Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-05-24
DOCTOR MACBRIDE.
BY GEORGE AUGUSTUS sALA.


DR.. Eneas Macbride was strong in comnara-
tive anatomy, and dissected everything that
came in his way. His dIssecting room was in
the court yard Of the Palazzo Carminali, Rome
put IL was upstairs in his library, and alone that
I'll Scozzese" carried out his choicest manipula-
lions. and made the more delicate Of his 'prepa-
rations OF human muscles. arteries, veins and
nerves, which. when completed were displayed
under glass shades on large table In the center
OF the apartment. 1t was at this table, having
just finished the dissection of very small hand
never mind to what kind of creature the hand,
while it was living one, had belonged-that he
was sitting one evening in July, 1875, when it
suddenly occurred to him that he had exhausted
his supply of cochineal with which to tinge the
melted wax which he proposed to inject on the
morrow morning into the venous system of his
preparation"
Dr. Eneas Macbride proceeded to the well =
known druggists shop kept by Sig. Pamela
rotro, at the corner of the Via de Condotti It
was one of the largest and handsomest shops in
Rome. He made his purchase and placed the
packet OF cochineal in a side pocket.
stay. he suddenly exclaimed, pausing on
the threshold; II had forgotten something
You must make me up, if You please, that ad-
mirably effcacious sleeping draught with the
secret Of the formula of which only you and I
are cognizant and which has given ease to SO
many of my patients. Will you prepare it for
me at once? l must take it with me-
with pleasure, atist,'issin,o ed ercellentissino
DOttore said the apothecary. as he BUSTED from
jar to jar and bottle to bottle, pouring various
ingredients into glass vial. "'Tisa wonderful
sleeping draught to be sure. have tried it on
my wife, who. poor soul, endures agonies from the
toothache: and 1T never fails in producing SUM-
Der. To be sure, had you not positively told
me that the potion was quite harmless, should
have been afraid to use it; for the sleep which it
brings about is so deep and so long as to be
really like the sleep of DEATH"
He had soon completed his task; and Dr. Mac
bride, placing the vial in his side-pOcket with
the cOchinea left the fa,n,dcid. He crossed
the Piazza d Spagna. i'm the direction of the
College of the Propaganda; when just as he had
reached the spot where now is the monument
his path was crossed by tall man, who was
wrapped in long, brown cloak, and who wore
his broad tapped hat slOuched over his eyes.
Its all very well for you to SLOUGH YOUR hat
over your eyes. my friend" said Dr. Macbridet to
himself; but know that hat and cloak very
well, or am grevOusly mistaken. They belong
to the nameless man who lodges In one of the
garrets at the PaiaZZi Carminali once nursed
you through fever, my friend, and gave you
money to get your cloak out of pawn. 1 don't
think that you would do me any harm, although
folks do say that you are spddacino-a hired
assassin"
Scarcely had he thus mentally expressed him.
sell, when he heard, In a low voice behind him.
the single word, "EccOlo!" "Here he Isl" And
Immediately he was seized from behind by
strong arms. heavy cloak was thrown over his
head and he was lifted from the ground and
carried some yards. Then he was thrust for
ward on to what seemed to be some kind of
bench or seat; the arms which had seized him
had relaxed their grasp, a door was slammed
and he became aware that he was in a RAPIDLY
moving wheeled vehicle.
DR.. Eneas Macbride had in verify been kid
mapped by two men. fOrcibly carried by them to
a coach, one of the doors of which was standing
wide huddled into the vehicle and rapidly driven
away. The whole proceeding, indeed, had
been watched with the liveliest interest by an
Individual who was clad in a long brown cloak,
and who wore his hat slOuched over his eyes
and whO-there is now no indiscretiOn in saying
Twas the nameiess man who lived in one of
the garrets of the PalazZo Carminali, and whose
profession was cOnjectured to be that of an as
sassin for hire. And as he watched the carriage
rapidly retreating into the shadows the name
less man was Jingling some golden coins In his
pocket and chuckling merrily.
Ten ducats," he refiected-''ten ducats only
for pointing out the SignOr DOttore to them And
they have sworn not to do him any harm. Of
course If they had wanted to harm him they
would have come to me; but | would not
have stabbed the SignOr Dottore; no, not for
hundred ducats. Let us 60 and drink bottle
of Chianti."
While the nameless man was thus congratu-
latlng himself on the successful result OF his
exceptionally Dloodiess nights work. unseen
hands had relieved DIR. Eneas Macbride of
the heavy cloak in which he had been muff1ed,
and in which he had been all but usuffocated
He sat up, to find himself indeed in the interior
OF what was evidently carriage belonging to
some person OF rank. The blinds were closely
drawn down, but O small lamp hanging from
the roof gave sufficient light for him to see that
the opposite seat was occupied by two gentle
men very richly dressed, but whose cOunte-
nances were wholly concealed by masks OF black
silk, having deep fringes Of the same material
One or the gentlemen fastened to inform him
that he must submit to have his eyes bandaged,
as the person Into whose presence they were
about to conduct him was lady Of rank, whose
name and place of abode it was imperatively ne
cessary to conceal. As he pulled the bandage
out Of his pocket and proceeded very adroitly
to adjust 1t to the Doctors eyes his Companion
took occasion to remark that he and the other
gentleman were fully armed, and should the
Doctor, at this or at any other stage Of the pro-
eeedings, offer the slightest resistance to any
request which was proffered to him, he would
be immediately stabbed to death. Upon this
admOnitiOn DIR. Eneas Macbride determined.
like the canny Scot he was, to hold his tongue
and see-when he was permitted to use his eye
sight again-what came of it.
1t seemed to him that the carriage was con-
great variety of streets, possibly with the
view to prevent his forming any accurate idea
as TO the part of the city to which he was being
conducted The coach at length stopped and
the door was opened for him. His two COM
panions took him each under one arm. assisted
MIN to alight and conducted him Up narrow
staircase into room, where, after a moments
pause, the bandage was removed from his
eyes. He found himself In small drawing
room or bOudOir dimly lighted by wax tapers
and richly furnished, although sheets and
pieces of tapestry had been thrown over some
OF the chairs or placed i'm front Of the picture
frames, as though for the purpose of prevent
Ing stranger from too closely identifying the
contents Of the room. There was q flax of
wine on the table and one Of the gentlemen
filled large humber of Venetian glass and Of
fered 1t to DR.. MacbrIde.
81 want no wine." he said, coOlly; at may
be poison for aught know"
The gentleman who had offered him the wine.
and who was very tall and clad in a suit of dark
blue paduasoy, richly laced with gold, for all
reply put the goblet to his lips and tossed of
the contents at draught. Then his cOmpan-
ion, who was shorter and stOuter-nether had
removed his mask-and who wore q green
d0ublet and coat laced with silver, filed another
glass with wine and offered it to the Doctor,
saying: You had better drink it. Remember
what told you in the carriage. We allow no
trifllng in this house; and besides YOU have
need to nerve yourself for what you have to
do" W.
II don't like Dutch COURAGE" replied Dr. Mac
bride, land am not used to dram-drinking to
nerve me for my work. However, as have not
the slightest wish to have my throat cut. and
you appear to be prepared to cut it"-bOth gen.