Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-03-26

ness happens to belong to the fair sex.
The reader will therefore not be surpris>
ed to hear that the description of Lady
Guildford's heinous crimes and machina.
tions, awakened strong desire in seye.
raj of his majesty's listeners to behold so
strange and superlatiyely depraved q
creature. Foremost amongst these were
the Chevalier de Lorraine and the Mar.
quis d'Efiat; and the former being in
high favor with the kings brother. soon
persuaded monsieur to enter into their
scheme. By dint of gold they procured
blank lettrs de cachet, and bribed po-
lice officer to carry the same to the gov
ernor of the Bastile, to whom they had
written an order on the blank sheet, to
deliver up Lady Guildford, "who was to
be transferred to Pignerol." according to
these mock directions. A friend of The
chevalier, the Marquis de la Fame, had
lent his apartments at the palace of Yer~
sailles for the occasion, and it was into
his drawing room that her ladyship had
been ushered.
Although certain of the identity of the
persons who acsosted her. Lady Guilds
ford affected not to recognise them. and
brought the whole artillery Of her wit and
fasclnations into the field. in order to
gain over such powerful allies to her
cause. In less than an hour both NJ. de
Lorraine and the Marquis d'Etiat were
SO completely bewitched, that they re.
sisted most energetically monsieur's wish
to send her back to the Basiile with an
apology to the governor. The two gay
gaIlants vowed that the lives of few
low born fellows were not worth single
hair on the head of SO delicious crea
ture. and that they would consent TO
nothing short of assisting Lady Guild
ford 10 reach the frontier.
Monsieur having already began to ap.
prehend that this bold freak might dis
please his royal brother, now took the
opportunity OF washing his hands of the
whole concern by leaving the gentlemen
to do as they pleased. This conyersa
tion was held in whispers in the embra,
sure of window. but not word of it
had escaped her ladyship's quick ear.
No sooner had monsieur left the room,
than a delicate supper was served up,
during which our adventures played her
cards so cleverly as to give each of her
admirers to fancy that he was the happy
man, while she took care to gil their
glasses so frequently, that towards the
end of the repast they were intoxicated
with wine no less than with her name
less destinations.
Meanwhile the syren had taken care to
ramain cool Towards midnight she
took up candle, and whispering ten
der assig nation into the ear Of each cav
aler, while pointing TO the door of bed
room she had understood TO have been
prepared for her. she slipped into an ad
joining sit ing room on some slight pre-
tOxicaled beaux had stumbled into the
chamber. each wondering why the other
persisted in intruding hlmself, when her
ladyship gIided back, shut the door upon
them, locked them in. and having made
rope oil the tablecloth and napkins in
no time. she fastened it to the balcony
and let herself down into the garden.
Once free. she scaled the walls Of the
park. and with bleeding hands and torn
garments, hastened towards Paris.
By the next day, Lady Gurldford was
safely lodged in the house of one of the
band of asssssins, who had escaped the
argus eyes of the police. and resumed her
adventurous career; only she deemed it
prudent to renounce the dangerous traf-
fic OF heads and bodies, and stick to sim
pie robbery, only occasionally attended
by murder.
The one all absorbing passion that now
took possession Of Lady Guildiord, was
the wish to take revenge on Wide>awake.
The young scapegrace had found favor
in her eyes in the first instance, and she
could not forgive herself for having pitied
him; she might have had him killed at
once. without seeing him again. instead
OF coming down into the dungeon, secret.
ly hopiug he would sue for mercy, when
she ordered him to be slain.
Yolng Lecoq, having become enrich
cd through his fathers influence. aud the
/ kings generosity, led a very pleasant
! life in the intervals Of his arduous voca-
1 ton. Apparently exempt from the usual
I passions of his age, this young mans on
| iy vulnerable point was the passion of all
! others generally the most foreign to youth
namely, avarice. Que day stranger
came 70 his house, and after somewhat
mysterious preamble. inquired whether
it would be agreeable to him to surprise
some smuggIers. who we're bringing
! Brussels lace and other prohibited goods
toto France; in which case. he could fur.
nish him the means of seiz ng 90 the con.
traband articles. " Mide awake eagerly
accepted, and agreed to give a certain
sum. in return for which he would be
designated to the smuggIers as safe
agent. at whose house they might dePos
il their bales and chests OF prohibited
goods. Wide awake was to retain the
lions share for himself, and deliver II
the rest to the revenue officers.