The Republican journal., 1872-06-13
A Night Adventure.
From the French


were seated at table-Bazac the host.
Nidocq the guest.
Said the latter: IN de Balzac why do
yon tax your Imagination for fiction when
YOU can get reality, before Your eyes, close
to your ears, under your hand ?'
''You believe in reality ? I'm delighted.
did not imagine You so innocent. 'Tis
only we noveists who create reality and
make it visible. Whenever any one comes
to me M. de Balzac, I've got splended
subject for you,' | know before hearing it
that it's worthless. If the subject is good
there are no details; if the details are ex-
cellent there are no subject. No reality
only half a fact
But can give You one"
"Completc ?"
''Complete."
"Ah !"
And NidOcq commenced: On the 14th
Of December, 1884 or '35. a fearfullv cold
night, | was on duty at the Prefecture de
| Police. The room In which my colleagues
and myself were stationed opened on the
! staircase leading to the offices of Monsieur
| le Project. The glass in the upper part of
| the door was rendered almost Opaque bv
the condensed moisture which had settled
on it; and about one o'clock | noticed two
| shadows fit past, and opening the door
saw two women, u lady and her servant.
the former dressed in full evening costume
/ This puzzled me- What could a lady
want one hour after midnight. with the
Protect of Police Strangely dressed, too
the flowers in her hair put in at hap-haz-
ard her hair hardly even looked as if it
had been combed, and beneath her rouge
(for she had used some, although she was
very Young and marvelouSlv beautifully
her face was ghastlv pale. But what
struck me as being the most extraordinary
in this strange toilet was that. while on
one foot she wore n black boot. the other
was pro ected by a white satin slipper
On my asking what brought her there.
the lady, without even stopping or look
ING round answered curtly that she wanted
TO speak to Monsieur lie Prefect, aud before
was able to reply that he could not be
seen at such an hour OF the night, the door
of the Magistrates apartment opened aud
the lady entered it was closed again i'm
mediately and the servant, thus left alone
ON the staircase. accepted my invitation to
come into the room had Just left Al
though her dress was not 50 strange. she
was equally excited, and in the few words
spoke in answer to me noticed Il nervous
trembling wEich was not caused by cold
alone.
But let us see what is taking place
meanwhile in the Protects apartment
After an exceptionally heavy and tatigu-
ing day OF work, he had gone to bed at
midnight, giving strict orders that he was
not to be awakened until O'Clock on any
pretcXt whatever; and such orders were
never knownto he disobeyed The hnssicr
astonished that both the sentinel and por-
ter should have allowed these two women
to enter. desired to know the object of the
lady's visit.
"To see Monsieur lie Prefect' y
''Impossibe."
The lady stormed, ,entreated threatened;
but all in vain, till AT last tearing off her
pearl necklace and diamond bracelets She
thrust them excitedly into Pere Caron's
hands, crying:
Ten thousand wenty thousand
i don't know, more or less. But now
| gon
He went; how could he resist? Tim
! orouslv he set about his task. but at last
succeeded while the Magistrate irritated
aud savage at being thus disturbed sprang
up in bed with a sudden bound.
| '.Scamp! Scoundrel ~ he stormed.
'What were Your orders?'
"A-a-a lady sir stammered the un-
fortunate hussier.
"Well, even then"
''Most urgent and important reasons,
| sir"
"A lady-at this hour and in such
weather! Let her 90 to ;he devil !"
''The lady knows Monsieur lie Prefect."
"Of course who doesntp But suili-
cient; | want TO sleep; and the neXt time
You disobey my orders you march. Now
60"
The hussier retired crestfallen; but the
lady was not to be discouraged. ''lle
must not be allowed to fall asleep again.
she urged "Run back at once"--
'No, madame, " interrupted Pere Ctron.
II should lose ny place, and | have q
wife and children to support"
''Is that all ?" cried the lady. eff you
lose your post through me promise you
on my honor that you shall have an an
nunity of two, three. four thousand francs
settled on yourself and family. Take
these rs earnest; :" and handing him two
thousand francs in notes she continued.
"Tell Monsieur lie Prefect that tomorrow,
at the Tuileries, Louis Philippe, King Of
France, will thank him for what he does
tor me tonight.
The words 'Kine," "luilcrics," four
thousand francs annuity" whirled through
Carons head as he again confronted his
master whose rage this time was almost
uncomfortable.
''\Nhat is the woman's name P"
''She has not told me, Monsieur"
"Fool that you are 90 and ask at once :;
and if this business be not finished in three
minutes you shall pass the rest of the night
iii the cells
The lady, however, would not disclose
her name, and the hussier gave himself
up for lost but the Prefect struck by this
strange persistence of a nameess Ildy,
who dared promise the Kings gratitude,
felt that the case must be an extraordinary
one, and at last decided to give way.
eft the lady will not give her name, ask
her then to send it under SEAL" was the
result of his deliberations.
With deep drawn sigh OF relief the
strange visitor acceded to this request,
and enclosed her card in Il sealed envelope.
The Prefect started up in astonislment
when he read the name, and after a
second glance to assure himself that he
read Alright he turned to Caron:
'Show that lady into my private office
quick and with the greatest defer
ence."
1t was the Countess Helene de b,
one of the most remarkable women of
f Louis Phlllippe's reign, distinguished by
her beauty and elevation of mind; one of
these women who, rightly or wrongly,
were considered to carry in the folds of
their dresses the fate of Ministries-nay,
even war or peace.
The Prefect, on joining the Countess,
attempted to excuse himself, but the lady
gave him no time for explanations, for
her case was too pressing to allow of
formalities Her voice broken and quv-
ering, she thus addressed him:
Sir, | have come to you-because a
dreadful misfortune has happened to me,