The Penn's Grove record., 1884-01-19
A FRENCH DIAMOND ROBBERY.

laurels won at Magenta were still ver-
dant and fresh; Sedan, with all its bit
ter humiliation and disastrous train of
tragic consequences, doomed in the
misty future, undreamt of amid the
almost fabulous luxury and incredible
~frivolity which paved the way for the
final terrible fiascO.
1t was an evening in mid-Winter
The Partisan season was at its height,
and a brilliant audience had assembled
at the Theatre Francois to with ess the
performance of Jules Sandeau's delight
full play, "Mlle. de la Seigli ere" in
which the role of DestouTnelles was
filed by the great Regnier and that of
Helene by Madeleine Brohan, then in
the zenith of her fame, radiant with
youth, beauty and those destinations,
the outcome of innate talent and refine
ment, which rendered this gifted lady
one of the most charming and perfect
actresses of modern days.
The Empress was present, graceful
and beautiful; the Emperor at her side,
wrapped in his favorite air of gloomy
abstraction, which, like Lord Burleigh's
celebrated nod, was supposed to mean
so much, yet which, viewed by the
impartial light of subsequent %veracious
history, seems to have signifed so very
little. Several officers in glittering
uniforms were in attendance. sparkling
with decorations shoWered upon them
by a grateful sovereign; and among
these gallant warrior, conspicuous by
reason of the s%ombreness of his attire,
was a solitary. humble. black-coated
civilian, in ordinary evening dress, with
the inevitable speck of red at his but
tonholr.
In a box almost Immediately opposite
that occupied by their imperial Males
ties was a young and exceedingly hand
some Russian lady, the Countess Ivan
off, concerning whose manifold graces
and destinations the great world of
Paris elected to interest itself consider
ably at this period.
The beauty and the IL
Northern enchantress were the theme
of every masculine tongue, and her
magnificent diamonds the envy and
admiration of all feminine beholders.
The Countess was accompanied by
her husband, a fine man of distinguished
progressing appearance, who looked
an embodied refutationof the celebrated
NapoleOnic aphorism, as though nc
amount of scratching" could evel
unearth the Cossack element under
meath his refined, polished exterior.
The curtain tell on n first act. The
The Emperor and Empress withdrew
during the entr'acte. Many humber
mortals followed their example; among
them Count ~Ivanoff, apparently in no
wise disturbed by the fact that the
golden youth in the stalls were bringing
a small battery of opera glasses to beal
upon the dazzling charms of his beauti
full wife, with a brazen persistency
which we chivalrous Britishers like tC
tlatter ourselves is the monopoly Of
foreigners.
The Countess leant back in hei
luxuriant faoteuil, tanning herself
dreamily, serenely indifferent to the
interest she was exciting. In the din
light of her curtain shaded box, the
glitter of her splendid diamonds seemed
to form a sort of luminous halo around
her graceful head; a myriad starry bril-
liants cleaned among the masses of hel
gold-brown hair, and two priceless
stones, popularity reported to be worth
that unknown quantity, a kings ran
son., flashed and twinkled like twin
planets in her little shell tinted ears.
The Count had not been gone five
minutes when there was a gentle knock
at the door, and, in answer to the
Countess "Entrez," the ouurelSe ap-
peared and said deferentially:
Pardon, Madam la Comtesse; a gen
tleman charged with a message from
Her Majesty the Empress waits in the
corridor, and desires to know if madame
will have the goodness to receive him. ,
Certainly Enter, l beg of you,
monsieur" replied the Countess, in a
low, suave voice, which was not the
least of her many attractions, bowling
graciously as she recognized the distin.
guished civilian she had already noticed
in close proximity to the Emperor in
the imperial box.
The visitor advanced a few steps, and
still standing in deer shadow, said with
grave dignity:
81 trust my intrusion may be par
doned. l am desired by Her Majesty
to ask a favor of Nine. la COmtesse,
and, at the same time, to beg that she
will have the goodness to excuse a
somewhat unusual request"
The obligation will be mine if | can
fulfil even the least Of her Majesty's
wishes, - answered the Countess, grace
fully.
1.-THE case is this" explained the
gentleman, in a one of well-bred ease
IAN argument has arisen concerning
the size Of the diamonds in your ear
rings and those of the Countess W.
The Empress begs that you will intrust
one of your pendants to her care for a
few moments, as the only satisfactory
method of disposing OF the yexed ques-
tion. l will myself return it the in
slant her Majesty gives it back into my
keeping"
with the greatest pleasure, +" agreed
the Countess, with amiably alacrity,
detaching the precious jewel forthwith,
and depositing 1t, without misgiving,
in the outstretched palm of tn i'm re
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