Year: 1870

ingly, for the fair creature knew well
enough that the Duke, living fully up TO
his income, could never accomplish this
herculean task. Soon afterward she
heard that the Duke had sold his horses,
broken up his establishment, and gone to
live in strict retirement in a small cot
tage belonging to his brothers park
That very night, when about to place the
velvet band upon her neck, she found, to
her great surprise, that second pearl
had been added to the clasp. She knew
well enough whence it came, and smiled
sadly at the loss of labor she felt sure
that Duke Louis was incurring for loves
sake By degrees the velvet band be-
came covered with pearls, all of them as
fine as the one bestowed by the King of
Saxony, until one evening great was the
rumor in Augsburg-the fair Mendel had
been robbed; while on the stage, divested
Of ornament, in the prison scene as Bet
tina Won Armstedt, her dressing room
had been entered, and the velvet
collar with its row of price
less pearls had disappeared from
the toilet table This event was too ter
rible, her nerves so shaken, that in spite
of the assurance of the chief police
magistrate, who happened to be in the
theater at the moment, that he was sure
to find the thief in very short time, for
he had the clue already, poor Nj lie Men
del was so overcome by grief that her
memory failed her entirely, so that on
returning to the stage not word could
she remember of her part. The audi
ence waited for some time in astonish-
ment at the silence maintained by the
actress, who gazed at the audience in
piteous embarrassment until by sud-
den inspiration, and almost mechanically
indeed, she remembered she had the
rehearsal copy of the play in the pocket
of her apron. She drew it forth without
hesitation, and began to read from
it. At first the audience knew not
whether to laugh or be angry, but
presently memory, pathos, forgetfulness
of all but her art had returned to
M lie Mendel, and in the utterance of
one of the most impassioned sentiments
of her speech, she flung the rehearsal
copy into the orchestra, and went on
with her part without pause or hesita-
tion. The applause of the audience was
so tremendous that one of the witnesses
of the scene has told us that the monster
chandelier in the center of the roof
swung to and fro with the vibration
But on her return to the dressing-room
the excitement proved too much for her,
and she tainted away. On coming back
to consciousness, il was to find Duke
Louis at her feet, and the head Commits
saire standing by her side, bidding her
take courage, for the pearls had been
found. Where are they2" exclaimed
she. Are you sure thai none are
missing2 Have none been stolen? y
Duke Louis then clasped round her neck
the string OF pearls, complete at last, no
longer sewn on the velvet band, but
strung with symmetry, and fastened
with a diamond clasp. What more could
be done by the devoted lover? He
had spared neither pains nor
sacrifice to attain his end, and Mile
Mendel consented to become his wife.
The Emperor of Austria appears to have
been much moved by the story, and sug-
gested the nomination of the bride elect
to the title of Baroness de Wallersee,
which thus equalized the rank of the
fdnces, and enabled them to marry with
out difficulty. They live the most re-
tired life possible in their little chateau
on Lake Stahnberg. They say that the
Duchess Louise of Bavaria never puts
off night or day, the necklace of pearls,
the clasp of which is riveted to her neck,
and in consequence of this peculiarity
she is known all through the country
round by the name of the Fairy Perlina,
from the old German tale of the Magic
Pearl -