The Portland daily press., 1874-05-20
ro,, +i,,as ouestiOned the Dedlar confirm

Ten times questioned, the pedlar confirm
cd his statement, describing even, the purse
from which he took the silver to pay him, and
this purse was the same as the one which the
dead man ordinarily carried. The judge per-
picked, not knowing what part to take, Of
dered them to remove Valentin and La Gree |
que, whom he would not release, when a
movement was made at the door, where the
guards and a few curious persons had col |
lected; they made passage and suddenly
rEvornia appeared. ..-a
1 startellto go towards her; the judge rudely |
Withheld me, The young widow, seeing the
body of her husband leaned against the wall.
her look fastened on the dead man and one
could hear her nails scratching the stones.
Her lips moved. She seemed to see no
one but him. Nervous spasms agitated
her bosom, then she seemed to forget to
breathe for moment, and the air penetra-
ted with wheeling sound her exhausted
lnngs. The blind man believing himself
alone the cause of the silence commenced
his singing. At the noise of this voice Evor-
mia turned her head suddenly and perceived
La Grecque. She advanced step, the
blood rushed to her pale cheeks and she
stretched out her arm towards her rival.
At the sight of Evornia, La Grecque fell
back close to the window. There, one knee
upon the ground, her hands clasped, she
watched with terror the contracted features of
the widow. What a pitiful, ineffaceable, liv-
| ing impression of that scene still remains!
| Those two beautiful creatures of a type so
| Indifferent, formed a strange contrast. La
Grecque whose splendid arms could have
crushed, conquered, Evorqia, was hum
bic, oppressed, overcome. Her black
hair fell in disorder around her brown
cheeks. her head leaning against the
wall was slightly bowed. Her red lips hall
open, showed her white teeth which chat
| tered. while her soft grand eyes yelled in
| tears seemed to ask pardon. Evornia on the
contrary, shaking her long golden hair, her
! fearless eye, and her little hand extended
seemed lioness fascinating her prey, trans
fixing her, marching toward her, cold, reso-
| lutte, terrible,
| 'sAh, she said, in husky voice. thou vast
right to come here, waited for thee!
Once more l wished to interpose, but it was
Evornia who rcpulsed me, without even look
ing at me.
E'Endeavor to warm tty lover, to give him
back the life thou hast taken," she contin-
ued. Evornia took another step. Escaping
! from the fascination of which she seemed the
object, La Grecque arose, ran towards the
judge.
''By the soul of your mother, Senior, she
cried, pointing to Evoruia Look, there is
the murderer of Don Felipe. Look at her
eyes," At this accusation Evornia raised
her hands quickly to her forehead her
restless look encountered again the livid face
of her husband.
''Pardonr' she said.
And she fell into my arms and those OF
Valentin to whom / made a sign, foreseeing
the end of this sad scene. We carried the
young widow into her own room, they
opened the bed to lay her down, and under
the bolster, they found knife, that the ped
lar recognized as the one he had sold.
What did that signify? l swore at the
judge, who spoke of arrest, questions, 'prOces
verbal. Despite her prayers and tears, he
ordered La Grecqre to be sent to a convent,
lethen announced to Valentin that he was
free. The young man offered me his ser
vices which l accepted.
The neighbors so urgent the evening be-
fore ran away from this miserable dwelling
and it was Valentin who was left to see tC
the burial of one who had been his rival, O
whom he had been believed to be the mur
derer.
Evornia's child cried increasingly. Aftel
having been fed tor four days on milk poison
ed by fever, the poor little child was seized
with convulsions. The nurse having desert
ed, l called an old native who was devoted
to me TO take care of the infant Towards
midnight an apparent calm reigned in this
mansion, formerly so joyous, where so many
terrible events had happened. | was sitting
near the bed of the sufferer, trying to collect
my thoughts. The judge walked back aud
forth in the corridor, watching the return o.
consciousness to the invalid The step O.
this man irritated me.
Evorna had recovered, but she remained
with her eyes closed, and made no reply to
my questions. Near one o'clock she asked
for water, complained of pain in the head
and begged me to relieve it. The judge drew
near. Despite my pacific temper, and my re.
spect for his person. my respect for the law,
was tempted to take him by the collar and
throw him out of doors. What did this man
seek? a culprit, more blood, another victim
Alas! what good would it do?
. Evornia, hearing him speak, opened he
eyes. eWhat- do-Nan- wish to Lsanu %, -sh'
1.-THE name of the murderer senora.''
s.Ah. well. That which La Grecque once
said she would do, / did. Now leave me'
As the judge asked another question anG
came near her, she arose, saying, 81 alone
am guilty-what more do you want?"
She looked sternly at the magistrate and
then turned towards me.
"Ah," she murmured in my ear, clasping
her arms around my neck, and laying her
face close to mine, 81 am not an object OF
horror to you-you pity me, you love me for
all that. How has 1t all happened? 1 do not
know. | learned his treachery; I wished to
despise him; could not; 1 loved him toe
much. made him buy knife, then l beg
ged him not to go away; to stay with me.
He went away laughing at my tears. In the
evening this father, this traitor husband, un-
worthy, perured, returned singing; my brain
was on fire. l stood before him. He opened
his cloak to take me in his arms-but why
make me say it-you know the rest.''
She closed her eyes and was silent. The
judge withdrew at last; he consented to leave
Evornia prisoner in her own house, under my
care. What fearful night 1 heard the sen
tinel, stationed on guard over the young
woman, answer from hour to hour the nigh
watch, and it recalled to me the reality
against which my spirit rebelled. About foul
O'Clock the infant expired At this moment
Evornia gave one terrible cry, pronounced
two or three words that could not under
stand, then in the frightful delirium of brain
fever she struggled against bloody spectre.