The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-07-20
SELECTED STORY.
A Night Adventure.


About halfpast seven in the evening, 10
ward the fall of the year 1874, two men WEI
seated at table-Balzac the host, Vldocq 'no
guest. Univ do Won
tax your imagination for fiction when YOU 0ann
get reality, before your eyes, Close W Soou
ears, under your hand 7? r. ,o,.oh., r
"You believe in reality? I'm dengnted. L
did not IMAGINE YOU so innocent. IT'S only
novaIists who create reality and make it visi-
HE Whenever any one comes to me with
"Monsieur de Balzac, I've got splendid sub
iect for you," know before hearing it that
it's worthless. If the subject is good there
are no details; if the details are excellent
there is no subject. No reality-only half a
fact"
But I can give you one."
Complete
Complete"
"Ah?'
And Vidocq commenced: "On the 10Th OF
December, 1884 or '35, a fearfully cold night,
L was ON duty at the prefecture de ponce
The room in which my colleagues ana lnyseIi
were stationed opened on the staircase leauing
to the offices of Monsieur lie Prefet. Inc glass
in the upper part of the door was rendered al
most Opaque by the condensed moisture whlcn
had settled on it; but about one O'Clock no
ticed two shadows fit past, and opening the
door saw two women, a lady and her SER
want. the former dressed in full evening cos
tune. This puzzed me. What could lady
want, one hour after midnight, with the pre-
feet of police? Strangely dressed too; the
flowers in her hair put in at hap-hazard; her
hair hardly even looked as if it had been
combed, aud beneath her rouge lfor she had
used some, although she was very young and
marvelously beautifully her face was CHASTITY
pale But what struck me as being the most
extraordinary in this strange toilet was that,
while on the one foot she wore black boot,
the other was protected by white satin slip
per.
''On my asking what brought her there, the
lady, without even stopping or looking round,
answered CURLY that she wanted to speak to
Monsieur lie Prefet, and before l was able to
reply that he could not be seen at such an
hour of the night, the door of the magistrates
apartment opened and the lady entered; it
was closed again Immediately, and the SER
want, thus left alone on the staircase, accept
ed my invitation to come into the room had
just left. Although her derss was not as
strange as that of her mistress, she as equal
ly excited and in the few words she spoke in
answer to me noticed nervous trembling
which was not caused by cold alone. In our
profession we are obliged to study and exam
inc well all signs of emotion that we may not
mistake fear for remorse; for if / ever saw
lCol IL was SuOWH ny tildt WOlld1 II ulSIudy
so terrible had never seen before in any one
except her mistress; and yet, as the woman
was strong-minded, energetic and resolute, it
must be a case of the most urgent importance
that could affect her in so startling manner.
Her mind was preoccupied, so troubled and
uneasy that she conld not remain quiet for
two consecutive moments. She started up
every few seconds, wiped with her gloved
hands a small space clear on the logged win
dOws and loolyad n11t inf into
the street; and then noticed that her gloves
had been drawn on carelessly, as though in
great hurry. l followed her to see what the
object OF her anxiety was; a private carriage
mot ahired one or common cab mo doubt the
one in which she and her mistress had come,
for it was driven up close to the door of the
prefecture. Why was she so anxious? Was
she afraid the coachman might drive off? or
was there some one in it awaiting the result
of this nocturnal visit to the chief of police?
l could not make it out, and the puzzle be-
came more complicated and interesting W
the woman, her eyes intently fixed on the
driver, and not knowing how close I was to
her, let fall, in strange and undefinable tone
of voice, the exclamation, "Asleepr' with a
convulsive movement of the lip that betoken-
ed not only joy, but dismay--a sense of Sc
curity, yet also feeling of danger.
but let us see what was taking place in
ally heavy and fatiguing days work he had
gone to bed at midnight giving orders that he
was not to be awakened till eight o'clock on
any preteXt whatever; and such orders were
never known to be disobeyed. The huissier,
astOnished that both the sentinel and the Dor
ter had allowed these two women to enter,
desired to know the object of the ladys visit.
TO see Monsieur lie Prefet.''
impossible .. .,-..sl
''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 hand,
crying:
"Ten thousand francs-twenty thousand
don't know, more or less. But now, gor'
He went; how could he resist? Timor-
ously he set about his task, and at last sue
ceeded; while the magistrate, irritated and
savage at being thus disturbed, sprang up in
bed with a sudden bound.
Scamp! scoundrelp he stormed, ssWhat
were your orders?"
''A-a-a lady, sir" stammered the unfor-
tunate huissier.
"Well, even then?'
'Most urgent and important reasons, SIR"
ga lady at this hour and in such weather!
Let her go to the devilr'
''The lady knows Monsieur LIE Prefet ?''
"Of course-who doesn't? But sufficient;
VAIN W oiCCp, dIlu tlG Il6AU GlIl6 YOU ulS-
obey my orders you march. Now go''
- The huissier retired crestfalen; but the la
dy was not to be discouraged. ''He must not
be allowed to fall asleep again." she urged.
'Run back at once"--
'No, madame" interrupted Pere Caron
81 shall lose my place, and have a wife and
children to support"
SIS that all?' cried the lady. eff you lose
your post through me promise on my honor
that you shall have an annuity of two, three,
four thousand francs settled on you and your
family. Take these, as earnest;'' and hand
ing him two thousand francs in notes, she
continued, 'Tell Monsieur lie Prefet that to-
morrow, at the Tuileries, Louis Philippe.
King of France, will thank him for what he
does for me tonight l
The words King" ''Tuileries," '.four
thousand francs annuity" whirled through
Caron's head as he again confronted his mas
ter, whose rage this time was almost uncon-
trollable.
"What is the woman's name?'
''She has not told me, monsieur"
Fool that you are! go and ask at once:
and if this business be not finished in three
minutes you pass the rest of the night in the
cells"
The lady, however, would not disclose her
name, and the huissier gave himself I'D as
lost; but the Prefet, struck by this strange
pcISlSIcHCe Vi LLe ndIneleSS IdQV, who dared
to promise the kings gratitude, felt that the
case must be an extraordinary one, and at
last decided to give way.
''If the lady won't give her name, ask her
then to send it under SEAL" was the result of
his deliberations.
With deep sigh of relief the strange visitor
acceded to this request, and enclosed her card =.
in sealed envelope. The Prefet started I'D
in astonishment when he saw her name. and
after second glance to assure himself that
he had read Alright he turned to Caron:
''Show the lady into my private Office
quick! and with the greatest Difference"
1t was the Countess Helene de B.. one
of the most remarkable women of Louis
PhilipPe's reign, distinguished by her beauty
and elevation of mind; one of those 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 Prefet, on joining the countess. at
tempted to excuse himself, but the ladv gave
him no time for explanation, for her case was
too pressing to allow of formalities. Her
voice broken and quivering, she thus address,
ed him.
''Sir, have come to you because-because
dreadful misfortune has happened to me:
such as no other woman has ever known-so
dreadful-you can form no idea. Monsieur
save me! You can-you must" she gasned
with deSpairing cry. ''You know flat INV
husband left for Bordeaux week agop'
The magistrate inclined his head. and the
lady, after making great effort to subdue
the Involuntary tremor in her voice, contin-
ued her story: During his absence She had
been visited by persona Young man