Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-08

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called out "Entrez," and saw him I was
staggered.
He was tall, very broad-shouldered with a
deep chest, and under his heavy arms when
he moved them, rose mountains of muscle.
His face was one which M. Legros would
have delighted to paint; a broad, low fore
head, heavy black brows and dark eyes set
very far apart; wide, short, fat nose; a
long upper lip, with large thick mouth,
fresh, drink-suggesting lips, and great
square jaw. Not beauty, you will say;
no, but hideously fascinating. I am not
imposing, in body at least; my height is
but five feet three, and I am not broad; ]
don't think could lift 200 pounds even to
be made King or Emperor of France, OF
President of the Republic, as the case
might be. My face, however, is eminently
aristocratic, SO my friends say;s high, mar
row forehead, and delicate, prominent nose,
and have been called not bad looking.
What pretty contrast there must have
been for M. Poncard to observe betwsoa
the hunter and the hunted!
M. LIE Theuff was very pleasant, and
talked remarkably; instead Of showing.
like an ordinary educated Frenchman, a
surface knowledge of many things, or like
an Englishman, solid acquaintance with
few, he exhibited Frenchman's univer.
salty and an Englishman's solldity OF
knowledge, so that each subject seemed to
have been his special study. After a long
talk we left, but not before l had accepted
an invitation to dine with him that evening.
The dinner was delightful, for wine and
cooking were good and his talk was fasci-
mating; and indeed under his influence
myself talked much better than usual.
| After dinner we played at cards, at which
I lost heavily; what can skill do against un-
fair play?
| During the next week saw him daily,
but learned little. found that he carried
pistols; do you suppose did not? l asked
| him why he had them. He had nervous
fits sometimes, in which he fancied that
some one was pursuing him, and he felt
relieved by feeling them. Was it not ri
diculous? I thought it so ridiculous that a
cold stream of perspiration ran down my
back.
| By the end of the week found the cards
were becoming serious strain and feared
NJ. Gotidin would not like the bill. Did
he play chess? Yes. found that he was
somewhat stronger, so I manGuvered to
let him win the whole. Three weeks
spent at Auray, yet heard nothing, saw
|
l began to despair of success; three
weeks gone, nothing new known, and
had grown sick of the whole affair, when
one day he announced that he was going to
| Paris on business. The news gave me life;
something was to be done at last. Hastily
I sent off to NJ. Goudin to bid him make
ready in Paris, and then I waited with
feverish anxiety till he had gone.
| Hardly had he left the house before
entered, accompanied by locksmith, and
we searched. Was ever a house searched
before? We took up all the planks, re-
moved all the tapestry Of the walls, tested
every stone, took all the furniture to pieces,
shook all the wine bottles, and, in fact, so
carefully did we search that the locksmith
said if he had hidden pin we should have
found it. All in vain.
We put everything back in its place and
I waited. Then came dismal letter. With
the aid of the police, M. LIE Theuff had
been attacked by sham robbers, three of
whom he had nearly killed, had been chic
reformed, stripped and searched, and at the
same time all his luggage had boen sesretly
examined at his hotel. Nothing was found.
Back came M. LIE Theuff, furious at having
been robbed.
| now wished to give up the case; the
locket seemed destroyed, and therefore ali
clew was gone, and my health had begun
to suffer from the mental struggles l had
gone through. Nine. Dumont was sure he
would never have destroyed the locket, but
that it must be hidden, and she begged me
to 90. M. Goudin told me the madame had
promised to marry him if the murderer
was convicted, and not otherwise, and
joined his entreaties to hers, and so | gave
way.
A few days slowly dragged Oh, when
suddenly hit on grand idea. This is
how it happened:-I was sitting at dinner
at my hotel one day, next to an English
man. Now I understood English very
well-I am a very good linguist; he was
talking to the lady on the other side of him,
of Friedrich Anton Mesner. / hardly no.
ticed the conversation until the lady said:
81 would not let any one mesmerize me,
they might make me tell my secrets" !" Like
a flash of lightning came to me the idea Of
mesmerizing my murderer. So much did
it startle me, that fooishly trying to swal-
low some red-hot soup in mechanical
way, 1 choked badly. My Englishman
kindly patted me on the back with Flows
like an elephants kick.
To Paris I went next day to study mes
merism; stopped week and came back
quite satisfied. Though I am weak in
body am strong in mind, and l found nc
great difficulty in mesmerizing several
young men.
In the evening of the day of my return
went round to M. LIE Theuff's; felt that
should be very careful, lest, like the Eng
lish lady, he should decline to be mesmer-
lied for fear of telling his secret. During
dinner 1 casually mentioned the subject,
and afterward told him of part OF what
I had seen, stating, however, that none Of
the subjects could be got to talk. turned
a delicate hint about his being an interesting
subject Ca strong enough truth to morally
counterbalance the falsehood about the
muteness of the mesmerized). Then came
a check; SO decided statement that he
" ould never be mesmerized that dared moi
say more.
That night, sorely troubled by the ap
parent failure of my scheme, l tossed about
on my bed in sleepless despair for hours
till at last, exhausted, fell asleep and
dreamed. In my dream I found myself
gazing at the murderer, and gradually los
ing my senses before the power OF his eyes
and Just as l felt all was over, 10! his eyes
relaxed their stare, he fell back, and
woke. Then came into my mind TINS
strange idea. Why not let him try to mes
merize noe, and mesmerize him IN the at
Tempt =,
In the morning went and talked to M
Poncard. He thought that my idea woulo
not do, for being the subject could mo-
use nv passes, and so not only might fail
but I might succumb to his power -
"And then there would be an inquest,
said /. sBut think see my way. | be
lieye he has no knowledge of the subject
and probably no book on it. Let us print
book with false directions so that he using
il will really be mesmerized and not. mes
merizer, and I can use the passes" A
once he agreed. In four days had a clean
COPY of treatise on the subject, with
chapter cut out and false one added.
Nj. LIE Theuff had asked me to dinner Oh
the night on which the book came home
i and so warning M. Poncard, | set out at
Iouarter of six with the book under m.
arm. It was an oppressively hot evening
and rising summer storm seemed to DloV
the heat about in red-hot particles.
He was in great spirits, for he had Jus
fonnd his cat, which had been lost for fou
days-a quiet, timid white cat, which wa
the only thing he seemed to love, or evel
to care for. A feeling of pity came oTe
NV mind as thought of the poor wretcl
At IA