The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-10-26
, Talleyrand and Arnold.

There was day when Talleyrahd
arrived in Havre in great haste from
Paris. 1t was in the darkest hour of
the French Revolution. Pursued by
the bloodhounds of the Reign Of
Terror, stripped of every wreck of
property or power, Talleyrand Sc
cured passage to America in u ship
about to sail. He was going a beg
gar and a wanderer to strange
land, to earn his bread by his daily
labor.
SIS there an American staying at
your house Z" he asked the landlord
of his hotel. IL am bound to cross
the water, and would like letter to
some person Of influence in the New
World
The landlord hesitated moment,
and then replied:
''There is a gentleman up stairs,
either from America or Britain; but
whether an American or Englishman
l caHnot tell"
He pointed the way, and Talley-
rand, who in his early life was bish-
OPP, prince, and afterward a prime
minister, ascended the stairs. A
miserable supplicant, he stood be-
fore the strangers door, knocked,
and entered.
liz the far corner Of the dimly
lighted room sat a gentleman Of
some fifty years, his arms folded.
and his head bowed ON his breast.
From IL window directly opposite a
food of light poured over his fore
head. His eyes, looking from be-
meath the downcast brows. gazed in
Talleyrand's face with Il peculiar aud
searching expression. His face was
striking In its 0utline-th mouth
and chin Indicative of an iron will.
His form, vigorous. even with the
SHOWS of fifty summers, was clad in
dark but rich and distinguishing
costume.
Talleyrand advanced, stated that
he was u fugitive, and, under the
impression that the gentleman be-
fore him was an American, he su-
licited his kind feelings aud offices,
pouring firth his history in eloquent
French and broken English
~ am wauderer IAN exile au
forced to hy to the New World, with
out a friend ar hope. You are an
American. Give me, beseech you,
letter Of yours. 80 that | may be
able to earn my bread. am willing
to toll in any manner; the scenes of
Paris have filled me with such hor-
ror, that a life Of labor would be a
paradise to career OF luxury la
France. You will give me letter
to Que of your friends. A gentle
man like you has, doubtless, many
fricnds."
The strange gentleman rose. With
u look that Talleyrand never forgot,
he retreated toward the door of the
next chamber, his head still down.
cast, his eyes looking still from be-
hind his darkened brow. He spoke
;ls he retreated backward--his voice
full of meaning:
II am the vuly man born in the
New " orll who can raise his hands
to God and say, Il have not u friend
hot one--in all America"
Talteyrand never forgot the over
whelmiug sadness of the look that
accompanied these words.
"Who are you y he cried, as the
strange gentleman retreated toward
the next room. "fOur uanef"
s'My name !" with a smile that
had more mockery than joy in it's
convulsiye expression -''my name ia
Benedict Arnold
He was gone. Talleyrand sank
into chair gasping the words
'.Arnold the Traitor! one who has
betrayed his country "
Thus Arnold wandered over che
earth another Cain, with n wander
er's mark GU his brow. Even in the
secluded room at that inn at Havre,
his crime found him out, and forced
him to tell his naine-that name the
synonym Of infamy.
The last twenty years of Arn0ld's
life were covered with u cloud. from
whose darkness but few CLEANS of
light fash ont upon the page Of
history.