The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-08
THE WICKED DUKES WIG.ROOM

A Paris correspondent writes. in speak;,.
of the late Duke of Brunswick: ssThe ~.
osity of Paris was long exercised in regard -
a mysterious room that no one, it is said MO-.
allowed to enter, the Duke keeping the fss.
of this room always in his own possess;on'
Rumor added, vaguely, that those who en-
teredit always rushed out in terror, but no one
could say what had been seen it. One eve
ming fashionable leader of the demi.monda
contrived to get herself presented to thu
Duke in his box at the opera, and imploraS
him, as favor long and ardently desired. In.
permit her to visit the fairy palace OF which
all who had the honor of visiting recounte1
such marvels. The Duke received the re-
quest most graciously, and invited the i'm.
ploring party to meet him on leaving the
opera. 4 will take you in my carriage, said
the Duke, 'and will show you my palace by.
| the light of tapers.'
| 1t is certainly worth seeing when thus light.
ed up. The suppliant, enchanted with such
an unlooked-for compliment. and with her
head full of thoughts of the Dukes fabulous
treasures, took care to place herself on his
passage as he left the crush-room. His ex-
sovereign highness, as gracious as before.
handed her into the brougham, which speed
lily brought them to the famous pink-house.
where he placed her beside him in the elegant
lift, lined with quilted blue satin, which ha
had established at the foot of the staircase. to
save himself the trouble of walking up. The,
visitor had scarcely time on reaching the
rooms occupied by the Duke to glance at the
splendors about her, when the Duke, opening.
the door of another room, and showing her.
into it, suddenly disappeared, saying he was.
going to order more lights. The visitor thus
left to herself, in a room with only faint
light, the source of which she could not dis
cover, began to peer into the darkness with
some little uneasiness, when to her horror she
saw head that seemed to be looking at her.
Drawing back hastily to the door, she found
it locked and as she gazed about with terror
she saw another head, then another, and an
other; the heads seemed to be coming into,
view by the dozens, and her terror was such
that she began to beat on the door, screaming
for help at the top of her voice. 1t seemed to.
her that no one would ever come, and, half
fainting with terror, she began to fancy she
was going to be murdered then and there.
However, at length, when her voice was be-
ginning to fail her, the door opened, and a
tall lacquey, in splendid livery and powder,
presented himself. She demanded the Duke !.
The tall lacquey replied that His Hghness had
gone to soiree in town.
The terrified woman entreated the servant
% let her out as quickly as possible from the
palace, which she now looked upon as the
dwelling of Bluebeard. The duke had
unused himself with introducing his visitor
INTO the room in which were ranged, on sort
If long dresser, thirty-one heads modelled in,
wax, after his own, painted to- initiate life,
With difference of tone and expression, and
ach provided with a wig differing from the,
thers by the same delicate ordinations as to,
'e in harmony: with the expression of tho
ace it surmounted. Each morning the duke
hose one or other of these heads as the.
aodel of the day the choice being dictated
y the state of the weather, the ducal feeling.
r the spec al projects which he had resolved
n for the day."