Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1860-07-13

her room, where she was subjected to a
rigid cross-cxaminatIon. She, poor girl,
had less f-eommand than myself, and,
since the frightlul revelation of the Greek
woman, had never swallowed crust OF
bread or draught of water without dis
trust, although her attachment to me was
30 sincere that | could not induce her to
quit my service; or, as she herself ex-
pressed it to leave me to my taI, and
thus Madame de Polyere soon elected
from her trembling lips all that She de-
sired to know Terrified by the menaces
Of the count IS, she cquivocated, hcsita-
ted, and con.radicted herself SO perpetu-
ally, that at length the secret of my last
visit to Paneaicra was divulgcd, and my
poor, torture Pauline, after having been
abruptly dismissed by her tormentor,
threw herself on her knees before me to
implore my pardon for her inyolunta y
fault.
consolcl her as best | could, by the
assurance that the fact of my knowledge
of the existence of the antidote, could
have left little doubt on the mind Of the
countess that was eoenzant Of her
crimes and that henccforth it bchooycd
US to be more on our guard than ever.
. Ny husband, his brother his father,
and his uncle, are at the present moment
all absent from Paris, and after the inter-
view which | have related to You, my
mothcr-iu-law ceased to hold any commu-
nieation with me, except in the pres
cnce of the servants or Of some casual Wis
itor, until week ago, when She sudden
ly entered my apartment. As she closed
the door behind her, she asked harshly
" We'll. Madame la Baronne, do you
still look upon me as a murderer ~
| uttered an incohcrcnt disclaimer.
" Do not deny it," she said impetuously;
= am already aware that you are less
frank than Your waitlng-maid, from whom
such disS;mulation might be pardoncd,
while in you it is hateful. Enough of
this will hear no more and | com
mand you instantly to tell me all you
know, when | may perhaps be induced"
" To what Madame Ia Comtcsse? |
asked
It po not urge me too far" she replied
with a threatening gesture am no
frivolous Frenchwoman. | have the hon
or of our house at heart it is my eXis-
tcncc-it is my world Arrangements
may he made to annu a marriage which
is contrary to it~ interests"
Madame" exclaimed unguardcdly,
what an avowal has escaped YOU
And YOURSELF" She rctortcd, "are
You not equally imprudent in admitting
that You never could have attributed to
them had YOU not been prcviousl Y taught
how they might be interpreted -
" | was Immediately conscious pur-
sues the poor Young Barrone; that
had committed mysclfbeyond redemption.
| made no reply, and my mother-n-law
left me more irritated than ever. That
same evening, | went to the house of a
friend and on my return at midnight, |
found Pauline awaiting me at the porter'S
lodge. We were slowly ascending the
stairs, when on reaching the reS-de-chauS-
see we were astonshed to see the door of
the countess open, and She herself appear
on the landing clothed only in her night
dress and slippers, and carrying in her
hand an uulighted candle. We were
dumb with terror and a. she approach
cl Us, | was cudcavorint to nerve myself
for some scene Of violence when to our
amazement she passed us without a
symptom Of recognition, although Pauline
was standing beside me holding lamp.
We scarcely venturcd to breathe as she
walked NJ stairs before us. Was She
could she be somnamhulist, asked
myself? There appeared no doubt Of the
taet.-Whcre was she going? | made a
gesture of caution to Pauline, and we
followed her. She gainei my apart
ments but without the pause of a mo-
ment,, to my great relief, she continued
the ascent; and on reaching the second
floor she opened small door which adj
mltted her by "A narrow staircase to the
rooms occupied by the servants, This
she also mounted and still we followed
with noieelesS steps behind her, trembling
from excitement and curiosity. At
length she entered Il passage which led to
what had been the chamber of Panchiera,
and applying key to the lock, which we
then remarked for tae first time that she
carried, she threw open the door and
went in. She walked steadily and
stealthy across the floor to the upper end
of the room, which was hung with old ia