The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-10-03
THE WAXEN HANDS.

u w N zAHlN DtJs |
Yes, decidedly - said the Marquis, look |
ing courageously at the mocking circle that |
surrounded him. There were there two |
young men, bald and decorated, several |
skeptical old men, member of the Institute,
who passes for the grandson of Voltaire, |
some incrcdulous dowagcrs, and some young |
women who were too fond of balls to believe |
in anything else, without counting the witty |
Comtesse de Rigny and the charming Made |
moiselle Louise de Rigny, her daughter.
" Yes" said the Marquis, ~ believe in |
magnetism, sorcercrs, necromanccrs, magic, |
spiritism, chiromancy, phrcnology, vampr- |
ism, the evil eye, in everything that is super |
natural, astonishing, inexplicablc, improb
able, impossible, and believe in IL firmly, |
frankly, and blindly. Saint Thomas is not
my ancestor, thank God, and if have de-
clared war, implacable war, against any
enemy, IL il against doubt. In truth, | am
80 credulous that find perfectly logical the
reasoning of that man who maintained chat
Adam had existed, because he had his por-
trait in his cabinet"
The Marquis Ante-Gontran de Rouvrc was
thirty years of age. He might pass,
without discussion, for a handsome man, in
spite of his red hair, and Il slight obliquity
of vision, which seemed sometimes to direct
his Dyes toward the contemplation of the in
finite. Gontran had pale complexion, fine
features, u wOmans hands and feet, a slender
waist, n fino name, and a princely fortune.
lie enjoyed at the same time tho reputation of
being witty and eccentric. All these qualities
were blended together so as to form veritable
hero of romance. Bear in mind that Gontran
had been twice round tho world for his own
amusement. and that this name of traveller
added still further tohis personal advantages.
One thing only spoiled all this: tho Marquis,
whose father had died in dramatic manner,
killed in duel, as some said, by suicide ac-
| cortling to other accounts, had long and
strange fits of melancholy. Ills blue eye then
became of a profound green color, and fixed
itself upon an invisible point, lost in space.
Gontran remained thus absorbed for hours
together. You might have compared him to
a lIndoo fakir, anollylosed in the contempa-
ton of his navel. But this defect was known
to his friends alone, and GOntram was re-
nowned In society rs one of the most brilliant,
most witty, and most charming of cavaliers.
| After his profession of faith the Marquis
| looked around him as if to seek champion
an adverse champion. He found none, and
continued:
"Superstition is my element. was born
| on Friday, the thirteenth of the month of
March. 1t is a fatality; every artoss belief
| finds its echo in me, and that which absolvcs
| me is, that after successive observations
| have come to convince myself that tho strong
minds are really the weak minds. firmly
believe that thcro are unlucky days and lucky
days, and I mark them gladly as people
marked them of old at Rome, and rs people
now marked them at Madagascar For all the
gold in tho world would not put shoe or
stocking on my right foot first, and never
| laugh on Friday for fear of weeping on Sun
day"
| At that moment one of the two bald young
men, Arthur de Langeterrc, leaned toward
Madenoselle Louise dc Rigny, and said to
her in her ear:
| Yonr Fridays will not be gay when you
become Marquise Do ROuvre.'
Louise shook her head and smiled in sign
of doubt, which meant to say that there is
many a slip between the cup and the lip, and
that, although the lianc6 of Mr.. Dc Rouvre,
she was not yet his wife.
AT any rate" interrupted the member of
the Institute, "you do not believe in YAM
pires; science only sees pathological cases
where. you see miracles. II would be easy
for me-"
| "To convince me 2" said tho Marquis.
Ono, without presumption, not at all.
am tenacious in my opinions. You speak of
vampiresf You deny that vampires exist
| nave seen some.
| "NOnselise."
| 81 have seen some, too" said Arthur
Langeterre, smiling gracefully; 9" have seen
some at the Ambigu in a piece by Antony
Beraud, or by somebody else. 1t was an
English clown, who was painted in n most
| terrible and fantastic fashion. ! can sec
him still with his white face, enveloped in n
blood stained shroud. Did your vampire re-
semble that one, Marquis p
"Not at ALL" said Gortran. "My vam-
pire was dressed as you and are he spoke
French as you write it, sir, (the member of
the Institute bowed,) and no was really a
charming man. But why should not tell
you the whole story"
Marquis, after having passed his hand
over his pale brow, said, with slight
trembling in his voice which lent great
charm to his narrative-the charm of fear:
~ was travelling OH the banks of the
Danube two years ago. l was travelling
alone. A companion is sometimes embar-
RAISING. For adventure it is better TO be
alone. When could leave my guide in any
hotel did 30 willingly, and went of on
foot without any other companion than my
thoughts for days together. used to draw
see, write, think. Tho Montague Language
was tolerably familiar to me; liked to talk
people do not look upon II stranger as Al
enemy; | knew, too, always how to secure
welcome; ! always carried with me gOurd
full Of good liquor, and some amuets agains
witchcran. ! made presents of my anu
let's and liquor, and in exchange / use,
to ask for some story, and ] never had Il
press.
at was thus that | had been received
with an open heart by Viecz Baglanovich,
rich farmer, loyal, jovial, free laugher, an,
a free drinker, who used to sing me song
watered by frequent libations, and win
used TO say to me, pointing to his daughte
Helen:
"'She is tho pearl and rose of Presteg
1t is because she has q fresh face and bloom
ing health that can say to you with ga.
mouth: My little father, here is a GOO
journey to your
"llelen was indeed pretty, but as an
neither u painter nor novelist, shall no
paint her portrait. You have seen til
Eastern types Of Dclacroix animate thei
with the breath of life and make tbeu
two or three days with Viecz Bagano
=. yich. At the end of that time the rain wa
falling.
"'We shall have it for long time, now
said my host, and you cannot resume you
journey during such weather.
!. "The country was in fact nothing but
!, vast marsh the Hooded river, like mudd
y lake, spread its yellow waters; and in tn
plain, furrowed with streams that increase
each day, the trees set of their measr
u branches against low, damp, and gray slN
thanked Baganoviob, and told him that
would remain in his dwelling until the retul
II of tho sunbeams.
"'May the sunbeams never return, then
said my host caily. and may this intern;
weather continue Tor long months.
!. That very evening as we were at tab
:, there came u brusque knock at the doc
= Who could it be; who would be securing Il
roads at such an hour in such weather