Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-08-27
CHAPTER XX-CoNrINuED.

With the Doctors help Borik began
to regain his consciousness.
You. Mr.. Pierre You! Alive ~
Yes !" answered Pierre. Yes
alive . Though it would be better if
were dead !"
In a few words the Doctor informed
Borik of what had taken place ut Rag
usa. Then the old servant told him
the story OF those two months of mis-
cry
But asked the Doctor at the out
set was it her sons death that caused
Madame Bathory TO lose her reason 2"
mo, sir, no! !" answered Borik.
And this is what he told them.
Madame Bathory, being alone in the
world, had left Ragusa and went to live
ut the little village of Vintcello. where
she had few relatives. While there
she had been planning how to dispose
of her house, as she had no further in
tenton of inhabiting 1t.
Six weeks afterwards, accompanied by
Borik. she had returned to Ragusa To
arrange all these matters, and when she
reached the house in the Rue Mari
nella she found that letter had been
dropped into the box.
Having read the letter-and the read
ing seemed to have given her mind its
first shock Madame Bathory screamed
and ran into the road. and down into
the Stradone. and knocked at Toron-
thals door, which opened Immediately.
"Ioronthals ?" exclaimed Pierre.
L .har
/ came up TO Madame Bathory she did
not recognize me. She was"
But why did my mother SO to Tor
onthals? Yes Why asked Pierre.
looking at the old servant as if lie were
quite mystiiied
She probably desired to speak with
Mr.. Toronthal," answered Bork, and
two days before Mr. Toronthal had left
his house with his daughter, and no one
knew where he had gone.
And this letter? this letter 7"
Il have not been able to find it. Mr..
Pierre" answered the old man;
MADAME Bathory must have lost it or
DESTROYED it, or had II taken from her;
and DO not know what it was about.
There was some mystery here. The
Doctor, who had been listening without
sayin a word. could see no reason for
this net of Madame Bathory's. What
imperious motive had urged her to the
house in the Stradone, which everything
would have made her avoid and why
when she learned that Toronthal had
disappeared, had she received SO violent
shock AS TO drive her mad!
Boriks story only took few minutes.
He succeeded in keeping Madame Bath
ory's mental state secret. and busted
himself in realizing her property. The
calm. gentle mania of the unhappy
widow allowed him to act without sus-
picion. His only object then, was to
leave Ragusa, and obtain shelter In some
distant town. it mattered not where,
provided it was far away from that
accursed place. A few days afterwards,
he took Madame Bathory on board one
of the steamers that trade with the
Mediterranean coast, and arrived at
Tunis. or rather La Goulette. There he
resolved TO stop.
And then, in this deserted marabout,
he devoted himself to the care of Madame
Bathory, who seemed to have lost her
speech rs well tS lltI SSH7o'' '|"' -
resources were SO slight that he could
see the time coming when they would
both be reduced to the last misery.
1t was then that the old servant
thought of Doctor Antekirtt, OF the
interest he had always taken in the
Bathory family. But Borik did not
know his usual address He, however,
wrote. and the letter he trusted, In des-
pair. TO Providence, and 1T appeared
that Providence had brought the letter
into the Doctors hands.
There could be 10 doubt what was
next TO I've done. Madame Bathory,
without any resistance on her part, was
placed in the carriage with Borik and
Pierre and Maria And then the Doctor
and Luigi walked back by way OF the
road to La Goulette.
An hour afterwards they all embarked
on the Yacht, vhich was under steam.
The anchor wns immediately weighed,
and a. soon "a she had doubled Cape
Bon the Ferrato steered % as to sight
tho lights of Pantellaria The day after
the next, in the early morning. she ran
into harbor Mt Antekirtta
Madame Bathory was taken ashore 81
once, led TO Artenak, and installed IN
one Of the rooms Mt the Stadthaus.
Another sorrow for Pierre Bathory
His mother deprived OF reason. become
mad under circumstances which would
probably remain inexpIcable! II the
cause Of this maducss could be rsccE-