Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-03-25
ANEM0fIOSl IL sT0RT.

#I30 -
countFy house Ia The heart Of Nor
mandy. The weather, which 81 the
time Of our departure promised to be
superb, changed suddenly, and 50 much
rain fell that the roads along which We
passed were LIKE the bed Of torrent.
We sank in The mud up to our knees,
the soles Of our boots were clogged with
q thick coating fcIayey mud, The weight
Of which retar&sA s0uf steps % much
that We did not arrive at our destina-
on until an hour after sunset.
We were harassed, and so our hest,
seeing the efforts that we had to make
IN order to repress our yawns and 10
keep our eyes open, had Us shown
each to our chamber as soon ~ supper
was over.
My chamber was vast; felt. as ! en-
tered IL, as u were, as hudder OF fever.
for IL seemed to me that was entering
a new world. Indeed, you might have
believed yourself in the days Of the
Regency, 10 see above the doors the
panels by Roucher, representing the
four seasons, the furniture overloaded
with rocaille ornaments Of the worst
taste, and the heavily-carved looking
glass frames. Nothing had been dis
turbed. The toilette table, covered
with combs, brushes and powder-boxes,
seemed to have been in use an hour
ago. Two or three dresses of changing
colors, fan covered with silver span
gles, lay carelessly on the polished oak
floor, and to my great astonishment
tortoise-shell snuf-box, open on the
chimney-piece, was full Of fresh tobac-
CO.
| did not notice these things until the
servant, after placing the candlestick on
the table, had wished me goodnight,
and, confess. began to tremble like
leaf. j undressed myself promptly,
went to bed, and in order to have done
with my foolish fears, soon closed my
eyes and turned my face toward the
wall. But it was impossible for me to
remain in this position; the bed began
to move beneath me like q wave, my
eyelids were drawn violently back. i
was obliged TO turn and see.
The blazing Ere cast red reflection
in the apartment. so that the figures Of
the tapestry and of the smoky portraits
hung on the walls could be easily dis
tinguished. They were the ancestors
of our host. chevaliers swatched in
tfon, councillors In perriwigs, and faiT
ladies' with painted faces and white
powdered hair, holding a rose IN their
hand.
Suddenly the FIRE became strangely
active; bleared light illuminated the
chamber, and saw clearly what had
taken for VAIN paintings was q reality.
for the eyes Of these framed beings be.
gan to move and to sparkle in a strange
manner; their lips opened and closed
like the lips OF people speaking, but I
heard nothing but the tic-tac Of the
clock and whistling of the autumn wind.
An Insuperable terror seized me, my
hair stood on end, my teeth chattered.
my body was bathed in cold sweat.
The clock struck eleven. The vibra-
ton Of the last stroke sang long in the
air, and when it died away enhrely
- Oh! no! dare not say what
happened; no one would believe.
should be taken for q madman. The
candles lighted Of themselves, the bel
lows, without any visible being touch
ing them, began 10 blow the fire, rat
Ting like an asthmalic old man, while
the longs stirred the bilIets of wood and
the shovel gathered up the aces. Then
a cofee-pot bounded from q table on
which IT had been placed, and went
hobbling along toward the Fireplace,
and put itself between the frebrands.
A lew minutes aiterward the arm-chairs
began 10 move, and, agitating their
twisted feet in surprising manner,
came and ranged themselves around the
| FIRE.
| did not know what 10 think Of what
I saw, but what remained for me to see
was still more extraordinary.
One Of the portraits-the oldest Of
all. that ofa FAT, chubby, gray-hearded
man, resembling remarkably the idea |
had formed to myself Of Sir John Fall
staff, pushed his head out of the frame
with grimaee. and after having, with
great effort. forced his shoulders and
his fair. round belly between the mar
row gilded border, he jumped down
heavily.
He had no sooner taken breath than
he drew from the pocket of his doublet
q wonderfully small key. he blew in it
TO see that the hole was clear, and then
applied it to all the frames, one alter
the other; and all the frames became
enlarged, so as TO allow the figures
which they contained TO pass through
with ease.
Little-doll-like abbes, dry and yellow
dowagers. grave magistrates buried in
large black robes, Pefifs maifres in silk
stockings and prunello breeches- all
these personages presented such an odd
spectacle that in spite Of my fright
could not help laughing. These wor-
thy folks sal down; the co6ee-pot bound
ed lightly on to the table. They took
coffee in cups OF blue and white Japa-
anese porcelain, which ran up sponta-
neously from the topoi . secretary, each
one provided with lump Of sugar and
little silver spoon.
When the coffee had been taken, cof-
iee-poi, cups and spoons disappeared
all At once, and conversation beean.-l
Sooth to say, il was the most curious
conversation that have ever heard. sor
none OF these strange takers looked at
he ether while be spoke, they all had