Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-11

lrsns's Bsr.,
CHAPTER |.

-
ktAvy, sonbrc autumn day that !, to
ge&kef with the messenger who hs'
oummensd ne. arrived ia sight OF tn
house 10 which my services - . phys'
slan were required. The only way o
approach 10 the mansion lay across
hike. Ny guide unfastened the char
q ! small boat which slept among TN
sedees q our feet, and, having taken my
soas in the prov, We pushed Of into
~ dark water. The shore recedeo
ana he two great hills from which We
hod descended. Before as lay the man
sion, backed BY still loftier mountains
ths peaks Of which rose far into the
sky. Who could support, day aiter
dsv and SESSION sfisr season, the iifelsss
lustrs Of thss inky lake, the unchange-
able oppression Of those overwhelming
hillss Cerssinly no common person. !.
Certainly no common person.
Az I repeated these words to myself
the boat touched the fungus-tinted
granite Of the steps ascending TO the
srcAvay Of the door. Another ser.
vist appeared at the entrance, who,
taking my bag and wrapper, preceded
me into . dusky hall, where the
lieht which entered through the deep
set pointed windows Was barely suffi-
cient TO reveal the rich oaken carving
Of the walls and ceiling, the ancient
and faded tapestries which yelled the
doorwsys, aud the spectral cleaning Of
suspended arms. Nothing here seemed
70 have been disturbed for ages. Not
. sign Of modern life was visible. The
dust of centuries blackened the rafters.
The scent OF antiquity was in the air.
Thence i WAS conducted through
many narrow, shadowy, and winding
corridors 10 . small chamber at the
other end Of the building. This room
was furnished in . more recent style,
and, indeed. except for the scarcity Of
light occssioned by the same pointed
and narrow windows which i had be.
fore observed, might have been called Q
comfortable apartment. The floor and
ceiling were. indeed, of the same black
oak as before an antique lamp hung
from the roof by . long chain; the
floor was screened by curtain Of tar
nished tapestry; so much was ancient,
medieval. But the walls were sur
rounded with shelves and stored with
books, papers and writing materials lay
on the table, and an essy-chair stood
invitipgly beside q cheerful fire. The
room was empty.
"Ny master will be with you imme-
distely, SIR" said the servant. With
this announcement he retired, and !
was left alone.
As / now stood before the fire it
struck me for the first time as q little
remarkable that | did not even know
nv patients name. had been sum
moned on this errand by mere chance,
my door. plate having happened to be
the first to catch the eye OF the mes
sepger. was q new arrival in the
peiehborhood and knew little OF
the residents. OF this remote and
singular dwelling l had never so
much as heard. looked round the
room. Immediately my attention be-
came arrested and my interest awakened
Whatever sort Of person might turn out
to be the owner of this strange place, it
was evident that he had one passion in
common with myself. On the table
stood . chess-board, with Q game
half played. Beside the board lay
q notebook, in which seemed to be
pencilled remarks on the position.
/ approached the book-shelyes. One
whole shelf-some dozens Of volumes
contained solely works referring to the
game, from the largest German hand
buch to the thinnest pamphlet transac-
tons of chess societies in all parts Of
the world; bulky scrap-books filled
with cuttings Of problems, games, and
Several of the volumes
were of the rarest kind, such as had
never hoped to set my eyes on. And
!, too, was n virtuoso, and poor one.
Is il any wonder that for some minutes
at least ! envied the fortunate possessor
Of these treasures with oil my heart?
had, however, little time to moral
ize upon this villainy Of fortune. My
reflections were cut short by the open
ing Of the door. turned, and found
myself face TO face with the object of
my envy.
For q moment we looked at each
in silence, and with mutual surprise.
/ saw before me Q man somewhat past
the prime Of life, with q face which
could not but be called beautiful
even in its extreme fragility and pallor.
Ihave said that he appeared to be some
what past the prime Of life; but his
true age would have been difficult to
determine. One who had looked only
at his face, and at his strangely bright
yet tintlsss eyes, would have pronounced
him young; yet his hair was the hail
Of very old man, being as white a
snow or ashes.
The surprise with which | regarded
him, however, arose not from his ap
pearance, but from strange discovery
which / made rs my eyes fell on hi
person. Long though it was since
had seen them last, these peculiaritie
Of face and figure were perfectly ia
miliar to me. II was impossible tina
/ could be mistaken.
Philip--Philip Froissart ="
calculated at last, recovering q littl
from my astonishment.
What" he answered on his side
"Pa,l Seldom |" And thereupon W
claspsd hands with all tho cordiality Q
an old regard.
Strange and unexpected meeting
Fiveana.twenty years-the quarter Q
. century--had passed since | an
Philip Froissart had met. As under
graduates Of the same college we ha
once been close and intimate friends
and I had known as much Of Froissar
% II was possible to know Of perso
Of his peculiar nature. But from tn
time OF our leaving the Universit
cur ways Of life had drawn us "a
apart--ms TO walk . London hospita
froissartto wander in luxurious idlenss
to Ill parts Of the civilized world. II
circumstances Of our life had bee
wholly different. Each had been carrie
away by separate pillows Of the gre
ocean; and thus II happened, as II off