Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-04
faithful. loving memory. however,

A faithful, loving memory, however
| had been successful where sometime:
| the greatest artists fail, Tor the resem
| biance was so true that il was imposs
| BILE not TO recognize it instantly. The
Count was transfixed by this discovery
His Amusement was succeeded by furiou;
Jealousy. How happened it that a portrait
Of his wife should be in the possession o.
this young man-this strangers Where
did it come from? Who had drawn it
Who had given i. TO him? Was it possible
that Plascovie, whom he adored with re.
ligious reverence, could have oondescended
to a vulgar intrigue? By what internal
moekery was he, the husband, imprisoned
| in the body of his wiie's lover-his wife,
whom he had always venerated: After
being her husband, he was to be her gal,
liant A sarcastic metamorphosis-- re-
versal Of positions calculated to drive a
man mad.
All these ideas whirled through his brain
he feared his reason was leaving him, and
by tremendous effort of will he controlled
himself, and as he became more calm went
on with the examination of the mysterious
portfolio.
The pages formed sort of journal, psy-
GEOLOGIC in character, taken up and dropped
at different epochs. With nervous trepida-
ton and suspense the Count devoured the
following fragments
"She viii never love me-never never !
l have read in her soft eyes the cruel
words, There is no hope. Tomorrow
and day after tomorrow it will always be
the same. Though all the consultations in
the heavens should change their places,
nothing in my faith will be altered. By a
single word, by a single gesture, she has
dlspelled my dream and | have not the
courage, the energy to rise up and go forth
into the noisy Babel of busy men. Some
times at night, when I cannot sleep, I
dream of Plascovie if sleep, | dream Of
her. All how beautiful she was that day
in the Villa Salviati Ii some inconceiv.
able accident should place on my head the
crown of an emperor-if the bowels of the
earth should reveal to me veins Of gold, if
the mines of Go!conda should yield to me
all their treasures, if the Tyre of Byron
should resound to my touch, if the most
exquisite chetS-de ucre of antique and mod
ern were mine, if | should discover world,
/ would be just as far removed from her as
I am now Whist a trifing thing changes
ones destiny l had intended going to
Constantinople-ha l gone should not
have met her-I remain at Florence, l see
her, and am dying. Why must l love
precisely the only woman who cannot love
me in return? Others who ara called
beautiful, who are free, have smiled their
sweetest smiles for me, seeming to expect
the confession which never came. He is
happy Whv is he so blessed by the
glorious gift OF her love! !"
1t was unnecessary to read more. The
Counts suspicious or seeing the likeness of
Plascovie had vanished on reading the first
words of these sad condolences. He under
stood that the cherished image, recon-.
menced over and over again, had been
patiently and caressingly touched and re-
touched, far from the original, and that it
was the Madonna Of little mystic chapel,
worshiped without hope.
But if this Octave has made a compact
with the devil, and under my form has al.
ready gained the love and confidence of
Plascovie
But he soon renowned 50 improbable, SO
absurd an idea, and smiling at himself and
his credulity, he swallowed his cold break.
fast, made his toilet and ordered his car
risge. He drove to the residence OF DIR.
Balthazar Cherbonneau he crossed the
same hall which he had entered the preyi-
GUS evening as Count Olaf Labinski, and
whence he had gone out to be greeted by
all as Octave de Ssville.
The doctor was seated as usual on the
divan in the wine-room, holding his foot in
his hand, and apparently absorbed in pro-
found meditation. On hearing the Counts
footsteps he raised his head.
"Ah it is you, my dear Octave; I was
just about calling on you; but it is a good
sign when the patient calls on the physi
cian."
Forever Octave, Octave p exclaimed
the Count. 81 shall go mad, believe !"
then, folding his arms, he placed himself
directly in front of the doctor, and fixing
his eyes sternly upon him, said
You know perfectly well, Monsieur
Balthazar Cherbonneau, that | am not Oc
tave, but the Count Olaf Labinski for
only last evening you have, here in this
room, stolen my body by means OF your
internal sorcery."
At these words the doctor burst into q
shout of laughter, throwing himself back
on the cushions, and holding his sides.
al advise you, doctor, to moderate your
mirth you will probably regret it; am
speaking seriously"
%. So much the worse it only proves that
the hypochondriasis for which l am treat
lug you is developing into dementia.
must change'the course of medicine-.h
is all"
81 do not know what prevents me from
strangling you on the spot, exclaimed the
Count, moving toward Cherbonneau.
The doctor smiled at the threat. and
leaning forward, touched the Count with
the tip of a slender, steel wand. Olaf de
Saville received so powerful an electric
shock that for moment he fancied his
arm broken.
&c You see, we have means of obtaining
obedience from our patients when they
turn restive," aud he fixed his eyes on the
Count with the icy expression which con-
trolls lunatics and brings lions into subjec
ton. You would better go home and
take bath, and you will soon get over
this strange hallucination and over-excite-
ment."
Olaf de Saville, stunned and bewildered
from the effect OF the electric shock, left
the doctor more harassed and puzzled than
before. He drove to Passy to consult Doc.
tor B.
81 am victim to the most extraordi-
nary hallucination, he said to this cele-
brated physician. "When l look into the
mirror do not see my own face. Every
feature is changed. Nothing about me is
familiar the walls and furniture of my
apartment are altered in fact, l feel as if
| were some one else"
&c And under what aspect do you see
yourself This difficulty may proceed
from either the eyes or brain.
81 see myself with black hair, dark
blue eyes, full beard and no color.
GAS in fact you are. No passport could
give more correct description of your
personal appearance. You are laboring
under no delusion whatever.
Indeed, you are entirely mistaken. I
have, on the contrary, blonde hair, black
eyes, and a long delicate mustache, la
Hongroise.
Here" said the physician. &c can per-
ceive slight disturbance in the action of
the brain"
Nevertheless, doctor, l am no mad.
man"
of course not; nothing of the sort
1t is only those who are perfectly sane who
come to me quite by themselves. Only
little over.fatigue, little over-study, or