Smyrna times., 1871-05-31
Two Living Eyes in the Picture.

The following curious adventure happened
in Bath, in the year l79-, and the lady who
narrated il tO the writer was in those days q
young girl staying in the house. 1t was in the
palmy days OF Bath, when that now fallen city
rlvalled London in hriIliancy and d>s pa
tinn, and when all the rich, the gay, and tho
hgh-bOrn of England cOngregated there In
season and graced the balls and assemblies.
Mrs. R, once the belle Of the court of
George Ill hut at this period gradually re-
tiring from general society, possessed one of
the largest OF the old houses, and gave in it
entertainments which were the most popular
Ot the day. She was celebrated for three
things; (nnce for four. but the tourth--her
beluty--wI>of of the days gone by y these things
were her fascination, her henevolcnce, and .
set OF the most matchlcsN amethyStS
Her house contained tapcStred chambers
The walls of the one in which she slept were
hung around with designs from heather my
thOlOgy, and the finest piece in the room was
that which hung over her dres>ing-tahle. It
represented PhGbu> driving the chariot of the
sun. The figures and horses being life size, it
filled up the whole space between the two win
dOwS and the horses were concealed behind
the high. old fashioned Venetian looking glass
while PhGhns himself, six feet high, looked
down by night and by day upon the mistress
at her toilette
OHe evening NlTS. " ndu an unusually
large party at home. She wore all her anne
thySt$. On retiring to her room, about four
O'Clock in the morning. she took off all her
jewels. laid them on the table, and dismiSsinR
the weary maid, intended to put them away
herself, but before doing so knelt down, as
usual to her prayers w hie engaged in her
devntionS it was habit with her to look up
ward, aud the face of PtGbus was generally
her point of sight, as it were, and the object
on which her eyes most easily rested. On this
particular night, az usual, she raised her eyes
to Phnbu>. What does she see? Has Pyg.
malion been here at work? Has he filled these
dull silk eyes with vital fire? Or is she dream
ing? No. Possessed naturally of wonderful
courage and calmneSS, she continued to move
her lips as it in silent prayer, and never once
withdrew her gaze, and still the eyes looked
down on hers. The light Of her candle shOne
distinctly On liqnd, living Orb>, aud her good
keen sight enabled her. after cleverly man
aged scrutiny, to see that the tapestry eyes Of
Phn"us had been cut out and that with her
door locked, and the servants in bed in their
distant apartments and al her jewels spread
out before her, she was not alone in her room.
She concluded her prayers with her face hid
den in her hands We can all well imagine
what those last prayers must have been! She
! knew there was some one behind that tapes
try she knew that the bells and screams were
aS usual, and awaited the issue, her only omis.
! sion heing that she did not put away her jew
/ els. They may save my life, said she to
! herself, and she closed her eyes.
The clock struck five before a sound was
heard. aud then the moment arrived. She
heard a rustic, a descent from behind the tap.
pStrv, and a man stood at her dressing table
u" took eff his coat, and one BY one he secur
. the Jewels beneath his waistcoat What
I h, ~ ba h.,w
bedside, or to the door or window? lie turn
ed and approached her bedside but by that
time she had seen enough, and, again closing
her eyes, resigned herself to the Providence
whose protection she had just been craving
The man was her own coachman.
Apparently satisfied by briet glance under
his dark lantern that he had not disturbed her,
he quietly unlocked her door and left her. For
two h0urS-thcy must have seemed two days
she allowed the house to remain unaarmed,
her only movement having been TO relOck the
door which her living Phebus had left sjar
At seven III the morning she rang her bell and
ordered the carriage round Immediately after
breakfast. All this was according TO her usual
habits. On the box was man who had cost
her nights rest, aud most probably all her
jewels. However, she drove off, she went
straight to the house Of magistrate.
Seize my coachm&n, said she" secure
him and search him. | have been robbed, and
| can hardly think he has had time to Olsen
cumber himself of the jewels he has taken
from me-
She was obeycd and she was right; the ame
thysts were still about him, and he gave him
self up without a struggle. All he said was
I" wish now had killed her. meant to do
it. only she was 40 good hadn't the heart"
1t is most probable that at er this exciting
episode the tapestry of that bed chamber was
remOrselessly condemned and the eyeless Phoe
bus was consigned to oblivion