Litchfield enquirer., 1872-03-07

My mother! ne ShOuGeQ W1Lu the same furious vehemence- Killed l by her! .Oh, horrorL Lhorror!-horror!" and ex- thanstsd by the violence of his emotions, the unfortunate gentle staggered, ,shud- dersd violently, as if shaken by an ague ht, and fell heayily-for I was too con founded to yield him timely aid, on the floor. ri
 As soon as could rally my scattered senees, caused medical aid to be sum- moned, and got him to bed. Blood was freely taken from both arms, and he grad ually recovered consciousness. Leaving hIm m kind and careful hands, hurried oil to ascertain what possible foundation there could be for the terrible tidings so strangely announced. eas
 Il found the establishment in Harley Street Tn 8 state of the widest confusion and dlsmay. Mrs. Rushton aUas dead; that, at all events, was no fgment of sud- den insanity, and incredisle, almost i'm possible rumors were flying from mouth with bewildering fapidity and incoher- ence. The name of Mademoiselle de Iourvllle was repeated in every variety of abhorrent emphasis; but it was not till I obtained an interview with Mrs. Rush tons solicitor that I could understand what really had occurred, or. to speak more properly, what was suspected. Mrs. Rushton had made a deposition, of which Mir. Twyte related to me the essential points. The deceased lady had gone out Tn her carriage with the express intention of calling on him, the solicitor, to ascer- tain If 1t would be possible to apply the Alien Act to Mademoselle de Tourville and her father, in order to get them sent 0y1f rf %l,1sa ,tyxr Il happen to be at home, and Mrs. Rushton immediately drove to the the De Tour vllles' lodgings in King Street, Hol- born, with the design, she admitted, of s.valllng herself of what she was in her own mind satisfied was the purely acci- dental taking away of jewel-case, to ter rify Mademoiselle de Tourville, by the threat Of criminal charge, into leaving the country, or at least to bind herself ln any case, to the refusal of MT. Arthur Rnshton's addresses. She found Eugenie III a state of extraordinary, and 1t seemed painful excitement; and the young lady entreated that whatever Mrs. Rushton had to say should be reserved for another opportunity, when she would calmly con- sider whatever Mrs Rushton had to urge. The unfortunate lady became somewhat irritated at Mademoiselle de Tourville's obstinacy, and the unrufied contempt with which she treated the charge of rob bery, even after finding the missing jewell case in 8 band-box, into which it had been thrust with some brushes and other articles in the hurry of leaving. Mrs. Rushton was iterating her threats in 8 loud tone of voice, and moved towards the bell to direct, she said, the landlord to send for constable, but with no in- tentlon whatever of doing 50, when Mad emoiselle de Tourville caught her sudden ly by the arm, and bade her step into the next room. Mrs. Rushton mechanically obeyed, and was led in silence to the side of bed, of which Eugenie suddenly drew the curtain, and displayed to her, with significant and reproschful gesture, the pale, rigid countenance of her fathers corpse, who had, it appears, suddenly ex- plred. The shock was terrible Mrs.
 Rushton staggered back into the sitting Fnnzny sieh and faint, sank into a chair. and presently asked for glass of wine. We have no wine, replied Mademoiselle de Tourville; "but there is cordial in the next room which may be better for you" She was absent about a minute, and on returning, presented Mrs. Rush. ton with large wine-glassful of liquid, which the deceased lady eagerly swal- lowed. The taste was strange, but not unpleasant; and instantly afterwards Mrs. Rushton left the house. When the car riage reached Harley Street, she was found to be in state of great prostratien: pow erful stimulants were administered, but her life was beyond the reach of medicine. She survived just long enough to depose to the foregoing particulars; upon which statement Mademoiselle de Tourville had been arrested, and was now in custody.
 ''You seem to have been very precipi tate" I exclaimed as soon as the solicitor had ceased speaking: ''there appears to be as yet no proof that the deceased lady died of other than natural causes"
 u " You are mistaken" reioined MT. Twyte. ''There is no douht on the sub- ject in the minds of the medical gentlemen; although the post-m0rten, examination has not yet taken place. And, as if to put aside all doubt, the bottle from which this Eugenie de Tourville admits she took the cordial proves to contain distilled la9rel-water, a deadly poison, curiously colored and favored. /" aea
 Greatly perturbed, shocked, astonished as was, my mind refused to admit, even for moment, the probability, hardly the possibility, of Eugenie de Tourville's guilt. The reckless maignancy of spirit evinced by so atroeious an act dwelt not, was sure, within that beauteous temple. The motives alleged to have actuated her fear of criminal charge, admitted to be absurd, and desire>to rid herself of an obstacle to her marriage with Arthur Rushton-seemed to me altogether strain ed and inapplicable. The desperation of unreasoning hate could alone have prompt ed such deed; for detection was inevita- ble, had, in truth, been courted rather than attempted to be avoided. F
 My reasoning made no change in the conclusions of MT. Twyte, the attorney for the prosecution, and Ihastened home to administer such consolation to Arthur Rushton as might consist in the assurance of my firm conviction that his beloved mothers life had not been wilfu1ly taken away by Eugenie de Tourville found him still painfully agitated: and the med ical attendant told me 1t was feared by Dr. - that brain fever would superyene If the utmost care was not taken to keep him as quiet and composed as, under the circumstances, was possible. was, how ever, permitted few minutes conversa- tion with him; and my reasoning, or, more correctly, my confidently expressed be- lief-for his mind seemed incapable of fol- lowing my argument, which 1t indeed grasped faintly at, but slipped from, as it were, in an instant appeared to relieve him wonderfully. I also promised him that no legal or pecuniary assistance should Le wanting in the eldeavor to clear Mademoiselle de Tourville of the dreadful imputation preferred against her.
 I then left him. The anticipation of the physician was unfortunately realized: the next morning he was in 8 raging fever, and his life was in very imminent dan ger. lat ssa
 It was distraeting time; but I deter minedly, and with much self-effort, kept down the nervous agitation which might have otherwise rendered me incapable of fulfilling the duties I had undertaken to perform. By elevenso'clock in the fore noon had secured the active and jealous services of Mir. White, one of the most