The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-11-10
THE COUNT DE sAINTE.HELENE
THE coNylCT's REVENGE.

THE C0NVlCTS REVENGE.
Pierre Coignard was tho son Of vine.
dresser Of Langcais, in the department Of
the lndrc-ct- Loire, and served rs grena-
der under the convention. Though brave
soldier, he was an audacious thief, and was
at length apprehcnded, tried, and condemned
to fourteen years Of the galleys. But he
did mol like the seclusion Of the bagne; and
chained us he was like wild beast, he con-
triyed in the fourth year Of his Imprisonment,
to make his escape, His success, however,
was attended by circumstance which he
had afterwards occasion to refer to as one
OF the great landmarks OF his history. His
comrade in the adventure had heen likewise
condemned, OH the same day with himself,
to fourteen years. letters; and the two des-
peradoes were drawn together, not only by
this coincidence in their fortunes, but by
dissimilarity in character and requirements
which seemed to point them out rs tit asso-
ciates in crime. What the one wanted, the
other possessed. Coignard Was tolerably
well educated; the other had known no 9TH
er school than the world. :.
Coignard was on easy. plant man OF socl
ety; the other character oi iron, moulded
by nature in mould which might be broken
but never bent. Coignard, IN fine, obtained
his ends by address, fortified by resolution
and the other by an implacsblc stubborness
of purpose, which was dead to all considera'
tons. but the one idea before it, which it
crappled and clung to for life or death. The
union of two such men would have enriched
the annals of guilt: but it was not to take
place. They were detected in the act oi ut.
tempting to escape, only one could fly. Had
the one been the comradc he would ut once
have rejected the temptation. And why !!
Because the objec, of their plan had failed,
which was the flight Cf both. But Coignard,
who never grew sulky with fate, SO far from
abandoning his enterprise, made use Of his
unlucky friend as n stepping stone in his es-
cape; and, putting his foot upon his shoul'
der, spurncd him away as he caught the
wall above, behind which he speedily disap.
peared, with the vengeiul yell OF his associ-
ate ringing in his ears. Ilo changed his
name from Coignard to Points, fled into
Spain, Joined anew the French army, became
n sergeant under the regime of Marshal
Sou!t, and distinguished himself by his bra
very and good conduct.
At Sarasossa, in the year 1918. Points
made the acquaintance Of Spanish girl
called Rosa Murcen, whom he afterwards
married, and the two cOngenial spirits set
themselves to work to discover way to fol-.
tune less tedious and doubtful thanthe ranks.
An extraordinary coincidence in names gave
them the FIRST hint; and Indeed, so strange
an influence do seeming triaes exercise over
the destinies Of men, that it was, perhaps,
to this coincidence was owing the intimacy
of two beings SO we'll calculated to play in
10 each others hands the game of life. Why
Pierre Colgnard, among all the names in the
world. should have chosen the name Of Pom
It's, is not known but it so happened that
il was even us household word in tho ears
of Rosa Marcen, she having served in some
capacity or other in an emigrant family
bearing that patronymic. Whether her
services were that Of q govcrness or awaiting
woman, or whether she retired or was dri.
ven from it, are matters beyond the ken OF
biography but it is certain that she beheld
with interest an individual bearing name
so intimately associated with the events OF
her own history. And this interest was no;
lessened by the fact that Points was young
and handsome soldier, at once polite and
daring, and endowed with that cool sclt-pos'
session, before which all spirits quail like
lunatics before the yoicelcss eye of the keep
er.
Bot (" Points /" that was the name OF a
titled family. Was this young grenadier u
cadet of the noble house whose representa-
tives had fled before the horrors of the rev.
olution! lie might be so by his person and
bearing; and the idea retained hold OF the
Imagination of Rose, even after she had
learned that he had US little 10 10 with the
nobility either Of mind or birth, rs herself.
An epoch by.and.by came when such an
idea was likely to present itselfsn more
enticing loim than now-whcn counts were
at discount. The Frcrch were compelled
to evacuatc the PENN. ula. Louis 10 Desire
returned to the throne Of his ancestors and
our Points and his wife found themselves
once more in country where tho husband
had worked in chains as iorcat.
They proceeded to scissors, to look after
the wrecks which the revolution might have
SHARED of their ancestral fortune. They
found themselves alone in the field. Nc
other Points appeared upon the scene,- al
had persisted in exile and owing to the
registers Of the town having been burned in
the confusion Of the revolution, the heir o'
the illustriOus house was unable even to
prove his birth . Thus unluckily situated
Points called uron an old lady Of his. own
name who was waiting in an agony oi i'm
patience to see her family re.established In
their ancient honors by The blessed Restora
ton. She recognized the handsome young
soldier us Points at the frs, glance; she
knew him by the hereditary nose she could
not be mistaken in the calm firm, hali.s'ni
ling lip. which gave the world assurance O.
a Points. But who was this young wife
whom be had presented to her :! Had the
unhappy man tarnished Lis blood with Q
misailianee! No. The noble heir Of the
Points assured his aged relation, that even
in exile he had been too proud OF their com
moa name to share it with one meaner thar
himself. This lady, though her marriage
was unsanctioned by her family until his
claims should be established, was Of the. high.
est blood Of Spain - she was daughter O
the yiceroy OF Malaga This was enough
almost 100 much. The old lady wept with
pride and delight, and she ended by making
the whole town weep with her. An oct o.
notoriety, as it is called in French law, wa:
readily obtained. recognizing the birth ol
the returned emigrant /; and this being trans
ferred to the existing registers Of Soissous
Pierre Coignard, the escaped ielon, found
himself transformed, ps ii by magic, into
Points, Count dc Saint. Helene.
We have not asccrtaincd that the pecuni
ary resources were much improved by thi,
recognition Of his nobility indeed 1t would
seem from the context that II was not the
case. II is iar more difficult to obtain al
estate than title: and perhaps the count