Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-09

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treasure chest to disappear from view
Besides which, the closet was so con-
structed that, had anyone unacquainted
with the secret lock essayed to open 1t, he
would have received the discharge Of q
number Of concealed gun barrels arranged
like a mitrailleuse. Ip his Golfer the
Duke kept not only his diamonds but his
bank notes, his papers and his ingots of
| gold, many of which, to escape from prying
ing eyes and fingers, he caused to be dis
| guised as cakes of chocolate. In that iron
| box was inclosed all that life held for him
Of interest or love.
! He was as much afraid of assassins as
he was Of thieves, and surrounded his life
with as many precautions as he did his
| wealth. He never employed cook, never
partaking at home OF any food except a
cup of chocolate, which he prepared him
self by the aid OF spirit lamp. The milk
for this chocolate was brought to him direct
| from the country in locked silver can, one
key OF which never left him, and the other
was deposited with the farmer who sup
piled him, precautions which did not
hinder him from insisting that his valet
should always taste the first spoonful of
| the beverage when prepared. He always
took his dinner at one of the great res
taurants Of the Boulevard, preferring
| usually the Maison dor. Once, when he
was detained in the house by some slight
indisposition, the Marquis de Plainly, who
was then his physician, scolded him for
eating nothing but sweets when at home.
But he could not persuade the Duke to
have steak or chop prepared for him.
self in his own house; he was forced to go
out, to have the meal cooked himself, and
to bring it to his royal patient, who ex
acted from him solemn oath that he
never lost sight of the eatables for
a moment. Reassured on this point,
the Duke made short work of his dinner,
| which he declared to have been the best
he had ever eaten. He was, however,
! nothing OF gournAad, eating little, and
never drinking vine, which had been for
| hidden TO him in his youth by his physi-
clan, his usual beverage being ordinary
beer. He was eXtrayagantly fond, how
ever, Of fruits, ices, preserves and bon
bons, OF which he partOok on all occasions
without much regard to ceremony Some
times his magnificent carriage, with its
four splendid horses, would be seen drawn
up before the door of fruiterer's shop,
while the proprietor Of the equipage,
seated therein, was engaged in devouring
piles of peaches or of grapes, which were
brought to him from the shop. AT other
times, when taking ices at Tortoni's, he
woald pay largely for the privilege of GO
ing down into the kitchen and eating the
ice-cream direct from the freezer. His
great delight was to enter a contectioner's
shop and to eat as long and rs much as he
liked from the various piles of bonbons
and crystallized fruits, leaving behind him
on his departure two or three gold pieces
to pay for his depredations.
He passed nearly his whole time in the
house. He remained in bed, where he
read, wrote and received his intimate
friends, till about four O'Clock in the
afternoon, after which his toilet always
took up an immense time, so that during
a great part of the year he never saw the
sun. The excessive care which he took
of his person and the artificial character
Of his makeup are matters Of public no
toriety. He painted his face, or caused it
to be painted, with all the minuteness and
artistic finish that might be bestowed upon
water-color drawing His beard, on the
culture of which he bestowed much time,
was combed, perfumed and dyed daily AS
TO his wigs, he possessed them by dozens;
and in respect to these wigs and his man
ner Of using them an amusing story is
told. A celebrated dame of the demi-
monde being presented to the Duke at the
opera one evening, expressed 10 him an
ardent desire TO inspect the wonders of the
fairy place Of which she had heard so
much. The Duke CALAMITY promised
that she should have that pleasure
that very evening, after the opera. Ac-
cordingly, when the performance was over
he escorted her TO his hotel, took her
up stairs by means of the satin-lined ele-
vator, and introduced her into a dimly-
lighted room, where he left her under the
pretext of ordering more lamps. The lady
waited some minutes for his return, and
finally, becoming impatient, she began TO
look about her to discover where she was.
To her amazement, she saw in one corner
of the room head which stared at her
with motiOnless and CLASSY eyes. She
rushed in terror to the door, but found
that it was fastened on the outside. A
second glance around the imly-lighted
| apartment revealed the fact that she was
surrounded by heads, not five. or ten, or
twenty, but thirty, all of which bore a
CHASTITY likeness to the Duke himself. Her
persistent shrieks at last brought 10 her
assistance lackey, who opened the door
and released her. This mysterious apart
ment was simply the room where the
Duke kept his wigs, and the heads were
wax models of his own countenance, each
differing slightly in coloring or in the
arrangement OF the hair. Each day the
Duke made choice of the particular wig
and style of yisage which he wished TO
assume, and his valet was charged with
the task of reproducing the color of the
wax model upon his features.
His dress was always extremely elegant,
though sometimes very eccentric. He de-
lighted in embroidered dressing gowns
and in magnificent uniforms. Among
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