Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-18
Mottester 4ailg Spg
From the Edinburgh Journal.
A Mysterious Adventure,

years IN Paris, during the reign of Louis Phil
lppe acquiring great proficiency in the art of
surgery, met with at least one strange, curl
GUS, and exciting adventure, which we now
record in his own language:
L am naturally as fond of adventure in re-
atty (said the doctor) as most people are of
reading it; and this admission, trust, will
be sufficient explanation of how 1 so readily
became connected with the mysterious affair
am about to relate.
One night, while returning late to my lodg-
ing from convivial party, where had drank
a good many healths in a good deal Of very
good wine, as | was sauntering along one Of
the numerously named quays of the Seine,
not far from the hotel Dieu-the Oldest hospi-
tai in Paris, and, by the bye, one of the best
in the world-as l was sauntering along the
quay, l say, humming a tune, and by way of
variety, thinking over some of the stories
had heard Of persons being assasinated in this
vicinity and thrown into the river, which |
could see rolling along before me, a woman,
cloaked and hooded, brushed past me at a
quick step. As | had not heard her until |
saw her, and had believed myself alone in
that particular locality, felt my blood quick
ened to slight start, and began to mutter, as
l searched for my knife, the only weapon l
carried:
eff you were man now my fine lady, in
stead of woman, as you are-God bless the
sex collectively-I-"
Here 1 stopped, because she did, wheeling
round, facing me, and looking as if she were
taking my dimensions.
Give feet nine and half in boots, said l,
the wine making me rather saucy; ''weight
one hundred and fifty-fve, including dinner;
age, say twenty-five, more or less, generally
more; and mighty good looking for man of
my size"
Here put my back against a convenient
post, and began to whistle-the woman all the
time apparently cycling me closely. Then
she came toward me, and said in a low, sweet
yoice-at least, l thought so then:
''Will monsieur pardon me?"
''Of course l will, mademoiselle, since you
don't owe me anything, and are not likely to-"
said l, thinking myself uncommonly civil,
which was all oweing to the very good wine
had drank.
sis monsieur doctor?"
81 have that honor, mademoiselle,"
mot quite equal to Monsieur Blandid, but
still a surgeon at your service
"Monsieur is an Englishman," she said,
perceiving from my accent that was a for
eigner.
81 am" said 1, elevating my head with an
air of pride,
''The Englishmen are brave"
''Some of them, mademoiselle."
''And they are also gallant"
''They possibly have that fault, if fault it is,
especially when a pretty woman is in the
case"
Here my fair unknown, as if without think
ing, so clever was the art, pushed back her
hood and showed me, by the dim light of
neighboring lamp, one of the sweetest, pretti-
est, most bewitching faces 1 had ever before
seen.
''Monsieur is a doctor, {. sursonn, an En-
glishman, and brave and gallant gentleman,
therefore monsieur will come with me and
save sufferers life by his great skill"
''Of course l WILL" said l, steadying my
self by the post, for the wine had somehow
been increasing its power over me since leav-
ing my friends.-"Of course l will, madem-
oiselle-only too happy to serve such beau
tiful creature-'pon the honor of Frenchlhed
English gentleman chirurgeOn Pray lead
the way, mademoiselle."
"Will monsieur be so kind as to take my
arm?"
Monsieur was so kind-monsieur would
have done almost anything he had been asked
just then.
Twenty PAGES or so brought us to the steps
of one of the ports leading down into the
Seine My fair unknown descended, and so
did l without asking wherefore If she had
jumped into the water just then, probably l
should have jumped in after her. She didn't
though, and probably that accounts for my
not being drowned doctor to-day.
Well, as she and l reached the stairs above
the wash of the river, boat rowed up by two
men rowed up to us; before l exactly COM
l. .l,N l,s,, :
done, l found myself seated on one of the
thwarts, my own angel beside me, and the
boat rapidly going somewhere, still rowed by
the two men.
"Whew," thought l, ''here is an advantage
whether | will or no. DIR. l., you equity
wine bibber, you have probably made an ass
of yourself and are now going to have your
throat cut for the little money you are sup
posed to have, but you havn't got it about
your person. Well, it's too late to whine or
repine now, and not a word did | say,
rather liking it than otherwise, all except the
numbering part, which | hoped might be a
mere fancy of my own, so really fond was
of adventure. We were not many minutes on
the river and during that time we shot along
past houses, under bridges and among river
craft with great rapidity, not word being
spoken. Suddenly we ran into low, dark
arch, and soon after came to spot IN some
place, where, so far as seeing was concerned,
/ couldn't have told myself from barrel OF
ink.
''Not word, monsieur lie doctor, your life
depends upon it," said low, stern whisper III
my ear
if anything. If you hear me speak before you
are ready blow my brains out-that is, what
few have left"
"Silence you are brave man, will not be
harmed. and will be well paid for your trouble.
HThank you-all right and being all right
as Davy Crockett used to express it, &C
ahead"
This was all the talk of the wine l was
getting sobered up pretty fast, and almos
wished myself safe in bed in my lodgings, bu
thought it best to carry out my previous sang
froid. -,- =.
concerned" l heard whispered from one tt
the other.
'sCome, follow as lead and remember!
said that stern whisper again, and at the mo
ment strong hand took hold Of mine.
arose, stepped from the boat to SOM
stairs, went up the steps, and through long
narrow passage, and then down some stairs
and through another long, narrow passage
and then up and through, and down an
through, till l heartily prayed might 500
get through, and all the time in darkness
that might have been cut with knife, so
speak, and in silence that death itself migf
have been satisfied with.
At last we entered an underground place
that seemed to be a large crypt, as hastil
surveyed it by the light of flambeau that
masked figure held in his hand. Other masl