Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-09-09
S1XTheANengingHand IA
NVNY ByGuyde Maupossont "
By Guy de Maupossont

They formed a circle around Judge
Bermuticr. who was giving his opinion
of mysterious affair that had hap
pcned mt Saint-Cloud. For a month
this inexplicable crime had been the
talk OF Paris
NJ. Bermutier. the dominant figure
Of the group. standing with his back
TO the fireplace. talked about It. dis
cussed the various opinions. but came
TO no definite conclusions about the
matter.
Many women Ind risen and come
nearer. remaining standing. with eyes
fixed upon the smoOth-shavcn face OF
the magistrate. They shivcred AM
Nibrated. through their curious fear,
which tortured them like a hunger.
one OF them. paler than the others.
after Il silence. slid
1T is frightful IL touches the SUI
pernaturaL We shall never know any
thing about it."
The magistrate turned toward her.
saying:
1T is probable, madame. that we
never shall know anything about it F;
hut fcr the word supernatural when
you come TO use that, Il has no place
here. We are in the presence OF n
crime skillfully conceived, very skill
fully executed. and so well enveloped
I'm mystery that we can not separate
the battling circumstances which sur
round IL. still. once I'm my life. / had
10 follow an affair which seemed truly
TO be mixed up with something very
unusual. However. il was necessary %
give il up. as there was no means OF
explaining H..
Many OF the ladies called out at the
A. al q Hns..r~s
sounded rs one:
"Oh, tell us about t."
NJ. Bcrmuticr smiled gravely, as
Judges should. and replied:
You must not suppose. for an in
slant. that /. at least. believed there
was anything supcrhuman I'm the adj
venture. / believe only I'm normal
causes. And. If I'm place % using the
word supernatural 10 express what
we can not comprehend. We should
simply use the word 'iucxplicable' IL
would Ice much better. In any case
the surrounding circumstances I'm the
affair l will relate 10 you have af-
fcctcd me much.
The Vendetta.
ct was Judge OF Instruction n
Ajaccio. a little town lying on TIA,
border Of a beautiful gulf that was sur
rounded on all sides by high noun
tains."
Yes" echoed the listeners.
what 7 particularly had TO lool
after there was the affairs OF the ven
delta. Some OF them were remark
able: as dramatic as possible. Zero
cious and heroic. We found there the
most wonderful subjects OF vengeance
that one could dream OF. hatred q
century OLD, appcas,d for a moment
but never eNtinguished. abominaDl,
plots. assassinatiOns becoming massa
ores and almost glorious battles. Foi
two years / heard Of nothing but th,
price Of blood. OF the terribly pre- n
diced Corsican who IS bound 10 aven-'
all injury upon the person OF HIM W..
is the cause OF IL. or upon his ncares
descendants. / saw old men an IN
fants. relatives. with their threats cut
and my head was full of these stories
"One day we learned that an En-
EliShman had rented for some years
little villa at the end OF the Gulf II,
had brought with him a French serv
ant
"Soon everybody was occupied Will
this singular person, who lived alone
in his house. only going out 10 hun
and fish. lie spoke TO no one. nevc
came 10 the town, and every morning
practiced shooting with a pistol and
rifle Tor an hour or two. He was ro
puted dead shot.
some legends about him wer
abroad; that he was n high personag
fed from his own country for political
reasons; and that he was concealint
himself after having committed
frishtful crime. Some particularly
horrible details We're even recitci
I'm my capacity of judge. l wishes
TO get some information about thi
man. But il was impossible 90 lear
anything. He called himself Sir JOhl
Rowell.
Il cOntented myself with WATCHING
him closely; although. in reality