The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-01


desperation turned my lantern upon one. and
ilumiped a face iresh with color, whcse black
eyes sparklsd askancc after the reirestiog hSure,
under straight black bsows In q motaent more
he WAS lost 10 false cd dc sac, and iouud u i'm
possible TO trace the other.
l was scarcely better Off than b"ior"' bat IT
seemed to NE that had obtaintsi siaething, aud
that IL was now wisestto work th'a Ve,n. "ihe
butler Of MADAME -. Thcie We're hundreds
nf thousands Of naiames in town l gut call
on ali. and he a. old as tho Wandering jew at the
i,ss cat The Collar. Wine cellar, OF eoufse,--
that came by natural coaEecti' n with batlor,--
but whoHs There was 06e uHder my own aboie;
certainly would explore it, Meanwhile, let us
.ee the entertainment for "Wednesday. The Pre-.
fec, had a list Of these, For some found had
cards / Determined to aiot q fraction of Tina to
as many possible; my friaEns in the secret Ser
vice would divide the labor. Am1ar others
Madame de -. Cyr gave a diaue., aad, as she h I'D
been In the Affair." determined hot 10 uegiec h.
on this occasion, although having no def vie idea
Of what had been, or plan OF what should lie done.
decided not to speak fthis occurrence Ia Hay,
s'uce 1t might oaiy bring him oI some trail that
he had struck.
Having been provided with keys, carly on the
following evening ] entered the Woe cellar, aud.
contested Ia an empty cask that would have held
a dozen of me, waited for something 20 turn up
Really, whe' think of myself diplomatic,
cUurter, man about-toTn, curled ia q dusty,
mussy wine barrel, am moved vita vexatiou and
laughter. Nothing. however, turned up-aud al
leusth retired, haihsd. Tho next night CAME
no news, no identification OF my black br0wed
man, no success; but felt certain that somes
thing must trauepire ia that cellar, l doc't
know why | had pitched upon tina. one in partic
ular, but, al an caller hour than ou the previous
night. | again d1nred the cssk. 4 long tine
must have elapsed. dead sleBce filled the spacious
vaults, except where now and then Siiiery
cracked the air with quick explosion, or some
newer vine bubbled round the hung of its barrel
mil n fat al a. f4FV | no pTp0 nj
leaving the place Till morning, bat il suddenly APPS
peared like the most wotri waste Of time. The
master Of this Tremendous affair should be abroad
aud active: who knew what his keen eyes might
detect, what loss bis absence might occ aston in
this nick Of time; Aud here he WAS. shut Up and
locked in wine cellar! began ~ be very ner,
Yons; had a.G eadS, with aid. searched every
vice OF the cellar; and now / thought il would lie
some CONSOLATION 60 discover tie theft, If ! never
reSiined the diamond. distant clock toIei
midnight There was faint noise--s ipon=t?-
no. il was too psoorge5:-DUr did it souod like
the liz of baiapagne;-a Ereas iron door WAS
turDin. on its hinges a m1a with a lantern
va. euterin 2; AT other followed, and another
They seated themselves. In Il few 10 lneuts,
appearing one by and at Intervals, come thirty
people were in the cellar. Were they all TO share
ia the proceeds OF the diamond! With what jaEu-
diced eyes We behold thingr. / myself saw all
that was ouiy through ms ieBs Of tG.a diamond OF
which not one of these men had heard. As
the lRutoru threw ssieoJie giln ner on this group.
aud surveyed them through ms lOOphOie.
shon sht had never seen 50 wild and savage pic
turt such enormous shadows. such bold outline,
snch "A startling Hash on the face of their leader,
such light retreatiug up the threatening arches.
Mere resoiute broes, more determined words, more
uashrinking hearts, | had not met. Ia iac:. |
f.und myself 10 the centre OF conspiracy, socie-
TO az yiuiicsiTe as the Jicobius, as unknown aud
terrible AS the Marian 3e OF today | sthunder
struck too at the c0unteaabCGS on which the liz III
iell.-meu tie ioya.est in Estimation, ministers
aud senator's miili0t,siTe5 who had reason for
d;scooteut, dandies whose reason was supposed TO
be dc Fote TO their t.iicrs, poesaDd artists OF gems
erous aspiration aaj pec.ed taUdencjes, aud oEe
womau.--Driphina d. -. Cry. TheiC plans were
brave their Determination lofty. their coDciave
serious and tue: set ~ slowly they shat up their
homes AID fears III the black masks oHe mau bent
toward the lantern to adjust his when he lifted
his face before conceaiug it, recognized him sisG.
! had met him frequently at the Bures II of Police:
he was believe, secretary Of the Secret Service.
had 10 sympathy with these people. | had
liberty enough myself, was vel; enough satisfied
with the world, did not care {" Tevointi0nige
France; but my heart rebele3 q, she nockery. as
this traitor aud spy, this creature Of system 10y
which gained my lame showed his revolving
lace and vailed it sgaja. Ard DsiphiDe. what had
she 10 d. with them: Oae by orc, as they entered,
they Withdrew, and was iatc alone again. But
all this was not my di&inold.
Another h0nr elapsed. Again the door opened,
aud remained aiar. Some one entered, whom
q
the door creaked ever 81 lutte. Art thou
there =" isped e shriil whisper,-a woman, as |
corfu guess
WY angel, it is L. was returned, semi tone
lower She approached. he advanced, aud the
consequence salute resonant as ,be smack
with which DntCh burgomaster NAV DE sup
posed to set down his mug. / WAC prepared tor
anything. V god- ii il shopld te Delphine
But the base suspicion Was birth strangied as
they spGke again. The pnversati0n which now
cn.ued between these lovers ur1er diff ,nifes
tender and affecting beyond expression. / had
felt guilty enough when an unwilling auditor o
the c1nspiratOTs-since,t though one enpiCys spies
one does not theref IRE act that part Of ou"s self
but on eBergences,-au uuwiilugness whicE
would not, however, prevent my turning to adj
vantage the information gained: but here .
| listen to this rehearsal of woes and hisses, thi
| al bond F,1rGnd: this aria ii an area. CROWNS
| mUment'y more teryent, was too much. | over
urued the cass, led upon Jay feet, aus flet
| from the Cellar, leaving the aston ded lovers L
| follow, white. acreeabIy 10 my nstiacts and fe'
| gtrd;ess of the diamond, l escaped the embarras-
| sing pTedicAment.
| At length 1t grew to be noon of the appointed
! day. Nothing had transptrrd; all our labor va
| i1e. ! iet, nevertheless. more buoyant tina;
usual ,-whether because was now 10 put my ia e
! 10 the test, that To-Day was the one of which
M bieck-brOTed mau had spoken, aud there
lore entertained pcesentiment OF good fortune,
cannot say. But wheD, IN unezCepti0neble tot et
stood Oh Nine DE- -. Cyr'. steps, 10 heart sunk
o. doubtless already within. and thought 81
the adrc61Hi DIS qrmHre; exclamation, queen OF
Heaven, Monsieur. row shall ] uieet him Is wa-
plunged 1T once iu1O the pr0fouUdest glJ III Hhy
had undertaken the business al all: This in err.
terence, this good humor, this readiness 20 obige
it wUaid ruin me yet. forsgare 1t, a. Fals,ati
torswore honor. Way needed to NEEDLE ia the
gif}fPt Why - Bal I WAS DO catechumen
Questions were useless now. Ay emotions are not
chronicied on my face, fatter myself. and with
my usual repCse | salutei our hostess Greeting
~ -. oil,
.ence Of which sliuslOn he received ~ a point o!
etiquette, WAS c)nVersng with Mrs. Leigh.
when the Baron Stahl was announced. | turiet
to look at h.s excellency. \ glance electrIti al
me There was my dark proved man of the mid
night streets. IL must, then have heeu concerns
Jag the diamond that | mad heard him suaak-
His cOuntenauce, his eager, gitteriug eye, told
tina. to-day was a. eyeutfai to him as to me If
ne were here, could well afford to be. As nc al,
dressed in English, my certainty was scout: IN
cd; and the instant in which | observed the ring,
gau0y and coarse, upon mis- iiDger, made confirms.
1iou doGby sure. own WAS surprised that agy-
thing could Induce the Baron to wear such al or
nament Here he Was actually riskng his repGt 4
ton as m:n OF taste rs a exquisite, a leader of
hnm tor, a gentleman, by the ietestable yutg4riiy
of this ring. But why d. speak OF the trinket
D. ! not owe tia thrill OF az fine Joy as | ever
knew; Faith! it was not unfamiliar to rie. Ii
had been ally sight for years Ia meeting the
Barou Statl had found the DIAMOND.
The Baron Stahl, was then the thief! Not at all
Ny valet. as Of course you have been all along
aware, the thief,
The Marquis OF g. took down Nine. de St Cvr:
Stahl preceded me, with Deiphine. As we sat az
table, q. was at tbs right a. the left Of our
ess, Next Il. sat Delphine below her the Baron;
so that We were nearly RS p6a ] was now as
fully CONVINCED that Nine. de st. Cyrs cellar WAS
the one, "a t5s day before had been that the 9th.
or was; )oOged TO reach il. Hay had given the
stone to butier--douDtless this--the moment 0f
Us theft; but, not bong aware of Nine. de ST.
Cyrs previous share in tue adventure. bad proba.
bly, not afforded Der anorher. AID thus conclu
ded her TO be ignorant OF the game We were abous
to play; and ! imagined, with the interest one
carries into "a romance, the little preliminary
| scene between the Baron and Madame that mD,t
have altssdy taken piece, being charmed by the
cheertuioess WIKI which she endured the ioss ~,
the promised reward.
AZ the Baron entered the dining room. saw
hun withdraw hs glove, aud move the jeweliej
mana across his hair while passing The solemn
butter, who gave il quick recoguition;-the psx /