Litchfield enquirer., 1874-07-09


 I knew that Davenant was madly in love with Bessie Satterlee, and had even made dishonorable proposals, wishing her to elope with him to Europe. He was mad enough to try the integrity of tho honest old Deacon, offering him Q large sum to allow his daughter to complete her educa- tion" in Paris. under the direction of her arried lover. The old man, incapable of comprehending such wickedness, told me that he regarded Davenant as lunatic, and sincerely pitied his misfortune
 It was evident that Bessie had been powerfully impressed with the rare per sonal beauty of young Davenant, who was only four years her senior
 His lovial forehead, and fair temples surmounted by cornet of dark curls; large brown eyes; under-brows straight. fine, and black; nose and mouth hangh- ty, and sweetly matched with chin of Antinous, and the neck and shoulders of a paladin. These noble features, mated with bland and graceful maner and Q voice full of meaning and penetration, might we'll conquer the heart and possess the fancy of Q handsome country coquette, ardent, ignorant, and ambitious such was ''the Deacon's daughter"
 I believe I was not deceived in observx ing an ill-concealed uneasiness in the air and carriage of Bessie during the week that remained at the tavern after the fu- neral of Madam Davenant. On my re- turn to the city these circumstances and suspicious were forgotten or obscured by the interest of legal business. Not until the arrival of Covenant in Boston, the second month after had written to him the particulars of the accident and death at Saltone, did they again recur to me. As he entered my office I noticed re- markable change in his features and ex- pression. He had become thin to emacia- tion. His eyes, usually steady and lus- trons, wandered in fitful, suspicious glances. When we were alone he entered immediately upon the subject of Madam Davenant's decease, and drew many deep sighs of relief when had satisfied him that she did not perish in the fire. He listened with motionless attention while l described to him the discovery in the vaults. Until all had been mlnutely de. scribed not word escaped his lips. He sat pallld, or rather leaden-visaged, and breathless, with his eyes cast down, An irresistible, perhaps inexcusable, desire to note the effect made me bring in few words, toward the last, about Saterlee and his daughter. At the mention of her name he moved slightly, and a burning red spot appeared, and as quickly disap- peared, in his hollow cheek. At length he spoke.
 ''I thank you for this kindness and at tention. As for Saltone, do not regret it's loss. The years of misery I passed there made it seem to me more like a hell than paradise, as you used to style it. It is idle for me to deny that I did not love julias her thoughts we're entirely oc- cupied during the few past years with the memory of her former husband. believe I may say that her death, horrible as it was, will prove great and necessary re- lief to me-" he said, looking full in my eyes as If to solicit sympathy, if that were possible; 'for it is no secret to you that we did not live happily together Wheth- CT her death or mine was the most desira- ble often pondered. Providence decid- ed that qucstiun for both of us; and now 4 shaH liue. Had she lived longer I should have followed the example of Will great g. burden"
 "You surprise me-" I said, ''by this confession-pardon the word; but I saw nothing in Madam Davenant to excuse so desperate course on your part. William Saltone loved her passionately."
 ''And died by his own hand!"
 ''Yes," said, ''but he was insane. Her affection for him was profound; he speaks of 1t in their correspondence which have just given to you. It proved that. an ar dent attachment existed between Julia Saltone and her husband. His suicide was not, then, caused by unhappiness in the marriage relation"
 A lurid flash illumined the eyes of Davenant. He raised his hand impati- ently. ''Listen to me, 'he said, "and I will try to explain something which has never yet been explained or even express ed by living man. You may have read somewhere the allegorical story of the Vampire-a human being, to appearance, but human in form alone; body inhabit- ed by demon, prolonging it's existence in the flesh by draining the hearts blood of lover through a small invisible wound. Madam Davenant was not a in that sense; but William Sal tone, her lover and beloved, destroyed and should have done the same but for the blessed accident of her death. Whether 1t was physical influence, like the pretended power of magnetism, I know not; perhaps it may have been her vast strength of will, aided by an abysmal subtlety and cunning. Conjecture is vain in such matters. We do not under stand the laws of these forces-neverthe- less we live or die by them. Madam Davenant killed William Saltone: she first destroyed his reason by this name less and subtle power; she exhausted his vitality; she drew his life and soul into herself, and left him without character or force. The struggle of the natural man against this horrid infuen ce, which seem- ed to him only phase of his passion, in- ordinate and absorbing, sapped the req son of the victim, and his death became necessary. Like myself, William Saltone was man of high aspirations, but they were social and ambitious as mine are intellectual. His wife, a woman of strong passion, loved him with ardor because of this and other haFmonies and agreements in their moral and physical natures. In spite of these, I repeat 1t, he fell under the Vampire influence of her iron will, exercised with absorbing cruelty and selfshness. Madam Davenant controlled every person within her reach. She did this without effort. The moral power was so intense and immediate, to be in con- tact with her was to yield almost without effort. As have before said. the strong and cultivated nature of the man revolted, and this conflict ended in loss of reason and of life. He died loving and hating the same object. My passion was only hate"
 '.But with yon?" I asked, wondering and curious.
 ''With me it was the same. Julia Sal- tone willed that should marry her: and l did so. She had better have taken my life. Every action she wi1Ied it was im- possible for me not to perform. There was internal magic in it. I struggled in vain against her: at length I discovered that, whatever might be the case with my actions, intellect was still free; I could plot and devise; could maintain silence and secrecy; in mind was not slave. In social relations was, in fact, tool an idiot-the servant of her will. Worse still aOorse-she ksaeaO this and exercis- ed her power consciously. She would even speak of 1t to me. Believe me or not, if she discovered any purpose of mine and onnosed if. could not act. Imagine the