The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-06-02

"With my sword. shall do you the
honor TO meet you tomorrow"
An honor which, being a man of
sense, must beg to decline. You don't
kill your adversaries, Monsieur de Bar
dine, you murder them. Have you for
gotten your duel with Monsieur dc Lii
lar, which took place, / am told, with
out witnesses. While he was off his
guard you treacherously struck him
through the heart. The prospect of a
similar catastrophe is certainly by no
means enticing."
With an instructive movement NJ. de
Bardine's neighbors drew off.
81 admire such virtuous indignation, :"
sneered the Major at especially be-
comes you, Monsieur Daricn--"
"What infamyhre you going to cast
in my teeth ?" exclaimed the gentleman
addressed.
"Oh, very little-a mere trifle-sim-
ply, that while Monsieur de Bardine
kills his friends, you only dishonor
yours. Monsieur Simon, whose house,
table, and purse are yours, has pretty
wife"
"Major," cried the other juror, "you
are villainv
Pardon me, my dear Monsieur
Calfat, let lis call things by their proper
names. The only villain among us,
believe, is the man who himself set fire
to his house six months after having in
sured it at treble its value in four offices,
whose directors were foolish enough to
pay the money without making suffi-
cient inquiry"
A stifled groan escaped from NJ. Cal
fats lips as he covered his face with his
hands.
"Who are you that you thus dare to
constitute yourself our judge?" asked
another, looking fiercely at Vernon.
"Who am I, Monsieur Peron? Sim
ply one who can appreciate your very
rare deXterity in holding court cards in
your hand, and making the dice turn up
as you please"
M. Peron gave an involuntary start,
thu 'Itiittioltii iitlu MS IedCc. Lie
scene, aided by the darkness ofapproach-
ing night, had now assumed terrific
aspect. The voice of the Major rung in
the ears of eleven pale, trembling men
with cold, metallic distinctness, as if
each word inflicted blow.
AT length Vernon burst into a strange,
sharp, Kissing laugh. Well, my hon
orable colleagues" he exclaimed, "does
this poor Pierre Granger still appear to
you to be unworthy of the slightest
pity? l grant you, he has committed
a fault, and fault which you would
not have committed in his place. He
has not your cleverness in masking his
turpitude with a show of virtue-that
was his real crime. Now, if after having
killed his wife, he had paid handsomely
for masses to be said to her purpose-if
he had purchased Il burial ground, and
caused to be raised to her memory a
beautiful square white marble monu-
ment, with a tlowery epitaph on it in
gold letters-Why, then we should all
have shed tears of sympathy, and eulo-
gized Pierre Granger as the model of Il
tender husband. Don't you agree with
me, Monsieur Norbec?"
NJ. NOrbec started as if he had receiv-
ed an electric shock. at is false. !" he
murmured. 81 did not poison Eliza
she died of Il pulmonary consumption"
"True," said the Major; you remind
of .ir a 4
Is forgotten. Madam Norbec, who pos
sessed large fortune in her own right,
died without issue five months after she
had made you her sole legatec."
Then the Major was silent. They were
now in total darkness. Suddenly came
the sharp click of pistol, and the OBJ
scurity was for moment frightened by |
a flash, but there was no report-the
weapon' had missed fire. The Major
burst into long and loud fit of laugh
ter. Charming! delightful! All, my
dear SIR" he exclaimed, addressing the
foreman, "you were the only honest
man in the party; and see how, to
oblige me, you have made an attempt
on my person which places you on an
level with Pierre Grangerv
Then, having rung the bell, he called
for candles, and when they were brought
in, he said: "Come, gentlemen, / sup
pose you don't want to sleep here; let
us make haste and finish our business.n
Ten minutes afterwards the foreman
handed i'm the issIa nonnr-a vnr,Iint of
not guilty-and Pierre Granger was dis
charged amid the Kisses and eXecrations
Of the crowd, who, indeed, were only
prevented by Il strong military force
from assaulting both judge and jury.
Major Vernon coolly walked up to the
lock, and passing his arm under that of
Pierre Granger, went out with him
through a side door.
From that time neither the one nor
The other was ever seen again in the
That night there was ter
rife thunderstorm; the ripe harvest
was beaten down by hailstones as large
Is pigeons eggs, and Il flash of lightning
striking the steep!e of the old ivy-cover-
I'd church, tore down its gilded cross.
4
This strange story was related to me
1ne day last year by convict in the in
Urinary of the prison at Toulon. have
given it perddtim from his lips; and us
was leaving the building the sergeant
who accompanied me said: $50, sir,
COu have bpnn listaninor Ia tba ,,,o,,dor