, 1873-12-13

which entored. in aomc mysterious way not yo
developed, tho fnmity Of Orleans. dostinod q,
aoon eI to ascend tl,o throno OF Francc.
hladatno 10 Fouchores now n,etitatod dool
soE1on1e hy which To rotain, after tho Prince
doash,, tho yast properties which sho had
wlioodlod or browbenton him into doviBing tt
her. shonld 10 die, ato would hnvo to on
oonnter tho rival claims to tho ostatos o.
tho powerful fnmfly Of Rohnn,-tllo Princes
noarost hora.-anl IT waH necessary Tint sIlc
SHOULD form III alliance moro powerful Btill
Mlth this Wow H.o secretly communicated with
1no orsa9s !s,U family Hho proposed TO tho
Gondo to adopt tho young Duke d'Auhalo az Lis
heir; and, III ropy TO tbiH proposal, tile Duconn
wrote MI Iffectloi!ate letter to tIiis prolligato
Wohlan' WHO lad hitherto been Stunned by tho
Royal. "'"'
~ atn worry much touched, madame" this
royal Indy wrote, ''by what you toll mo Of yonr
anxiety to bring about that result wbicl, Won
iooR @ m on a. Likely to fnlhl tho wiBAoa Of n. 10
tho hnppiness to find my son bocoino
his adoptod Child you will receive from ua. Mt nlI
tmeR and III all circumstances TINT s,lpport for
you and yours which you are ploasod to donnnil,
aila Tor which mothor'a gratitude will bo for
| you suro guarantee"
Encouraged BY Madame do Fcuchcrcs' ropro-
aontatlons Of the favorable progreBH OF her
pressure upon thc old Prince, Louis Philippe OF
ur,leans1soon TO DO Kng1,had tho singular lu-
detoatod him md all lB family, md cntroat lin,
to loavo his woalth to little Aumalo. Tho Prince
o. uondo was thuntrstruck when this plot tln,g-
edupon him. LIZ bad always dcspIBod tlio Orleans,
for tho death of bis cousin. Louis XVI; and
now to bo importunod to mn1to scion OF tllis
houso the heir OF hs traditional estate and for
@ I,lno was bitter surprise IN Ills lonely old age
But Ills "pcor Sophie" did not pormit him N
rest until, woarlod aud bloken by hor persist.
oney, having, 1t s Haid "known no rcst since
this fatal nattor Ind occupied Ills Thoughts" do
cha;ed enfed TINT Ibis blood was on fire." and beon
Feuccros, ho at laat faltercd. . NY death, ho
mioaned. ~ tue only thing they look for. Once
they shall havo obtaiaed from mo what they de-
aire, my Hto may de in jeopardy."
the a masnaafy asi ii osp s GppfHSa te1ny to
l,s. Ae wrote to him most touching letter, IN
nnlloiy dIBtrcssing" to him, wliorenpon Ito
Willy Duke d'OEleans mado protc1lso of bog
ging hladamo do Foucf,oros to discontinue her
efforts sLo poromptorily refused; nor Gun i
9e easily doubled that she thus secretly pleased
Louis Philippe. f'
One day Tie old Prince WIS in tho billiard. room
OF hia paris hotel. II. surya1, WHO was in an nd
1ound Conuo red with rage.
-, Only soo," exclaimed Fouchoroa, who was
with him, "in what pnssion mouscignour nuts
hims9lf, and without causel Try and calm
him." ~"'''
." Yes, madame," returned Condo, "it is hor-
rlble, atroclous. Tins to put knife to my throat
to make mo ito 4 thing you know 50 much all
hor." lie caught hold of her hand, aud addad.
goomrily, "Wel' plunge The knife III ut onco-nt
:, Tho next day Condo mado will, appointing
the Duke dAumalo bis heir, and betllloathine
Alatatno dc Felcheros property worth IL, O,00O.,
09o franca. 80 matters stood when tho Royou-
tiol Of 1880 canle Louis Philippe becnmo Kine.
and Charles X. an oxilo.
It waa toward the middle Of August, 1880. that
the Prince of Condo, who lad now bccoma mr. |
''nanently morose aud melancholy, aud who never
hoafa the name q fouchorea pronounced with
o1t certain senile torror secretly told hlH con
lidoltlal valet that ho PROPOSED to make o long
tour, and to escape from Chautilly without liz
knowlcdgo Of the household. His strange ac-
lions n9anwie .P attracted the attention and
morning Of tho 11th Lis oye WIS found to be bood
1g,. aud lie explained tt by saying 1o had fallen
against ,table but afterwards said LIS toluple
lad struck against the door.
I Eye1ts .4 at a. t1s chateau ncroased In mystory
1htll she 2Gth. On the morning of TINT lav Mad
,mo &c Foucheres repaired early to tho Princus
iresb!ng~roo1n, a1.l soon tho voices Of both woro
ieard. angry aud threatening. 4 sharp quarrel,
asssln1g saa1g @ 1or some timo, enhuoa, and Madano do
'asslon' Dy dnuer-timo, however, the storm
'ecmed to hayo passed away. Tho Prince an-
'ogrcd at tablo. to which 4 fow intimate friends
lad invited him. and was obsorved to bo In
'masnay nI eoad o sR.rits. lie laughed and jokcd
'a'red to the drawing-roonl, tho wllist.tables
zero wheeled out, and Conde took hand at the
amo a. table ~ with MADAME do Fouchcres playing
1m 5est ,l lato IN !ne evening" and talking
Goodnight to each frioud with nis hand, and, ~
10 went toward the door, turned and gave tIom |
cheerful parting, ~ Il dentain! !" '''
1t was the last time thut tho Inst Prince Of
'ol1uo Wna seen Of men. ]
Zig was accompanied to his chambor BY Bon
10, hls doctor, and Leconte, his valet. It Ia !
orth noting that Lecomto, tho valet, had bocn
elected Tor this service by Teucheres. and was
once Bpy and creature OF that designing
orau. |
Ag Lecomto was leaving tho chamber, ho asked {
10 Prince: !
:. " At At 3 ghs5 h, The h9ns will monseigpour rlse2
It was now tho night Of Aug. &c. and m tia {
st Condo proposed secretly to lcayo tic chateau.
nj project III taking thls stop can never bo =
lown. longer journey than he lad planned t
aa now In storo for him. t
Throughout that warm, bright summer nicht t
was apparently tranquil III and about the I'D a
latoau. The night-watch who patroflod ,ho a
Traces outside, from dusk to dawn, heard no &
u and "a Issue from tho vast manslon the domes- "
% Alopt uudlsturbod In tho wing devoted to c.
cir lodgings tho gueAts were equally uncon. Q
lous OF auy unusual event. u
The Prince OF Condos sleeping chamber o
"a small but richly-decorated apartment v
tho Hecond story, with Z Jet smaller droBsine- Il
ON leading from it. Madamo do Touchores b.
cupled auito Of rooms in tile story below. u
tn her nioce, Madame dc Feassans. x Il
'ircase CONNECTED this unite with the Princes "
amber above, aud also led from tho outranco- ci
II Of the ctateau. Tho Princes apartments in
onel Upon tho large central corridor. On % the Of
T tloor. aso,, wore most Of tho gucst-rooms. lt
IN leaving his master, Lecomte, as usual, II
'ofully looted his drosslug-rooln, BY which &
1858 was to DO had to his Chamber from tic of
.1ridor, and carried the koy away with him. WI
Promptly ut 8 o'clock on tho morning Of
} 9Th tho valet appeared at tho prlpuco'e co
'r aud knocked, according to orders, be- II
Q unlocking #. No RESPONSE was given. OF
comto thonght nothing of tho circum- II
neo, but, thinking tho Prince still asleep, th
ut away, to return in . quarter Of an hour, vi
now ty Conaes physician. THO Ia
,ck was ropoated there was sill tho dead II,
nee. Tho two mon became alarmed at this. tin
hurried around by tho largcr ataircaso to he
/, apartment Of MADAME dc Fouoloros, Lc
Ilamo do Fouclores heard their iutolliee,,oo 10