The Republican journal., 1872-06-13
of you husband ?" I asked,

The Countess continued: "The draw
ing-room was so warm that | was Obige
70 make HOnorine, my maid, open tn
door OF my bedroom so as to equaliz
the temperature little. To open tn
windows was out of the question, for vo
know how cold it is tonight What wit
the heat, the tea, and the conversation
nj. karls became so troubled and excite
that ne last asked permission, eitherto re
tire o. to be allowed to lay aside his coa
tor hesfelt rs though he was choking an
short OF breath | allowed him to tax
OIL his coat, and having done so. he sa
down again on the sofa, and began to re
late, with greater animation even than be
tore, q ridiculous accident which had hap
| pened to an actress while she was befor
the audience Suddenly he was silent;
ASK nm to continue; no answer. | BEG
lnslst-Stlll the same silence AT first
thought he was asleep, but on reflection
this sudden transition from noisy hiarit
70 SO deep sumber appeared so strang
to me that | left my seat to look at hin
more closely. His face was horribl'
drawn; his eyes thrown up the corner o
ms mouth almost touched his ear He wa
dead ! screamed and tainted, cutting m,
forehead against the scfa-foot as I fell
finnorlne rushed in, and although one o
US was dead and the other senseless. sh,
| never lost her presence of mind for a mo
ment; with one glance she sees the posi-
ton, and never was danger more vast
more real, for my usband was on hi.
way home between Etamps and Paris
and would be with us il three hours. A;
soon as she had brought me to my senses
she pushed the sofa close to the window
ana covered the corpse with the falling
curtain Something must be done, what
could do?-everything do fell to her She
hhh often heard me speak OF the Prcfect
OF Police, and decided that we must tell
him all, without losing Il moment, and
profitlng by the fact that every one else in
the house had gone to bed, carry the
corpse between us down stairs, place il in
the carriage, and then awaken the coach
man While he was harnessing the horses
| must dress myself in the evening cos
tune, so that if my husband should arrive
at home before US, | might say | had lust
returned from soiree. From whose ?
llonorine decides everything, for am too
hewildered to do aught but look on; but
the poor girl had not forseen the greatest
difficulty. Oh the horrible task the dit
ticulty, nay, almost impossibilty, of dress
inc a body from which all life had fled
1t fell, it slipped. it almost tioated away.
The arms, stretched out and stiff, refused
to pass through the sleeves, and when we
forced them in it was hideous to hear the
cracking and swapping of the joints And
the boots Oh nothing can be compared
with the sacriligious toilet And then we
had to carry him down stairs. avoiding
the slightest noise lest we should rouse the
porter; when we had placed HIM in the
carriage, llonorine went to wake the
coachman, and stay with him while he
put the horses to, lest he should discover
our secret, and II had my bali costume
to attend to. How did it | know not [
took ribbons, jewels, bracelet, rouge,
flowers, anything that came under my
hand. What took place atterward | can
hardly say As soon as heard the noise
OF the carriage wheels ran down stairs,
got in with llonorine. and drove here"
Such was Madame de BIS account, told
with a decision, a ralmnrSS and courage
that made my blood run coll-ay! even
mine Eidocqs.
"Madamc," | said, come more word"
"More," she murmured between her
teeth, which We're closed together with a
force that threatened to break them ''what
more can You want ?'
"M kar's address,"
''What, is that necessary ?"
Indispensable"
She gave it me-
CHOW, Madame, in a few minutes
hope to have finished my task success
fully"
"Anl how2 No stahblng, no dreadful
disappearance
"None whatever, since YOU wish ii so.
Everything will be done in the most
simple manner, your reputation uncom-
promised, and NJ. karl's body treated
with as great respect as though it was un-
der his fathers roof. In u quarter of an
hour the corpse will be in NJ Karl's own
room, and you, Madame, will, in five
minutes, be in your own carriage, free
from the dreadful burden it now contains. "
"Ah, Monsieur how can | thank You ?
How can my gratitude equal the service
you do me ?"
She shook me by the hand as though
She would crash it to pieces; it was one
Of the finest moments of my life
Although | spoke with such assurance
to the Countess, will not deny that was
not without uneasineSs, and intimated to
the lady that we had done with the Pre-
tects private office, and that our next scene
Of action would be the street.
Before leaving the room she turned
round to the Magistrate, and pressing hel
hand closely to her heart, she babe him
trust in her rs he would in God. To Pere
Caron, who was waiting with lights in the
ante-chamher, she spoke in passing;
"You shall not be forgotten, Monsieur
all that have promised shall be done.'
Descending the grand staircase, stop
ped at the door of the room where | had
left the servant, who now joined us with
the delight of prisoner set free.
"Honorne," said the Countess, all
goes well but we have yet to finish"
"Ah yes-to finish"
While the two went on little in ad-
vance, | called out one Of the most intel
ligent inspectors, and told him, as concise
" as could, what had to be done.
The coachman was asleep, and the
principal object in view was to get the
dead body out Of the carriage without his
knowing what had taken place. But how
to do so if he should be awake
"We shall see," said the officer; eve
shall soon see."
"If he does not sleep" | answered, "he
must sleep"
'Ot course he must, one way Or an.
other"
"The devil!" l cried; "not the other
way-no, no"
Following the two women, we crep
along in the shadows of the houses. The
driver was fast asleep.
"Whle the officer ran back to tell the
ladies they might advance, | opened the
carriage door, got out the dead body, and
placed him at full length in the shadows
Of the parapet which runs along the Quai
des Ortevres, wedging him firmly with a
couple of stones, for the pavement was
sloping. He was magnificent man, six
feet, or six feet one, at least fair, elegant
and such clothes. such linen All this
was done in the twinkling Of an eye. The
two ladies had now arrived, but they could
hardly crawl along; they were more like
shadows than human beings, and could
not even get into the carriage without as
sistance. Such fright, such terror in their
downward looks, as they took their places
without utterinu a SOnnd