Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-09-10
Selected Mistellamp.
TERRIBLE REVENGE.

In the latter part of the seventeenth
century a Frenchwoman of extraordinary
beauty startled Florence, in Italy, by the
splendor Of her dress and entertainments.
Her husband, the Count -, had
been dead some two years, and the bril-
liant widow made such attractive use of
the millions he had left her that she soon
ceased to number her courtiers on her
fingers. One night she discovered
man in the assembly at her place whom
it was her destiny to love. He, too, was
remarkably handsome, and for time
the fairest couple whom the society OF
Florence in those days had looked upon
were thought to be destined to life of
mutual happiness. But one more pui-
SAINT than the French Countess, or more
dexterous at least, suddenly descended
from the mirth and captivated Adonis.
This was Russian woman of high rank,
whose residences and acres were scat
tered through every country in Europe.
She departed with her bridegroom at the
close of a triumphant season of revels,
after inviting her Galican rival to be-
come her guest for fortnight in the
course of the approaching summer. The
Frenchwoman surprised the victor by ac-
cepting the invitation, and in the brief
July Of 1862, at a superb summer resi-
dence on the southern shore of the Gulf
of Finland, hard by the site of the pres
ent splendid Peterhof, the memory of
the antagonism at Florence was ap aren't
ly laughed and whiled away.
The beautiful Countess did not leave
her friends without obtaining from them
a promise to visit her at her own favorite
retreat the very next year. In the
following July she welcomed them to an
immense ancient country seat on slope
of the western range of the Carpathian
mountains. From the day of their arri-
val they were treated, day and night, to
succession of pleasure far surprising
any that she had received at their hands.
Her retainers were numerous, trained to
perfection, and obeyed their mistress
with the celebrity, silence and humility of
slaves. Her horses were of the noblest
breeds, and the bridle-paths led through
wild and charming scenery. Her sup
pers, laid with the glittering display of
that age, offered the dishes and wines of
three countries Harpers and singers
joined at distance in giving the zest of
Martins Palistrina's. Gasparim's music
to these feasts, which were followed al
most nightly by theatrical representa-
fiono mr. norforn,anoac ~ ,,oa;o;.u. -
dances by young men and girls, which
sometimes took on disheveled and be-
wildering gayety.
The last week of the visit was rem
dered still more brilliant and delightful
by the presence of large number Of dis
tinguished guests from various quarters
of Europe-friends of the Countess who
seldom let a summer pass without accept
ing her Bohemian hospitality. And the
last night before their departure was set
for an entertainment which promised to
surpass everything that had preceded it
in the respect of novelty and beauty.
The Countess had arranged a series Of
NEUROLOGICAL and Biblical tableaux vi
wants, and number of the guests Of
both sexes, including her former lover,
the husband of the Russian, had been
prevailed on to take parts in them.
At the close of magnificent feast and
wassail the company separated. Those
who were to appear in the representa-
tons were conducted to their firing
rooms, while the rest stayed to take
seats or lie at ease as an audience upon
the vast lounges, stuffed leathern otto
mans, and heaps of skins by which
hundred servants quickly replaced the
chairs and tables at one end Of the great
dining ball The Russian bride occu-
pied an elevated seat of honor in the
front of bis throne, and when all was
ready the hostess entered and sat beside
her. The entertainment met with an
enthusiastic acceptance, and no wonder.
The comliest men and women whom the
Countess could entice from the circle of
her friends and select from her large
retinue, displayed III pastures initiated