Year: 1875

|
came, and were shown into the
room where you slept last night.
The old man with the stamp Of
death upon his face, was propped
up on pillows where he had lain
for hours, his eyes fixed on the
door waiting for US. AS we enter
ed the room his filmy eyes bright
ened; his eager outstretched hands
trembled as we touched them
With the damp death dew on his
brow, his voice quaking, and his
whole soul shuddering as he lived
over again one terrible moment of
his life, he told us the story which
had better put together in my
own words.


1t appears that during that mo-
mentous visit to the Continent he
went to Naples. He was received
by the best society, and most hos
pitably entertained in the most dis
tinguished social and political cir
cles, where he passed many pleas
ant hours discoursing and d's,uss-
ing intellectual and scientific sub
jects-chemistry, surgery, and once
among these things, the use and
misuse of poisons cropped up in
the course of conversation I; and
some one present. gentleman of
some note and importance-asked
what was the quickest and easiest
death to die. The subject was
freely debated.


One evening he returned from
one OF these pleasant gatherings,
and in a reflective mood of mind,
sat for an hour looking over the
moon-lit city and the beautiful
world famous bay. 1t was near
midnight when two strangers were
shown in to him, who requested
his immediate attendance in case
of great urgency. He represented
that he was there on a visit of
pleasure, not for professional pur-
poses. They were perfectly aware
of that fact, they said, still, they
urged him so strongly that at last
they overcame bis scruples, and
he consented to go with them. A
carriage was at the door; he got
in first, they followed him, pulled
down the blinds, and the carriage
ratified away. He did not like his
position, and began to suspect that
all was not right. They kept ut
ter silence.


They seemed to drive great
distance, turning and turning many
times. Once he inquired, "Had
they far TO go ?" and received the
brief answer, "No." At last they
drove into the courtyard of q great
house. The door opened as if by
magic. There was no lights, he
might as we'll been blindfolded !;
there would have been total dark
ness but for the moonbeams which
struggled through the stained-glass
window, and fell in fantastic
shadows at their feet as they accend-
ed the wide stone staircase. On
reaching the first landing they
threw open door, and for second
he was almost blinded by the blaze
of light that streamed out upon
him. The door closed behind him
as he stepped into the room. He
took in the whole aspect of the
room at glance; ; 1t was gorgeous
ly furnished, and brilliantly illum-
mated with wax candles; at table
near the heavily curtained window
man of stern, commanding APP
pearance sat writing. He raised
his head as they entered, and
pointed to the far end of the room,
exclaimed:


"Your patient lies there, SIR"


My grandfather's eyes followed
the direction of his finger, and OBJ
served o woman stetched upon q
couch. Where had he seen that
face before Slowly it dawned
upon his memory. A few days
back he had been to the theater,
and, glancing round, was struck
by d beautiful, fair face, which for
the time fascinated him; he thought
it the loveliest there. He looked
on it again, now; but how chang
edl The hands were clasped upon
the breast, as though in prayer
O dumb, white terror was written
on the face; and in the great up
lifted eyes there was a hopeless
despairing agony sickening to be-