The Portland daily press., 1886-05-01
New England Farmer.l
a FRENCH DIAMOND ROB-
Berry.

Berry.
1t was in the palmieSt days of the ill-fat-
ed second empire. The triumphs of the Cri-
mea were not yet forgotten; the laurels won
at Magenta were still verdant and fresh Sc
dan, with all its bitter humiliation and dis
astrous train of tragic consequences, doomed
in the misty future, undreamed of amidst
the almost fabulous luxury and incredible
friyolity which paved the way for the final
terrible fiaScO.
1t was an evening in mid-winter. The Par
isian season was at its height, and brilliant
audience had assembled at the Theatre Fran
caise to witness the performance of Jules
Sandeau's delightful play, mile. de la Seig-
lierre, in which the role of Destournelles
was filed by the great Regner, and that of
Helene by Madeline Brohan, then in the re-
NTH of her fame, radiant with youth, beauty,
and those destinations, the outcome of innate
talent and refinement, which rendered this
gifted lady one of the most charming and
perfect actresses of modern days.
The empress was present, graceful ana
beautiful; the emperor at her side, wrapt
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 slgnlhed so
very little. Several officers in glittering uni
forms were in attendance, sparkling with
decorations shOwered upon them by CRATE
full sovereign and, among these gallant war
riors, conspicuous by reason of the sombre-
ness of his attire, was solitary, humble,
black-coated civilian in ordinary evening
dress, with the inevitable Speck of red at his
button-hole.
In box almost Immediately opposite that
occupied by their imperial majesties, was
young and exceedingly handsome Russian
lady, the Countess Ivanoff, concerning whose
manifold graces and destinations the great
world of Paris elected to interest itself con-
sinerably at this period.
The beauty and wit of this fair northern
enchantress were the theme of every mascu-
line tongue, and her magnificent diamonds
the envy and admiration of all feminine be-
holders.
The countess was accompanied by her hus-
band, fine man of distinguished, prepos-
DSoSAA'S "PPSoAoiNNs WIN lOOhOb dii ClHUUulCQ
refutation of the celebrated Napoleenic aph
orism, as though no amount of Scratching
could ever unearth the Cossaclz element I'M
derneath his refined polished exterior.
The curtain fell after the first act. The
emperor and empress withdrew during the
entr'dcte. 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 small battery of opera glasses to
bear upon the dazzling charms of his beauti-
full wife, with brazen persistency which we
chivalrous Britishers like to fatter ourselves
is the monopoly of foreigners.
The countess leaned back in her luxurious
fduteuil, tanning herself dreamily, serenely
Indifferent to the interest she was exciting.
In the dim 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 brilliants
cleaned among the masses of her gold-brown
hair, and two priceless stones, popularity re-
ported to be worth that unknown quantity,
a kings ransom, flashed and twinlled like
twin planets in her little shelled ears.
The count had not been gone five minutes
when there was gentle knock at the door,
and, in answer to the countess "Entrez,
the 0uUreuse appeared and said defeIentially:
Pardon, Nine. la Comtesse, a gentleman
charged with message from her majesty
the empress waits in the corridor, and de-
sires to know if madame will have the good
ness to receive him"
Certainly Enter. | beg of you, mon
sieur," replied the countess in the low sweet
voice which was not the least of her many
attractions bowling graciously. as she recog-
nized the istinguished-looking civilian she
had already noticed in close proximity to the
emperor in the imperial box.
The visitor advanced few steps, and, still
standing in deep shadow, said with grave
dignity:
Il trust my intrusion may be pardoned 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 full
fiji even the least of her majesty's Wishes"
answered the countess gracefully.
1.-The case is this" explained the gentle
man, in tone of well-bred ease; San argu-
ment has arisen concerning the size of the
diamonds in your earrings and those of the
Countess w. The empress begs that you
will intrust one of your pendants to her care
for few moments as the only satisfactory
method of diSposing of the vexed question.
will myself return it the instant her majesty
gives it back into my keeping"
with the greatest pleasure" agreed the
countess, with amiable alaerity, detaching
the precious jewel forthwith, and depositing
it, without misgiving, in the outstretched
palm of the imperial messenger; for, indeed
diamonds were almost as plentiful in the ex-
istence of this fortunate lady as in the pages
of Lothian, and she attached no more impor-
lance to them than did the jewel laden hero
ines of our late great and lamented premier
The countess bestowed smile and gra-
cious bow of dismissal upon her majesty's
distinguished ambassador, who responded by
a profoundly respectful inclination as he
made his exit. Once safely outside the box,
the aristocratic features of this high-bred i'm
perial emissary suddenly lost their serene
expression Of dignifed gravity, and relaxed
into triumphant Mephistophelean grin.
Shortly afterward Count Ivanoff returned.
81 have been talking to D." he remarked,
as he seated himself. "Clever fellow, D..
am not surprised at the emperor's partial
ity to him; he must find him so useful when
he is in want of an idea
"Who is D-?" inquired the countess with
langud interest.
'That is rather difficult question: re-
piled the count, smiling; ''there are several
editions of his BIOGRAPHICAL different,
probably none of them true. He is success
full, which is the chief point; moreover, he
is entertaining, and, at any rate, looks and
speaks like gentleman, which in these evil
days is something-even much. Tenez, he
has just entered the emperor's box-the man
in the black coat"
SIS that M. D-?' exclaimed the countess,
waking up to a mild interest in the subject;
''if so he has been here while you were away.
He came ON the part of the empress, and
carried off one of my earrings, which her
majessy wished to compare with one of the
Countess VS."
%! Impossiblel 1 was talking to