Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-01

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splendid mansion, once so familiar.
v.-MARoUIs coTEsBuRY AT THIRTY.sIX
I had not been in the we'll remembered
receiving room five minutes when Marquis
entered. His appearance shocked me pro
foundly. All his bloom and beauty Of coun
tenance had disappeared, his cheeks were
sunken and flushed, his eyes blood-shot, ant
of lack-lustre appearance, and as he camt
towards me perceived that his gait was I'M
steady, and at one moment he was compelled
to catch the corper of marble table to keeI
himself from staggering.
'Why how are you, my dear Willr he
said, shaking my hand warmly, and looking
at me with his old kind glance. 1T is good
for sore eyes to see you, my boy, and you see
my eyes are not far from that-rings around
'em, and sunken-drink, drink l told you
how it would be-hal ha !-butyou? You
look as fresh as May morning, my young
sterp
And Marquis gazed at me again with his
kind good eyes, until tears nearly rushed
from my own.
oh, my dear Marquis my dear friend, ]
could not help saying, sit pains me to the
heart to see you looking so i'll. Ten year:
have worsted you painfully-very painfully.
Marquis steadied himself by a chair and
sat down, with laugh.
That's true, Will, my boy. Ten years Of
drink are enough to hurt any constitution.
and mine sof iron. lam really astonish
ed some times, to think how strong I must
have been originally. think I'll last five
or ten years longer-the rest won't
Twas too much panied to reply.
There was that fellow Thornburg, who
had the little affair with me, you remember,
in the year continued Marquis, laugh
ing, drank himself within a foot of the
grave, and then as luck would have it, broke
his neck by fall from his horse, after din
ner. He was great rascal-he cheated me
at cards, if T recall rightly-I remember
something about it, but my memory grows
sadly treacherous. Then there was Charley
and Tom-poor Tom They still keepit up.
They are both long since ruined, and lead
wandering lives. I've tried to reclaim Tom,
and-this is a fanily secret-he gets piles
of money from me, but the devil Of drinks
got him. It's only question of sooner OF
later-poor Tom land I cry sometimes
thinking of him, thinking to what he may
come, poor fellow! Toms good fellow =
And for a moment Marquis looked pro-
foundly sorrowful. Icould not find it in my
heart to tell him of the terrible tragedy
had witnessed, and turned the conversation.
I found that 1 could easily lead Marquis to
any subject, and as the effect Of the wine he
had taken wore off I thought it as favorable
an opportunity as I might obtain to talk upon
business.
Marquis declared that the topic should not
be introduced until I had been with him fol
month; but / vetoed this, and was soon
put in possession of the points he desired
my opinion upon. 1t is only necessary tc
say that they were questions of law, touch
ing the doctrins of wills, and indeed it was
to write his complicated will that Marquis
sent for me. In spite of enormous losses al
cards, his property was still immense, and
every day increased in value: aud after 8
general conversation on the subject, dinner
was announced.
AS I entered the well-remembered apart
ment, where the great dark mahogany table
was set forth, with its splendid service o.
plate, I almost started at the sight Of Jugur
tina standing, waiter in hand, behind his
masters chair. The sight of the servants
face brought rush of memories, and wher
he bowed and respectfully smiled by way o.
greeting, it was the same bow and smile with
which he had handed the pitcher of julel
to us, before we had risen, ten long years be
fore.
Marquis apologized for Mrs. Cotesbury'I
non.appearance. She was alittle unwell to
day, and begged to be excused Sowe dined
in solitary state surrounded by dozen ser
wants, silent, and moving noiselessly.
The dinner was superb, and my host did
full justice to it. His constitution was in
deed an iron one; the immense assaults
he had made upon it itseemed not to have i'm
paired its capacities of enjoyment, and Mar
quis ate with the air of trained epicure.
found bymy plate q semicircle Of glasses
variously shaped and Of different colors, fol
the numerous wines-C champagne, Madeira.
hook, sherry, Valde panas, Bordeaux, etc.
but to all Marquis's invitations I turned q
deaf ear.
Il have drank nothing for ten years. ]
said 'and you must excuse me-
Nothing for ten yearsp cried Marquis,
filling my glass and his own with Champagne
from a bottle which Jugurtba had just o.
pened; lis such thing possible in the ma.
ture of human things? The idea! Why
what dull life! You've kept yourself from
tnousand-yes, ten thousand glorious de.
lights, Willp
Marquis I said, looked him calmly in
the face, 1--we kept myself from perdition
and if you don't initiate me, your own pro.
phecy will come true
what prophecy?' he said, slipping his
Champagne with good natured smile.
The warning you read in Burton's sAnat.
omy.'
'Why, certainly, I rememberp ? cried Mar.
quis shaking with laughter; Il think I came
on the word-stop, what was it p and with