Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-14
THE ASSASSIN OF THE Pas DE CALAIS
A Remarkable Series Of Crimes.
CONTINUED.

CONTINUED.
Accordingly, one day NJ. and Madame
De Nernelle, upon calling, were conducted
to the room in which FerrerS, still pallid
and weak. was sitting. The visitors had
the air of people of consideration; their
calls were always made in a carriage:
they were handsomely attired, and ;heil
address and bearing had all the elegance
and refinement of high breeding. The
gentleman appeared to have numbered
some thirty-six or ei ght years, and to
have arrived at that turn of existence in
which the elasticity and freshness OF
youthful manhood take the settled force
and character of middle life His hair
was rather closely cut, but his moustachc
and beard were allowed full and ample
growth, and the raven hue of these, in
conjunction with sharply clliselled fea-
lures, contributed to invest his counter,
ance with severe, inexorablc cast OF
expression. This class of faces can hardly
be styled pleasing or prepossessing, and
in the present instance, the uningratiating
effect was considerably aggravated by an
unusually low forehead, and the allnosi
Chinese straightness and narrowness of
pair of piercing black eyes. An inyol-
untary sensation of aversion possessed
Ferrers, as he regarded the remarkable
face of his sympathetic visitor. To the
countenance Of Madame De Vernelle, on
the contrary, he turned with delight. Ii
was one of the sweetest, most innocent,
most happy, he had ever seen. Without
being correctly or finely beautiful, it was
bright and charming, the index of gen.
tie, trusting and loving soul.
Immediately on entering the room, NJ.
De Nernelle advanced to Ferrers with an
easy but courteous bow, and taking hi.
hand and smiling in manner which dis
played, behind the dark moustache and
beard, aperfect range of close, small, and
particularly white front teeth, congratu-
lated him warmly upon his escape from
an attempt to assassination. Madame
De Vernelle echoed these congratulations
in a voice and manner full of feeling and
sincerity. De Vernelle then proceeded to
ask various questionsrespecting the time,
place, and manner of the attack, with the
earnestness and emprcssemeat of one who
took deep and strong interest in the
subject. He informed Ferrers that h,
owned small chateau situated near the
highway from St. Omer to Arras, and
was residing there when the first of this
extraordinary series of outrages was COM
mitted, and from that period he had never
ridden out, or made any excursion in that
somewhat solitary neighborhood, with
out being well armed. He had taken an
active part in the endeavors which had
been made TO discover and arrest the of:
tenders, and had contributed largely to-
wards the reward offered to whomsoevei
should succeed in SO doing. When, tht
night after his marriage, the very priest
who had united him to his ''dcar Hya-
cinthe" had been barbarously assassina-
ted and robbed, as he was returning
home after wedding festivities, his feelings
of horror and resentment had, of cours.
received very powerful stimulation
Immediately he had conferred with The
police authorities, and endeavoring by all
the means in his power to increase the
diligence and effectiveness Of their eXer
tionS, and, in addition to the reward of
fered by government, had publicly pro-
missed five thousand francs, out Of biz
own purse, to whomsoever should succeed
in tracing and securing the assassin,
I'm spite of the horror with which i
regard these outrages," said he, after
FerrerS had finished his narration, "there
is something about the manner in which
they are carried out that touches me
strangely. '- ..st gu. .fs..
How e. asked Ferrers, surprised at a
peculiar change of tone in his visitors
voice. ,,.. ..s...--.t ..- -...-g. s-.
Because the murderer is evidently q
fine genius in his way" "rsa Oh ia.
Il trust YOU bear him No admiration
or sympathy :" .s.rtl.3 : ~.
Neither one nor the other. The play
of ordinary feeling is stopped when We
are terrified, amazed, and appalled, There
is mystery, a bravade, a success, an
aplomb, about these crimes which make
them wOnderful;o and crime is something
more than crime for pondering minds,
when it is of a nature to be considered
wonderful .-.......- = Ban.
''The only wonderful thing to me is,
that the wretches are allowed to escape ~
exclaimed Ferrers, impatieptly. ar
3Aye-that Is wondel full, too, return.
ed De Vernelle, turning sharply towards
him, and fixing his bright, narrow ewes
upon his face. "That IS wonderful .