without annoy
ing her husband, che was anxious to secure the
unhappy youth q post under Governme.t, by
which he might support himself and relgtions.
This gave rise to mysterious correspondence,
watched over by the anxious husband He
saw sufficient 10 his cxoitco condition 20 think
bis fears confirmed, and set about his resenge
Il was what a weak, cowardly creature you'd
propose; eminently cruel In intent; enIinently
French in manner. He did not wish to kill
his wife, but merely to subdue and conquer her !;
and with this design determined to tic her,
open o vein in her arm, taking care &c have
a physician near, aud, under the terror Of Heath,
to hear her confession and prayer for forgive
mesa, and then call in medical aid TO her belief
1t was well planned, and, had tie poos Lady
anything to confess, would have probably beon
successful. He borrowed lancet from the
family physician, babe that gentleman be in
attendance, without, of course, revealing his
design The poor woman wakened FROM sleep
to find herself bound hand and foot, with her
cruel husband standing over her. She Gid not
scream or attempt to move, but, openf & her
large eyes, stared in fright and astcne ment
6What is the meaning Of this?" she falter-
ed out
He replied, to make her confess, bef &c dy-
ing, to her ingratitude and infdelity. 81 tried
to laugh, tried to consider it stupid j st, but
the angered expression of his face me 10 the
laugh die in her throat. He again de1randed
a confession, and she asserted her inn acence.
He barred her arm and applied the laybet--a
wild scream rang through the room Tho
Count had prepared for this, yet, fear ig she
might be hoard, he placed his hand Of sn her
mouth. Looking at pleading eyes and owing
blood was certainly not way to obtait con-
fession; yet every removal of his hand fas fol-
lowed by such piteous screams, that u other
way was left Enraged at bis fail ,re, or
blinded from the first, he repeated the ounds,
until his poor wife tainted from loss Of blood.
The Count rang for the Doctor; hut the
Doctor, bluff, frank man, tired of aitipg,
had unceremoniously departed, and { 10 hus-
band, believing his wife dead, hastily 'thered
some valuables and fled, nor was he eve heard
of again. The poor wife was left to di alone.
We are told that death Of this sor is ex-
ceedingly cruel. The blood flows u it'll the
victim faints-then it ceases and She sevives,
and SO, dying many times, life gradua'Ty GIBBS
away.
If / were a great author, of the 3ulwer
school, now, would pause, and call bur at
tention to the thoughts and feelings Of this
poor lady, as for an hour she lay the, with
the springs of life tossing their crimsoj spray
from her lovely arms-I would repas rk the
golden tapestry, the old paintings tie gor-
geous furniture, the many gilded nkJ rors, in
which startled and feeble life saw itso reflect
cd. Above ell, would suggest the fl OF of the
mother turning her dying head, ant staring
under the little canopy, swung her bsl z, pratt
thing to itself as it awaited the morning caress
And, writing French horror, this al would
be in keeping. Our friend, the Doctor having
completed some trifing affair." return 3D. and
proceeded at once to the chamber of N adame.
The physician belonged bat class Ct great
minds who are astonished at no event Unfor-
tunately for him, in this instance, hi coolly
rung up the servant, ordered the reaease of
their lady, applied oil necessary remedies as
if seeing to an ordinary affair. But bis help
| came too late-the poor Countess could only
falter out her sad story, and die.
say the Doctors manner was much against
him; his lancet was found stained With blood
upon the floor, and although never believed TO
be the principal, and on account of his posi-
ton cleared IS an accomplish, yet sfsspicion
remained, and the world recoiled FROM him in
ho-rnr( u;a x,ro ctica fall cuor. L. sear:1l,