The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1855-10-20

The Poisoned Bouquet.
On Friday evening last, at the representa-
ton of Adrienne Lecouvreur, the first box on
the left Of the stage, occupied by the star
Of the Italian Opera, Mademe Lagrange, ac-
companied by some friends During the fifth
act, at the moment when Adrienne presses to
her lips the flowers which she had given to the
Count lie SAKE love-plcdge and which the
Dutchess de Bullion had sent back to her as a
messenger of dcath--f the audience could have
seen anything else than Mile Rachel heard any
thing else than the passionate thrill of her voice
they might have perceived strange commo-
ton in the box of which We speak Madame
Lagrange, at the sight Of the poisoned bouquet
became palld as if she herself had enhaled
the mortal perfume, and sought in vain to con-
cea her emotion, while they endea ored to calm
her with words spoken III low tone of voice,
of which nobody else could have devncd the
meaning.
This sudden and violent fright which contin-
ucd without abatement till the end of the act
and the drama, occasioned by terrible re-
mcmbrance OH the part of the great singer,
which found its counterpart in the piece. Its
history made great noise in Italy and senSa-
ton in Europe: Permit us here to recount it.
Mile Lagrange, after her first brilliant sue
cesses in society, had, but short time before
this story commences, made her debut the
stage with triumph that foretold the renowu
that has since attached to her name. The
'hu engagement vi HCl opCidtlC CdIteI Wis
Padua where the young artist completely
ccpsed the reputation Of her rival contatricc.
Each representation WAS for her victory,
and each victory defeat for her who sustain
ed the part of prtma donna. This ovcrwhelm-
ing superiority. against which there was no
recourse lighted up, in the soul of the defeated
artist one of those jcaousies which emulation
only embitters and transformed it into burn
ing thirst for revenge, no matter at what cost,
or hv what means
There remains vet a trace of the Savage in
the heads of the Italians whom the "sun has
looked upon" like the Sulamitc woman in the
canticle The prma dona. whose name we sup
press, furnishes proof Of this fact.
She one of those dangerous svrens whose
studied charms easily dazzle and fascinate the
imagination of twenty years.-Padna, we
know. is the seat of an university, and it was
not difficult for resolute woman to find among
the Students Il hot head to make a fool of a
blind instrument with which to accomplish her
dark designs. He who played this part was a
Young man of Y ence, city Of mysterious re-
venges. and of armours at the point af the tla o.
ger He Of noble birth of large fortune
and belonging. by name and ties of blood, not
only to the nobility, which is tradition but
to the church. which is power, in the Lombar-
do-N Nenitan Kingdom.
Oh! but she was q cunning woman that ~.
She knew how to choose her associates and
having chosen them she knew how to bring
them to her wishes. The Nenitian wrapped in
her coils lost all conscience. He ended bv
in" nothing svmpathising with nothing but this
woman. and hv degrees he reached point of
distraction at which his passion did not recoii
from the commission of crime. The moment of
action had arrived
Each evening of representation. Mile La
grange gathered her harvest of flowers and
chaplets and among the bouquets that fell at her
feet there was always ore, of small size, but
composed of moss roses the perfumes of which
she was particularly fond of This pnnctual
attention ALWAYS paid her directly after the
andotc in the grand cavatina of Nabncco the
opera which emhaImed. at that time, in all the
nthrSiasm of novelty the rising fame of v Ner(i.
Ordinarily. Mile Lagrange attached the bou-
onet to her gir.lle, after having drawn from its
fra GRANGE fresh encouragement to come up with
the expectations of the audience.
On one occasion the bOuUnet larger
than usual. The moss roses, arranged circular
lv, surrounded nest of green leaves which
formed a heart The nnusnal size rendering it
!iffirnt to attach this honquet to the rirtc. the
cnntntrice held it instant in her hand. bowed
to the audience and then passed itto a fe"rnmt,
desiring him to carry it to her box. And SO
/ the act was finished
| The curtain ha wing fallen the victorious art
ist descended to her little dressing room, aston
| isled not to find her servant maid npon the
thre eshoId She opened the door and gave a
sudden crv of alarm. The servant maid. stretch
| ed motionlcss upon the floor, seemed no longer
to he anything but corpse.
! AT the cry of Mile Lagrange, twenty per
sons rushed in, raised the unhappy girl who
gave scarcely sign Of life, and not knowing
how to restore her, interrogated each other as
to the possible causes of the accident. No one
thought Of the bouquet, which lay tramplcd
under foot in the corner of the chamber where
it had rolled.
| They gathered for five or six minutes around
the dying girl, already plunged in thes insen 81
i bility Of the tomb, when man rushed into -he
apartment, with imperous voice and authorta
tive gesture.
'The bouquet! the bouquet" said he sufl'oca
ted with emotion.
They made way for him and recognized DR.
| Marozzi, the physician in ordinary to the prznt
DONNA.
at is Heaven that sends you, dear doctor,
cried one of those present, 'do You see in wha
a state * ;"
But without paying any attention at first, NJ
|, constantly repeated 'the bouquet! the bou
quet!'
When he saw that Mile Lagrange seemed
, nray to no other malady than that affrigh
. caused by the condition of her servant woman
: he FASTENED to give assistance to the sufferer
vet all the while repeating, "the bouquet! th
bouquet"
This mysterious ard stubborn exclamation Q
which nobody understood the meaning, was tn
cause OF attracting attention to the bonu"e
| forrotten nm to this moment Some one pickle