Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-10-25

ling bride !?
Il would have you wed Amy, my lord,
said the Count, since by that marriage, you
will gain crown What if the lady does
not love you? ? he enquired. What is that
to you? Love will come soon enough af
ter marriage. Have you forgotten the
mountebank's prediction p he said steruly.
you must marry her, or l shall take no fur
ther steps to secure the crown for you
But what will the Empress say when
she hears of it?' said Alexander dou0tingly,
She will never know it,
Still I would like to know how you in
tend to proceed, said the Duke, after mo-
meut's pause. That the lady is beautiful,
l cheerfully acknowledge; that she will
make me good, if not happy wife, 1 dc
not doubt in the least; but as it is, We dc
not love each other. Yet I am willing te
take her as my partner for life, providing
am assured that by so doing I shall gain the
crown. know, de Moner,' be continued
seeing that the Count was about to speak
Il know you are man capable of accomp
fishing almost any thing; and do not be
lieve you would seek to entrap me intt
marrying your ward merely for the sake o
having me as a relative. But I want proc
Il want to be assured that by making he
my wife the crown will be mine-and ye
you refuse to give me that proof. Wha
am I to think of it then? Pshaw |! I neee
not ask the question:
'And you refuse to wed my ward, uules
you see or know these proofs?' inquired tn
Count.
That is it exactly, but in fewer words
was the reply.
well, you shall hear them,' said de Mo
ner, after pause. Il presume be coutin
ued, you have often heard the Empires
speak of the Duke de Leipsic, formerl
Prussian ambassador to the Court of Rus
sia, and who was assassinated in this cit
many years agoT
'Often--that is, of late, replied tn
Duke. why it was only this morning sh
made my father swear that be would neve
erect monument over his grave, nor tha
of the Princess Maria.
Some three or four years before ne cam
here continued the Count, 'the Empress
then on visit to Vienna, with her family
you an infant, among them, and travelling
incognito, made his acq uaintance. He wa
a very handsome man had winning voic
and smile, and won the hearts of all VIII
saw him. Among the gentlemen he wa
renowned for his skill in the use of arms
among The ladies for his devotion to thei
sex. And yet the Duke was no libertine
his heart was too noble for that Catharine
woman of violent passions, old as sh
was, saw him and loved. She sought t.
win his heart; but the duke, who had dis
liked her from the first, avoided her. On
night they met at ball; she made over
lures toward him, which he refused to &C
cept. From that moment she hated hin
with burning hatred which time, AM
even his death, have not quenched. H
refused to accept the mother as his mistress
but he fell in love with the Princess Ma
ria, her daughter. After being absen
eight months, the royal party returned t.
St. Petersburg. Several years passed
when it was reported to the empress tina
the Duke of Leipsic had entered the cit
in disguise, had remained for several day
a concealed inmate of the imperial palace
and moreover, it was said, that that wa
not his first visit Maria was summoned
to her presence and questioned; but her re
plies were so unsatisfactory, that the sus
picions of Catharine were awakened ant
the princess, to escape her wrath, fled t,
Moscow, and remained with an humble
merchant several months. Meantime, tn,
duke, suspecting nothing, returned hom'
and secured the post of ambassador to th'
Russian court He had not been there mor'
than month ere Maria returned; ant
what followed is quickly told. The prin
cess, consumptive and almost dying, wa
thrust into prison and the duke assassina
ted
sWell?' said Alexander, seeing that b.
paused.
1T has been said that Maria was poison
ed,' continued the count; 'but it was no
so. She died of consumption; and hel
death was hastened, no doubt by her flight
and the dampness of the dungeon. Ny
poor brother knew the whole history of the
affair-perhaps took part in it,
'Ahn cried Alexander, thinking of biz
second meeting with the mountebank, 'this
explained his agitation
sWhat?'
Nothing. Go on
Have you never heard the empress
when speaking of them, declare that if ii
should ever be proved there was mar.
riage, she would execute all who were con.
cerned in it, both priest and witnesses /?
Il have
'Aud do you believe that if the certi6
cate of marriage were placed before her,
she would keep her word?'
Il do
But if Paul was preseut-if he signed
the certificate as a witness-what them?
sShe would execute him as we'll as the
rest
'And you would not seek to save him |?
why should 1? 1t would be the EN-
press guilt, not mine
Then you, his SOD, would succeed the
empress?'
TO be sure. You say
i say Paul was present at the ceremony
that he signed the certi6cate-tbat he