The Penn's Grove record., 1884-01-19

ence Of .MOrtuna,6 lady as in the
pages Of "Nothair," AMI she attached
no more aIinportanee to them than did
the Sewel-laden heroines Of our late
great and lamented Premier.
The Countess bestowed a smile and a
gracious bow upon Her Majesty's dis
tinguished ambassador, who responded
by a profoundly respectable inclination
as he made his exit. Once safely out
side the box, the arist ocratic features
of this high. bred imperial emissary
suddenly lost their serene expression OF
dignlfed gravity and relaxed into a
triumphant, Mephistophelean grin.
Shortly afterwards Count lvanotf
returned. ~ have been talking to
D" he remarked, as he seated him
self. "Clever fellow, D--I am not
surprised at the Emperor's partialIty for
him, he must find him so useful when
he is in want Of an idea"
"Who is D-?" inquired the
Countess with languid interest.
''That Is rather a difficult question, 5"
replied the Count, smiling; there are
several editions of his BIOGRAPHICAL
different, probably none Of them true.
lie Is successful, which is the chief
point; moreover, he is entertaining,
and, at any rate, looks and speaks like
a gentleman, which in these evil days
is something-eyen much. Tenez, he
has Just entered the Emperor's box
the man in the black coat"
SIS that Monsieur D-?' exclaimed
the Countess, waking up to a mild
interest in the subject; 'if so, he has
here while you were away. He came
on the part of the Empress, and carried
off one of my earrings, which Her
Majesty wished to compare with one Of
the Countess VS."
Cd! impossible! | was talking
to him the whole time l was absent,
and he only left me at the top of the
staircase two seconds before | re
turned
Nevertheless, mon ami, he has been
here, and has taken my earring. Seel
it is gone"
effectively" agreed the Count,
with a grim smile; ''but D has not
taken it. 1t is to the last degree I'M
likely that the Empress would make
such a request. Depend upon it, you
have been the victim of a thief, got up
as an accurate copy of the distinguished
looking -"
"Impossiblel" cried the Countess, in
her turn. "The affair is absolutely as
1 tell you. 1t was Monsieur D, the
veritable Monsieur D--I see opposite,
who came into this box and took away
my diamonds. Only wait a little, and
he will bring it back intact"
ITO wait a little is to lessen the
chances of its recovery. In any case, |
will go and inquire of D., if l can
get at him, whether he has been seized
with a sudden attack of kleptomia,
because the idea of the Empress having
sent linn roaming about the theatre,
borrow ing a lady's jewels, 1 regard as
preposterous. All, these Partisan fl0alsi
You do not know what scientific
genluses they are in their way"
With this the Count departed, and
the second act was nearly at an end
before he returned.
In the meantime the Countess per.
! ceiveTthat she was an object Of interest
to the occupants of the imperial box,
and notably to the "double" of her late
MISUNDERSTANDING visitor, who, she
could still solemnly declare, had stood
before her in the flesh.
~ vas right" whispered the Count,
re.eutering and bending over his wife's
chair; % knows nothing of your
earring, and, needless to say, the En-
press never sent him or any one else
upon such an eTrand. l have put the
matter into the hands of the police, and
they will do all that is possible to re-
cover it."
"Reallyl How very drollw remarked
the Countess, with calm nonchalance-
for she belonged to that order of i'm
passive statuesque women who remain
mistress of themselves though any
quantity of "china fall" 81 will take
out the other earring, or people may
fancy l am trying to set the fashion of
wearing an odd one;" and she handed
the fellow to the purloined jewel to her
husband.
The play came to an end, as ever
that most excellent feast of reason, a
good French play well acted, must do,
sooner or later, III company with all
things mundane,
The Countess was duly cOmmiserated
by sy%mpathizing friends, who II and
all declared, behind her back, that they
would never have been guilty of the
imbecility of trusting SO valuable
possession to the tender mercies Of
however fascinating a stranger; but
nothing more was heard of the stoler
jewel until the following day at noon
when Count Ivanoff received a note
from D. to the effect that, as he
could not help considering himself
partly responsible for the loss of tn,
diamond which had disappeared through
the agency of his counterpart, he had
taken an early opportunity of inter
viewing the Chief of the Police, who
assured him he had good reason to be.
lieve the thief had already been traced
as far as Brussels.
Early in the afternoon the Countess
was about to start for her early drive
in the Bots. The frozen snow lay deep
upon the ground, and her sledge, with
its two jet-black Russian horses jing.
g their bells msrrjly in the frosty
air, stood waiting the courtyard
while the Countess donned her furs.
A servant pptarinp announced hot