Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-18

try. and especially to the subject OF polsons-
The book she was looking for related 10
the latter topic, and was very rare. she
had sought for il in nearly every large city
In Europe. and had left orders for 1t with
every bookseller without restriction as TO
price. At last she had traced copy to
/ Rome aud to the very shop IN when We
stood, and no pleasure short OF owning IL
could be greater than that OF hnding IL her-
/ self
Well Isacrcely know what induced me
/ tn act as did. have often tried to trace
| tbe line of my thoughts on this occasion,
and have never succeeded IN DONG SO 10
NV satisfaction Perhaps / was moved
and instigated by the devil, or perhaps l
had conceived a train of thought OF which
voe unconscious. Be that as it may, while
/ she was looking through pile OF musty
Volumes had overturned for her, L founu
/ in another part of the shop the BOOK she
ESQ eager to obtain. Instead OF giving
/ If TO her, 1 carefully concealed 1t under my
coat. and soon afterward she left the shop,
nromisine to return the following day.
was now in a dilemma was Obliged
either 10 replace the book or to take the
/ old bookseller into my confidence. Many
persons would have done neither OF these
| things. but would have stolen the work
without any computations of conscience.
/ | determined to buy it; so l paid double
price to insure the old mans secrecy, ana
went off with my treasure
| Newt morning when / arrived at the cor
ner of the Via Condotti and the Corso, L
found my acquaintance waiting IN her car
riage She got out and joined me.
/ thought this very singular behavior How
/ ever, put the best possible interpretation
uuon IT. and fiattered myself that L effect
uaIIy concealed my thoughts. Her CONVEX
sation was still upon poisons-slow, secret
poisons such as those used by the Borglas
and Tnnhanlas and the mode of preparation
which Is lost | did not know what 10
think of ii. The talked in the most VOLT
| bile manner of those deadly agents, and
! informed me without reserve that the great
desire of her life was to be able to make
poison which could cause death without
/ leaving trace by which 1t could be detect
/ ed l was not easily shocked, but such
| ideas entertained by woman of wonderful
beauty and elegance staggered me. lbegan
To study her physically and pspchologically
and before we arrived at the Piazza Oh Mon
tecitorio had formed very definite conclH-
sions in regard to her.
In the first place l noticed that the pu-
pills of her eyes were largely dllateu; that
thew did not contract when we came INTO
the full light of the sun: and that she was
unable to hold her hands steady. Then L
nerceived that there was an excitement OF
manner about her of which she seemed to
be unaware 1t seemed tome to be lnvol-
untary. and il alternated with short periods
of mental depression, during which, not |
withstanding all her efforts, tears came IN
to her eyes
From these facts / concluded that she |
was under the influence of some powerful |
..r.Icfonap- nprkRnS. and |
from the style and purport of her converse
ton. further judged that she contempla- !
ted killing some one with poison, provided |
she could do so with safety to herself
When returned home 1 took up the
book had purchased the previous day. 1t
was a small thin quarto volume, and pur-
ported to be an exact account of the poison
with which Locusta killed Brittannicus IN
a few seconds, and of that which SeJanus
administered to Drusus, and which was so
slow and subtle in its action that several
months elapsed before death took place. |
There were many marginal notes written IN
a small and delicate hand, several of which
suggested various improvements in the art
of making these pOisons. As turned over
the leaves | observed that a letter on each
page had a red line drawn under 1t. Be-
ginning with the first page, L traced them
all out and spelled the name Cesare Bor-
ola. / had no doubt, therefore, that the
book had once belonged to that brilliant,
but atrociously wicked prince, and had
doubtless served him In his various tOxico
logical operations.
Now this book pertained to a subject
which for many years had interested me,
merely, however, as a matter OF science.
With my ideas IN regard to my newly found
ACQUAINTANCE, l deemed ii a dangerous vol
A., .1la in har hands There
therefore, two good reasons why determ-
med to keep it; so 1 carefully sealed 1T up
and concealed ii in an out of the-way place
among various objects of curiosity and art
which / had picked mp in my wander
ings.
In regard to the lady, | made few in
quiries, and, having ascertained that her
name was SO unromantic a one as Brown;
that she was married; that her husband was
an invalid and that she had apartments in
the Palazzo Barberini, | dismissed her and
her supposed schemes as much as possible |
from my attention. | wished to employ |
my mind with other thoughts, but every |
morning, as l have stated, she obtruded
herself upon me, and persisted in her con-
versations relative to poison. Finally |
came to detest her most cordially, and
would gladly have rid myself of the hateful /
association had / not been tied up in a way |
which cannot disclose without breaking /
faith with others and exposing matters re-
lating to myself which l am not yet ready |
to make public.
/ dressed myself with scrupulous care
for the dinner, and at few minutes before
seven drove to the PalaZzO Barberini l
made the proper inquiries of the porter,
and was directed to Mrs. Browns apart
ments. In an anteroom | found a servant
in plain clothes, to whom l gave my name,
and by whom | was shown into the draw
ing-room. 1t was a large and lofty cham
her, elegantly and tastefully furnished
Before had time to observe my surround
ings more closely, the curtains which con-
cealed the door at the end of the room
were thrown aside, and my hostess adj
vanced to meet me. To my surprise, in
stead of greeting me as an acquaintance, |
she bowed in a stately manner, and mo-
toned me to be seated, politely inquired |
the object of my visit.
/ am not easily thrown off my guard, and |
at that period of my life was even more
self-possessed than now; but this strange |
conduct so confused me that made some |
absurd reply, and remained standing.
There is evidently a mistake" said the |
lady. ''You were announced to me as Mr.
st. Arnaud. cannot recollect that have
had the honor of knowing any gentleman
of that name, and your face is altogether
strange to me.
Then Madame, said /, with some as.
perity in my voice, permit me to beg par3
don for my intrusion. In justice, however,
to myself, l must be allowed to remind