South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-06-09

f" You stay here for a week, then go
quietly to Paris; but, mark; if your wife
dies in any circumstances of mystery,
whether l am alive or dead, retrihution
will hunt you to the ends of the earth"
But Virginie-the nurse ?" stammered
the selfconvicted wretch.
VirginiG knows nothing excepting that
she did what she was told. She has done
stranger things than that without ever
asking for reasons. She will never open
her lips on the subject. You are perfectly
secure, for the chemists had no idea on
what their experiments were made"
Next day the Magnificent was in his
place in the pump-roOm as usual.
Men looked shy at him, and women
looked sly. He was as cool and lofty as
ever.
He waited until the room was full, and
then, taking an opportunity when Heath
cote and Henshaw were close TO him, he
called out, Mr.. Henshaw."
He took no notice. He repeated his
call with the same effect. Lenoir took two
strides toward him, and lifting him by his
shoulders, placed him with his back to
the pillar, and then said:
You presumed yesterday to make re-
marks dispsxraging to a lady. You will be
kind enough now to retract them, or l
promise to kick you from one end of this
room to the other"
Pale and affrighted was the little law
yer; but DR.. Heathcote interposed:
" DR.. Lenoir, this must not be; was
the accuser yesterday, and you must first
deal with we"
"True, my dear Heathcote, but mean
to deal with each after their kind. You
are gentleman and a man of honor, and
as such intend to treat you Read that.
DR.. Heathcote read, to his intense as
tonishment, the following note:
BATH, Aug. u, 17s-.
MY DEAR LENoIR: As am Obliged to go TO the
mo to leave Mrs. DeGrey under your charge,
should she at her present residence require your
advice. Yours, very truly,
F. DEGREY.
"Read it out, DOCTOR" said Lenoir, and
the bewildered man obeyed.
"Now, you slanderous little toad, eat |
up your calumnies on the spOtp said Le- |
noir to the lawyer.
I am sure meant nothing" said he,
" will make you repent these words
Eat them up, say, for the last time"
and terribly he looked down upon Hen
shaw.
The latter quailed. "Iadmit, " he said,
they turned out not to be true"
"And ought not to have been spoken. /"
Go, then and be warned"
"You will hear from me tomorrow,
however, for all this"
81 think not, said Lenoir, when he had
gone. And he did not, for the purveyor of
scandal thought better of it, and trans
Ierred his attentions to Scarborough.
"And now, DR.. Heathcote, presume you
retract that epithet which you used yester-
lay? admit appearances were against
ne, but true physician distrusts appear
lnces"
"a forgive the banter, and cheerfully
-etract the expression; but after what the
Colonel said, hang me, doctor, if knew
what to make of it."
Il never supposed you did," said Le-
loir; and the Magnificent reigned in Bath
or many years afterward.
The gap in the story you may fill up as
iuits you best. Lenoir, in his trip to Lon
Ion, had consulted his solicitor, who told
he story to my late master. The cautious
london lawyer told Lenoir he might be
hanged for compounding felony; and Le-
loir told him he might be hanged for his
dyice. The annuity was, the solicitor be-
ieved, provided for Lenoir himself; and
he surmise was, either that he was in love
With the lady, or that he knew more of
Ter history than he chose to explain-or
'robably both. The Colonel and Mrs.
)eGray never visited Bath again; but the
nnuity was paid for many years afterward,
he Colonel probably being as anxious to
.eep his wife alive as he had been to de-
troy her; and she, poor thing, with the
onstancy and credulity of women, rejoic-
ng in her inmost soul at the increased ten
erness of her husband.