The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-19

entails, but It doggedly adheres TO MS until
we are forced TO attend to it, This
was the case with the secretary, probably
also with the Cardinal The idea took this
shape: 1.-THE favorite mode of obtaining secret
information in Rome is by eavesdropping and
espionage This palace has been for two
months at the bidding Of those who knew the
Cardinal would return to it. They are anx-
ions to know all he says and does; if possible,
all he thinks They will study the revela-
tions of his countenance in moments of dbd1a-
den. And if they have designs"-here the
idea seemed going into extravaganza Yet
the very next day after l had resolved these
floating thoughts into fixed shape, was sit
ting at breakfast with the Cardinal, when he
suddenly dropped his cup of chocolate, and
rising went to q picture and carefully ex-
amined it. On his return to the table l ex-
claim. ed, "Your eminence is thinking of Sir
Walter Scott, but it was surely imprudent to
reveal the suspicion. He replied, Merely
a fancy" We looked at each other, and
/ felt the same idea pass through his
mind. We were literally ''eating our
meal in fear" Only two nights before
was reading in that room, and the twilight had
deepened as l sat thinking over my book.
AS looked up, by the faint red glow OF the
wood fire, l fancied that picture, st. Fran
els meditating, had q peculiar expression
about the eyes. The rapt saint looks up
ward, ignoring mundane vanities; this looked
downward, and steadily at me. felt inclined
to cut it open, but dared not. After all, L
imagined the gloom had deceived me,
but now ] perceived the same idea had
passed over his eminence. l resolved to
make him understand that L had fol-
lowed his thoughts. ''Do you think,
said I, 'that st. Francis in his meditations
became sometimes a little dEstr0tt That
for pnrnlo
to some worldly object, say, as to the quality
of your eminences breakfast, or became sud
denly diverted by our conversation. He
looked steadily at me, then at the picture
which faced him as he sat, but was behind
me. Then after q moment replied, 1T is
fatality" l saw no more of him that day. l
heard from the valet that he was anxious not
to be disturbed. / had no reason to think
him ill. His mind was distressed, but his
physique was robust, and his habits very alb
stemious. Had he been in the least i'll, l
should have heard it from his valet.
-Four days afterwards was informed that
the Cardinal desired me to spend the evening
in his private apartments. These apart
ments were three, communicating There
was no entry but the door of the antecham
Der. This opened into chamber well filed
with books, and this again into the Cardi-
nails bedroom. We had dined at fve His
erninence had confined himself to his favor
ite and insipid Chablis, of which he drank
one little flask; l, to a more generous vintage
of Burgundy. The subject of our converse
ton was exceedingly important. With the
idea upon us like an incubus, we conversed
in low tones, and ever and anon the Cardi-
nal rose and examined the outer door. Only
vulgar listeners use keyholes. The conversa-
ton ended by my being intrusted with GER
tain documents to place in safe keeping.
1T half-past nine l bade the Cardinal good
night. He retired to say his office I re-
marked afterwards that passage in the office
OF that day was singularly apropos to our con-
dition, 'fearfulness and trembling hath come
upon me, and an horrible dread hath over
whelmed me- Knowing the Importance of
the documents, l hesitated to keep them in
my possession. Sealing them in a pocket
put on a street dress and fastened to an
English gentleman, who cheerfully under
took their keeping. To battle pursuit, slept
at the hotel where he was staying.
Irose early and repaired to the palace. The
valet had orders to wake his master at seven.
1t wanted but few minutes. 1 retired to
my room. Scarcely a quarter of an hour
elapsed ere the valet rushed in, pale with
alright, exclaiming, ''His eminence is dead!'
l followed him quickly to the apartmet, hay
ing alarmed the household. The disposition
of the chamber was as ordinary. The Cardi-
nails dress lay on chair, as his valet had
placed it. His breviary was open at vespers.
The bed was the only thing disturbed There
were certain indications of struggle,
very slight The usually placid
of the Cardinal was flushed and
discolored, the eyes partially open, the mouth
rigidly closed. The two hands grasped the
bed clothes convulsively. A physician was
hastily summoned, who pronounced life to
have been extinct some hours. From what
cause?" l asked. He whispered, ''they will
say apoplexy." l am bound to say
that when left that chamber the idea was
rooted in my mind as fact corroborated by
most dark and awful circumstances The
populace formed its idea, too. .,l...r IS
i close this paper with an apropos account
of the one thing that made the idea fact to
me. was summoned to attend the Cardinal
Antonelli, who, after conversing on a variety
of subjects, asked me for the papers had re-
ceived on that fatal night. / attempted to
parry the question, to ascertain how much he
knew, when, to my surprise, he repeated GER
bdti9a certain portions of the conversation
held that evening in the late Cardinals study.
1 expressed my astonishment, and plainly in
formed him that he forced on me unwelcome
inferences. Here was proof that some one
had been present during secret conversa-
ton. How? Where And If this person
or persons could be present 10 see and rear,
might not he or they have also power to do?
ayartinnc