The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-02
THE DISPATCH.
4. tSoy
roSpxY E1&NfN0 =. :. -
TIE EAT4L SECRET.
MAY .. 1852

cs,scA In the south OF Freoe' snrc,se r.. with
intimate friends wss.s,n.sa some considerable
san %. aoc.or hsd married young girl rom .se
pegnborhoo who , bad oropt frsnes which Va
OF 49, =. hs., hy the marriage contract In case OF
SeSs .s.s vit1ous children. Al the end Of ton
snnsns Inc young woman ives confped with
child and the appeared equally delighted -
Tnrss year, slided BY. All q Goes It vas said
abroad thas Madam n. had died suddenly. Every
one rushed 10 the house Of the deed, ~ 10 Gus.
tomary 10 the provinces. The husband was found
said that shs clone could now enable MIN to sup.
postlifb.
turn. aud 10 spite Of the attention iAvshed upon
By 10 hshss, died. For three more monsns cone,
for ten leagues around, spoke Of anything bot the
nisfortunes Of the poor Dr.. d. II was long time
before he appeared even at the houses OF his best
frieuds, and when be Was seen again, every one
considered him terribly altered. For sne rest,
the Interest which every one took In him was
very probably to him; 10 less than year his
practice had doubled.
IL vas nearly eighteen months since DR.. NJ had
lost his own wife, when Amhroises wife was on
the point OF being confined. Ambrose Immediate.
~ mounted horse and rode In the greatest haste
for DR.. n. DR.. NJ. also mounted has horse, and
came back with Ambrose to Marsiily. Is was
about two O'Clock In the afternoon.
Az eeveu In tue evening AmUIosSeb WIG was
confined Of pretty little girl. On seeing the
child DR.. II. almost tainted. 1t was thought that
this eight had called his own loss to the poor
father, and the joy Of his friend had redonblea his
exn grief
Al dinner, the doctor scarcely ate anything. At
nine o'clock, Ambroiso's servant, who bad re-
ceived the order 10 the course of the day from the
doctor, ssddled the doctors horse, and announced
70 him that when he wished to return home eve
efythipg was ready for him.
Tha doctor rose and almost Immediately sat
down again. turning at the same time very pale.
Ambrose noticed this, and took his hand. His
hand was cold, Notwithstanding which large drops
of Precipitation wore rolling down his forehead.
Ambrose asked him what was the matter; the
doctor smiled, and said it was nothing. Ambrose
also heard his friend say how necessary 1t was for
him ~ return home the same evening, and invited
him, somewhat undecidedly, TO pass the night at
Marsilly. The doctor took some steps toward the
door, but when he reached the threshold he
stopped, and, falling back, said
eyes, will stay"
"Do you feel unwell :" asked Ambrose.
"No, but am frightened" replied the physi-
ciau.
AZ this strsuge answer, Ambrose looked his
friend in the face. He had know him for twenty
years, and had known him to be brave man. A
hundred times in the course Of the year patients
called him from home at ell hours OF the day aud
night, and he had never shown the least sign Of
weakness fear; though certainly, since the
death of his wife, several of his patients had COM
the night, although the cases were urgent, he had
always found means under different pretexts not
to 90 when he was wanted. Ambrose recoliected
these complaints, and remembering, besides, that
there wood to cross at quarter of q leagues
distance from Marsilly, he offered either to nave
him accompanied, to lend him his pistols in case
he feared being stopped. But the doctor shook his
head, and repeated twice over:
at is not that 1t is not that!''
Ambrose, who required nothing better than
that he should remain, in case his wife might re-
quire fresh attention. did not press the point any
more, and gave his servant orders to prepare bed
for his guest. The doctor then asked bin wheth-
er he should have any objection to the bed being
made up In his own bedroom. Ambrose having no
reason to oppose this, consented. He then just |
went TO his wife, found that she asleep, desir.
ed that he might be awoke in case anything occur |
red, and, leaving her 10 charge Of the nurse who
was attending her, came back to the room where |
he had left the doctor.
He found him walking about in an agitated man. |
ner and taking enormous steps, but at the moment |
be did not pay any attention this. Taking I'D one
Of the lights which had been burning all the even
ing, he invited the doctor to take the other and |
went with bin into the bedroom, where, In accor.
dance with the request of the doctor, both were
20 pass the night
Ambrose got into bed and blew the light ont.
The doctor also went to bed but left the light burn
ing. Ambrose soon fell asleep.
In the middle of the night he was ayoke bx |
groans. Except by faint moonbeem, which
pierced through the blind, and cast a feeble
CLEAN Of light on portion of his bed all the
room was in darkness. He thought at first that
he had mistaken some dream for a reality. bu.
the groans re:ommenced-they proceeded from
the doctors bed.
us that you moaning SO, Louis :" inquired Am.
oroise. A fresh sigh was the only ans xer to this
question.
"Are you 10 pain :" he continued; but a species
of sob was all the inquiry produced.
II say Are you awake or asleep? asked Am.
oroise, with certain impotence, as he got up in
she bed.
Il am awake" replied the doctor; "for the Jas,
eighteen months have not slept"
what do you mean? ?" inquired Ambrose.
~. .sa l. mas 1een s5'fiing me too long
What! are you madi" said Ambrose.
What can you have to tell me!D
wait, said the doctor. sit must be told in a
low voice"
In the voice of his companion there wa. .ora
DO profoundly deep, that Ambrose felt ali his {
limbs shuddeT; he looked underneath the table
for q match, but the doctor hearing him move,
and guessing bis intention, cried out
mo, no! no light, or will not speak ~
At the same time Ambrose heard hin, con,o | ,
down from his bed, saw him 70 to the window
Ind draw the curtain, go as to intercept the moon
beam which fell upon the bed, after which he
tretched out his hand and it met that of the aoc
or. Tne doctors hand was as icy as a hand of
marble, and at the same time covered with ner-
piratiop Ambrose wished to Withdraw bis own. {
forc
'ressed his lips to it, AID at the same time fell nm
ais knees. '0i VI
"What, in the name of heaven, ia the matte,,, {
ried Ambrose.
"Do you suspect nothing!" asked the doetor | :
What do you imagine should suspectsn
"Do you not suspect that he who now hold. |
FOUR nand-who is on his knees close to your
,ed-is wretch, villain, q murdersr-worse
han all that even-a peisoner?" /
Ambrose made SO violen. a moyemant tho,h. !
rev his hand back in spite of the frmpess with c
which the doctor held it, WIN
wretch J" be cried, sand why come and tell q
ne that' Who forced you to do 90 p '0' :
who forces mel How do l know uv.o,p 7.
dod, It remorse, Is it my wife, is It nv chili,o
And he pronounced these last words In an aImost I
voice. "''os'
a: Ambrose shrunk to the other side of the bed
"Yes, yes, terrify you, do notY Rut M mat,
or: l must tell all. it stiles me. When ha~a I
oid everything, 1 shall feel relieved. Ambroisa
o nsSs p0'SDnsS my wie Ambrose, have poi
Ambrose raised his two hands to heaven. and
'ouio only utter an ejaculation of horror
Tue doctor then continued: te
NO one knew II, no one had any suspicion of
I, no one would ever have had any: but have
sund my accuser within myself: al each moment :
ne fatai secret IL on my lips. Without doubt, 1t
vas some great criminal who first Instituted the
'oniessloasI. 'or II was apparent to me that II
confessed my crime 1 should nnd soIace. This {
morning, when You came for me, i thought of you;
: appeared to me warning from Heaven, and
rom that moment was decided. Il 10 true that ;
or moment failed. and that was on the point
u going away. II il had been daylight would
rave gone; but 1t was night, and st night -'
The doctor stretched his baad out and seized
hat Of Ambroise ''And ct night" be continued,
i am frightened
"But Why do you come and tell all these fright
al things to met am not priest, and cannot !
bsolve you'd III
. Blu. You are my friend, and can console me-"
"Well listen, then," said Ambrose, approach. ]
ag him; ST am going, thon, to speak to you q !
risnd, and not = priest, since 1t 10 advice and
ot dissolution, that Jon ask for"
"speak, speakI"
"one day or other, your crime viii be discover
d." fThe doctor shuddered) "It will be the
csnold, the prison, or perhaps worsc-the hulks.
on hnya fsthar and lister. Your father will be