Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-05-10

diminutive female hand, 70 D., the minis
ter himself. 1t was thrust carelessly, and
even, as 1t seemed, contemptuously, into one
OF the uppermoSt divisions Of the rack. o.
No sooner had / glanced at this letter,
than concluded il to be that Of which was
In search To be sure, it was TO all appear
ance radically different from the one Of which
tne pfefect had read us so minute a descrip-
uon Here the seal was large and black,
with the D cipher; there, IL was small
ana red, with the ducal arms of the -
iamiiy. Here the address Of the minister was
diminutive and feminine; there the super
scripton, to certain royal parsonage, was
markedly bold and decided the size alone
formed point Of correspondence.
but then the r0dtcaLaess Of these difTere nces
which was excessive the dirt, the soiled and
torn condition Of the paper, so inconsistent
with the true methodicsl habits Of D., and
so suggestive of a design TO delude the he
holder into an idea of the worthIessness of the
document; these things, together with the
hyper obtrusive situation Of this document,
full in the view Of every visiter, and thus eI.
actly in accordance with the conclusions 70
which had previously arrived-these things,
say, were strongly cOrroborative of suspi-
cion, III one who came with the intention to
suspect
protracted my visit as long rs possible.
and while maintained a most animated dis
eussion with the minister upon topic which
L knew well had never failed 70 excite and
interest him, kept my attention really riv-
eted upon the letter. In this examination L
committed TO memory its external appearance
and arrangement in the rack; and also fell at
length upon discovery which set at rest
whatever trivial doubt might have enter
tanned In scrutinizing edges Of the paper,
discovered them to be more ohafed than
seemed necessary. They presented the Bro-
Ken appearance which is manifested when n
stIf paper, having been once folded and
pressed with folder, is refolded In a reverse
direction, in the same creases or edges which
had formed the original folds. This dis
covery was sufficient. 1t was clear to me that
the letter had been turned, as q glove inside
out re-directed, and re-sesled. I bade the
mi5lster good morning, and took my depar-
ture at once, leaving q gold snuff box upon
the table
The next morning called for the snuff
box, when we resumed quite eargerly the
conversation Of the preceding day While
tnus engaged, however, q loud report as If Of
pistol, was heard Immediately beneath the
windows of the hotel, and was succeeded by.
series of fearful screams, and the shoutings
of terrified mob. D. rushed to a case
ment, threw 1t open, and looked out. In the
meantime, stepped 10 the cardrack, took the
letter, put 1t in my pocket, and replaced it
by Jae SIDlIIe, which had carefully pre-
pared at my lOdgings-imitaUing the D.
cipher very readily by means of a seal formed
of bread.
"The disturbance in the street had been
occasioned by the frantic behavior of a man
with a musket He had fred it among a
crowd Of women and children 1t proved.
however, to have been without ball, and the
fellow was suffered - 20 his way as lunatic-
or drunkard. When he had gone, D
came from the window, whittier had followed
hiiH Immediately upon securing the object in
view. Soon afterwards, L bade him farewell.
The retended lunstic was a man in nv own
pay"
But what purpose had you, asked. oin
replacing the letter by facsimile, Would
It not have been better, at the first visit. 20
have secured it openly, and departed?"
-, replied Dupin, Z" is desperate
man, and man of nerve. His hotel, too. is
not without attendants devoted TO his inter-
ests Had L made the wild attempt you suy-
gest, should never have left the ministerial
presence alive. The good people of Paris
would have heard of me no more But | had
an object apart from these considerations You
Know my political prepossessions. In this
matter act as a partisan of the lady con-
cerned: For eighteen months, the minister
mas had her IL his power. She has now him
In hers-slnce, being unaware that the letter
J. not In his possession, he will proceed with
his exactions as if it were. Thus will he in
eFItably commit himself at once to his politi-
cal destruction. His downfall, too, will not be
moro precipitate than awkward Ii is ALI
very well to talk about the faeiLss desceAsus
AreTnt: but in all kinds of climbing, as Ca
talani said Of singing, it is far more easy to
get up than to come down. In the present in
stance have no sympathy-at least no pity
for him who desoends. He is that nuOnstrunu
h0rreRdHna, an unprincipled man of genius.
L confess, however, that should like very
well to know the precise character of his
thoughts, when, being defed by her whom the
project terms "a certain parsonage" he is re-
duced to opening the letter which / left for
him in the card-rack."
it?' ."
"Why, it did not seem altogether right to
leave the interior blank-that would have
been insulting. To be sure, D., at Vienna
once did me an evil turn, which told him,
quite good humoredly, that should remem-
Der. So, as / knew be would feel some curl
osity in regard to the identity Of the person
who had outwitted him, / thought it q pity
not to give him a clue He is well acquainted
with my manuscript, and / just copied into
the middle of the blank sheet the words
. I'm deSSsin So faEneSte,
) az Fest dtsne d Atree. est dLgne de Tyeste.
They are to be found in Crebillon' g Atres -