LI

E>

RARY

OF THE

NIVLRSITY

Of ILLINOIS

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

LIGHT AND DARKNESS,

VOL.

III.

CONTENTS
THE THIRD VOLUME.

PAGE

....

THE monk's story (CONCLUDED)

THE POISONERS

24

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNl

140

THE BURGOMASTER AND THE BEGGAR

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE

.....

THE LYCANTHROPIST

THE PRISONER OF THE CONCIERGERIE

MADAME

LOUISE

167

205

230
.

249
276

LIGHT AND DAEKNESS;

MYSTERIES OE

LIEE,

BY

MRS. CATHERINE CROWE,

AUTHOR OF

"THE NIGHTSIDE OF NATURE," "SUSAN HOPLEY,"

IN

THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. in.

LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,
GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1850.

&C.

LONDON
Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street.

8X3

THE MONK'S STORY.

(CONTINUED.)

CHAPTER
" I
old

WAS

when

IT.

a child," said he,

the

originated.

my

mother in

of eight years
.in

which

my

My

father

had

event occurred

unhappy malady
died, leaving

''

tolerable circum-

stances and with two children, myself and a

sister
I

of marriageable years.

have

since

understood,

This

sister,

had become

as
at-

tached to an Italian stranger of very questionable character

VOL.

III.

who had appeared

B

in the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

town we
itinerant

the

inhabited, under the character of an

My

artist.

father

had discovered

him the

connexion, and had forbidden

house

but when he died, the stranger's in-

fluence prevailed over

my

mother's authority,

and one morning Adele was missing.

As

the Italian disappeared at the same time, no

doubt was entertained that they had gone

together,

off

and a few weeks confirmed these

They came back,

apprehensions.

declaring

themselves married, and petitioning

my mo-

She granted

ther's forgiveness

and

them both; but

finding her so easy to deal

assistance.

with, Ripa, the Italian, began to

frequent

demands upon her

dulged in such violence

not responded
to forbid

some

him

talent,

when

the house.

but he was

and the habit of

augmented these

purse,

living

idle

it

in-

necessary

believe he

and

had

dissipated,

upon us had so

vices, that

bring himself to work.

and

his drafts were

that she found

to,

make such

far

he could no longer

The consequence

THE MONK
was, that he soon

ing

my

into distress, and, find-

fell

mother, whose resolution was sus-

he had

by her brother, inexorable,

tained

more desperate means of supplying

recourse to

Many

his necessities.

culated about him,

was

suspicion

great

STORY.

evil

reports were

and, at length, so

excited, that, to

my

cir-

much

mother's

they quitted the place, and several

relief,

months elapsed without any

tidings of their

proceedings reaching her.

" For

my

childhood,

of Ripa

or

part,

had
of

with the usual

totally

my

volatility

of

ceased to think either

sister,

formerly been exceedingly

of

whom

had

fond, and I was

wholly occupied with the prospect of going to

had no com-

school, a prospect which, as I

panions of

me.

My

my own

age at home, delighted

mother, on the contrary, suffered

considerably from the idea of the impending

separation

under her

and the
roof,

she

last

night I was to sleep

took

me

to

bed.

B 2

lie

in her

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

4
"

cannot part with you

'

child

said she, as she kissed

!'

chamber.

her

to

parting

is yet,

'

You

You

know what
think only

the playfellows you are going

of

know

to

not what you are about to lose

" Little I dreamt of aU I

fell

was going

to lose,

asleep directly, for I have

my mother's

recollection of

nor of anything

else, tiU I

coming to bed,

was awakened by

the pressure of a heavy hand on

and,

by the

stood on

faint

a table,

light

my

breast,

of a lantern which

my

discovered

brother-in-

law, Ripa, the Italian, hanging over me.

it

you

!'

nor she either.

" I suppose I

no

me,

don't

Dominique.

my
and led me

to-night,

was not

at

me

he was looking, but at

But

my

mother, who, fast asleep, was lying on the

other side of the bed.

kept

me

silent

An

instinctive terror

and motionless

and presently,

having ascertained the position in which his

victim was lying, he raised a large knife he
held in his hand, and struck

it

repeatedly into

THE monk's story.

At

her breast.

a cry which seems

my

know

it

sudden

my fears,

as

I uttered

perhaps he did not

was me, but was only

for,

and

horror

have revealed to

first to

presence; or

noise,

my

the third blow,

and anguish overcame

him

by the

startled

purpose was un-

his

doubtedly robbery, I do not see

w% he should

not have despatched so insignificant an obstacle,

and

may

be,

window,

he took fright and

for

presence of
there,

" I

However this

fulfilled his intentions.

he seemed
mind,

but

fled, first to

to

have

she

was

the

afraid

servant

he w^ould return, and, almost

grief, I

who

she entered the

found

my

lay

my

my

poor

slept in

room

still

or to

the kitchen.

morning,

and

myself

Ripa was pursued and

testimony was

sister died

the rest

rise,

in the

mother dead,

bathed in her blood.

taken,

all

no egress

finding

of the night, without courage to

When

lost

he turned and retreated by the door.

dead with terror and

call

the

fatal

to

him, and

of a broken heart a few

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

months

he had expiated his crime on

after

the scaffold.

A long and fearful

"

me

sequence to

have

ever

dreams

malady was the con-

of this dreadful event, and I

been

since

subject

these

to

!"

"

What dreams ?"

"

Such

wherein

had

as I

I feel

I asked.

last

night/ he answered

myself constrained to act over

"

again the frightful scene I witnessed.'

"

'

And

pray/

inquired,

'

do you

select

any particular person as your victim in those

dreams
"

'

"
'

?'

Always.'

And what

upon ?
"

No,'

peculiar

Perhaps,'
'

Is

it

does

enmity

returned
influence

this

Dominique

that

added he,

after

you may have observed

fixed

on you of

had observed

late

this

?'

selection

depend

?'

cannot

some

my

it

is

explain.

hesitation,

eyes frequently

remembered that

and he then

told

me

that

THE MONKS STORY.

whoever he looked
person he dreamt

at in that

manner was the

"
of.'

Lisle, "

"Such," said Charlie

was the

account of this strange personage.

when

had heard

for

already

w^as

began

Fra Dominique and Brother

that

satisfied

I confess,

his explanation,

to feel particularly queer,

Prior's

Lazarus were one and the same person

I perceived that I

of being

dream
"

was

in considerable danger

the

selected

and so

I told

Never

fear,"

and

victim

of

next

his

Pere Jolivet.

said he

" w^e lock

him up

my

every night, and have done so ever since

Added

adventure.

unwell

to which,

he was taken with a

and we have been obliged

"

'

But he

"

'

Yes,'

notion

he

he

is

very

yesterday,

fit

to bleed him.'

the

going

Prior

to

die,

mere fancy

daresay.

same notion during the

'

he

has a

and entreated

permission to prepare his grave.

ever,

now

digging there below%' said

replied
is

is

It

is,

how-

He had

indisposition

the
that

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

succeeded the dream I have just related.

forgot to

that this Fra

to have penetrated the secret,

Dominique changed

his

when he accompanied me
allowed to do at his
I

cannot

you seem

you, however, though

tell

name
here,

own urgent

Lazarus

to

which he was

entreaty

why,

but ever after that conversation,

tell,

he seemed to have imbibed a strong attach-

ment

me

to

perhaps because I exhibited

none of the distrust or aversion towards him

which some persons might have been apt

entertain under the

"

week

after

to

same circumstances.'
this

was informed that

Brother Lazarus was dead," continued Lisle

" and I

confess I did not

decease.

dangerous

thought a

man

much

subject to such

dreams was better

world than in

it;

more

regret his

out

especially as

account he had no enjoyment in

of the

by

life.

all

On

the day I quitted the monastery, I saw from

my window

one of the brothers completing

the already partly-made grave, and learnt that

THE monk's story.

he was

be buried that evening

to

descended the

who were
'

carrying his

Rest his soul

spurs

!'

said

and having

passed some

stairs,

and

as I buckled

I,

cell.

my

on

thanked the good

heartily

mounted

prior for his hospitality, I

monks

his

to

coffin

as I

my

horse

and rode away."

Here Charlie

Lisle rang the bell

and asked

for a glass of water.

" Is that all?" inquired

"
to

Not

Lady Araminta.

quite," said Charlie

My

come.

Pierre Chatel

to

visit

" the sequel

monastery of

the

had occurred

in the

month

During the ensuing months

June.

and

Pyrenees,

intending

Madrid,
lions I

at

and winter

length
to

crossed

proceed

there.

of

tra-

of the south

velled over a considerable part

of France

is

the

far

as

Amongst

the

had been recommended

as

to visit

was

a monastery of Franciscans in the neighbour-

hood of Burgos, and

of

my

turned somewhat out

road for the purpose of inspecting some

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

10

monks were

curious manuscripts which the

reputed to possess.

was in the month of

It

October, and a bright moonlight night,

I

rang the

and requested

bell,

Padre Pachorra, to
introduction.

whom

see the

to

had

Brother

found him a dark,

me

received

thing in

Lazarus;

civilly

his

grave,

my

old

and although

he

enough, there was some-

demeanour that

The whole

spirits.

of

letters

sombre-looking man, not very unlike

friend

when

affected

my

of the convent, too,

air

was melancholy; convents,

other esta-

like

blishments, taking their tone very

much from

the character of their superiors.

"

As

arrived,

the
I

monks had

already supped

when

was served with some refreshment

in the parlour;

and the whole internal

rangements here being exceedingly

immediately afterwards retired to
firmly resolved to take

am

day.

early,

and when

my

ar-

strict,

my chamber,

departure the next

not in the habit of going to bed

I

do,

never can sleep.

THE monk's story.

By

the time

rived,

my

usual sleeping hour

have generally got so

nervous from lying awake,

banished

altogether.

ever I

am

me

retire

to

that slumber

Consequently,

my

early to

reading

till

room,

the lamp gave so

little

light,

of the question

eyehds

it

was out
and

myself on Padre Pachorra's hard

was very cold

it

was, I assure

There were not

too.

coverings enough on the bed to keep in

animal heat
clothes over
a very

in

and

chilly,

so I yielded to necessity,

and a very hard one

you.

that either re-

maining out of bed or reading in

couch

make

my

find

Franciscan convent was so

stretched

is

when-

But the dormitory assigned me

heavy.
this

and

restless

under circumstances that oblige

of

practice

ar-

is

and although

me

also,

still

spread

my own

I lay shivering in

uncomfortable manner,

afraid, uttering

my

and,

am

sundry harsh remarks on the

Padre's niggardly hospitality.

" In this agreeable occupation, as you

may

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

12

suppose, the flight of time was somewhat of

the slowest.
I
it

had been

do not know how many hours

there,

but I had begun to think

never would be

something

stirring

The

door.

morning, when

in the gallery outside

silence of a convent

from the busy world without

sounds to penetrate the thick

no slamming door,

foot,

the

removed

for

external

stillness,

was

me
the

whilst

walls,

wandering

nor

nor sacrilegious voice breaks in upon

shutters to

in,

is

far

the slightest

noise strikes

the ear with a fearful distinctness.

it

my

night

at

Too

the silence of the grave.

within

heard

still

the

my

window, so that

had no

was aware

pitch-dark without, though, with-

feeble

light

to see a little

inmates

before

upon

my lamp

of

about me.

of monasteries

daylight, but

enabled

knew

that

only

rise

not

also that they

perform

midnight masses, and so forth; but then

had always observed that on these occasions

they were

summoned by

bell.

Now,

there

THE monk's story.

was no

bell

seemed

on the contrary,

except

death,

as

the

my

be

it

?'

thought

was

all

cautious

to be approaching

on earth can

13

which

foot

room.

'

What
up

sitting

I,

still

in

bed with an indescribable feeling of apprehen-

At

sion.

moment

that

my

the latch of

hand was

door.

cannot

laid

upon

tell

why,

but instinctively I jumped out of bed

the

door opened, and in walked what appeared

to

me

to

be Brother Lazarus, exactly as the

Chatel had described him to

Prior of Pierre

me

on the occasion of his nocturnal

His

chamber.

his

of one dead

glazed, as

ghastly paleness

were

eyes
;

his

the
"

knife,

monks

conceive

Charlie

my

was of a

and

in his

hand

such an one as was used by

Lisle,

auditors every eye

rubbed

face

to cut their large loaves with.

You may

tinued

but

open,

he had nothing on but the

grey tunic in which he slept

he held a

visit to

eyes,

my amazement,"
whUst amongst

was firmly

riveted.

and asked myself

if I

conhis

" I

were

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

14

Too

dreaming.

surely I

was awake

Was

never even slumbered for an instant.

I

mad ?

was no proof

that

was

I did not think I

but certainly

the contrary

to

had

and

almost began to doubt that Brother Lazarus

was dead and buried on the other

The

Pyrenees.
told

me

he was dead, and

of the

others
decease.

and

Prior of Pierre

had seen

his

Chatel had

had heard

brotherhood

had passed

the hall

side of the

alluding

made

grave

several
to

his

ready,

his coffin as I descended to

was

yet here he

in Spain,

again re-

hearsing the frightful scene that Jolivet had

described to

through

my

me

Whilst

mind,

all

this

was

fleeting

was standing en chemise

betwixt the bed and the wall, on which side

I

had happened

to leap out.

In the mean-

time the apparition advanced with bare

feet,

and with the greatest caution, towards the

other side of the bed

and as there were of

course no curtains, I had a full view of his

diabolical features,

which appeared contracted

THE monk's story.

As

with rage and malignity.

15

had de-

Jolivet

scribed to me, he first felt the bed, as if to

ascertain if I were there

out

frightened

was

discover that I

me

where

was.

unarmed, and

my

of

in

and

I confess I

senses lest he should

not,

and possibly detect

What

could I have done,

my

against this pre-

shirt,

And

ternatural-looking monster ?

him

provided

was

always

it

was

wake

to

really

Brother

Lazarus, and not his double, a point about

which

from

learnt

exceedingly uncertain

felt

Jolivet

was extremely

had

perilous.

However, he did not discover that the bed

was empty

his

dream no doubt supplying a

visionary victim for the occasion

his

and

raising

arm, he plunged the knife into the mat-

tress

with

a fierce

determination that con-

vinced

me

chance

of surviving the blow

should

have had very

where he imagined me.

he struck,

had

x\gain

little

been

and again

looking on with a horror that

words could but feebly paint

and then he

16

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

suddenly

started

arrested

the

arm was

uplifted

the pursuer was at hand

he

rushed to the window, and opened

being only a small

but

it,

there was no egress

he turned to the door, making his

there, so

escape that w^ay

and

flying

distinctly

reached

lattice,

first

his

could hear his foot

along

the

gallery

cell.

By

this

own

perfectly satisfied that

it

seen, but the veritable

Dominique, or whatever

was no

he

till

time I was
spirit I

had

Brother Lazarus, or
his

name was

for

he might have half a dozen aliases for aught

I

knew

come

though

to

life

how he had

contrived

to

again, if he were dead, or

by

what means, or

for

what purpc

c^,

he could

have persuaded the monks of Pierre Chatel

of his decease,

if

the fact were

could not conceive.

to

my

door, and the

curred to

dream of
night.

me
his

not

so,

There was no fastening

first

question that oc-

was, whether

this

diabolical

was ever repeated twice in one

had often heard that the magic

THE monk's story.

number of three
occasions
again.

and

apt to prevail on these

is

he might come back

if so,

confess I

17

was horridly

afraid that

In the meantime I found myself

he would.

shivering with cold, and was, perforce, obliged

to creep

into

the bed, where

much warmer.

not

of the

question.

indeed

was

Sleep was of course out

I

lay listening

anxiously,

expecting either the stealthy foot of Brother

Lazarus, or the glad sound of the matin

summon

would

that
cells,

the

and wondering which

Fortunately for

first.

latter

monks from

and with

my

bed, dresse^ myself, and

their

should

nerves

alacrity

bell,

it

hear

was the

jumped out

descended to

of

the

chapel.

"

When

their knees,

heads, I

reached

and

their

the

monks were on

cowls being over their

could not, as I ran

them, distinguish
list

it,

my

my

friend the

III.

over

somnambu-

but when they rose to their

VOL.

eye

feet,

his

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

18
tall

and high

gaunt figure

easily

and

discernible,

saw

before I

had

As

his face.

shoulders were
identified

him

they passed out

of the chapel, I drew near and saluted him,

observing
pleasure

Chatel

that

of

answer

my

I felt

the

it

had had the

before

to

my

I left

respects

my

and as

Of

to the prior.

night,

for

dream more

effectually

at

and proceeded to

duty to mention

previous

attempts

further

him,

if

could obtain no

my

course

adventure of

Lazarus

Brother

might on some occasion chance

his

Pierre

at

but he only shook his head, as

conversation,

pay

him

seeing

in token of denial

other

believed

to

act out

than he had had

the opportunity of doing with

me and

Pere

indeed,'

said

Jolivet.

"
'

am

extremely

sorry

Padre Pachorra, when he had heard

'

they must have omitted to lock

his

cell

last

night.

my story
him

into

must speak about

it,

THE monk's story.

19

consequences might have been very

for the
serious.'

"

Very

serious

*But how

When

is

it

to

I see

me

certainly,'

this

man

Chatel

I quitted Pierre

was dead, and

said

I.

here ahve?

was

told

saw the preparations

he

for his

burial.'

"

They beheved him

'

prior

but he was only in a trance

down

he was screwed

after

returned the

dead,'

in

his

just as

they were about to lower

grave,

they

within.

felt

They opened

was found

alive.

It

it,

and

coffin,

into the

it

moving

was

something

and Fra Dominique

appeared, from his

own

account, that he had been suffering extremely

from

his dreadful dream,

visit

of

man,

I think.'

on occasion of the

some young stranger

an English-

"

Myself, I have no doubt,' said

I.

"

'

Probably,' returned the prior

'

was

either

the

cause,

or

the

and

this

consequence

c 2

"

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

20
of his

for

illness,

decide

to

difficult

is

it

which.'
"
'

how

But

came

he

?'

here

in-

quired.

"
his

It

was

answered

vocation/

was only

commenced

in this monastery he

at Pierre

padre.

the

He

'

Chatel by indulgence, and

not wish to retain

after this accident they did

him.'
"
said

'

do not wonder

I.

there ?

"

at

am

that, I

sure,'

But why did he deny having been

When

spoke of

to

it

him

just

now, he only shook his head.'

"

'

He

did not

said the prior

Dominique has

mean

to deny

it,

I daresay,'

" but he never speaks.

taken

vow

of

Fra

eternal

silence.'

Here Charles
conclusion.

"

Lisle brought his story to a

How

extremely

exclaimed Lady Araminta

company agreed

shocking

!"

whilst the whole

that he had

made

out an

THE monk's story.

excellent
his

excuse for wishing to sleep

door locked,

satisfactorily

exchange.

21

and

that

he

had

entitled himself to the

with
very

promised

THE POISONERS.
CHAPTER

We
lately

Madame

there have been

nineteenth,
less

remarkable

Madame

and the

de BrimoQiers

of the seventeenth century;

poisoners

much

and read a great deal

have heard
of

some

quite

as

known;
are

but

similar cases in the

extraordinary,

though

and amongst the most

those

of

Frau

Gottfried,

Ursinus, and Margareta Zwanziger.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

24
It

that

true,

is

owing

to

Voisin,

there

the

La

by

was a panic abroad that has

who had had

No man in France,
with his wife, or

quarrel

seen her

smUe with unusual

ten-

home

very

derness on her lover,

comfortably

period,

furnished

facilities

never since been revived.

who had

former

the

at

could go

his dinner,

to

he was

whilst

aware that there existed a professional agent

in

Paris,

who,

for

drop poison into

certainty

dropped

salt

who was
ciently

and as
;

moderate

his soup,
little

and, doubtless,

depraved

to

much

many

woman

have administered

example,

Monsieur

was

fatal facility.

seduced

There was

the
into
not,

more contented couple

Paris than Monsieur

and

Madame

into his head that

in

Brunet,

B., unfortunately captivated

the eloquent music of Philibert's

it

as

with

neither sufficiently bold nor suffi-

crime by this

till

would

remorse as his cook

mortal draughts herself,

for

fee,

flute,

by

took

no remuneration could

25

THE POISONERS.

be adequate to such merit but the hand of

own

his

daughter, accompanied by a hand-

some dowry.
young

for the

whose

lady,

so he

commenced

to

be

but

rejected

a regular course of love,

enamoured Monsieur Brunet,

whilst the
ried

was too large

seem

attractions

not to have been of the highest order

her fortune

much

Phihbert did not care

away by

his enthusiasm,

car-

never ceased

singing the praises of his future son-in-law.

As such an
to

the

alliance

aristocratic

Madame Brunet

was

in direct opposition

prejudices

of that

age,

did not like the match,

till

the extraordinary commendations of the hus-

band opened the

Monsieur
visit to

Philibert,

La

and induced her

to

pay a

Voisin, for the innocent purpose

of ascertaining
sieur

wife's eyes to the merits of

how soon

the worthy

Mon-

Brunet might be expected to exchange

the troubles of this world for the rewards of

a better.

alarm

the

La Voisin
most

said nothing that could

delicate

mind

she

only

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

26
smiled

significantly

Madame

and

Brunei was a buxom widow of

who found no

difficulty

flute-player that she

who was

forty,

persuading

in

the

was a much more de-

wife than her pale,

sirable

few weeks

in

daughter,

sickly

easily disposed of in a cloister.

and they

mother,

married the

Philibert

lived together very happily for several years,

and might possibly have done so

had not

deaths,

Madame

Brunet's

La

unfortunately found on

She was

arrested, tried,

Philibert

was suspected, and

him

vised

to fly

tigation,

pation

The

in,

was

fully

or knowledge

for

his friends ad-

on his good

and, after an inves-

acquitted of any partici-

executions of

rage

Even

and hanged.

of,

the crime.

Madame

and La Voisin took place

the

name been

Voisin's books.

but, relying

conscience, he refused

their

till

de Brinvilliers

in

husband-killing

1676;
did

not

but
die

with them, although the modes adopted for

putting these obnoxious

individuals

out of

THE POISONERS.
became more

the world

27

varied.

Madame

of the beautiful
the

rife

when

the propensity, however, that

was made with Louis XIV.

So

interest

to save the life

Tiquet,

1699,

in

Archbishop of Paris interfered;

if

would be

such

nion of those

judging

repre-

she were saved, no husband

senting that
safe

was

was the universal

who had

the

best

opi-

means of

professors of the polite world

the

in Paris.

With

respect

to

Angelique Carlier,

who

there

was

not,

case

that

Monsieur Tiquet,

married

even in these

strange

times,

Her

caused a more extraordinary sensation.

beauty

and accomplishments

markable,

that she

is

were

so

re-

pronounced in the

records of the period in which she lived, to

have been " a masterpiece of nature

one

quality,

and that
to have

is

at least,

common

;"

but

she must have wanted,

sense

for she appears

been induced to marry Monsieur

;;

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

28

Tiquet by the present of a bouquet of dia-

monds, worth

fifteen

thousand francs.

She was very fond of

conceived that a

make such

man who

a magnificent

necessarily be very rich.

the

case

like

pleasure,

Madame

and she

could afford to

don d'amour, must

But

this

was not

Madame

Lafarge,

For a few

Tiquet was disappointed.

years,

however, the husband contrived to keep up

appearances, and to conceal from his
wife the real state of his affairs

she

discovered

the

even the diamond

paid

for,

truth,

young

but when

and found that

bouquet had yet to be

her previous indifference was quickly

converted into aversion.

separation de Mens, as

She

it is

insisted

called in

on a

France

and he avenged himself by obtaining from

the court an order for her confinement, on

the plea that she was carrying on a criminal

intimacy with the Chevalier de Mongeorge

but when he

summoned her

to his presence,

THE POISONERS.
and exhibited the
snatched

it

order

of the royal seal

and,

bore, flung

it

triumph,

in

hand

fi-om his

29

in defiance

into the

it

she

fire.

This was a declaration of war on both sides

and from that moment she determined to

release
daily

herself

from the bonds that became

more insupportable

firmed her

resolution

he con-

whilst

by forbidding Mon-

george the house, and keeping the keys of

the gates himself, w^hen he found that
porter woidd not shut

them against

the

his wife's

inamorato.

These tyrannical proceedings,

considered,

seem

to

general sympathy

were

as they

have procm'ed her very

amongst the

on the very night the attack on

ladies

for,

his life

was

made, the Countess de Semonville, who was

Madame

Tiquet,

a late hour, in hopes that he

would

spending the evening with

sat

till

come home and go

might have the
to get

up again

to bed, in order that she

satisfaction
to let her out.

of forcing

him

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

30

She was obliged

go away, however,

to

without enjoying this gratification

when he

and-by,

did come, he was shot by

an unseen hand near

would have been

own

his

killed

on the

it

house, and

He

it.

on being asked

have sought his

had no enemy but

was

set

on

his heart

was carried

what enemy he could point

to

it

usual space, and the ball

filled its

had just missed

were

spot,

on the sudden alarm, that

so contracted

had not

He

door.

not, as the doctors affirmed, that

had

and by-

life,

by the police

most

to as

likely

he answered that he

An

his wife.

which she was

foot, of

into the

investigation
fully

aware

but she asserted her innocence, and refused

to

On

fly.

the

contrary,

she visited

received her friends, apparently w4th a

quite

disengaged;

d'Aunoy

observed

Tiquet could
assassin,

not

and

mind

and when the Countess

to

her

be

sure

she answered,

that

Monsieur

who was

the

that if he were sure,

he would take care not to

tell it.

THE POISONERS.
" It

me

is

they want to

31

kill,"

said she.

She received numerous warnings and

of assistance,

when

of which she rejected

all

offers

and

she was arrested, nine days

at length

after the attempted murder, she displayed a

haughty composure,
insufficient

puzzled

called

come

voluntarily

and several

Madame
The

murder her husband.

to

home

was

confessed,

Moura, the por-

he,

plot failed at that time

indication, there

ing

and

had been engaged by

others,

Tiquet

certain

Auguste Catelain,

forward,

that, three years before,

ter,

had not a

authorities,

laquais de place,

might have

they had,

evidence

the

combined with the

that,

but with this

Httle difficulty in bring-

the crime to

Madame

Tiquet and

Moura, who were both condemned

to die.

Monsieur Tiquet, scarcely recovered from

wounds,

his

proceeded

with his son

at

the

life;

feet of

Versailles,

to

and daughter,

and,

threw himself

Louis XIV., to beg for her

which being,

at

the

instance

of the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

32

Archbishop, refused, he proceeded to request

might be appointed

that he

perty

forded

a petition

much

heir to her pro-

which seems to have

af-

diversion to the lively Parisians

and the King himself, in granting

served, that the second petition

the merit of the

it,

ob-

had effaced

first.

Since, according to the law of that period,

Madame

Tiquet's property

fiscation,

we cannot

was

altogether see the justice

embarrassed circumstances;

had

con-

Monsieur Tiquet was in

of the stricture.

injury he

liable to

received,

was

and,

after

the

fairly entitled to

such a compensation.

The

Chevalier de Mongeorge, and her

family also,

made

every effort to obtain the

commutation of her sentence

ill

success.

mer was
"

Not

but with equal

being asked whether the for-

for the w^orld

him

privy to her guilty intent, she said,

hint such a
lost

On

own

would

thing to him.

for ever, if I

had

!"

have dared to
I

should have

THE POISONERS.
The

and

publication

33

execution

the

of

sentence were appointed to take place on the

same day; and when she was conducted

the chamber of

awaited

would
"

her,

torture,

she

ignorant

inquired

" If

of

her

to

what
affair

soon be decided ?"

Soon enough,"

And

replied the jailer.

here a strange scene ensued.

The

judge who had read her sentence, which was

to the effect that she should lose her

the scaffold, after

first

undergoing the rack,

in order to force her to a confession

betrayal

of her

been her

lover.

head on

and the

had formerly

accomplices,

Howbeit, he had his duty to

perform, and bidding her place herself on her

knees before him, he

afterwards, as

fulfilled

Proceeding

it.

was then the custom,

to pro-

nounce an exhortation, wherein he contrasted,

in the

most pathetic terms, her former with

her present condition

"

She who was once

the idol of the world around her, blest with

beauty, youth, talents, rank,

VOL. HI.

and affluence;

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

34

now

a criminal on her

he

entreated her to

way

to the scaffold

!"

spend in repentance

the short time that remained to her, and by

an ample confession, to reheve him from the

pain of seeing her placed on the rack.

But he was mistaken

move

iron

that

he thought to

if

motionless,

Cold,

heart.

with an unshaken voice, and without even

changing colour, she answered him

are

The

right.

now

am

you were

for then

But

with such recollections.

So

far

moment

that

feet,

desire the

my

wretched

much

life,

yours

and

to

firmness as

is

release

hope

misfortunes.
as

at

"

You

and the present are

past

strangely different

meet

my

have done

from
to

at

fearing,

terminate

me from my

my

death with

have listened to

its

announcement; and be assured that neither

fear

nor

pain shall

induce

me

to

confess

myself guilty of a crime which I have never

committed."

The

rack,

however,

soon

forced

her to

THE POISONERS.
break this resolution

35

and that of Moura, but,

guilt,

said above, exonerated

own

she confessed her

as

we have

Mongeorge.

Never, before or since, did any execution

in

unless

Paris,

were that of the Royal

it

Family of France, excite so extraordinary an

Persons even of rank and distinc-

interest.

tion rushed

from

all

quarters into the city

and every window on the way she was

and in the Place de Greve, were

pass,

high

prices,

the

herself penitent to her con-

begged pardon of Moura, who

same

carriage with her

remembrances

to her children,

her husband,

that

and forgive

let at

and crowded with spectators.

She declared
fessor,

to

sat in

sent her tender

and a prayer

to

he would cherish them,

her.

She died with an unshaken courage and

self-possession that enchanted the

Mounting the

scaffold with a light step,

templating the multitude with

dosure,

Parisians.

and baring her

lair

con-

unmoved comneck with as

D 2

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

36

much

alacrity

as

if

were to welcome a

it

carcanet of jewels rather than an axe.

executioner was so amazed and con-

The

founded by the wondrous beauty of the head

he was about to sever, that he was rendered
incapable of his

Even

needless pain.

and put her

office,

remained unchanged

to

much

after death, the features

;

and although she was

in her forty-second year at the period of her

execution,

more

many

people affirmed that she was

beautiful in death than she

had been

in

life.

Her

husband

buried

her

with

much

honour; the Chevalier de Mongeorge, who,

quite inconsolable,

had w^andered about the

park

during the sad ceremony,

at Versailles

quitted

and

France,

months; the Parisian

fair

victim,

name

smiled

travelled

for

several

ladies sighed over the

with

contempt

at

the

of Monsieur Tiquet, and pitying the

faithful

lover,

made them such

" wished

man

l"

that

Heaven had

THE POISONERS.

37

Such were the morals of France

in

1699.

when Donna Maiia

yet a centur\' later,

de

Mendieta contrived the death of her husband

somewhat

under

Madrid,

the

without

similar

was pronounced

crime

parallel

circimistances,

and

horror

the

amazement the event awakened

was
lover,
at

proportion to

in

Don

her

its

to

in

be

and

Spain,

in

strangeness.

Her

Santiago San Juan, did the deed

instigation,

victim,

who

amiable

man and

when

unfortunate

the

appears to have been both an

an indulgent husband, was

lying sick in bed; whilst she

made

a diversion

in another part of the house, for the

purpose

of drawing off the attention of her servants.

Santiago escaped, whilst she was arrested on

suspicion,

and thrown into prison.

That she had not committed the murder

with her

own hand was

certain

her whole household could testify

time

it

to that fact

and

at the

occuired Santiago was supposed to be

absent from Madrid.

He

had some weeks

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

38

before taken leave of Mendieta and his wife,

and was believed by everybody but her

He

gone.
in

to be

had, however, passed the interval

moving from one

hotel to another, under

feigned names, waiting for the signal she had

promised to send him.

He was
found,

till

him, by a

suspected, but

she herself involuntarily betrayed

she wrote from the prison,

letter

addressed

no trace could be

"

to

Don

Thaddeo

Santisa,

Madrid."
It

was

on the
of

at that period the

custom

arrival of the post, to

all letters,

and, by asking for

Santiago saw the

it,

letter,

were spread for him.

that

is,

to die

by the

to be strangled by a cord

and the execution drew spectators from

parts of Spain.

great

list

threw himself into the

They were both condemned

Garotta

hang out a

the addresses of which were not

sufficiently explicit.

coils that

in Spain,

They

many masses

left directions

all

that a

should be said for the

THE POISONERS,
repose of their souls
that
last

Donna Maria

indeed,

tured to

and

and

ate

was observed

it

slept well

of the circumstance in her

good appetite

defence, maintaining that such

and peaceful

rest w^ere certain signs of inno-

But the

cence.

the

till

her counsel ven-

so well, that

make use

39

both

of

confession

full

criminals disproved the assertion, and justified

the law.

About the same

killing

occurred

almost unique in

One morning,

period, a case of husband-

Hamburgh,

in

which

is

its details.

in the

month

of February,

1?86, two labourers found, on the road be-

tween

Hambm'gh

package, wrapped

and
in

imagined must have

carriers'

carts,

it

to

They

large

which

matting,

fallen

they

from some of the

which are in the

passing that way.

conveyed

Lubeck,

lifted

the nearest

habit

it

of

up, and

house,

where,

whether from curiosity or suspicion does not

appear,

it

was opened, and

in

it,

to the

amaze-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

40

ment and horror of

a

human

the hystanders, was found

body, without

head,

arms,

or

hands.

As

the authorities, on being informed of

the circumstance, refused to interfere, and as

nobody could be found who would open

their

doors to so frightful a guest, although the

labourers for

some time bore

their hideous

burthen from house to house to seek a restingplace for

to carry

it,

it

discovered

the

first

finders thought

back, and leave

it

it

better

where they had

it.

This event occurred on Friday, the 24th,

and on the evening of the same day, as the
post-waggon, from Lubeck, was passing the
the

spot,

attracted

lying

attention

of

the

postilions

by the horses shying

at

a bundle

on the road, which, on examination,

proved to contain two hands and a

human

head, wrapped in a handkerchief, and a

way

was

further they

the labourers had

little

came upon the body which

left there.

THE POISONERS.

The
rities

fact

affair

now became

stept forward

41

public

the autho-

announcements of the

were inserted in the public journals, and

investigations set

on foot

for the discovery of

the murderer.

The body appeared

about

fifty

from the

shirt,

be that of a

man

good health

and,

years of age, in

articles

it

The sack which

life.

was marked

P. R.

which was of rather

letters J.

M. H.

of dress he wore, in a re-

spectable condition of

contained

to

W., and the

fine linen, bore the

Enclosing the body, within

the sack, was a weU-stuffed pillow.

The

first

link found in the

chain of evi-

dence was, that on the same 24th of February, about ten o'clock in the morning, the

labourers

four

had observed a

black horses,

carriage,

with

coachman and

postilion, standing in front of the

a spot called the Fleishgaffel

was within

it

drawn by

New

Inn, at

whether anybody

they could not say.

It started

on the Lubeck road whilst they were near, the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

42

horses going at such a considerable pace, that

when
is

it

reached the Hogenberg, where the road

steep, they lost sight of

at that spot they afterwards

Later in the day, they

It

it.

found the body.

observed

carriage pass through Lutzen,

back

was exactly

the

on

the

same

way

Hamburgh.

to

When

the news reached the latter

city,

suspicion arose, partly founded on the letters

R.

P.

W.

observed on the sack,

was

murdered person

that the

certain

tobacco

merchant, called Wachtler, who, according to

his wife's report,

had

left

home

on Wednesday, the 22nd.

It

for a journey,

was remarked,

however, that nobody whatever had

him depart,
so

and

it

or

was aware of

either seen

his intention to

do

was well known that the husband

and wife had frequent disagreements.

The

suspicions

were

considerably

mented when, on the 29th, a person

Hennigs,

who

let

augcalled

out horses and carriages by

the job, came forward to say that he had been

THE POISONERS.

43

applied to by Frau Wachtler,

whose neigh-

whom

he was well

bour he was, and with

acquainted, to convey her as far as Lubeck,

where

she

expected to meet

her husband.

She was extremely urgent with him

on Thursday evening

but

refused

to

by night, on account of the time of

travel

and they had agreed

year,

he

to set out

to start at an early

She was

hour on Friday.

depart, that even before that

had sent a messenger

so impatient to

hour

arrived, she

to hasten him.

As

she

had mentioned that she should have rather a

cumbersome package

to

carry \Yith her, he

had recommended that she should allow him

fetch

it

hand

would

and arrange
but she said
see to

that

it

was not necessary

herself.

Even

in

morning he had not seen the package,

was

carried out whilst he

a cup of coffee,

When
Wachtler

to

on the carriage before-

it

by her

was up

stairs

she
the

for

it

taking

invitation.

they reached the Hogenberg, Frau

called to

him

to stop,

and saying she

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

44
felt

poorly, she requested

walk forwards a

to

little

him and

the driver

way, taking the child

w^ho accompanied her with them.

They did

so; but in a few minutes rejoined the carriage,

and found the lady apparently quite

recovered, and already preparing to lead the

horses forwards.

When

they had proceeded a

little

further,

the

same thing recurred she complained again

of

illness,

and requested Hennigs

Hamburgh,

to

go forward.

as she

He

to return

found herself unable

complied, having

first

to

pro-

ceeded as far as Schoneberg, for the purpose

of

baiting his

Hamburgh on

horses.

the

same evening. He had no

suspicion of anything

on

hearing

exactly

that

They had reached

wrong

at the time,

but

body had been found

on the spot where the lady

had

descended from the carriage, he had thought

it

his duty to

Upon

this

come

forward.

disclosure,

persons acquainted

with Wachtler were ordered to

visit

Lubeck,

THE POISONERS.

45

for the purpose of identifying the remains.

Their report confirmed the worst surmises;

the murdered person was, beyond a doubt,
the tobacco merchant

seems

It

sumptive

strange,

on

that

should not have been arrested

They only placed

not.

her

house,

to

prevent

however, she

guard before

communicating

her

with persons from without

pre-

Frau Wachtler

evidence as this,

was

such

whilst crowds of

excited and curious people assembled before

her door, gratuitously performing the same

office.

variety of circumstances

the

to

strongly tended to inculpate her.

light that

As

now came

house

was very

small,

it

seemed

almost impossible that Wachtler could have

left it, as

she asserted, at three o'clock in the

morning, unheard by the servants

she

assign

going at
nor

any reasonable

all.

He had

portmanteau

and

nor could

motive

for

his

taken neither trunk

his

boots,

knee-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

46

buckles, straps, and a black kerchief, he wore

round

were

his throat,

left

Early in

behind.

the morning of the 22nd, she had sent for a

laundress,

Newmann, and given

called

her

a blood-stained bed to wash, with strict in-

junctions

to

bring

back

it

Newmann

following Saturday.

on the

clean

said that she

found Frau Wachtler " sitting on her husband's

when
up

bed,

as

white as

the laundress

in

corpse."

And

she shut herself

left her,

the chamber, having

ordered a

first

large pitcher of water to be brought to the

door;

which pitcher was afterwards found

empty.

An

idea prevailed at

had been privy

to,

if

first

that the servants

not concerned

murder; but investigation proved

picion to be groundless.

in,

the

this sus-

Their report of the

matter, as far as they knew, tended also to

exonerate a

young

hair-dresser,

Frau Wachtler seems

undue

partiality;

to

for

whom

have entertained an

and who was a subject of

THE POISONERS.

47

frequent altercation betwixt this unfortunate

couple.

The

servants deposed that on the evening

the murder, a dispute on this

previous to
subject

had

arisen,

in

which the husband

threatened to be revenged on the object of

his jealousy

and that he had gone

his

to

room, brandishing the kitchen hatchet, which

he declared was to be the instrument of his

vengeance
desired
that

it

them

and that Frau

to hide

under the

child's bed,

might be out of her husband's way,

she feared for her

About
the

it

Wachtler had

life.

half- past two,

servants,

Frau Wachtler awoke

and ordered

to

coffee

mediately prepared for her husband,

about to start on a journey.

below to get

it

as

be im-

who was

The cook went

ready; but she desired the

waiting-maid to stay beside her

was brought up they drank

it

and when

it

together, the

wife sitting the while on the side of her hus-

band's bed, and looking very pale.

She

said

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

48

she had been disturbed and had no sleep, on

of her

account

The

bed-clothes

there asleep
stir,

were

departure.

early

and the

drawn up,

supposed their master to be lying

servants

not

husband's

but, after

some

time, as he did

they inquired for him, and were told

that he had just stept to a neighbour's to see

packing of some wares he intended to

to the

away with him, and would be back

take

She asserted

immediately.

in her

own

de-

fence that he did return while the servants

were below

and

it

sitting

however they did not see him

appears clearly, that whilst she was

on the

side of the

bed drinking

with her maid, and talking, as they

indifferent

lying

matters,

the murdered

under the bed-clothes

coffee

said, of

man was

scene alto-

gether worthy of a French melo-drama.

It

w^as

after

this

that

she sent for the

laundress, and then shut herself

hours.

When

up

for

some

the servants were again ad-

mitted to her room, she appeared to have

THE POISONERS.
been washing linen

some

there were

One

floor.

49

the water was red, and

stains

upon the

of blood

of these seemed to point to a

neighbouring

and

room,

the

whose

cook,

was somewhat aroused, went

curiosity

She saw three sacks standing together

there.

two

contained foul linen, but in the middle one

she thought she

felt

human

Horror-

head.

struck, she hastily quitted the room, but she

could not resist the feeling that urged her to

return,

and now she was sure of

she

it;

felt

not only the head, but the knees, and calves

of the legs.

Overcome with

terror,

she rushed out of

and went below

the room,

to

the kitchen,

where her mistress presently came, and

for-

bade anybody to enter that particular chamber, " as

there were

some

she did not wish disturbed."

gone,
again

the
;

woman
VOL.

but

cook

now

trifles

When

however crept

she was

up

the door was fastened.

said in her evidence that

III.

there that

it

stairs

The

occurred

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

50
to her that
^

the other

it

must be her master; but on

hand she had thought

it

impossible

that her mistress could have contrived

and

executed such a deed alone.

At

five

o'clock in

the

customary to light a

chamber

terious

the

now mys-

she might enter

if

Her

purpose.

in

mistress

and she now found

wet,

have been

to

for

open; but where the

it

belonged to Wachtler;

and appeared

it

bade her go,

sack had stood she saw a large piece of

that

was

it

and when that hour arrived

the cook inquired

that

fire

afternoon

wood

the floor was

lately

washed.

During the whole of the day Frau Wachtler

pretended to be expecting her husband's

return

and

seeing

the

hair-dresser

beneath the window, she called him

him Wachtler would be back

talked to

him

for half

husband that

all

day.

in, told

presently,

and

an hour without be-

traying the slightest confusion.

ing she gave up

pass

In the even-

expectations of seeing her

She

said he

had doubt-

THE POISONERS.
less

gone

Lubeck, and

to

51

she desired the

waiting-maid to bid her mother come and

pass the night with her

significant

cir-

However long her husband had

cumstance.

been

absent,

had never made such a

she

Her

request before.

guilty conscience feared

the night.

On

the following day, which was Thurs-

day, she

made arrangements with Hennigs

about the journey, and invited Scheely, the

young

hair-dresser, to

he declined.

She

also

accompany

her,

which

employed a porter

to

pack up a variety of wares, which she said

she was going to carry to her husband.
the middle of the night the old
still

slept

In

woman, who

with her, expressed some appre-

hension with respect to the safety of Herr

Wachtler.

Not

been murdered

that she suspected he

but she represented to the

lady that she should not have allowed

leave

home

had

after so serious a

him

to

disagreement as

they had on Tuesday evening

who

"

could

E 2

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
LIBRARY

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

52

but he might

tell

make away with himself?"

fear nothing;

But Frau Wachtler bade her

she

knew him

When

better

on

arrived

carriage

the

Friday

morning, she invited Hennigs and the pos-

the

come up

to

tilion

drink coffee

stairs to

same time bidding the servant

During

above with the children.

it

ance,

the

mysterious

sack,

matting, was carried below,

carriage,

remain
this in-

now sewed
and placed

" leaning against

Then,

door."

at

was, that with the porter's assist-

terval

the

to

all

in
in

the opposite

being ready, she took her

youngest daughter by the hand

they stept

Hennigs mounted the box, and they drove

in,

away.

There was one more witness against her

this very daughter,

a child of seven years

old.

She was accustomed

father

to sleep with her

and she related that on the night

question, just as the clock

her mother had

lifted

was

in

striking two,

her out of the father's

THE POISONERS.

53

bed, and had placed her in the other with

The suddenness

her brothers.

of the action

seems thoroughly to have awakened the

for

although she w^as bade go to sleep again

directly,

she found

and as she
mother,

it

impossible to do so

lay feigning sleep

she

which she struck the father

little

to

a hatchet, with
;

" Father stirred

and there was blood upon the

Then mother
drew the

satisfy her

observed her leave the room,

and presently return with

child,

down on

sat

clothes

father's

sheet.

bed and

up over him, and

I w^ent to

examination, this

little

sleep."

At
said

a second
that the

present,

and

that she

had

young
assisted
also

ing of the body.

ever,

was

particulars

hair-dresser
at

had been

The

barber's alibis

clearly proved,

how-

although the other

of her relation were correct

which,

and

murder;

witnessed the dismember-

Frau Wachtler made a

she died

the

girl

full

for

confession before

strange to say, was not

till

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

54

three years after the murder, so long did the

trial

continue in spite of her evident guilt.

In the course of

it,

she accused a dyer called

Kiihn of having committed the crime,

instigation.

Kiihn had no great

proving

innocence

his

although
indeed

had

Wachtler,
well
called

he had not done

no

it

who had done

it

knew

and

very

was a person

a manufacturer of

Jauche,

that

Frau

with

nevertheless
it

said

himself,

acquaintance

that he

difficulty in

he

but

her

at

varnish.

Yet, was Jauche as innocent as his accuser

the grounds
that a voice

of

whose impeachment were,

from heaven had informed him

of Jauche's guilt, whilst he was in prison

and that though very poor before,

had exhibited

symptoms of

Jauche

affluence since

the tobacco merchant's death.

Frau Wachtler was executed on the

4th

of November, 1788, after having been several

times submitted to the torture;

which we are rather surprised

to

a custom
find exist-

THE POISONERS.
ing at

Hamburgh

pain

extorted

sions

from

at so late a period.

contradictory confes-

various

she only avowed the truth

her,

on the day of her death

conditions

Though

that

and then upon

be

should not

it

She

whilst she was alive.

disclosed

said that she

had

committed the murder herself without any

assistance;

and

the

that

prompted by revenge

had

act

been

her husband

against

for having affronted her in the presence of

others.

How
woman

this

and

extraordinary

died, the records

but during the

wretched

do not inform us

course of the

proceedings,

she frequently boasted of her invincible character

and indeed,

except

the

fear

that

caused her to send for the old w^oman to

sleep w^ith her,

and which on some

nights prevailed so

far,

as

to

following-

make

her re-

quest her maids not only to bring their bed

into her chamber, but to

watch by her whilst

she slept, she seems scarcely to have exhi-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

56
bited

She

any characteristic of humanity.

deliberately

murdered and dismembered her

husband, in the presence of her children, the

whom

eldest of

who might
of them,

drank

was eleven years of

or might not be asleep

as

it

age,

one

was proved, was awake

coffee with half a

and
of

she

dozen people,

her

maids, Shultz, Griiner, the schoolmaster, &c.,

where

on the bed,

seated

on the journey

to

Lubeck, in spite

of her fearful travelling companion,

and

ate

where they stopped

to bait, of pro-

which had been placed

in the carriage,

heartily,

visions

victim,

She conversed

covered by the bed-clothes.

cheerfully

her

lay

under the mysterious package

How

her

physical

strength

make such arrangements and

for concealment, in

the

after the

sistance,

was so great
that

the protracted

to

contrivances

course of the fatal

murder, without any as-

morning

at the time,

sufficed

it

trial.

a matter

of wonder

was the main cause of

The

authorities could

THE POISONERS.
not, for a

long time, be convinced that she

aiders nor abettors.

had neither

But

5/

to return

to the poisoners of the pre-

sent century.

Madame

Ursinus was a wonnan of rank,

widow of

the

office

her

under

own

man who

held a distinguished

government

personal

and who, from

endowments,

as well as

her fortune and condition, lived beloved, admired,

and respected, in the

Berlin.

Her manners were

nating

and endearing,

her

first

circles

of

peculiarly fasci-

reputation was

unblemished, and her universal charity and

benevolence caused her to be as

much

be-

loved by the poor, as she was respected by

the rich.

Her husband,
sinus,

had died

Privy

Councillor Ur-

in the year

1800; and the

the

usual period of mourning and retirement hav-

ing expired,

the lady had opened her door

again to her friends, and was in the habit of

seeing

great

deal

of company.

On

the

58

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

5th of March, 1803, there was an assembly

at

house, and

her

she was

when one

whist-table,

sitting

at

the

of her footmen entered

with evident signs of terror in his countenance, saying that several officers of police

were in

and desired

the ante-chamber,

speak with her.

Madame

to

Ursinus rose from

her seat, without betraying the smallest agitation

gracefuEy apologized

to

her friends

the interruption, and quitted the room,

for

with the remark, that

take
cers,

the

to

offi-

and return immediately.

still,

several

hour

must be some mis-

and she would just speak

But she came not

sat

it

with their cards in

minutes
still

no

elapsed

Madame

looked at each other

Presently,

the brilliant

liveried

company

their

hands

quarter of

They

Ursinus.

what

could

it

mean ?

servant, with his

pale as ashes, appeared

at

the door,

whisper ran round the room that

an

face

and a

Madame

Ursinus had been arrested, for administering

THE POISONERS.

59

poison to one of her servants, and had been

to

carried

arisen,

and

middle of the

city,

denly

greater

volcano

If a

prison.

had sud-

spouted flames

in

the

could not have created

it

The excitement was

amazement.

indescribable.

The

earliest

particulars

public were as follows

One
who

acted

some time

of being unwell

recommended him

as butler,

and

better

for

it,

had com-

month

of February,

Madame

Ursinus had

some

broth, which

in the

to take

she herself administered.

the

reached the

of her servants, called Benjamin Klein,

apparently

plained,

that

Instead of being

he found himself worse;

and on the 28th, she gave him some

raisins,

He

became,

which were to act as an emetic.

in fact, veiy sick,

pain, that

and suffered such extreme

he thought he must vomit more

She then gave

before he should be relieved.

him some

rice-milk

and

3rd of March, some phmis

on

the

but these

last.

finally,
;

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

60

instead of eating, he carried to an apothecary,

who found them

man grew

his sufferings

upon

this,

The

with arsenic.

worse and worse

cians declared

of poison

stuffed

and the physiwere the

Madame

effect

Ursinus was

arrested.

These rumours

were

soon

followed

was remembered that

others.

It

Dutch

officer,

named Ragay,

to

dame Ursinus had been much

by

certain

whom Ma-

attached,

died of a strange and lingering disease

had
that

the Privy Councillor, her husband, had been

seized with a violent vomiting in the night,

during which time no one had attended him

but

herself,

and that he had died on the

fol-

lowing morning, shortly after the arrival of

his

medical attendants

maiden aunt of the

what

like

asserted

lady's

and,

It

was

had poisoned them

all,

manner, in the year 1801.

that

she

that a

had died in a some-

and the bodies of the two

interred

thirdly,

and examined.

latter

With

were

dis-

respect to the

THE POISONERS.

61

husband, nothing could be made out; but

the presumption that she had poisoned the

aunt was very strong, both from the state of

the intestines, and the clearly established fact
that she

had arsenic

in her possession whilst

she was with the deceased in her last

As

for

him,

said

Certain

it

had been

that he

attended

had died of consumption.

was, however, that for years she

in the habit of carrying a provision

She

of poison about her.

trial,

who had

Ragay, the doctors

illness.

that she kept

destroying her

own

declared,

on her

with the intention of

it

life

and that she had

poisoned Klein, in order to have an opportunity of observing the effects of arsenic,

ascertaining

the requisite dose

and

but nobody

had ever seen any symptoms of her entertaining such a design.

The

much

sers^ant Klein

suffering

did not die, but after

recovered,

and

lived

for

twenty-eight years on a pension assigned to

him out of

the

property

of

his

mistress.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

6*2

In reference to

him

people used

by poison."

Neither, however

were

against

much

Ursinus be convicted of the two

laid to

her charge

lived

appear-

Madame

could

her,

point

to

man who

strangers as " the

out to

ances

this,

first

crimes

but she was found guilty

of poisoning her aunt, and for that and the

attempt

on

the

life

of

was

she

Klein,

She

sentenced to perpetual imprisonment.

was confined

in the fortress of Glatz,

where

she was allowed a well-furnished room, with

a great

many

companion
also visited

whom

conveniences,

she very w^illingly received

satins

consideration

have

and
of

been

indulgence she
this

She was

by a vast number of strangers,

solicit their interference

to

female

cheer her solitude.

to

were influential persons she

wore

and

and

if

they

never failed to

in her favour.

fine linen

She

and seems, in

her rank and connexions,

treated

little

with

deserved.

degree

She

confinement for thirty years

of

lived in

and then,

THE POISONERS.

63

being seventy years of age, she received some

permitted to
cincts

of her

mitigation

further

live

being

within certain pre-

freely

of the city.

penalty

Here she received com-

pany, and was visited, not only by foreigners,

but by her
related
parties,

own country

that a lady,

having

people

and

it

is

one of her evening

at

some uneasiness

evinced

at

seeing grains of a white substance sprinkled

Madame

over a salad she was about to eat,

Ursinus
it's

said, sarcastically

" Don't be afraid

not arsenic."

Indeed, on the very day she was set free,

she invited a party to take coffee

and the next morning

it

mth

her

was currently

re-

ported that every one of the company had

been poisoned.

Very

they were

ill

but the

cause of their indisposition proved to be the

waggery of some thoughtless person, who,

the

purpose of giving

contrived
coffee.

to

mix

them a

some

drugs

for

fright,

had

with

the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

64

Madame
at

Ursinus lived to a great age, and

length died in the year 1836, in the odour

Five carriages,

of sanctity.

full

of friends

and acquaintances, followed the hearse that

bore her to her

last

home

the churchyard

could not contain the crowds that assembled

to

witness

interment

the

poor

twelve

orphans sang hymns of gratitude over her

grave

and

friendly

hands strewed the earth

Yet Madame

that covered her with flowers.

Ursinus died without having ever confessed

her crimes, nor, as far as could be judged by
appearances,

ever repented of

was the motive

clearly

The

made
story

for their

them

neither

commission ever

out.

we next turn

person in a different rank of

to relates

to

life.

In the year 1809, there resided in a part

of Prussia, called the Oberland, a respectable

middle-aged female,

by knitting.
evidently

seen

who supported

She was
and

a widow,

suffered

herself

who had

much.

Her

THE POISONERS.
deportment was particularly

manner pleasing and

God and

65

quiet,

and her

The

friendly.

fear

of

the love of her neighbour appeared

to be the ruling principles of her life

and

she was looked upon as a worthy, excellent

person

who

however,

found some

industry,

of

spite

in

her

in keeping

difficulty

She went by the name

herself above want.

of Nannette Schonleben.

She was a native

Nuremberg, and her maiden name was

of

Steinacker.
life,

After the vicissitudes of a varied

she had settled

down

to

and humble mode of existence

imderstood, that

if

obscure

this
;

but

it

was

an opportunity offered of

improving her condition, she would be glad

to avail herself of

tion

it.

Her

excellent reputa-

soon procured her such a situation as

she desired.

In the month of March, 1808, a person of

the

name

of Glaser, w^ho resided at Kasendorf

engaged her in the capacity of housekeeper,

at the

VOL.

recommendation of
III.

his

own
F

son,

who

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

66

had some small dealings with

her,

and had

formed a

very

character.

Her conduct soon procured her

favourable

opinion

of her

not only the approbation but the confidence

of her master
influence

and the use she made of her

was one that obtained her universal

commendation.

Glaser, a

man

of

fifty

years

of age, had for several years been living apart

from

his wife.

fault

It

was

on the part of the lady

and

separation

likely

to

do

bring

about

letters

to the wife

on both

to justify this

in spite of the injury

herself,

reconciliation.

request

to

she engaged the friends

Roman

that he

was

She wrote

sides to aid her in this pious

to a

it

Nannette undertook

and even, though a Protestant

money

was no

said that there

work

herself, sent

Catholic priest, with a

would say a mass

for the

success of her enterprise.

It did succeed;
self to

Frau Glaser allowed her-

be persuaded

the husband declared

himself prepared to receive

her with open

THE POISONERS.
arms

and the

started for

Kasendorf; but,

with a

hea^y

ments.

In

there

is

as

appears,

it

strange

presenti-

produced,

to her relations at the time,

" I cannot

what

describe

a struggle within

unable to account for

ing of

at a distance,

afterwards

letter,

which she wrote

she said,

and

heart

67

who was

lady,

my

can

feel

heart that I

am

be a forewarn-

it

evil "?"

The husband went some

road to meet the wife

on the

distance

and Nannette pre-

pared a fete for their reception, which was

not very consistent with the circumstances of
the

case.

The whole

assembled to

village

welcome them

with garlands

the bed of this second bridal

was strewn with

the

was

house

flowers,

decorated

and the following

couplet was appended to the hangings

"

The widow's hand

Has wove

These

ill-judged

the baud."

and

indelicate

arrange-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

68

ments appear

amongst the

to

have excited no displeasure

parties concerned.

Glaser seemed disposed to treat his wife

with great kindness, and the lady was be-

coming
when,
died

quite

reconciled

to

re-union,

was taken

unfortunately, she

on the 26th of August

weeks

the

ill

exactly four

after her arrival at Kasendorf.

Shortly after this unfortunate event,

nette

and

transferred herself to the

Nan-

service of a

gentleman called Grohmann, who resided

gave

her

Sanspareil.

Glaser

characters.

Grohmann was

the
a

man, only twenty-eight years of age

suffered

from frequent

fits

best

fine

of gout

devotion with which Nannette nursed

at

of

young
but he

and the

him on

these occasions, was truly admirable.

In spite of her tender

care,

however, the

young man thought he would

rather

be

nursed by a wife, and he accordingly made

advances to a lady
posals

who

accepted his pro-

and everything being arranged, the

THE POISONERS.

69

when

marriage was about to be solemnized,

Grohmann was taken suddenly

Nannette

ill.

never quitted the bedside during the progress

of

his

he

died,

tears

sufferings,

and

and

which were

was

she

fearful

but

Her

inconsolable.

cries rent the hearts of all beholders.

She was, however, under the

seeking another situation

necessity

of

and the manner in

which she had conducted herself

in the

two

former places recommended her so strongly,

name

that a lady of the

was about

be

to

confined,

particularly fortunate
vices.

of Gebhard,

in

who

thought herself
her ser-

obtaining

Accordingly, Nannette

attended her

during her indisposition, and the child was

happily born

took an

ill

but on the third day things

turn

the lady was seized with

vomitings, and, after enduring

she died.
care

The

infant

of Nannette,

much

was committed

who nursed

it

pain,
to the

with the

greatest tenderness.

Some

people were

certainly

silly

enough

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

70

Mr. Gebhard not

advise

to

service so unlucky a person.

to

keep in his

Doubtless, she

was an excellent woman, a clever servant

but misfortune seemed to follow her foot-

Mr. Gebhard, however, had no

steps.

such

in

fatalities,

remaine

and, for several months, she

in this house,

establishment

belief

at the

and although

head of his

certainly, there

were very frequent indispositions

amongst

the servants, and even amongst the visitors

who

frequented the house, no suspicions were

awakened

and Nannette remained high

in

the esteem and confidence of her employer,

till

on the

1st of

September, 1809, a large

party having assembled at Mr. Gebhard's, to

play at bowls, the whole

ill

after

drinking some beer which Nannette

had brought from the

Strange

found

thoughts

their

sufferers.

company were taken

way

cellar.

now seemed

into

Nobody,

denounce Nannette;

the

have

minds of

however,
they

to

only

ventured

urged

the
to

Mr.

THE POISONERS.
Gebhard
unlucky

To

with

part

to

71

was

she

her,

so

oblige them, he consented to

but he gave her excellent testimonials,

do so

and

behaved to her in the

most

liberal

manner.

Nannette did not conceal

much

very

by

pained

this

that she

was

dismissal,

and

expressed extreme grief at leaving her beloved

little

charge

She was
last

but

diligent,

moment

showed no temper.

she

and obliging

active,

nay, even sportive; for

to the

it

remarked that she took the trouble of

the

salt-cellars

with

filling

own hands

her

left

just

it

" to

behind."

So

before she departed, she said she did

bring luck to those she

being

kind was her master, that when the coach

which was
door,

he

chocolate

to

away came

carry her

invited

her

to

take

to

cup

with him before she went.

took a tender leave of the

some milk and

biscuit,

child,

of

She

and gave

lamenting

he woxild miss his kind nurse.

the

it

how much
This done

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

72

she bade adieu to

her fellow- servants, and

drove away.

She

had

when

quarter of an hour,
at least the

been

however,

not,

child,

gone

the whole family,

and several persons who

had partaken of the chocolate, were seized

with violent pains and vomitings
the

servants

Many

Nannette.
called

declared

that

Gebhard

suspicions

their

it

but so

scarcely

much

of

were

circumstances

rendered

doubt her guilt

whereupon

re-

possible

difficulty

to

had

in altering his opinion of her, that

though on examination a quantity of arsenic

was found

month

in

the salt barrel, he allowed a

to pass before

he took any measures

for her apprehension.

In the meantime, quite at her

with

degree

impunity can

of

alone

ease,

confidence

account

expressing

her

a letter

conviction

to

Nannette

for,

Mr.
that

long

that

Schonleben pursued her journey.

road she wrote

and

On

the

Gebhard,
the

infant

THE POISONERS.

73

would be so unhappy without

would be under the

and she remained
a distance as

that he

necessity of recalling her

some days within such

for

would have rendered her return

However, no summons reaching

easy.
it

her,

became necessary

elsewhere

but she

to

her,

look for a residence

now found

that wherever

she was known, people objected to receive

her under their roof.

At

length,

being driven from house

to

house, she resolved to seek refuge with her

ow^n

daughter,

who was

married,

habited a small house in Franconia.

and

in-

When

she reached the spot she found her son-in-

law gaily dressed, surrounded by a party of

his friends

but, alas

their rejoicings for her.

in jail,

her,
It

was no part

there

in

Her daughter was

and the husband, who had divorced

was about

was not

to
till

marry again.
October,

Gebhard made up

his

apprehended.

w^as

It

mind

1809, that Mr.

to

have Nannette

then found that she

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

74

was the widow of a

Zwanziger,

but

reasons

diopping

for

that

assuming another.
be

to

world

she

had very good

this

appellation

were

in greater or less
visitors of

Her

trial

She

1810.

Innumerable

guilt.

also

recalled,

showing

had repeatedly administered poison

that she

when she

quantities to the

servants

her previous employers.

commenced on

the 16th April,

at first denied everything; but

learned that poison had been found

stomachs of her victims, she confessed

have

twice

administered

deceased Frau Glaser.

made

the

and presented

disinterred,

were

circumstances

to

in

but the bodies of the persons she had

ample evidence of her

in the

and

She, of course, professed

most innocent creature

the

murdered

and

whose name was

notary,

this avowal,

earth as

if

arsenic to

the

She had no sooner

than she dropped to the

she were shot

and

fell

into such

violent convulsions that they were obliged to

remove her from the

court.

THE POISONERS.

75

In the interval that elapsed between her

trial

and execution, she wrote a sketch of her

own

biography, from w^hich

was

at this period

about

we

learn that she

fifty

years of age.

She declared that she had been handsome

in

her youth, but no remains of beauty could be

traced

meagre,

in her

cadaverous

features,

the expression of which, in spite of the con-

upon her

smile that sat ever

strained

lips,

appears to have been odious and repelling, a

circumstance

which

deceptions the

more

She was born

at

her

renders

successful

extraordinary.

Nuremberg,

where her

father kept an inn, wdth the inauspicious sign

Her

of the Black Cross.

parents died

when

she was very young, and she had been twice

married.

Her

cheerful.

Zwanziger seems

a poor
said, "

early

life

had been busy and

to

and an austere man.

still

im hause

and " she feared her

the rod."

;"

no

have been both

It

stir,

husband

was

no

as she

bustle

as the child fears

In order to dissipate her melan-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

76

had recourse

choly, she

"

book/' she writes,

was

'

Werter.'

The impression

so

that

great,

"

to books.

it

Had

nothing but weep.

read

Pamela,' and

could do

had a

The
been

fruits

pistol,

next

"

of these studies seem to have

diseased

Emilia Galotte.'

'

of

made on me was

should certainly have shot myself

'

first

The Sorrows

some time

for

My

sentimentality,

soon

that

extinguished any germs of real feeling that

nature had implanted in her, together with a

an object of

great desire to render herself

interest,

and to

rise

out of the humble situa-

tion in w^hich fortune

had placed

At the

her.

age of twenty-one, she inherited some property that her parents had

On

accession

this

seems

for

moroseness.

time

At

all

spend the money in

when
mode

bequeathed her.

of wealth, her husband

to

have flung aside his

events, he helped her to

balls

and carousals

they came to the end of

of

life

was resumed.

it,

He

their

and

former

lived in the

THE POISONERS.
wine-houses, and she alone

77
but as he con-

stantly pressed her for supplies,

which she had

not the means of furnishing, she seems to

have found a mode of raising funds as

creditable

to

as

herself,

dis-

dishonourable to

him.
Fortune, however, once more smiled upon
this

Zwanziger obtained

well-matched pair.

a prize in the lottery

resounded

When

with

this

of

and again the house

song

and

the

dance.

supply was exhausted, the lady

eloped with an
request

the

her

officer,

but returned at the

husband.

He,

applied for a divorce, and obtained

however,
it,

but

was no sooner published, than they were

married

had

and she declared that

remarked that Zwanziger had noble

The
is

re-

after this they

lived very happily together, " she

ments, and an affectionate heart

it

ha\dng
senti-

!"

notary died suddenly in 1796, and

it

by no means clear that she did not help

him out

of the world before his time.

From

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

78

that period her fortune gradually declined, tiU

became a

she

She

servant.

lived with a

variety of people in different capacities, and,

amongst the

nursery-maid in some

rest, as

English families.

At

this degradation her pride

been

and

cried in one breath

ployers issued their

orders, she

commands

she had soon no

She had next recourse

He

lovers.

he

to

this project,

far

as regards

cupful

of

instead

away
him,"

of

and

made

however, she
the dying.

blood

and

exhibiting

laughed

Natu-

one of her former

;

but as

neglectful,

she

arm and

die.

resolved to open a vein in her

In

and

to obey.

received her for a time

became cold and

soon

smiled,

commands."

point of neglecting their

rally,

when her em-

and,

presence respectfully, but

their

left

She "laughed

wounded.

dreadfully

seems to have

failed, at least as

She only

lost a

the unfeeling man,

any

alarm,

when she

" turned

showed

it

THE POISONERS.
Determined

convince him

of her sin-

she next proceeded to the river to

cerity,

drown

to

79

herself.

"

She took her maid-servant

with her, and a volume of poems, which she

When

read by the way.

fatal line

'

she arrived at the

My

life's

must end

so sad that I

it,'

she precipitated herself into the water.

fishermen, however,

who happened

Two

to be at

hand, dragged her out again, and she received

no damage but the wetting of her clothes.

As soon

as they were sufficiently dry, she sent

them by the maid

as

convincing

to her hard-hearted lover,

proof

of

her

inexorable

determination to quit a world in which she

was

so little appreciated.

by the

He

bearer, with a small

returned them

sum

and a strong recommendation

place

without

delay

of money,
to

quit

the

and the farther she

went, the better he should be pleased."

To

the want

of compassion exhibited by

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

80

person

this

she

embittered and revengeful

would seem
her

as

When

"

attributed

principally

if

her

In short,

spirit.

it

a devil

had entered into

opened

the

vein

my

in

arm," she writes, " he laughed.

And when

reminded him that

first

that had killed

laughed too

me

on

herself

woman

account, he

his

Henceforth, whenever I did

anybody a mischief,

shows

was not the

myself,

I said to

mercy, and

will

nobody

show none

to

others."

After this she

Vienna and other

vices at

situation

entered into various

Her

places.

serlast

was in the family of a Mr. Von

but as the work was fatiguing and the

wages low, she resolved

to quit

it

" but her

guardian angel whispered to her not to go

without insuring herself some compensation.

On

the

same

day, as one of the children

was

playing with his mother's jewels, he offered

her a ring.

It

seemed as

her bade her accept

it."

if a

voice within

She took the hint

;;

THE POISONERS.
But

and departed.

this

81

treacherous spirit

having also prompted her to possess herself

of the contents of an escrutoire, she was ad-

by name, in the public journals

vertised,

and her son-in-law happening

see

to

Upon

paragraph, turned her out of doors.

this she \\Tote

his

want of

to

reproach Mr.

delicacy

in

the

Von

S. for

thus exposing her

and then changing her name

to Schonleben,

she established herself in a small town called

Neumarkt,
in

as

an instructor of young females

needle-work,

For some time

&c.

she

conducted herself prudently, and might have

prospered had she not admitted the

whom

an antiquated military debauchee,

hoped

to

inveigle into

of

she

marriage, and thus

to recover her position in

herself called "

visits

life,

and

Your Excellency,"

to hear

before she

died

Her

project failed

and having

lost

both

her lover and her newly-acquired reputation,

she was obliged again to

VOL.

III.

set out

upon her

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

82

Then

travels.

was she

it

we

Oberland, where

first

introduced

and by her quiet demeanour,

contrived

mility,

more
But

in the

venge

her heart was

to

mankind the misery she

inflicted

upon

She seems
geance

and

herself once

was that of a

of hatred and re-

full

and she longed

her;

good opinion of her neighbours.

whilst her outward bearing

saint,

the

and hu-

piety,

establish

to

in

settled

retaliate

fancied

they

upon
had

her.

to have

own

her

projects

ven-

reintegration.

For

had two

twenty years she had been driven about the

world, subject to
dignities.

all

sorts of insults

She was now

fifty

and in-

years of age

but she did not despair of repairing her fortunes

was

by

The

marriage.

hateful to her.

To

and command others

servile

be once more a lady,

as she

had been com-

manded, was her hope and her

now

difficult

open to her ?

condition

an enterprise

object.

What

She wanted power

But

road was

and

after

THE POISONERS.
seeking in

was

83

directions for the

all

to acquire

it,

weapon that

she fixed upon poison as

the means of her worldly advancement and

the instrument of her hoarded vengeance.

was with

It

this

view that she brought

about the reconciliation between Glaser and

The victim's path was strewn with

his wife.

flowers

second

garlands wreathed the bed of this

bridal,

her husband's

and paeans welcomed her to

home

but the mortal poison

was already in her cup.

By

her assiduous attention during his

of sickness, she hoped to win the

her next master,

Grohman

fits

heart of

but when she

found he was about to marry another, she

compensated herself for her disappointment

by the

gratification of her revenge.

With
hard's

the same object she poisoned Geb-

wife;

when she

she

gave

arsenic to the child

quitted him, in the hope that his

consequent uneasiness and cries would occasion

her

recall

and

for

the

innumerable

G 2

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

84

persons

other

whom

to

administered

she

smaller doses, slight offences, and her unmitigable

hatred

mankind,

to

were the im-

pelling motives.

By

own

her

confession,

it

is

evident that

sense of power she en-

she revelled in the

joyed from the possession of this secret and

From

murderous weapon.
it

grew

afforded her, she

for its

own

When,

sake.

the gratification

actually to love

it

in prison, a parcel

of arsenic was placed before her, her eyes

glistened with the passionate desire to possess
it

and when she was about

to be executed,

she avowed that her death would be a happy

event for mankind, as she was sure she never
could have renounced the pleasure of using

She took a great

that defended her

by requesting

to visit

order to give

evidence of a future

the advocate

and exhibited her regard

that, if it

might be allowed
world, in

liking to

it.

life.

were permitted, she

him from

the other

him demonstrative

THE POISONERS.

89

She died without repentance

leave of the
scaffold

sheriff

with as courteous a

shall

close

and took

and executioner on the

were retiring from a morning

We

our

bow

as if she

visit.

accounts

of these

female enormities with the case of Gesche

Margaretta Gottfried, which we must, however, reserve for our

next chapter.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

86

CHAPTER
In the year 1825,

II.

gentleman,

named

Rumpff, established himself in a house in

Bremen, which belonged

inhabited by a

widow

lady

to

and was

named

also

Gottfried.

She was by universal consent a charming

woman

her manners were fascinating, and

her person, which in her youth was said to

have been extremely beautiful, was

attractive

very

and agreeable.

She was,
husbands,

still

however,
her

father,

imfortunate.

her

mother,

Two
her

THE POISONERS.
brother,

and several

children

87
had

She had

within a very short period of time.

actually

had the

pain

herself ordering

of

thirteen coffins of the undertaker

her

opposite to

and dearest

had

and

friends.

during their

last

who

lived

these for her nearest

She had,

sicknesses

is

it

true,

them

consolation of nursing

the

died

all

all

a duty which

she had discharged with the most exemplary

assiduity

her;

Every body

and tenderness.

religion

was her

pitied

and a pious

refuge,

resignation to the inscrutable decrees of Pro-

vidence

alone

so

much

was publicly prayed

ter of

Her

case,

in short,

commiseration,

that she

multiplied calamities.
excited

under these

her

supported

for in church

high reputation and signal

She was not only received

in

by a minispiety.

good

society,

but although originally born and wedded in

the biu-gher class, her

company was courted

by persons of high rank and consideration.

She had had many

suitors

had been twice

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

88

and was now forty years of age;

married,
still

she was by no means without claimants

Her

for her hand.

house,

and easy

fortune,

desirable

match

and the

gantly furnished

her a

rendered

nothing better than to have

fried

for

On

had promised her dear

memory, never

with

tages

to

hand

a sort of Job, a
;

one

to another;

keep her word.

her ill-fortune

every body connected with

Some

her died.

de-

Gottfried, of blessed

and recommendations,

patience

But she

these extraordinary advan-

all

was undeniable

Gott-

his death-bed she

to give that

and she intended

wished

Madame

a daughter-in-law.

clined their proposals.

Still,

enamoured youths

of the

parents

personal agremens, ele-

people looked upon her as

monument

whom

to chastise for the

the

of suffering and

Lord had

good of her

soul,

selected

and

to

furnish a lesson of resignation and submission to mankind.

of the case

She

herself took this view

whilst others secretly hinted that

89

THE POISONERS.

they had heard there was something poiso-

nous in her breath, which was

who

inhaled

It

from

fatal to those

it.

was not

many

\^ithout

his friends, that

expostulations

Mr. Rumpff estabhshed

himself in the house of this amiable but

starred lady.
in

stars,

He, however, was no behever

good or

and had no idea of

ill;

resigning a residence

such

absurd

felt

suited

that

and

grounds;

time he certainly

some

decision.

established

gratifying relations

selves betwixt

for

him,

on
little

he had every reason to

congratulate himself on his

most

ill-

and the

his family

The
them-

friendly

widow, w^ho seemed to have nothing in the

world to do but to

them.

was

make

Her kindness

quite remarkable

to

herself agreeable to

the

young people

but, unfortunately, at

the end of eight weeks, this general joy was

interrupted,

who was

by the death of

Madame Rumpff,

seized with a vomiting shortly after

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

90

her confinement, which carried her off in a

few hours.

Nothing could

Madame

exceed

attentions

of

never quitted the

woman, whose

best con-

moments, was, that she

in her last

solation,
left

she

Gottfried;

bedside of the dying

the

behind her so kind a friend to protect

her orphans and comfort her bereaved hus-

band.

The hopes and

mother were, in

this

letter.

Madame

house,

overlooked

wishes of the departed

respect, fulfilled to the

Gottfried

the

managed

servants,

the

cherished

the children, and, by her pious exhortations,

allayed

the anguish of the father.

In the

family she always went by the appellation of

aunt Gottfried.

But

ill-fortune

maid, and the nurse

to take care of the
ill

and the

latter

declaring that she

clung to

still

her.

The

who had been engaged

child,

finally

saw

became extremely
quitted the house,

clearly that she

never

THE POISONERS.
be

should

remained

she

whilst

well

91.

in

it.

Mr. Rumpff's journeymen and

Presently,

apprentices

months

began

wife's death

his

after

vomit

to

some

and

he was himself

seized with a similar indisposition.

healthy

and strong-minded man, he exerted himself

struggle

to

against the malady

manufactory,

who worked

boys

fancied that the

but

and even

their

ate

meals

in

in

his

the

house, were merely diverting themselves by

aping him, when he

and vomiting

But

heard

was vain

nothing on his stomach

and

him

his

from day

he could keep

every thing he ate

the most excruciating agonies,

formerly

blooming health decHned

day.

Neither the remedies he

to

had recourse

to himself,

nor those of the

He

physician, were of the least avail.

worse and worse;

fingers

straining

too.

resistance

caused

them

and toes

he
his

lost

grew

the use of his

body was

as

weak

as

;
;

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

92
an

infant's;

and

mind seemed

his

to

be

threatened with a similar degree of imbecility.

He

racked his imagination to discover the

cause of these extraordinary inflictions, and,

man

like a

some hidden

seeking for

treasure,

he ransacked every corner of his house from

top to bottom.

He

never thought of poison

but he fancied there must be some decaying

about the house, that exhaled a

substance

vapour

fatal to the health of all

He

it.

had the boards

examined

lifted,

but in vain

who

inhabited

and the walls

nothing could be

discovered.

At length the strong mind

way, as

to

admit a

doubt,

so far gave

whether there

might not indeed be some unknown and

visible

influences

some

spirits

of

iE,

pursued mankind to their destruction

in-

that

wast-

ing their bodies and withering their minds.

But here again aunt

aid

she watched over

bade him trust in

Gottfried

him

God

like

came

to his

a mothet

and when he de-

93

THE POISONERS.

scribed to her his sleepless nights of anguish,

she earnestly wished

own

blessed her

This

him such sweet

pillow.

state of things

wards of a

year,

had continued

having

him

taste,

inhabitant of this

ordered

killed for the use of his

sent

his

pig to be

family, the butcher

a small choice bit of the animal to

by way

As

of specimen.

the pork

more

easily

stomach than anything he had

lately

was not only very good, but

on

for up-

and nobody believed Mr.

Rumpff would be long an

world, when,

rest as

taken, he
closet,

sat

deposited the remains of

for his next day's luncheon.

it

in a

He

was

rather surprised, however, on going to take

it

from the cupboard,

he had

left

underneath,

to find

it.

He had

but

it

and, on looking

it

was not

placed

the

as

rind

had since been turned;

more

closely,

he was startled

by perceiving some grains of a white powder

sprinkled over

it

the

more

so,

that he im-

mediately remembered to have remarked the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

94

same appearance on a

and on some

salad,

broth which had been lately served to him.

On
to his

the former occasions, he had applied

good housekeeper, aunt

know what

it

was

and she had declared

But now,

to be grease.

for

a dreadful suspicion possessed

be poison

He

said nothing

sent for his physician

tion

the

The
March

on the 6th,

Madame

was found

it

but secretly

a chemical investiga-

the white

arsenic.

discovery was
;

could

it

time,

first

him

soon revealed the mystery

powder was

tion,

Gottfried, to

made on

the 5 th of

after a cursory

examina-

She

Gottfried was* arrested.

in bed,

they carried her

and said she was

away

to

ill

but

prison, neverthe-

less.

The

tidings of this

most unexpected

trophe soon spread over the

dismay of
sion.

its

city,

inhabitants was past

A lady

and the

all

expres-

so beloved, so respected

amiable, so friendly, so pious

catas-

So

Then came

THE POISONERS.
dark suspicions

to

relative

95
the

strange mortality, the singular

symptoms

the

illnesses

of

all

that

past

the

similarity

had attended the

who had

of
last

died in that house.

People scarcely dared whisper their thoughts

but the reality far exceeded their imagina-

tions,

and the proceedings against

Madame

Gottfi'ied disclosed a tissue of horrors, which,

all

circumstances considered, seems to surpass

those of any case on record.

Her

crimes,

combined with her successful hypocrisy, and

powers of fascination, were so

terrific,

that in

the orderly and pious city of Bremen, to this

rumours and

day, strange

vive

amongst the

history of "

Aunt

superstitions sur-

people, connected with the

Gottfried."

They

believe

that she tickled her children to death, in order

to

make

a poisonous broth of their flesh;

that there was

known
her

to

all

a vault under the house, un-

but

where she prepared

and performed

poisons,

devilish deeds

herself,

that she

all

had the evU

sorts

of

eye,

and

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

96
had

innumerable

slain

looking at them

children

by merely

and they were, moreover,

thoroughly convinced that she was born a

from her mother's womb,

murderess

two books, which

inherited from her parent

contained instructions for

and

all

sorts of

demon-

iacal practices.
It is

not to be wondered at that the igno-

rant should have sought in the supernatural

an explanation of a phenomenon which con-

founded the experience of the most enlightened.

On

being

Madame

conducted to the

Gottfried denied

city prison,

knowledge of

all

the crime she was accused of; but a secret

here came to light that astonished the beholders

little less

than the previous disclosures.

Before being conducted to the

cell

in which

she was to be confined, she was, according to

established regulations, placed in the hands of

the female
then, to

attendants to be examined

their

amazement,

it

and

was discovered

THE POISONERS.
that the lovely and admired

was nothing but

fried

Her
ful

fine

complexion was

97

Madame

Gott-

hideous skeleton.

artificial

her grace-

embonpoint was made up of thirteen pairs

which she wore one over the

of corsets,

other; in short, everj^thing was false about

her;

and when stripped of

her

attractions, she stood before the

an object no

tators

less

amazed

frightful

from

than

deformities

physical

factitious

spec-

from her

her

moral

obliquity.

The

effects of this

mind was
failed

her

curious

exposure upon her

her powers of deception

the astonishment and indignation

she had assumed vanished

further denials, but

not in

own

all

its

she attempted no

avowed her

fearful

years to do that.

details,

guilt at once,

it

took two

She gave the narrative of

her crimes piecemeal, as they recurred to her

memory;
that one

Even

for she

had committed so many,

had effaced the other from her mind.

at the last, she

VOL,

TTI.

admitted that she was.

I

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

98

by no means certain of having mentioned

everybody

to

whom

she had administered

poison.

She was the daughter of a

man-milliner,

called

Timm^

and

most industrious

lady's tailor, or

man

orderly

of the

an

habits,

assiduous reader of the Scriptures, and regu-

She and a brother,

lar attendant at churcho

who

as herself, were born on the 6th of

The young man was

army of Napoleon

almost

etherial,

attractive,
lips,

wild,

May,

her

785.

and joined the

but Gesche was a model

Her person was

of perfection.

her

moment

entered the world at the same

delicate

countenance open and

with a smile of benignity ever on

her movements were graceful, her

manner bewitching, her demeanour modest,

and her conduct unexceptionable.
held

up

Timm,

as a pattern to the young,

as he

was

called,

She was
and Father

was considered

blest

in the possession of such a daughter.

One

thing,

however, seems

pretty clear,

THE POISONERS.

99

namely, that although the parents led unexceptionable

monly

lives,

and were what

called highly

respectable people, and

though the daughter received what

lily

com-

is

is

ordina-

considered a virtuous education, the whole

was the

of

result

mere worldly motives.

There was no foundation of

principle,

no

sense of the beauty of virtue, nor delight in

practice for its

its

own

sake.

The

only object

recognized was to gain the approbation and

Timm

mankind

of

good-will

and when

by the simulation as by the

she

Gesche

found she could attain that end as well

chose

reality of virtue,

the foniier as the

easier

of the

two.

Her

first

initiation

into crime

have been by the way of petty

seems

thefts,

to

which

she practised on her parents, and of which

she allowed her brother, whose frequent mis-

demeanors

laid

him more open

to bear the blame.

at length

emboldened

to suspicion,

Five years of impunity

hfer

to

purloin a eon-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

100
siderable

in

belonging to a lady

Father

the house.

upon
by

sum

his son

this

Timm^

as usual,

but the mother,

who

fell

appears

time to have got an inkling of the

bade him hold his hand, and she would

truth,

presently
ingly she

him who was the

tell

went

half-an-hour,

and, returning in about

out,

she had been to a

said

delinquent

Accord-

thief.

woman, who had shown her the

real

who lodged

in

face

wise

of the

Whilst she

mirror.

spoke, she fixed her eyes significantly on the

" angel of a daughter," who, finding she
discovered,

her

had the prudence

The

practices.

affair,

was

discontinue

to

was

however,

hushed up, and Gesche's character remained

as fair in the eyes of the world as before.

At

twelve

years

of

age,

her

school

education being completed, she was retained

at

home

father.

to

do the house-work and help her

She

also

herself so useful

kept his books

and made

by her diligence and her

readiness as an accountant, that he

was more

THE POISONERS.
than

with

delighted

ever

induced to commit his

management

to her

she did not

obedient, pious,

and

that the prayers

an advantage of which

own

herself after her

She was her

charitable.

and was taught

to believe

and blessings of the poor

were the sure passport

life

more and more

meantime, she was cheerful,

parent's almoner,

influenced

sion that

was

and

her,

affairs

fail to avail

peculiar fashion

101

to

Heaven

a persua-

whole subsequent

her

for whilst she administered poison

with

one hand, she administered charity with the

other, secure in the belief that the

did would efface the

too, ready

her

She had

prayed

and

sang

his

morning

and she wept when her victims,

writhing in anguish, called on

them and
Yet,

tears,

upon aU occasions ; she wept when

father

hymn

evil.

good she

release

them from

rious, nor

She was neither

even sensual

to pity

their pains.

was she a woman of

passions.

God

no violent

avaricious, luxu-

although later in

life

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

102

her lapses from chastity might have given

She was

colour to the suspicion.

and

Her

self-possessing.

and

vanity,

an

ruling passion

inordinate

and respected

admired

desire

humble sphere that surrounded

to

small

the

in

Her amusements were

cold, calm,

was
be

and

her.

dancing, in which

her parents allowed her to take lessons, and

acting

plays

guished

and

wherein

herself.

the

also

As

she

greatly

distin-

she was the prettiest,

cleverest

amongst the young

people, the best parts were assigned to her,

as

well

as

theatrical

the

most ornamental

attire

the

wardrobe could produce; so that

each representation became to her a triumph,

and was anticipated wdth the most eager

dehght.

However,

Gesche's whole

life

the

was,

truth

was acting

that

and there

have been very few such consummate comedians seen, either on the boards, or the larger
stage

of the world.

For forty-three years

she maintained her part to such perfection,

103

THE POISONERS.
that no suspicion

had ever entered

into

men's

minds that she had any other character than

the one she appeared in.

In order to augment her attractions and

powers

of

learning music

was

she

pleasing,

but Father

desirous

Timm

of

not only

thought this expense beyond his means, but

considered so refined an accomplishment

adapted to a

girl

who had

to do the

ill

work of

a house- servant, and daily appear before the

door with a broom in her hand.

ever,

proposed that she should learn French,

and she

made an apparent

delighted

her

else

He, how-

master;

about her,

it

progress

but hke

that

everything

was only apparent.

She

had considerable aptness, but no application.

Study wearied

her,

so

she

employed

an

acquaintance to prepare her lessons for her,

desiring

him

or two,

to

to

be careful to leave an error

avoid suspicion.

The

Uttle she

picked up of the language, however, helped

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

104

her to play he^ part in

when

life,

she had

risen into another grade of society.

Gesche,
herself,

or

had

Gesina,

as

she

now

called

rejected several offers of marriage,

when being one evening

at the theatre

with

her friend Marie Heckendorf, she was perse-

cuted by the too obtrusive attentions of a

stranger,

who appeared by

person of some distinction.

his air to be a

young neigh-

bour of the Timm's family, whose name was

Miltenburg, stepped forward to protect her,

and

see her

home; and from

sprung up

intimacy

that occasion an

between them which

terminated in marriage.

Though

man

the son of a

in exceedingly

good circumstances, and in point of condition

a very advantageous match for Gesina,

young

Miltenburg's reputation was not quite intacte.

He

had been drawn

in at

marry a woman of very

an

early age to

indifferent character,

who had introduced him

into a

good deal of

105

THE POISONERS.
dissipation

The

company.

and loose

wife

was dead, but the vices she had encouraged

had not died with

The young man's

her.

and his

health, as well as his morals

fortune, were injured by the

in spite of her

humble

father's

he led

life

station, old

and

Miltenburg

virtuous

and

exemplary a daughter-in-law as Gesina.

He

was

delighted

testified

his

ment; and

accept

to

so

approval by a handsome settlewhilst the

young lady and her

parents exulted in this unexpected stroke of

fortune,

the world in general lamented that

so lovely

and incomparable a creature should

be thrown away on an exhausted debauchee.

The marriage ceremony was performed

Mr. Miltenburg's
sina's

Over Ge-

picture-gallery.

head hung a

fine

by one of the old masters

in

Madonna and Child

;

on one

side of

Jesus distributing the bread and wine;

the other, a head of St. Peter

it

it,

on

was exactly

on that spot that she afterwards poisoned her

mother.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

106

The young
husband

bride

had no regard

but the circumstances of the mar-

and

riage gratified her vanity

utmost.

for her

self-love to the

She brought peace

where there had been nothing but

contention.

Her

house

into

strife

and

virtues shone the brighter

from the dark ground of her predecessor's

She was exalted

vices.

goddess

into

and son worshipped her/ and power

father

and dominion were given

whole household.

to

her over the

Her husband made

superb presents, and sought by

all

her

manner

make

of pleasures and indulgences

to

amends

which he was

for those imperfections

conscious his dissolute

him,

and which

life

had

entailed

him

incapacitated

winning the affections of a young

In the present case,

however,

her

upon
from

bride.
it

is

ex-

tremely problematical whether there were any

affections to

a suitor,

if

win

but her vanity soon found

not her heart.

merchant, of the

name

young wine-

of Gottfried,

whom

THE POISONERS.
she met at a

took her fancy, and an in-

ball,

up

sprang

timacy

107

them,

between

which

seems to have met with no opposition on the

part of the husband.

was equally

Karnov,

vious, however, to

second lover,

named

received.

Pre-

well

lapses

these

from duty,

she had several confinements, the results of

which appear

to

have been an extraordinary

degree of leanness

defect

which she

re-

medied by putting on an additional pair of

pairs

seventeen

which were found in her wardrobe

her death, were sold in

a

The

as occasion required.

corsets,

sum

as

two groschen

Bremen

at

for so small

people being unwill-

ing to have any thing to do with them.

It

was supposed they were endowed with some

magical properties.
a great deal of

harm

she had materially

They had
to

certainly

their possessor

done
;

for

injured her health, and

aggravated the defect she was so anxious to

conceal,

them.

by

compressing

her

waist

with

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

108

appears to have been a good-

Gottfried

looking, agreeable, light-hearted,

He had

accomplished man.

and rather

a well-selected

played the guitar, and published two

library,

Her

volumes of songs.

inclination

for

him

seems to have approached more nearly to a

passion than any she ever entertained
his

appear to have

assiduities

prompted by

his

desire to enjoy the comforts

been

vanity,

flattered

whilst
chiefly

and a

and pleasures of

Miltenburg's house.

These comforts and pleasures,

however,

were in some jeopardy, from young Miltenburg's improvidence and inattention to his
business

and

wife

his

began to

question

with herself seriously, what w^as the value of

his

life

and what was the use of

his living

at aU, with a

constitution so ruined as to be

incapable of

any

period,

namely,

the father,
ablished,

died,

enjoyment.
in

as

About

this

1813, old Miltenburg,

it

was afterwards

from natural causes

es-

but this was

THE POISONERS.
her

first

109

introduction to the grim tyrant, and

she seems to have been determined to

herself thoroughly familiar with

his features

She astonished everybody by her

once.

at

make

constant visits to the chamber of death, and

the

manner

which she contemplated the

in

and pressed the hands of the de-

features,

ceased.

From

this

time the idea of getting rid of

her husband gradually ripened into an uncontrollable desire

set

about

it.

augment the

but she was

at a loss

self

all

interest

hands

felt

for

herself,

and

maligned

whilst she supplied

her-

with money, by robbing both him and

other persons
her,

to

In the meanwhile, in order to

reconcile the world to his loss, she

him on

how

who

lived

under the roof with

and exercised her extraordinary powers

of dissimulation,

from herself

by

averting

She was

still,

all

suspicion

in the eyes of

the world, the most charming and exemplary

of

women.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

110

Her

resolution

who, whatever

to

despatch her husband,

was only too

his faults were,

kind and indulgent to her, was confirmed by

a fortune-teller,

whom, about

The woman

consulted.

body belonging

to

this time,

she

told her that every-

her would die off; and

that she would then spend the remainder of

her

life

in

prosperity

She

and happiness.

afterwards said that her choice of the

means

was decided by seeing a play of Kotzebue's,

in

which some very amiable and interesting

hero attains his objects by poisoning every-

body who stands

in the

way of them.

She,

however, from a remarkable degree of

cacy

towards

her

own

conscience,

deli-

always

avoided the use of the offensive words murder

or poison

she

had recourse

to the dainty

paraphrase of " giving a person something."

She now
to

recollected that her

combat the

rats

mother used

and mice, with which her

house was infested, by arsenic; and, under

pretence that she wanted

it

for the

same pur-

THE POISONERS.
pose, she asked for some.
it
it

The mother gave

be very cautious to keep

her, bidding her

from the

Ill

After

children.

an

interval,

during which her heart seems to have failed

her,

she administered the

husband, at breakfast.
his repast, the

window

stairs,

dose to her

he had finished
out, whilst she

and looked out of the

wondering whether he

him,

after

When

man went

poor

" ascended the

first

would be brought home dead."

He
his

was not brought home, but returned of

own

accord,

and took

she continued to " give

occasion

bed

where

him something,"

The

requii'ed.

to his

sufferings

as

of the

unfortunate victim were frightful, and for the

last four

as

she

days she kept out of his room

from

admitted,

pangs, but

many

through the

any conscientious

but she stood at the door,

listening to his cries

the

not,

from an apprehension that he

would suspect her

for

she

and groans.
afterwards

Unhappily
conducted

same path of anguish,

to

the

112

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

grave, she

was not suspected.

trary,

On

the con-

he died, committing his wife and

chil-

dren to the care of Gottfried.

She was very apprehensive that the appearance of the body might have suggested

some unpleasant
had so

ideas

thought

"

down

nailing

settle

her

affairs,

!"

Her
and,

and

when

offers

interfered

father undertook
all

to

was arranged,

she found herself a rich widow.

suitors too,

and

the coffin, she

But no such unfortunate events

with her plans.

would surely awake

Miltenburg

with the knocking

who

the mother,

her with arsenic

lately supplied

when they were

to

She had

of marriage, but her

preference for Gottfried, who, before her hus-

band's death, had become an inmate of the

house, and

still

minished.

He, however, made no proposals

remained

so,

continued undi-

and her parents having openly declared that

she should never marry
sent, she

began

him with

their con-

to entertain serious thoughts

THE POISONERS.

113

of removing that obstacle, " by giving

them

something too."

Remorse of conscience she had never

felt

the only feeling that occasionally clouded her

was

satisfaction in the success of her schemes,

As time

the fear of discovery.

advanced,

and impunity gave her confidence, the apprehension

in

extraordinary

The

degree subsided.

great

her

of

strength

nerves

evinced by the following circumstance.

after

She

confinement, that shortly

whilst in

related,

is

the death of Miltenburg,

she was

as

standing, in the dusk of the evening, in her

drawing-room,

light hovering at

door,

no great distance above the

advanced

It

floor.

saw a bright

suddenly

she

towards

and then disappeared.

her

on three successive evenings.

occasion,

she

saw a

hovering near her

"

III.

another

appearance

denke

Miltenburg seine Erscheinung

VOL.

On

shadowy

Ach

bed-room

This recurred

!"
I

ich,
*'

das

ist

Alas

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

114
thought

that

I,

ghost

the

is

of

Milten-

burg!"

Yet did not

During the

derous hand.

and

this impression stay her

when

especially

in

of her

rest

prison,

murlife,

she declared

she was visited by the apparitions of those

she had poisoned

terror

won

indeed,

it

was

at last the

these spectres inspired her with, that

her to confession.

It is a very

years
called

Madame

remarkable

fact, that for several

Gottfried had

Beta Cornelius,

who was

servant

girl,

herself one of

the most honest, industrious, innocent, and

pure-minded

creatures

living in intimate
her,

who

close

ever

existed,

communion with

yet continued to believe her an angel

of goodness.
girl's

and

that

So

exalted, indeed,

was the

opinion of her mistress, that she became

the

occasionally

her crimes
that she

was

unconscious

instrument of

and so great was her

silent

respect,

about whatever she saw

THE POISONERS.
and whatever she was desired

1 1

to do, she

did

without question or suspicion.

In

meantime,

the

were not forthcoming

be withheld

made

to the

proposals

Gottfried's

and, believing

him

to

by the objections her parents

match, on the one hand, and by

the consideration of her having a family of

on the

children

other,

she thought

was

it

time to remove these obstacles out of his

way.

She

her

said that

resolution,

had been

with

fortified

by

the pious and frequently-expressed wishes

of

respect to her parents,

the old people, that neither might long sur-

She

vive the other.

other

also

who

fortune-tellers,

mortality

that

connexions.

prophecy,

was

consulted

to

on the

predicted the

all

ensue amongst her

She made no

but,

several

secret

contrary,

of

this

frequently

lamented that she knew she was doomed to

lose her children

and

all

always concluded these

her relations.

She

communications by

pious ejaculations, expressing a most perfect

I

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

116

resignation to the will of Providence.

will

be done

inscrutable,

The ways

" God's

of the Lord are

and we must bow

His de-

to

crees," &c.

About

Frau Timm, the mother,

this time,

was seized with an

tinued

for

daughter

fortnight,

with

and

hopes

lively

w^oman was going

however;

just

as

inspired

that the

the

good

to save her the trouble of

helping her out of the world.

die,

which con-

indisposition,

and,

as

this

She did not

occurred

illness

the old couple were changing their

residence,

the

took

invalid

shelter

in

her

daughter's house, to get out of the way of

the bustle.

Here she was lodged

in a finely-

furnished apartment, w^hich she remarked was

much
but

too grand for a

Madame

fancy herself

humble body

like her

Miltenburg, smihng, bade her

in

childbed, a jest which so

took the old lady's fancy, that " she shook her
sides with laughter."

Three days

after this,

Frau Timm, having

THE POISONERS.

117

requested her daughter to step home, for the

some

purpose of fetching

Madame

wanted,

article

little

Miltenburg

she

discovered,

amongst her mother's household goods, a

small

packet

peared to

her,

She

way."

of ratsbane,

" which,

it

ap-

Providence had lain in her

carried

it

away with her

and on

the ensuing night she could not sleep for the

thoughts this acquisition suggested.

However, the mother had a

relapse,

and

again the daughter hoped she would leave the

world without her aid

disappointed

mixed some

but again she was

and, becoming impatient, she

arsenic in a glass of lemonade,

the favourite beverage of the invahd.

as she

was about

to administer

Uttle boy, Heinrich,

came

it,

into the

Just

her

room with

book he had been reading, and asked

grandmother

if it

his

were true " that the hand

of the undutiful child would

grave."

own

grow out of the

Gesina said that the boy's innocent

question had cut her to the soul

but

it

did

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

118

As

her hand.

not stay

she presented the

draught to the old woman, three swal-

fatal

lows flew into the room, and settled on the

bed

the mother,

three pretty birds

smiling,
!"

said

" See the

But the knees of the

murderess shook, and her heart beat, for she

thought they were the harbingers of death

She declared that such a thing had never

happened before or since
built

about

the

house,

no swallows

that

or

frequented the

neighbourhood.

The

poison did

its

work

the dying

woman

took the sacrament, and bade a tender adieu

to her

husband and daughter, committing her

absent son to the

bade the old

ven

and

answered

man

care of the latter.

rejoin her quickly in hea-

he, pressing her

:

"

That

She

in

hand

affectionately,

two months he would

follow her."

Gesina related

that, whilst she

was mixing

the poison for her mother, she was seized

with such a violent

fit

of laughter, that she

THE POISONERS.
was almost frightened

119

herself;

at

but

comforted herself with the idea that

mother would soon

the body, she

so laugh in heaven."

she
"'

her

By

neither pity nor remorse

felt

she was, on the contraiy, cheerful, and

fied in the resolution to

remove

out of the way of her desires.

all

forti-

obstacles

Accordingly,

on the day of the interment, which was the

10th of May, she gave

her

Johanna, some arsenic on a

The

cake.

Gottfried

child

fell

quieted

water, and put

it

ill

girl,

bit of the funeral

immediately.

with

to bed.

it

youngest

some wine

Mr.
and

An hour afterwards,

when

the mother looked into the cradle, the

child

was dead.

A few days had only elapsed

when she despatched her

eldest

The

Adehne, in the same manner.

died in her arms

daughter,
little girl

she was a beautiful child

and when she was gone, the mother had

picture,

which happened

to

resemble

handsomely framed, and hung

room, calling

it

in

her

" her beloved Adeline."

her,

own

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

120

The poor
affected

daily

old

was

grandfather

by the death of the

children,

greatly

and he

the grave where they and his

visited

wife were laid

him with her

but his daughter comforted

One

attentions.

filial

day,

about a fortnight after the death of Johanna,

she gave him,

when he

He

basin of soup.

and

life.

When

she accompanied

go

relished

it

exceedingly

told her that her tender care

long his

him.

left

on her, a nice

called

would pro-

he had taken the soup,

him

to his

own

house, and

That night she did not undress, or

to bed, for she

knew

she should be sent

for.

In the morning, about four o'clock, the

expected message came.
very

ill,

and wished

till

to

see

Timm
his

was

beloved

She went, and remained with

daughter.

him

Father

he

died.

Several witnesses,

recalled the circumstances

who

of the old man's

death, declared that whilst she attended him,

she was not only calm, but cheerful.

She

THE POISONERS.

121

remembered that wine and water had

relieved

the sufferings of Johanna, and went to fetch

some

for her father.

was

sitting

When

she returned, he

on the ground, talking of

blessed wife,

whom

his

he said he saw sitting on

He

the bed waiting for him.

died on the

28th of June.

These deaths caused neither suspicion nor

Her

surprise.

her

She

son Henry alone asked

little

why God took

her children from her.

all

said this question

heart,

was

Henry was

for

a dagger in her

her

favourite

child.

This did not, however, prevent her poisoning

him

in the ensuing

also

ber.

He

month

of Septem-

seems to have been a remarkably

interesting boy,

and

his

sufferings

intense, that,

monster as she was,

lented

moment

She

sent

for

bedside.

believed

to

be an

as

for

were so
she

re-

she stood by

his

milk,

which

antidote; but

died in inexpressible agonies.

He

she

the child
also said

he saw those waiting for him that had gone

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

122
"

before.

Adeline

there

is

I shall

Was

!"

!"

cried

" see

he,

standing

by

me.

There

she smiles on

father too

in heaven

She

How

stove.

my

Oh, mother

the
is

soon be with them

there any fiction so tragic

as this

The

rapidity with

which aU these members

of her family had descended to the grave, at

length began to excite

some

and her

notice,

friends

recommended a post-mortem exami-

nation

of

declared

the

last

sufferer.

The

the child had died from introsus-

bowels

ception of the

nobody thought of

disputing his judgment; and no

thought
amiable

doctor

of

the

Madame

matter,

except

more was
that

the

Miltenburg was the most

unfortunate of women.

These events were

severe

illness

brought her

which

followed

attacked

by a very
herself,

and

also to the brink of the grave

without, however, producing any moral effect

in her character.

The

only influence

it

had

THE POISONERS.
on her conduct was, that from
endeavoured to
works,

She

up

set

this

time she

balance

of good

outweigh

should

that

123

her

crimes.

not only relieved the poor that applied to

her for aid

but she sought them out in

Amongst

directions.

all

other beneficent acts,

she presented a sister of her father's with a

of land that had fallen to her with the

bit

rest of the old

man's property.

Her next victim was her

brother,

who

returned very inopportunely from the wars, an

invalid

and a

cripple.

There were several

powerful motives for putting

She was ashamed of him

way.

He

point of view.
tion

him out

for

so

Miltenburg

was not a

elegant

in

of the

every

creditable rela-

person as

Madame

he would be an impediment to

her marriage with Gottfried; and he would

doubtless claim a share of the inheritance.

He

arrived

on the Friday;

and on the

Sunday following she poisoned him.

died, raving

He

about his horse and his mistress

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

124

and crying " Vive FEmpereur

on the

1st of June,

!"

This was
after the

1816, a year

decease of her former victims.

All obstacles were

Gottfried

made no

now removed, and

proposals, although

yet

she

nursed him through a severe sickness, and

At

him were unremitting.

her attentions to

length, however, she

became

in

the family-

Once

way, and her honour was at stake.

and again he promised

to

marry

her,

and

still

drew back; whether influenced by aversion,

or an indistinct presentiment of

appear.

For her

and love extinct

part, passion

was

satisfied,

She got her

and the backward

gave his word.

does not

but she wanted his name,

rank and inheritance.

interfere,

evil,

When

friends to

lover, at length,

they had been asked

twice in church, however, she reflected that

as he married her

on compulsion, they never

would be happy together

be advisable " to give
nay, that

it

and that

it

him something

would be better

to

do

it

would
too

;"

at once.

THE POISONERS.

When

he found himself

125

at the point of death,

he would assuredly marry her, and she thus

secured the

name and

the fortune, without

the burthen attached to them.

She poisoned him with some almond milk

and

arsenic,

on the day the marriage was

proclaimed, and the final ceremony was per-

formed whilst he was writhing in agony.

Before he died, he exacted from her a pro-

mise

that

she

would never take

husband; and she declined

all

third

subsequent

proposals on the plea of this promise to her

" blessed Gottfiied."

Nobody

suspected her;

who

could have

supposed that she had poisoned this longdesired

husband on her wedding-day

She was now Madame

Gottfried, Countess

of Orlamiinde, and from the year 1819 to

1823 she made no use of her

but

although

she

dreadful secret

had removed husbands,

children and parents out of her path,

happy?

No;

was she

she was alone and wretched.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

126

This she admitted in her confessions; and

also that after the death of her little

she had often

felt

see other people

bear to
children

"

remorse.

Heinrich

She could not

happy with

their

the sight of the joyous young crea-

tures passing her house as they

came from

school pierced her to the heart; she would

shut herself up in her

when

room and weep

moon shone

the clear

and

over her head

she would survey the estate of which she was

now

the sole possessor, and ask herself

she had earned

But
short

how

it I"

these glimpses of humanity were of

duration.

It

appeared

that

" the

blessed Gottfried," as she always called him,

had debts

there were claims on his estate,

and as she spent a good deal of money, and

dispensed considerable sums in charity, she

soon found herself in want of funds.

this

period

she

seems

liaison with a certain

family and fortune

to

have formed

At
a

Mr. X., a gentleman of

but being an influential

THE POISONERS.

127

person, the particulars of his intimacy with

Certain

her never transpired.

it is,

however,

sums of money, but

that he lent her large

made no advances

fortunately for himself he

without taking her bond for the debt.

precaution

saved his

life

she

This

could

have

poisoned him, but she could not annihilate

the papers.

He

was the only person con-

nected

her

who

with

never tasted of her

deadly drugs.

Her

acquaintance

with

gentleman

this

seems to have introduced her to a great

many

pleasures.

parties, presented

showered on her
gallantries.

To

He

gave

her fetes

and

her with opera tickets, and

all

use

manner
her

" she began to Hve again

own

of gifts

and

expressions,

she forgot the past,

and thought herself the happiest person

the world
for

She had a great many

in

suitors

her hand, and she was sun'ounded by

friends

She

!"

who

revered her as a suffering angel.

affected to be veiy religious

the poor

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

128

blessed her, and the rich respected her.

was

1819; and she looked upon

in

some of the happiest days of her

The next person

Zimmerman.

He

these as

life.

she helped out of the

was a gentleman of

world

This

the

name

of

wished to marry her, but

marriage, as she admitted in her confessions,

was by

time out of the question.

this

whole

life

about

her,

made up

was a

lie

or

inside

there

was no truth

Her body was

out.

and her

and paddings,

of paint

Her

conduct was a tissue of deceit and hypocrisy.

She could

risk

no

intimate inspection

communion, nor

close

but although she could

not marry him she could borrow

him on
did,

and

the strength of his love.

as

also

him

This she

to get rid of the debt.

gave a few doses to her old friend

Maria Heckendorf,

who

some untimely advice

the poor

of

he had not the prudence of Mr.

X., she poisoned

She

money

woman, but

offended

not

enough

her
to

by
kill

sufficient to deprive her

129

THE POISONERS.

of the use of her hands and feet, which, as

she

hved

by

her

was almost

labour,

as

bad.

After the death of

a

visit to

Zimmerman

Hanover, where she seems to have

been received in the highest

have been

She

universally feted

received

family

especial

name

of the

fascinated

irresistibly

society,

and admired.
from a

kindnesses
of

and to

Klein,

who were

by the charms of her

During her residence there

manner.
wrote

made

she

the

suffering

most

affectionate

letters

she

to the

Maria Heckendorf, offering to pay

the expenses of her

illness,

and recommend-

ing her resignation to the inflictions of Providence.

Her

return to Bremen, however, was less

She there found

agreeable.

her

creditors

troublesome, and she administered poison in

greater
people.

VOL.

or

less

One
III.

quantities

to

variety

of

of the most lamentable cases

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

130

was that of a young woman, a teacher of

Anna

music, called

supported

industry,

in her last agonies,

closed in

blind

father,

eighty

She attended the poor creature

years of age.

all

and when her eyes were

she opened her desk and

death,

away

carried

Myerholtz, who, by her

the

little

savings she had

accumulated for the support

of

now

her

desolate parent.

About

this time,

being in company with a

friend at the theatre,

tragedy

weep,

To

of

for,

Hamlet,

thank God,

who shed
she
it

tears at the

" not

bade her

was only a play

I"

attempt to enumerate the number of

persons whose health she utterly destroyed,

without absolutely
tedious.

killing

them,

would be

Every offence or annoyance, how-

ever insignificant, was requited with a dose

of arsenic.

Scarcely a person that

her escaped

when

there

came near

was anything

got by their deaths, though

it

to be

were only a

THE POISONERS.
few

Thus she despatched her good

dollars.

Johann Mosees, who had

friend

money and wanted

marry her

to

hoard of

fifty

dollars;

her

lent

her faithful

who had

servant Beta Cornelius,

little

131

laid

by a

and the worthy

Mr. Klein of Hanover, who had

also assisted

her with a loan to some considerable amount.

Indeed she poisoned the whole of Mr. Klein's

he alone

family, but

One motive
mately

suspected

thought

crime

the

world

of this

to

Indeed,

her.

heaven

inflicted

that

ulti-

monster

of

despair.

apprehend that Mr. Rumpff

and

at

earth

together to betray her, and

to learn

which

been

appears to have

wickedness,

She began

for

the

rid

died.

it

this

time,

were

was

she

leagued

satisfactory

some of the agonies she had

on others came home to herself

at

last.

If a storm raged in the atmosphere, or

in the

fire

town

if

a river overflowed

its

banks, or the neighbom^s quarrelled in the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS,

132
street,

she thought she was the object of

She declared

all

herself persecuted

of her

apparitions

victims

enough sought refuge

and

it

by the

strangely

at the graves to

which

she had sent them.

But

all this

terror brought

nor even surcease

she

still

no repentance,

administered her

drug, and took away the lives of two

fatal

innocent children;

one, the foster son,

and

only consolation of her unhappy friend Maria

Heckendorf.

She was
to

arrested for administering poison

Mr. Rumpff, on the 6th of March, 1828.

On

her

trial,

it

was

clearly established that

she had sent fifteen persons out of the world

how many
in

it

with

ascertain

she had incapacitated for living

comfort,

precisely,

it

but

was impossible to
at

least

as

many

more.

With
without

respect to her
exciting

means of procuring,

suspicion,

so

constant

THE POISONERS.

133

supply of arsenic as she used, she bought

in

jars in

occasion,

the form

some of

offered for sale,

this deadly

when she was

she affected not to

On

of ratsbane.

it

one

mixture being
at

know what

Mr.
it

Klein's,

was; and

on being informed, she requested young Mr.

Klein to purchase some for her, as she could

not think of touching

Still,

herself.

admitting her to have been the most

consummate
long

it

hj-pocrite that ever existed, her

impunity,

deceptions,

and

seems

the

of

success

incomprehensible.

her

Not

only did death follow upon her footsteps, but

everj^body died of the
similar

symptoms.

same malady and with

The

persevering ill-luck

that attended her, showing

itself,

however, in

no shape but the mortality of her connexions,

was a

fact so

remarkable that

it

had

general notice, and must have been

many

attracted

known

to

persons of discernment and intelligence

in various grades of

life

still

no glimmering

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

134

of the truth aroused

them

to the investiga-

tion of so inexplicable a circumstance.

The

art,

too,

with which she caused the

withered and hideous skeleton which enclosed

demon within

the

assume the appear-

her, to

ance of freshness and embonpoint,

extraordinary

equally

how

extremely

Hke

natiu-e;

fictitious

make

difficult it is to

from the

real,

easily

we

whether in

hair, teeth,

Had London

been

Madame

adventures,

Bremen, we
secret

with

scene

of

instead

of

incline to

the

art look

discern the

form, or complexion.
the

almost

knowing, as we do,

and how

is

or Paris

Gottfried's

staid

city

think so valuable a

would not have been permitted

her.

Some

enterprising

assuredly have purchased

counsel,

of

it

artist

to die

would

by paying her

and have thus secured

his

own

fortune.

Besides the terrors she suffered from the

supernatural

visitations

of

her

murdered

135

THE POISONERS.
friends,

Madame

Aware

the universal abhorrence and execration

some strange and

invented

bound

her

for

terrible

as

of

death

would be

she

would be

that

the bodies of her victims, and laid

to

grave with them

in the

w^ould be flung as food to

that

of

she was the object, she feared that

which

alive

by

tortured

of horrible imaginings.

sorts

all

Gottfried was

happened

to

or that she

some wild

beasts

be exhibiting in the town

at the time.

One
when

of her

most trying moments was

she was shown her picture, painted as

she really was, stript of

all

patches, in the prison dress.

fort

she

Madame
till

was

still

Gottfried

and

The

only

com-

handsome.

was not led

to

the

three years after her apprehension.

She wished

moment

rags

derived was from the observation

that her nose

scaffold

her

very

much

to

die

before

the

of execution arrived, and attempted

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

136

had not

starve herself, but

to

from

abstain

long

food

case they found her

mouth and wipe

her

enough

She requested the

purpose.

that

face,

resolution to
for

attendants,

dead " to bind

might

she

in

up her

damps from

death

the

her

so

not

look

when

she saw

hideous."

She was extremely

afflicted

the unbecoming dress she was to wear on the

and put

scaff'old,

it

on with the greatest

She died a

reluctance.

hypocrite, as she

had

Hved, affecting a piety and repentance she

evidently did not

feel.

When

her head

fell

beneath the sword of the executioner thousands of voices from the assembled multitude
hailed the

triumph of that earthly judgment

which sent her to her great account before

her Heavenly Judge.

Her

head,

skeleton in

Museum

preserved

a case, are

of Bremen.

in
still

spirits,

and her

to be seen in the

THE POISONERS.
It

is

fact

137

worth remarking, that the

predominant passion of these three women,

Ursinus, Zwanziger, and Gottfried,
inordinate vanity.

was an

II.

AN ADVENTURE AT
In the

early part of the

of the year

TERNI.

month of October

1822, having passed the night

which

looks as

if

the fatal

earthquake of 1703 had shaken

all

the inha-

at Spoleto,

bitants out of
fast,

it,

still

we

proceeded, after break-

over the mountains to Terni, visiting

by the way the curious remains of an ancient

aqueduct,

and an arch

called the

Hannibal, under which he

is

said

Arch of
to

have

passed in triumph after the battle of Thrasi-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

140

Though we had but

mene.

travel, yet, as

we had

fifteen miles to

Apen-

to creep over the

nines a great part of them,

it

was towards

when we heard our

the middle of the day

postilions

crying " Via

up

door of the hotel at Terni.

to the

odd-looking

foreign

via !"

we drove

as

carriage that

An

impeded

our way moved forward upon this summons,

and we took
were

its

place

conducted

and, having alighted,

to

room on

the

first

floor.

" Will there be time enough for us to see

the

falls

to-day ?" was our

we were anxious

to

first

inquiry

Rome on

reach

for

the

fol-

lowing evening, and to do this an early start

was necessary.
" Certainly,"
youi^

said

excellencies"

the

host,

(excellencies

" provided
are

cheap

there) " do not lose time."

" However, the air of the mountains had

given us an appetite, and

eat

we must

before

we

it

did

was agreed that

anything

else

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.
but

it

was arranged

we

should

see

what was

*'

What

after-

we took our

window, and looked abroad to

at the

seats

meanwMe,

In the

wards.

immediately

out

set

we took our

be prepared, and

a carriage should

repast,

that

whilst

that,

141

be seen.

to

is

that building

opposite ?" in-

quired I of the waiter.

"

That

"

And whose

said I

was

is

the

carriage

replied.
is

this at the door ?"

for the odd-looking foreign carriage

still

there.

" It belongs to

he

jail,"

,"

the

Count and Countess

answered he; " they are just going

off to the falls."

Effectively,

tw^o

minutes

saw the footman advance

to

afterwards

open the door,

and presently a gentleman and lady

stept out

of the house and entered the vehicle.

handing her
said

in,

the

we

After

Count turned round and

something to the host, which gave us

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

142

an opportunity of catching a glimpse of his

was a young and handsome

It

face.

one,

dark, and

somewhat sallow

was good

and he was well dressed, in a blue

dark

coat,

and

trousers,

too,

figure,

his

light

waistcoat.

Whilst he was speaking, the lady bent

for-

wards to observe him, and as she did

so,

she caught a view of our English phizzes at

the window, and looked up at us.
" Heavens
I

exclaimed to

is

Italian face that is !"

what an

my

companion.

"

What

do you mean ?" said he.

"

Why,

mean,"

a ready-made
"

What

"
to

" that there

in it."

romance ?" inquired

I answered, "

Vandyke

is

he.

said

have predicted, on seeing a portrait of

Lord
to a

me

replied,

romance

sort of a

Why,"

Strafford, that

bad end

he was destined to come

and that

of the prediction.

lady's

face

reminds

There's surely a very

strange expression in those features

!"

"

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.

143

very handsome,"

my

She

is

observed

friend.

" Verj^/' I replied

complexioned,
a

and so she was

magnificent

full

formed mouth and

finely

dark

black

eyes,

though

nose,

these were rather on the large scale, and with

that uniformity of colour, often so beautiful

women.

Spanish and Italian

in

in

attired

a pale

of ventre de biche,

silk

and wore a deUcate pink

white

rich

making
stept

in,

blond

these

the

She was

satin bonnet,

Whilst

veil.

observations,

and a

we were

the gentleman

carriage drove away,

and our

luncheon being shortly announced, we ceased

to think

more of the Count and Countess

As

soon, however, as

claims of hunger,

we had

satisfied the

we remembered

the busi-

ness that was before us, and calling for our

carriage,
St.

we proceeded

Angelo, where

we

to

tlie

foot of

alighted,

Mount

in order to

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

144

walk up the
carriage

and

owners were

There stood the foreign

hill.

still

hoped

rather

\'iewing the

that,

falls,

as

its

we might

have another opportunity of inspecting the

handsome

Some

paii\

children,

who

are

always in waiting to earn a few pence by

showing

the way, here joined us,

travellers

and advancing

leisurely

we commenced

heat,

There were gates

the

on account of the

the ascent.

at

different intervals

some

of which

road, at each

children

were stationed, one or two of whom,

letting

us through,

train.

down

fell

we had passed two

when we saw

of these,

ing

think

generally

on

into

after

our

or three

several people hasten-

the mountain towards us, \^dth a

speed that implied they were urged by some

more than common motive

we

drew nearer,
mostly
as

of

distinguished

children,

they could

at

aU

the top

and as they
a

talking

clamour,
as

fast

of their voices.

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.
and

with

gesticulating

the

145

utmost

vio-

lence.

"

sia ?"

Che

(What

is

the matter

?)

said I

to our little guides.

"

Non

(We

so,''

They then
themselves,

more of

carried

on a dispute amongst

which some said " yes," and

in

others " no

don't know), said they.

;"

but we could not understand

patois.

their

At length one

of

them, pointing at the advancing group, cried

out, with characteristic energy,

(Yes, there he
I descried

so

fast

is)

" Si, eccolo /"

and on looking forwards,

in the midst of the party, walking

that

he

seemed

under the

either

influence of the highest excitement,

or

else

trying to outwalk his companions, the owner

of the carriage. Count

He was

bareheaded,

his

waistcoat

was

ubuttoned, and one side of his coat was torn

clean off from the lappel to the waist.
face

but no

words cannot
VOL.

III.

Fuseli

His

might have painted

describe

it

it

the deadly hue,

146

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

the white

lips,

the

distortion of the

"
as

staring

the horrid

eyes,

whole feature

sia ? che sia ?" I exclaimed eagerly,

Che

we reached
But they

the party.

all

dashed past us, whilst the

whole of our train

fell

companion had not

into theirs
laid

and

if

hands on

violent

one urchin, and prevented his secession,

should have been

by

standing on the hillside

some minutes, guessing and won-

for

dering,

and perplexing ourselves as

to

what

had happened and where the lady could

we

resolved to

speed

we

curiosity

we

After straining our eyes after

ourselves.

them

left

my

be,

hasten forwards with aU the

could, in the hope of having our

satisfied,

and of perhaps meeting

the Countess at the farm-house, or cottage,

which we understood was

to be

found

at the

top of the mountain.

When we
our

little

presently

got in sight

guide

saw him

ran

of this dwelling,

forwards

talking

to

and

we

woman

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.

who was

standing

at

the

147
and who

door,

ultimately appeared to be the only living soul

upon the

left

the boy held

The woman

hill.

up

his hands,

called out

"

(Where

the lady

is

was the

Che

"

reply.

"

Dead

and

once more

Bov'e la donna ?"

sia ?
?)

gesticulated,

Morta

!"

we

?" (Dead

!)

in

reiterated

amazement.

"mur-

*'Dead!" repeated the woman;

dered

drowned gone

this time,

you would not

her as big as
into

over

my

hand

the

find a

falls

by

remnant of

she must be dashed

a thousand pieces amongst the rocks

When

the gentleman ascended the

continued, in answer to

hill,"

she

our questions, " he

drove the children back, and desired them not

to

foUow him

place,

and when they reached

he threw money to those who wanted

saying he

to conduct him,

well as they did,

of

them returned

osity,

this

knew

the

falls

and needed no guide.

;

as

Most

but two, either from curi-

or in the hope of getting

more

L 2

sous,

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

148

followed at a

amongst

distance, hiding themselves

little

the

border

that

trees

They had not been out of

quarter of an hour,

when

the

river.

sight above

the children

came

aghast and out of breath,

running back,

all

to say that the

gentleman had conducted the

lady to a spot very near where the river

over the precipice

him

He

falls

and that there they saw

stoop down, and look into the water.

then appeared to invite the lady to do the

same, and seemed to be showing her some-

The

thing in the stream.

that

she appeared

children averred

unwilling,

and that he

rather forced her to comply: be that

as

it

may, however, no sooner did she stoop, than,

going behind her,
thrust,

he

gave

and pushed her

her a sudden

into the river.

snatched at his breast as she

fell

She

but he tore

himself from her grasp, leaving one side of

his coat in her

hand

and

in another instant

she was over the edge of the precipice, whirl-

ing in the torrent, tossing amongst the rocks

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.
one piercing
testify

scream

that she

was

alone

149
heard

was conscious of her

to

fearful

fate.

" Ere the children

woman

tale," the

had well finished

their

added, " the gentleman had

we saw him."

himself appeared in the state

Whether he was

so overcome

by remorse

as to be unable to attempt giving the colour

he had intended to the transaction, or whether

he saw by the demeanour of the people that

it

would be

remains uncertain

useless,

whatever his

motive

might

be,

but,

he merely

glanced at them as he passed, clasped his

hands as

if in

great agony,

down the mountain

followed by

was

all

and then hurried

at the pace

the inhabitants.

my romance,

we met him,
There, then,

even to the dire catastrophe,

completed already
It

may be imagined with what

strange

and awe-struck feelings we proceeded

the^fjalls.

top of the

The

river

hill is called

that flows

the Velino.

to

view

across the

On

each

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

150

side there are trees

the ash

which

think the willow and

droop over

its

margin, and

We

cast a deep shade

on the water.

along the bank

we approached the

till

walked
torrent,

we

and, within a few yards of the precipice,

thought we

could

discover

the

very

spot

The

where the catastrophe had happened.

soil

on the edge of the bank had evidently

been newly disturbed

impressed and trodden

Count's

feet,

in the

the grass, too, was

we

concluded by the

moment

of the struggle.

There was something white on the ground

we

picked

it

up;

very fine blond

admired

everything

was a

it

scollop of

had

a morsel of the veil I

We

were

dumb

was

so

vividly

we

felt

imagination, that

little

with horror

as if

for

present to

we had

our

actually

witnessed the murder.

Our

anxiety to learn what was going on

below rather precipitated our movements

we descended
carriage, drove

so

the hiU, and getting into our

round

to

the bottom of the

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.
to

falls,

of them.

take the other view

river, called the

151

Nera, flows round the foot of

the mountain, into which the cascade tumbles

and

as

the

of white

clouds

tinged here and there with

many

spray,

a gorgeous

we

hue, tossed in graceful wreaths before us,

more

than

once

fancied

shadowy glimpses of the

the pink bonnet
these were the

that

we

caught

the drapery, or

veil,

of the poor victim.

mere

tricks

But

of imagination.

All must have been whirled away by the rush

of water, and carried far from the spot before

we reached

it.

When we

arrived at the inn

inquired for the Count, "

He

is

and eagerly
there," re-

plied the waiter, pointing to the heavy-looking

building on the opposite side of the

" there, in

the jail."

do to him?" said
shoulders
likely

On

"

I.

nobile

way

And what will they

The man shmgged his
"

(He

is

a noble)

most

nothing."
the following

morning we proceeded

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

152
on our way

Rome, but not without making

to

arrangements for the satisfaction of our curiosity as to the causes

which had led

What

melancholy catastrophe.

we

substance of what

The

late

Count

noble
of

variety

and

had two

The

ancient,

gradually

circumstances,

enough

reduced,

left

is

the

till

the

family was

patrimonial

large,

had been

was

scarcely

there

to educate the

sons,

owing to a

but,

which had once been

estates,

follows

heard.

Giovanni and Alessandro.

both

to this

two young

men

and support them in the dolce far niente

became

that

strait,

alliance

their birth

and

station.

In this

the old Count looked about for an

that might patch

fortunes;

and

it

up

their tattered

was not long before he

found what he wanted, in the family of a

Count Boboli.

Boboli had been an adven-

turer

no one knew very well what

he

in short,

had been,

secret.

for

his

All that was

early

known

history

was a

was, that he

AN ADVENTURE AT TERN I.
had appeared

in

Rome

at

153

the time of the

French occupation, and that he had found

some means
self

to

or other of

Napoleon,

recommending him-

whom he owed
He had also found

to

patent of nobilitj^

means of accumulating immense

whole of which was designed
daughter

and

only

child,

Count of a hundred
difficulty in

his

the

wealth, the

for his beautiful

The

Carlotta.

ancestors

found

no

obtaining the acquaintance of the

new-made noble; and

as each could

bestow

what the other wanted, they very soon understood each other, and a compact was formed

between them, well calculated

ambition of both.

It

to

satisfy the

was agreed that the

beautiful Carlotta should

become the wife of

the Count's eldest son, and, in exchange for

the noble

name

of

should carry with

her the whole of her father's immense fortune.

The wedding was appointed

the day after Giovanni

came of

to take place

age, of

which

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

154

period he wanted six months

val

and

was that was the cause of

it

this inter-

the woe.

all

Giovanni no sooner saw his intended bride

than he became desperately in love with her
never was wealth purchased at a
fice

he

felt

less sacri-

would rather a thousand

he

times resign every ducat of the fortune than

He

resign the lady.

devoted the whole of

and

his time to attending her pleasures

lowing her footsteps

fol-

and the consequence

was, that Alessandro, the younger brother, to

whom

he was

much

generally by his side,

her company.
versally

It

man

point

the world

Unfortunately,

was thrown much

that

into

Alessandro was the

of the two

most

that he was the

and who was

seemed to have been uni-

admitted

handsomest

attached,

some

said also

agreeable, but

on

this

appears

to

have

differed.

mind

of

the

beautiful

the

Carlotta entertained no doubts on the subject

she resigned her affections, heart and

soul, to Alessandro.

Relying on her influence

AN ADVENTURE AT
over

her father,

could not

fulfil

TERNI.

155

when she found

that she

the engagement he had

for her without disgust, she

his feet,

and implored him

made

threw herself
either to

at

bestow

her hand on the younger brother, or to break

the compact altogether, and permit her to go
into

a convent.

Neither proposal, how^ever,

accorded with the old man's ambition; and

the only effect her entreaties had, was, that

he adopted means to keep the object of her

attachment out of her

when
side,

she no longer saw

w^ay,

trusting

him by

she w^ould cease to

that,

his brother's

make comparisons

disadvantageous to her intended, and would

be resigned,

if

not happy, to become the wife

of Giovanni.

But Carlotta was

woman

of sterner stuff

Absence

than her father had reckoned upon.

had no

effect

upon her passion; opposition

rather increased than diminished

it

and, at

length, a few days before that appointed for

the wedding, she took an opportunity of dis-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

156

unhappy

closing the truth to her

and

lover,

entreated him, by the love he bore her, to

resign her hand himself, and to use

all

influence to procure that she should be

his

mar-

The poor young man,

ried to his brother.

desperately in love as he was, could at

scarcely believe his misfortune

first

so near the

within

three days of the longed-for happiness

and

consummation of

his dearest

hopes

the cup was dashed from his lips

As

soon,

however, as he had sufficiently collected his

senses to speak, he told her that, from the

moment he had
lived to

seen her, he had only

first

make her happy

and that he had

looked forward to spending his days in that,

to

him, most

since

vocation

blessed

he found that

this

was a

but

felicity

that,

not

designed for him, he had nothing more to do

with

life.

Finally,

he

promised

that

she

should be obeyed, and should become the

wife of his brother.

He

then went home,

and, after writing a letter to Alessandro, de-

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.
what had

tailing

157

led to the catastrophe, he

stabbed himself to the heart.

The younger
elder;

heir to

claimant

brother had
the

of the

But, alas

now become

and the legitimate

title,

hand and

lady's

the

fortime.

he was no more disposed to marry

Carlotta than she had been to marry Gio-

Old BoboH, by way of separating him

vanni.

from

his daughter,

sent to Paris

managed

to

had contrived

to get

place

him

some

in

about the court, where the young

found
fair

his heart assailed

tion,

sity that

whom

man

la Riviere,

herself not insensible

and

situation

soon

by the charms of the

Mademoiselle Coralie de

showed

him

and, by his interest there, had

he loved

who

to his admira-

^^dth all the inten-

belonged to his nation and to his

pecuharly ardent character.

His brother's
de foudre
for

him without

that instinct

letter,

therefore,

was

a coup

the titled fortune had no charms

Coralie; and, besides, wdth

that sometimes

seems

to guide

158

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

our loves and our hates, from the very

first

interview he had with Carlotta, he had taken

an aversion to her.
father's

summons

However, he obeyed

his

return immediately to

to

the Abruzzi, where stood, frowning amongst

the mountains, the old Castle of

with

a firm determination

of Carlotta,

in

to refuse the

of every

spite

make

these

hand

means that

should be used to influence him.

people

but

But when

resolutions they

should

take care to keep themselves out of the reach

of everybody whose

them

interest

break them.

to

it

is

to induce

We

are

less

brittle

all

apt to

think resolutions

much

than they

are,

they have been tried in the

furnace.

Although Alessandro from the first

till

things

had boldly declared that nothing should ever

persuade him to marry a

had always hated, and

infinitely

woman whom

whom

he

he now hated

more, since she had been the cause

of his brother's cruel death, his father's pertinacity did not give

way one inch

whilst he

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.

159

found his aversion by no means diminished,

way

gave

gradually

resolutions

his

before

the old man's firmness on the one hand, his

mother's tears and entreaties on the other,

and

his

own

horror at the idea of his ancient

ancestral honours sinking

house and

all

into

penury

utter

when

it

was

its

and

obscurity,

power, by marrying the

in his

heiress, to restore

hopeless

it

to

all

its

original splen-

dour.

Whether,

time,

this

at

any

fore-falling

shadow of the future had passed before

eyes

whether the

Carlotta,

means

idea that

presented

to

itself

his

it

had given

welcome

it

resolved on

but, certain
his mind,

it

and then find

again a free man,

be

had allowed

it,

he might wed

secure the fortune,

to

mind

to dwell there

it

had ever

whether
whether

hugged

it,

he
he

cherished

can now never be known

is,

that he suddenly changed

avowed himself prepared

his father's

his

commands, and ready

to

obey

to lead the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

160

daughter of Boboli to the

The

altar.

wedding was then fixed

for the

meantime he returned

to

period

but in the

Paris,

where he

said the duties of his office called him.

When

the time arrived that he should have

re-appeared, he wrote an excuse, alleging that

he was

detained by business

still

continued

do,

to

week

after

and

this

he

week, tiU the

period appointed for the wedding was close at

At

hand.

length,

ceremony, he reached home.

fixed for the

He

had

travelled,

speed, having
certain

that

on the evening before that

he

only

number of
very

the

said,

with the greatest

been able to
days'

moment

leave

the

obtain

and added,

marriage

solemnized, the bride must be prepared

step into his

travelling carriage,

pany him back

her father

to

who, with

an^ other members of both families,

was waiting

made no

was

and accom-

Carlotta,

to Paris.

for

him

at the Castle of

arrangement.

She

that he did not

marry

objection to this

must have been aware

161

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.
from choice;

her

but

aversion, or that he

amount of

the

his

had another attachment,

she did not appear to have even suspected.

She probably imagined that the wealth and

importance he was attaining by her means,

and the compliment she had paid him by her

decided preference, were sufficient to

wrong she had done

the

tmsted

to her

plish the rest.

his

expiate

brother; and

beauty and her love to accom-

Or

perhaps, under the influence

of an uncontrollable passion, she never paused

to think of

any

anything but

its

gratification,

cost.

However
decorum

this

may

be, they

met with calm

in the presence of the family,

the society assembled at the castle

was afterwards remembered

first

salutation,

address her.

was

that,

and of
but

it

after the

he had never been seen to

On the

foEowing morning there

a great deal of business to be transacted,

many arrangements
so

at

fully

VOL.

occupied
III.

till

to be

made, and he was

night,

that the

young

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

162

couple scarcely met

the hour

till

appointed

for the solemnization of his marriage,

he and his friends entered

when

one door, whilst

at

the bride and her party advanced by the other.

The company were

magnificently attired

chapel blazed with

the

light,

pillars

twined with wreaths of flowers, the

redolent

the

were

air

was

perfumes of the incense

with the

but the bridegroom stood with averted eyes,

and

it

was observed that when the ceremony

was concluded,
bride,

he

did

but turned away

not

approach

and addressed

his
his

mother.

The whole
salle

repast

party

now withdrew

a manger, and supped; but

was well

over,

Alessandro's

to

the

ere the

servant

entered to announce that the carriage was at

the door, and

all

was ready

bride and bridegroom rose,

farewell to their friends

and

whereupon the

and

after a hasty

relatives

quitted

the room.

"You'll reach

Terni

to

breakfast,"

said

163

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.

Boboli, as he conducted his daughter through

the hall.
"

Yes

to

a late breakfast,"

replied Ales-

sandro.
" Let us hear

of you from thence," said

Boboli.
"

You

shall hear of

us from Terni," replied

Alessandro.
" Adieu,

waving

my

dear father

!"

handkerchief

her

cried

Carlotta,

drove

they

as

off.

my

" Adieu,

child

Virgin protect you

!"

cried

turned and re-entered the

Many

adieu

May

Boboli,

as

the

he

castle.

of the party asserted afterwards that

she had appeared agitated and uneasy during

the supper

and some declared that they had

observed her watching her young husband's

countenance with an eye of terror and perplexity.

Her maid,

too, affirmed that she

quite certain her lady's heart

that

she

had

had

some misgivings

was

failed,

and

that

evil

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

164

When

gave

my

shawl and bonnet," she

said,

" she

"

awaited her.

like

an

and when

olive leaf;

thing was wrong,

di Dio, pieta

They

travelled

/'

when they

started

it

at least all the

was past mid-

only

change horses, and had arrived

late

breakfast,

Whilst

the

Boboli

as

any-

remainder of the night, for

night

if

was Madre

"

night

all

shook

asked her

she said

all

pieta

lady her

stopping to
at

Terni to a

had

predicted.

was preparing,

breakfast

young Countess changed her dress

the

and the

maid asserted that she here again betrayed

considerable agitation, and that she heard her

say

to

herself,

Giovanni

"

AM

The

mio padre

ahi

who

waiter and the host

had attended them, remarked that she

nothing,
that
little

swallowing only a

the

wine

Count himself appeared

appetite.

between them,
asked her

little

if

No
till,

to

conversation

suddenly,

she was ready.

her

She

ate

and
have

passed

husband
started at

AN ADVENTURE AT TERNI.
sound of

the

voice, as

his

if it

165

were some-

thing unusual to her; but immediately rose

from her
he

said,

said

"

j^es.

Come, then,"

and giving her his arm, he conducted

down

her

and

seat,

The

stairs.

horses for the

falls

had been ordered by the servant immediately

on

their arrival,

door

and

was

it

now

story has

and were now waiting

at

reached, that

we had looked
them

out of the window, and saw

enter the

and drive away.

carriage

"

at the

the precise period our

What

the host,

did he say to you," I inquired

"

when he turned

to speak

to

of

you

on the steps ?"

"

He

desired

Spoleto,

as

me

to

they should start the

they returned from the

*'

he

Your

is

"

have horses ready for

moment

falls."

waiter says he will escape because

noble

is

that so ?"

E possibile"

(It is possible)

replied the

host, shrugging his shoulders.

But he did not escape

the young Count

166

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

Alessandro
partly,

that

was condemned and

however, through the strong interest

Boboli

made

to

made no

his

sign."

him.

against

more of the mystery

except

executed

was ever

confessor.

"

He

Nothing
disclosed,
died,

and

III.

THE BURGOMASTER AND THE

BEGGAR.
In the southern part of Holland there are
two

villages,

the one called Hoogvliet, the

other Spykenis, separated by a broad stream,

over which there

ferry.
fifty

is

established, at that spot, a

On a gloomy autumn

afternoon, about

years ago, there arrived at Hoogvliet

travellers,

an

elderly

man and

two

a young one,

who, having discharged the vehicle in which

they had come, walked

down

to

the ferry.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

168
crossed

it,

and proceeded to the

the opposite side, where

for a carriage to

the latter inquired

convey them on their way.

There was, how^ever, no such thing

having expressed

and,

inn on

little

rather sharply, he

his

to be

had

disappointment

proposed to the other that

they should enter the house and take some

refreshment.
stairs

This they

did,

remaining up

about half an hour, at the expiration of

which time they came down, paid

they

had taken,

elderly

man

for

and then separated

what

the

going forwards, and the young

one recrossing the ferry to Hoogvliet, where,

having called at the inn to inquire

left

a small

answered

portmanteau

in the

there,

if

he had

and being

negative, he desired if such

an one were found, that they should keep

safe

till

his return,

month

which would be

or six weeks.

He

came on

about

then proceeded

on his way, no one knew whither.

afterwards there

in

it

Shortly

a violent storm of

thunder, lightning, and rain, such as had not

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

169

The

occurred in that region for several years.

tempest continued

more than

of an hour, and then

quarters

and

little

all

three-

was calm

stiU as before.

On
later,

that

came down

there

Spykenis

same evening, about three hours

side, a

to

the ferry, on the

blind beggar and his dog

but as the usual hour for travellers was past,

the watermen were gone, and
" Ferry

!"

his call.

when he

called

no one immediately answered to

He was

just about

turn away

to

and seek the men, when he heard a foot

hastily approaching,

"

stay.

voice,

I'll

run up

and a voice bade him

to

"and bring down

will wait five

the inn,"
the other

the

cried

man,

if

you

minutes."

Accordingly the beggar,

who was weary

with his walk, seated himself on the bank,

but nearly twenty minutes had elapsed ere

the

man

rade,

com-

returned, accompanied by his

and when they did

w^as e^ddently out

arrive, the latter,

of temper at being

who

sum-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

170

moned from

his

was not

schnapps,

at

all

had

pleased by finding that his enjoyments

been interrupted for nobody of more consequence

than

having got so
into the boat,

far,

Do

they handed the traveller

and were about

the beggar cried

out, "

my

not go without

same time he whistled

him

On

"

follow him.

cried he

but

However,

beggar.

blind

Pfiffer

My
dog

to put

dog
1"

off,

my dog

whilst at the

and bade

to the animal,

Come,

when

Pfiffer,

made no motion

come

!"

to obey.

the contrary, he stood on the bank, bark-

ing and growling, and occasionally howling,

with his nose up in the

air,

as if he smelt

mischief.

"What's the matter with him

the second

from the
"

"

Not

He

he who

inquired

had been fetched

inn.

" Is he afraid of water ?"

that I

know," answered the beggar.

always comes into a boat after me, ready

enough.
"

man

?''

Come,

Take him

Pfiffer,

up,

come."

Peter,

and

lift

him

in,"

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

said the
all

"

same man.

We shall

171

be kept here

night with the brute."

But the person addressed, although

sitting

nearest the shore, not being disposed to a

closer acquaintance

with

Pfiffer's

teeth, pre-

ferred assisting the beggar to that end of the

boat, in order that
self,

which he

did,

he might

lift

concluding the operation

trouble he had

with a slight kick for the

occasioned,
lie

and bidding him

down and be
Pfiffer did lie

the dog him-

at the

same time

quiet.

down, but to be quiet seemed

out of his power.

He was

evidently

very

uneasy, and although sensible of his master's

displeasure, hes

omewhat suppressed the mani-

festation of his disturbance, he could not for-

bear relieving himself by a series of low growls

and howls.
" I never

knew

served the beggar.

the dog do so before," ob" I think the storm

must

have frightened him."

"

Dogs

often foresee danger

when we know

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

172

nothing about
"

Take

other

it,"

no

care

second boatman.

said the

nnischief befalls

Do you remember,

side.

added he, "

how

and howled,

that gentleman's

for all the

world

when he was brought down

"

And

man
"

you on the

did anything

like

Peter,"

dog whined
this beast,

to the boat ?"

happen

to

the gentle-

?" inquired the beggar.

When

he was half-way over, he jumped

overboard and drowned himself," returned the

" I believe he'd got leads in

same speaker.
his pockets, for

"

When

he never came up again."

did

happen

this

? "

asked the

beggar.
"

About

man.
like

"

this

For

when

nothing at

I
all.

time

my

last year,"

part,

answered the

always

feel

queer

see a

dog taking on so

My

mind misgives me

knows something

for
:

he

that I don't."

In spite of these iU omens, however, they

reached the other side in safety.

and his dog were

set

The beggar

on shore, and the boat-

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

men, without waiting
late,

for a fare, as

173
was

it

so

returned to their schnapps at Spykenis.

beggar had a daughter residing

This

at

Hoogvleit in no very bad circumstances, and

it

was

to visit her

he had crossed the

that

As begging was

stream.

make money, he

could

the only

way he

preferred wandering

over the country with his dog to staying at

home, but so managed

his peregrinations that

he generally contrived to see

this,

only

his

As

connexion, once in two or three years.

was

he remained with her a

custom,

his

couple of weeks, and then re-crossed the ferry,

on which occasion, to his

evinced exactly

same unwillingness

the

enter the boat, and the

he was in

it,

as

was born
horror

to be

to

that

discontent,

it

was

clear

to

when
The

Pfiifer

drowned, and had, therefore, a

the water

answered, that

same

on the previous one.

boatman remarked

dog

surprise, the

it

to

which the beggar

was very strange, since he

had crossed not only that

ferry,

but a hun-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

174

dred others, in his time, and the dog with

him, and that he had never seen him behave

way

in that

Being

up

set

before.

on shore, the blind man walked

the inn, where he took a glass

to

schnapps, and then, with

Pfiffer,

would not

two

see

proceeded on

who knew him,

his way, having told the host,

that he

of

him again

till

that time

Not many hours

years, at the earliest.

had elapsed, however, before he returned, in

company with the blacksmith of the

whom

he had met on the road.

village,

The

sion of his return he related as follows

" It

is

occa:

about a fortnight," said he, " since

passed this way before.

It

was the day of

the great storm, which had, indeed, detained

me, and made

I

me

later

came by the Yssel

road,

the top of the Httle

wood on one
easy,

barking

manner.

He

side,

than

rise,

my

intended to be.

and when

I got to

where there

is

dog became very un-

and howling

in

an unusual

even slipped his string out of

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

my

hand, and

left

At

me.

the

175

same time

heard a low moaning not far from me, and I

called

out

matter

"

'

It's

know

to

anything was

if

the

whereupon a voice answered

My

nothing of any consequence.

fellow-traveUer

is

taken rather poorly, and

we

are resting here a httle.'

" Immediately afterwards the

cry as

if

somebody had struck him, and

came

returned to me, and

more of the

matter,

till

spot

when

to-day,

curred,

time

him

and he

I called

dog uttered

left

him

to return.

on, thinking

no

reached the same

the

dog's uneasiness re-

me

as before;

in vain

Whilst

perplexed what to do,

and

this

could not get

was standing

still,

heard some one ap-

proach, and, hailing the stranger, I told

him

what had happened."

" Yes," said the blacksmith, taking
story at this point.

was

at a

dead lock

up the

" I

came up

so,

misgiving there was

just as he

something wrong, from his account of the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

176

where

business, I stepped to

heard the dog

whining, and there, just at the edge of the

wood, what should

see but

man

lying

1"

dead
"

Dead

"

Murdered, I'm afraid

smith,

1"

with

echoed the bystanders.

!"

portentious

said

the black-

shake

of

the

head.

As

crime was by no means frequent in

that neighbourhood, everybody

was shocked

and surprised, and great was the excitement

in the village.

The

bailiff

was informed of

the circumstance, and, accompanied by half

the population, including the host of the inn

he proceeded to the spot indicated by the

blacksmith,

and there sure enough

lay the

body of a man apparently belonging

respectable classes

dicated as

much

kerchief and

about him.

some

The

his

clothes at

to the

least

in-

but, except a pocket-handletters,

nothing was found

natural conclusion

he had been robbed

was that

that he had been

mur-

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

dered was, alas
elderly

man

He was a stout,

too evident.

and the

177

host, as soon as

he got

near enough to see the face, announced that

he recognised him as one of the two travel-

had

lers that

called at his

house on the day of

the storm.
"

One

of them,"

directly

he

" went

back

Hoogvliet; the other set off by

to

on

this road

said

because our gig was out,

foot,

and we couldn't give him a conveyance

next day

and

this

He

walked a

his

going away on

said he

is

the man, I

am

till

sure.

lame, and I wondered at

little

foot?

but his companion

had business which obliged him to go

He was

forward.

a foreigner, too, and spoke

a foreign language to his friend, though

in

the latter, from

his

tongue, was a Dutch-

man."

The body was brought down

and investigations were
the

assassin.

pocket,

VOL.

it
III.

By

set

to the village,

on foot to discover

the letters

found in his

was ascertained that the name of

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

178

the victim was Lucchesini,

travelled

Leghorn

for
;

great

an

who

Italian,

mercantile

house

at

but with regard to the assassin,

was

difficult

His

fellow-traveller

to

arrive

at

it

even a suspicion.

had notoriously recrossed

the stream, and gone the other road, and no

one had been seen abroad that could be open

to

There

im-plication.

culties

in the

lay

also

great

diffi-

way, from the circumstance of

the principal witness being blind.

No

had seen the murderer except the do^

one
but

the beggar avowed that his ears would in this

instance answer eveVy purpose
he, " if I

swered
at

" for," said

ever hear again the voice that an-

me from

the wood, I shall recognise

it

any distance of years."

In due time, no light being thrown on the

affair,

to

the

body was

Leghorn

to

interred, a letter written

announce the death of a

veller called Lucchesini,

tra-

and the beggar per-

mitted to proceed on his way.

About three

months afterwards the companion

of

the

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

man

murdered
ferry,

he

who had

179

recrossed the

and gone back in search of his port-

manteau

arrived,

by the same conveyance

as formerly, at Hoogvliet

and, being recog-

nised by the innkeeper, was informed of

had occurred
he seemed
" he

a piece of intelligence at

little

was no

concerned,

He made some

with regard to the

which

all

letter

acci-

up on the road."

it

and robbery, and

name and

also

condition of the

appeared he was ignorant,

and then went on

time a

mere

inquiries into the particulars

of the assassination

victim, of

which

"for," said he,

friend of mine, but a

dental acquaintance, picked

what

arrived

his w^ay.

In process of

from Leghorn, desiring

papers found on the deceased to be for-

warded thither

and there the matter ended,

and was ere long forgotten.

Five years had elapsed since the occurrence
of these events, w^hen a person calling himself

Joachim Binder appeared

at

Leerdam, and

established himself there as a druggist.

N 2

He

LIGHT AND DAUKNESS.

180
was a

man yet
and

austere,

in the

prime of

unsocial.

He

life,

but grave,
half his

spent

time in chapels and conventicles, associated

with none but the most rigorous sectarians,

and not only abstained from

sures

but

himself,

demned

those

all

profane plea-

uncompromisingly

who indulged

con-

No-

in them.

body knew who he was, nor whence he came

but

his

as

conduct

though he was

little

was

unexceptionable,

liked,

he was tolerably

well respected, and by the profligate

bers of the

community a good

mem-

deal feared.

There was one exception, however, with

regard to his exclusiveness, which astonished
everybody.
is

famous

annual

The neighbourhood

for the rearing of horses,

fair

there

is

in that animal.
tainly not

Leerdam

of

and the

much frequented by dealers

Amongst

these,

and

cer-

one of the most exemplary, was a

person called Peter Clever, who, whenever he

came

to the fair,

Binder's

house;

took up his residence at

and whilst his host was

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

dilating behind his counter

of

181

on the sinfulness

worldly pleasures, the guest was drinking

all

and roaring in the

opposite

which he never quitted

he was scarcely

till

walk across the way

able to

public-house,

to his bed.

It is

true that Binder shook his head gravely at

immoral proceedings, but

these

stiU

he put up

with them, though the neighbours thought

they observed that the departure of Clever

was always

a great relief to him, as, indeed,

was natural

marked

it

should be.

that the horse-dealer,

It

was

when

it

also re-

in liquor,

spoke with considerable contempt of his friend

the druggist, and he had been even heard to
say,

that,

in

spite

of Binder's prayers

and

church-goings, he would fare no better in the

next world than himself; but

sober,

if,

when he was

any one ventured to ask the meaning

of these insinuations, he evinced so

much

dis-

pleasure and irritation, that the too curious

inquirer was quickly silenced.

Binder had resided upwards of three years

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

182
in

Leerdam, and, being no longer a novelty,

had ceased
political

to

excite

when some

attention,

excitement, in which he took a part,

brought him

again

into

He

notice.

even

broke through his customary habits on this

occasion,

and more than once attended public

meetings and dinners,

for

purpose

the

of

declaring his sentiments and supporting the

party he had adopted, which was of course

that of the Church.

It

recurrence of the annual

happened that the

fair

at this period

brought Clever to Leerdam, and although he,

as usual, lived in Binder's house,

it

was soon

perceived that they differed in opinion with

regard to the political question then under

The

discussion.

dispute, indeed, occasionally

ran rather high between them,

one night

it

amounted

till

at length

actually to a quarrel.

Fierce words passed, in the course of which

some

insinuations

horse-dealer, that
his friend,

who,

were thrown out by the

visibly

livid

shook the soul of

from suppressed rage,

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

with clenched teeth and

him

at

183

fiery eyes, sat glaring

unmer-

whilst Clever,

like a tiger;

triumph,

carried

the

company with him, and completed the

dis-

cifully

pursuing

his

comfiture of the druggist,

and

presently rose

room.

sulkily left the

It

who

was now nearly midnight, and

o'clock the party broke up,

at

by which time

Two

Clever was a good deal intoxicated.

the

company walked with him

the street, and then,

different

directions,

their

to the

homes

of

end of

lying in

they separated,

and he

proceeded towards Binder's house alone.

he never reached

one

But

Less than half an hour

it.

had elapsed when he was discovered by some

revellers of the night,

stretched on the pave-

ment, not far from Binder's house, with a

He was

fractured skull.

had just time

to

not quite dead, and

designate his host

as his

assassin before he expired.

The body

of the

posed of in the

horse-dealer being

police-office,

dis-

and the autho-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

184

made

rities

with

acquainted

circum-

the

stances, they proceeded immediately in search

of Binder.

On

reaching his door they rang

and knocked

for

some time

and they

in vain,

were beginning to conclude he had already

made away, when an

out

putting

and,

addressing Clever
there ringing

go

to bed ?"

Why

he

head,

What

are

and knocking

open?

door's

his

"

window opened,

upstairs

cried,

you standing

when

for,

don't you

come

in

the

and

whereupon he angrily closed the

window and disappeared

and they,

lifting

the latch, found that what he had said

There

true.

as

is

no doubt that
a

certain

this

reaction

was

circumin

his

stance

created

favour,

and some of those who had before

been proposing to break open the door and

seize

and

him,
fell

now

slackened their

movements

behind, somewhat shaken in their

convictions.

However, preceded by the con-

stable, they

advanced to the door of Binder's

chamber, which they found locked.

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

" Get

bed
"

!"

to

the door," said the constable.

won't

open the door to a drunken

rascal like

you

!"

bed, T say,

and

I'll

Upon
it

and go

cried he.

Open

" I

man, wiU you,

along,

185

"Go

cried the other.

talk to

to

you to-morrow."

proceeded to explain that

this they

was not Clever, but the

constable,

that

demanded admittance, on hearing which, he

was heard
opening

to

the

jump

out of bed, and hastily

door,

he

inquired

what they

wanted.
"
"

He

Your

friend Clever

is

dead," said they.

has just been found in the

street,

with a

fractured skuU."
"

No more

rascal 1"

than he deserves, the drunken

returned

pected he would
Fell

"

down,

No

Binder.

come

to

" I

always

ex-

some such end.

I suppose."

murdered," answered the constable

" knocked on the head with a stone."

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

186
"

God

bless

me

!"

exclaimed Binder, "

who

can have done that ?"

He

"

says you did

it,"

answered the con-

stable.

" I do
less

it

!"

said Binder, in a tone of care-

"

contempt.

and came home

Why,

to

I left

him drinking

least, I

have been to sleep some time.

o'clock

is it

"

Two

reached
"

gist.

What

r
answered the constable.

o'clock,"

" Well,

At

bed two hours ago.

it

was

when

twelve

exactly

my own

door," returned the

However,

I'll

go with you.

my

put on

Just step up

the servant, will you, and

tell

drug-

clothes

stairs,

her I

and

and wake

am

going

out."

Upon

this,

the constable and one or two

of the party ascended to the maid's room,

where they found her so

required
"

some exertion

What

do

to

fast asleep

wake

you want?"

that

it

her.

cried

the

girl,

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

sitting

four

"

up

alarm at seeing three or

in evident

men

standing by her bedside.

We

came

to

187

tell

you that your master

is

going out."
"

Going out

!"

"

and confused.

she said, looking puzzled

What's he going out

He

the middle of the night?

for in

hasn't been

long home."
" Did you hear
" Hear

Didn't
"

him?

I let

You

him come home ?"

him

let

Yes,

be

to

sm-e

did.

in ?"

him,

did

you

At

what

o'clock?"
" It struck twelve just as he rang at the
bell," said she.

"

Why

did

you

sit

up

" Because I always

sure, to give

the matter ?

When

him

for

sit

him ?"

up

for him, to be

his hot water.

What

is

But what's

he going out for ?"

they told her what the matter was,

she seemed more surprised than shocked at

the death of Clever.

"

He was

such a drink-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

188

ing, quarrelsome fellow," she said, " there

was

no wonder he had got knocked on the head/'

But when they

told her that her master

was

accused of the murder, she appeared both

indignant and incredulous, saying, she " would
as soon believe she

By

this

had done

it

herself."

time a perfect revolution had taken

place in the

minds of the bystanders, and

even the constable began to think he was

on a wrong scent.
to

seize

his orders

were

Binder, and Binder being perfectly

willing to go, they

was dressed,
first

However,

all

set off, as

soon as he

the police-office, where the

to

thing the accused did was to ask to see

the body of his supposed victim, which, on

its

being

shown

to

him, he

contemplated

with the most entire indifference.

surprise

being

more moved

expressed

at

that

On some
he was

not

the death of his friend, he

denied that he had entertained any friendship

for

Clever.

"

friendship for a

How
man

could

he

entertain

of such a character and

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

such habits ?" he said
simply

known

adding, that

and the

acquaintance,

old

189
it

was

having

each other as boys, that was the bond

"

between them.

He

did

not come

more

than once a year," said he, " and then I put

up with him

but

was always glad when

he was gone."
In spite of the growing conviction that
Clever's

accusation

had been the

result

of

error or revenge, Binder remained in custody,

and measuiTS were taken

to procure evidence

That

against him, but none could be found.

he had actually gone

was

home

satisfactorily proved,

testimony of the
neighbour,

girl,

at twelve o'clock

not

only by the

but also by that of a

who had walked home with him

from the place where they supped, and only

left

door.

him when he saw him

Not

to

investigation,

the result

dilate

it is

enter his

on the

sufficient to

was the

details

own

of the

mention that

acquittal of Binder, the

authorities having arrived at the conclusion

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

190

had been

that Clever

killed

a drunken

in

brawl, which at that season of political excite-

ment and

was by no means im-

festivity

probable.

The

druggist

shop and resumed

If any change

that he had
tere

returned

therefore
his

to

his

former mode of

life.

was observable

him,

in

grown more pious and

it

was

less aus-

he seemed desu^ous of avoiding offence,

and rather charitably lamented than harshly

condemned,

he had formerly done, the

as

peccadilloes of his neighbours.

it is difficult

for a

Nevertheless,

man who had

been once

accused of a murder to recover completely

his

place in

be, a

cloud

society.

Acquitted though he

hangs over him, and

still

was the case with Binder

ciates

did not

his

former asso-

withdraw from him wholly,

but there was a shyness which no

forbear seeing and feeling

haps owing to

this

this

that he bethought

and

alienation

man
it

could

was per-

of the world

himself of taking a wife.

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

He

married

woman,

to

sufficient

poor

ver}-

whom

but

191

respectable

was a

a secm-e subsistence

temptation to induce her to over-

look the shadow that darkened her husband's

They

reputation.
ther,

had

appeai'ed to live well toge-

two children,

of time

process

in

and, by

the

decency and decorum of their

domestic

life,

had pretty well

stain

on

elected,

Binder's

with the

townsmen,

to

character,

full

obliterated the

when he was

consent of

liis

the office of burgomaster

seemed

circumstance which

to

aiford

considerable gratification, whilst the

in

fellow-

which he discharged

his duties

him

manner

gave equal

satisfaction to his constituents.

It

had

happened that the town of Leerdam

at

that

period

some dispute

^^^th

its

neighbours regarding the settlement of the

poor.

The

inhabitants

oppressed, accused

Gorcum

selves at their expense,

ites retorted

feeling

the charge

themselves

of easing them-

whilst the
;

and

as

Gorcum-

Binder had

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

192
begun

the sweets

to taste

of popularity, he

did not neglect to ensure the favour of his

fellow-townsmen by a
their rights

this

in

view he made

an

particular.

arrangement,
that

enforced,

strictly

^dgorous

all

defence

With

of
this

which

poor

he

strangers

should be reported to him on their arrival

within the township, in order that

had no ostensible means of

have them under his

Now, although

living he

might

eye.

this zeal for their interests

was very agreeable

it

they

if

to the people of

Leerdam,

was frequently very much the reverse

the

poor

seized

who found themselves

travellers,

and dragged before the burgomaster,

hke criminals

and

it

was naturally the most

decent and well-conducted that took

worst

to

but the magistrate, having the

zens on his side, cared

plaints,

it

and,

in

spite

little

for their

of them,

unflinchingly in his scheme.

some person, more than

Now

the
citi-

com-

persevered

and then,

usually refractory.

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

got twenty-four hours in
rection

the house of cor-

him submission

teach

to

193

and one

day the constables having laid hands

man, who with a

decent-looking, old, blind

ance

the

in

made

with age, had

dog, grey

they

streets,

course,

would shut

they

quietly
this

appear-

his

threatened.,

answer to his objurgation, that

go

on a

if

in

he did not

him

up.

Of

menace did not soothe the poor

stranger's temper,

and when he arrived

the town-house

was

it

at

in a considerable state

of irritation.
" I never did any harm," said he

am
I've

brought up here

been in

many

never was served so before

thority for treating

me

" what

like a criminal

for,

town

this

as if I

time, but

what's your au-

was

a thief or

a murderer ?"

"

Hush

answered the

it's

the

otficer

burgomaster's orders,"
'"

and you are no worse

treated than other people."

VOL.

III.

"

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

194
"

We

accuse you

burgomaster, " only

"Eh? Who
said

of nothing,"

said the

Be

speaks?

quiet, Pfiffer

!"

the

beggar, giving the dog's string a

We

accuse you of nothing," reiterated

tug.
"

the burgomaster

"we

only question your

Where

right to settle yourself in this town.

were you born ?"

"

Where was

I born ?"

repeated the beg-

gar, visibly agitated, whilst his face flushed

crimson
"

Ay

tion ?"
"

"

where was

don't you

born ?"

understand the

said the burgomaster, authoritatively.

Where do you come from

"

ques-

Where do

?"

come from?" repeated the

beggar with a loud voice and excited countenance, whilst he stretched forth his

arm and

spot

whence

pointed his forefinger to

Binder's
hill

the

voice proceeded, " I

come from the

above Spykenis, on the road

to

Yssel,

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

where, on a Thursday
years

ago,

now

night,

named

traveller,

was robbed and murdered.

195
thirteen

Lucchesini,

heard the

groans of the ^dctim and the voice of the

murderer

and

that

voice

the very dog accuses you

And

the

certainly

seemed

betrayed,

to

animal

warrant the assertion.

to

be insane or

were

the bystanders

when

seize him,

See

the

agitation

But concluding the stranger

intoxicated,

yours

is

!"

about

to

a sudden noise drew their

and on looking round, they per-

attention,

ceived that the burgomaster had

fallen

from

the bench to the ground, where he lay as

if

dead.
" All

that

the beggar
I

might have

have said

" perhaps
let

him

out in anger, and,

not retract."
culars he

chesini

He

is

now

but I spoke

have told

then related

knew regarding

rejoined

so long a time

after

alone

true,"

all

it,

it

I can-

the parti-

the death of Luc-

and whilst he was detained in order

o 2

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

196

to give further

was removed

own

his

to

house, and there

The

kept under surveillance.

burgomaster

the

evidence,

words he

first

uttered on recovering his senses were these

"

The arm

He

of the Lord reacheth

never arose from the bed on which he

was then

and without persuasion or

laid,

interrogation he confessed the

He

crimes.

visibly struck

seemed

whole of his

think

to

himself so

by the hand of the Almighty,

that resistance or subterfuge were vain

it is

afar !"

and

remarkable, that fearful as was the con-

fession

heard

he had to make, nobody when they

it

much

expressed

of good opinion he had

ther than

almost

the

surface;

unknown

the hearts

to

of his

surprise.

won
a

The

gloss

reached no fur-

strange

instinct,

themselves, lay deep in

fellow-citizens,

and bade

them mistrust him.

" I was born at the Hague," said he, " of

decent parents, and early became a clerk in a

merchant's house

but, being found not trust-

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

197

worthy, I was discharged, and went to ser-

The master with whom

vice.

an

and with him

architect,

where remaining two

Italy,

travelled

our

and

he died,

return

Shortly after

was living

occasional waiter

as

when Lucchesini came

to

to

years, I learned

to speak the Italian language.

Amsterdam,

was

lived

He

it.

at

at

an inn,

could not

speak a word of either German or Dutch,

and, as I could speak Italian, he found

extremely useful to him

week

and

me

after living a

in the house, he proposed

my

accom-

panying him in his tour through Germany.

the proposal, and the people of

I accepted

the

inn,

giving

who knew nothing

me

good

character,

me,

against

we

started

together.
" I

had no baggage but a knapsack

the truth

is,

had nothing

been reduced by

my own

for

to carry,

having

profligacy

to the

extremity of distress before I took the situation at the inn in

which Lucchesini found

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

198

He

me.

had a small portmanteau, in which

knew he

observed he was always extremely anxious

money, and about which

carried

notwithstanding

he one day

which,

left

it

we

behind, and never discovered his loss

till

had crossed a

village

For

Spykenis.

called

and reached a

ferry,

my

was well

part, I

aware that we were leaving the portmanteau

behind

plotting
T said

but as

how

had been

to get

nothing

of

possession

we had

till

for

and so

was

it

His

happened.

to wait at Spykenis for

finding there was no

it

myself,

crossed the ferry,

expecting that he would send

it

some days

my

me

back for

first

proposal

return

but,

carriage to be had, he

resolved to walk forward, sure, that as he

was lame and

him

if I pleased,

bad walker,
or at

all

could overtake

events rejoin

him

at Yssel.

" I accordingly left

whilst

slightest

recrossed
intention

him

the

to

go on

ferry

of returning.

alone,

without

the

When

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

199

reached Hoogvliet, seeing a small cart at the

door of the inn,

it

me

occurred to

portmanteau might have been sent

and

went in

to

inquire

me

which afterwards served

since

it

established the

the ferry and

fact

that the
after

proceeding

extremely
of

us,

my

well,

recrossing

setting off in another

direc-

tion.

" I

soon found the

having no address on

portmanteau, which,

resigned to

but
I

now

the

began

whole

the people willingly

me, supposing

demon

to think

with

tented

it,

part,

it

to

be mine

of avarice seized me, and

myself a fool to be con-

when

might have the

had not only a

for Lucchesini

well-

filled

purse in his pocket, but carried about

him

a gold watch and

handsome

silver

snuff-box.
" I determined
tiU

therefore not to rejoin

him

knew

the

he reached Yssel

house he was to put up

ments

to

and as
at, I

made my

arrange-

arrive there at night after

he was

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

200
gone

and having possessed myself of

to bed,

his property, to

make

view, I started on

off at once.

my way

to the

favoured

ferry,

Indeed the storm rather

skin.

my

back to the

this

storm which drenched

in spite of a violent

me

With

scheme than otherwise,

as

it

drove everybody from the road, and I had a

better chance of passing unobserved.

my

hat over

my

across

my face,

and

handkerchief

tied a

but when I arrived

found no boatmen, the tempest having

them

driven

drew

chin, wishing, if possible, to escape

recognition at the ferry

there, I

to shelter.

There was, however,

a small boat with a couple of sailors in

it,

belonging to a ship that was lying on the other

side of the river,

and as they were just going

across, they offered

to take

me

with them.

I accepted, and, being landed at Spykenis, I

started

" I

on the road

to Yssel.

had allowed plenty of time

sini to get the start of

was

for

Lucche-

me, bad walker as he

but, unhappily overtaken

by the storm,

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

201

he had sought shelter and been delayed, so

when

that

thought he was so near,

I little

He was

came suddenly upon him.

sitting

the side of the road, on the borders of a

little

Whether he heard my

wood, tying his shoe.

foot I cannot say

by

probably not

was

for I

walking on the grass, but he did not look up.

The

loneliness of the place, his stooping atti-

me

tude, which gave

such an advantage over

him, together with the demon of cupidity that

was in me, urged

my

hand, and I struck

on the head with a heavy

me

but what was

my

at the

same moment

fi-om

behind

there

?'

'

cried a voice,

I recognised

stick I carried with

dismay

to find

myself

what

are

you

one of the ferrymen

had had a few hours' leave to

mother, who was

ill,

at

and on looking round

who had

rowed Lucchesini and myself across the

He

arm

seized by a strong

Hallo

him

river.

visit

his

and was returning through

the wood, from which he happened to emerge

at that critical moment.^'

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

202
Not

to say, that
spoils.

on painful

to dwell

details, let it suffice

by allowing him

to

share in the

Binder succeeded in purchasing the

boatman, who, as

silence of the

will

be readily

understood, was no other than Peter Clever.

was

It

came

at this

man

up, and whilst Binder answered his in-

gave a kick to the too curious

quiry, Peter

dog, which
forget

juncture that the blind

it

was

clear the animal did not

when he was

desired to get into the

boat.

When

the guilty pair parted, Binder

flat-

tered himself that Clever would not recognise

him should they meet

at

any future period

As

but in this hope he was disappointed.

soon as the investigations were terminated,

alarmed

lest

they should be renewed. Clever

quitted Spykenis, and, as chance would have

it,

his

ere long found himself in a canal boat with

companion

Rotterdam.

in crime, both

recognition

on

their

and a

way

to

sort of

partnership, in which fear on Binder's

side

203

BURGOMASTER AND BEGGAR.

was the only bond, ensued, and lasted

some

time,

till

for

Clever taking to horse-dealing,

the other seized the occasion to break from

him, and

settle

mode

life.

of

himself in a more reputable

It

was then he came

to Leer-

dam, and appeared as the grave and pious

citizen

w^e

there

found him; nor were the

The

gra\dty and piety altogether assumed.

blood he had

spilt

haunted his conscience, and

he sought more, perhaps, by austerity and

external

forms than by inward purification,

to reconcile himself to

was

his evil genius

his disorderly visits,

Heaven.

still

But Clever

disgracing

and terrifying him

threats or sarcasms, according to the

he w^as

in, till his

patience

under the influence of

him.

It

had been

him by

fear

w^ith

humour

was exhausted, and

and hatred he slew

his intention

on that

fatal

night to wait his guest in the street, but the

circumstance of his neighbour accompanying

him, forced him to go

home

first.

When

the maid had retired to bed, he went quietly

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

204

out, waylaid his victim, accomplished his pur-

pose,

and was

at

home

again,

and in

chamber, time enough to receive the

his

visit

of

the constable.

Joachim Binder paid the penalty of

crime, eminently illustrating his

that the

arm of

the

own

his

words,

Lord reacheth afar

IV.

THE SURGEON'S ADVENTURE.

In the year 1836, as a young surgeon of
Florence, called Alberto Riquetti,

ing at

a late hour

to

his

was return-

own

stumbled over the body of a person

house, he

who was

lying

near his door, and crying feebly for

help.

Ever anxious

Riquetti,
lifted

to succour the distressed,

with the assistance of his servant,

the stranger into his surgery, where he

dressed several very dangerous

he found about his person

wounds which

and then,

as the

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

206

night was too far advanced to carry

where

On

he put him to bed.

else,

the following morning he found the

patient so

ill,

that he entertained very

hopes of his recovery

and as

would have been indisputably

him

to

him any-

remain where he was.

to

little

remove him

fatal,

he allowed

On

the second

day he was so bad that Riquetti doubted his

surviving four-and-twenty hours longer

and

having acquainted him with his situation, he

proceeded to inquire his

name and

station,

and sought

he had any

friends,

or relations

to ascertain if

whom

whom, should

to

he would desire to
his death ensue,

see, or

he would

The

wish the event to be communicated.

man

answered

that,

with respect to his

he was called Gasparo

but for the

name

rest,

requested that a confessor might be sent

to

whom

was

he
for,

he would make known whatever

necessary.

This desire was complied with, and what

passed between the patient and the

priest,

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

But when the

of course remained unknown.

man came

holy

207

from the stranger's

forth

chamber, his whole demeanour denoted awe

and terror
less

he

his

lifted

his cheeks

and hps were blood-

hands trembled

them up

and ever and anon

to heaven, as if praying for

the soul of a great sinner.

he uttered were, to desire

The

that,

only words

when

the

man

he had confessed was dead, he should be immediately informed of the circumstance.

However, Gasparo did not

in the

prime of

life

He was

die.

and a good

constitution,

and the constant care of the surgeon, saved

him.

As soon

w^alk away,

expressing

he
the

he was well enough

as
left

his

benefactor's

most ardent

Riquetti's kindness,

and

calling

house,

gratitude

for

down blessings

on his head for the persevering

skill

and care

which had rescued him from the grave

he went as he came, unknown

to

but

no word had

he ever dropped that threw the slightest ray

of Hght

on his past history or future where-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

208

and in the memory of the young

about,

surgeon

he

wounded

stranger.

only

lived

Gasparo,

as

the

In the winter of 1839, Alberto Riquetti

was
as

seized with

had been

it

an indisposition, for which,

chiefly

induced by too

application to his business, a

little

recreation

was pronounced the best remedy.

this

view he resolved

Rome, where he

pleasure in inspecting the

had

excited

lately

So, with

an excursion to

on

promised

especially the ancient

much

himself

antiquities,

much
more

Etruscan tombs, which

so

much

interest

amongst

the learned, and most of which were within a

short distance of the city.

For the sake of those who may yet be

unacquainted with the history of these curious
rehcs,

it

may

be as well to mention, that the

Etrurians were a celebrated people of Italy,

anterior

to

the Romans,

and occupying the

country west of the Tiber.

territory

The

extent of

which they possessed, though not

THE SURGEON
was

great,

hy

209

divided into twelve

nevertheless

each of which was governed

states,

different

ADVENTURE.

respective king, or, as they called him,

its

lucLimon

and in

of the

spite

diminutive

space they occupied on the globe, they were,

relatively to their neighbours, a very powerful

and

people, wealthy, luxurious,

taste

refined.

The

and proficiency they had attained in the

much

fine arts, as well as

customs,
placed

modes of

and

us

before

have been

living,

very

in

of their manners,

extraordinary

manner, by the discovery of the ancient tombs

above alluded

to,

which

in fact, small

are,

chambers hollowed out of the

and which appear

places prepared

to

have been the resting-

for the mortal

in

remains of the

Although the bodies

wealthy and the noble.

which reposed

sides of hills,

these

ancient receptacles

have long mouldered into dust, and although

the Etrurians, with their
principalities,

merce,

VOL.

powers,

luxuries,
III.

kingdoms and

wars,

vii'tues,

councils,

superstitions

their

comand

210

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

vices,

have long passed from the earth, and

some

faint

records

their greatness,

speak

us

to

only remain to

from

yet

again

habits as they lived," they

and cry

"

to us,

Behold

thousand years ago !"

in

here,

their

up

lift

*'

very

their voices

thus did

us of

tell

tombs they

their

we

three

the paintings on

for

the walls of these excavations

show us

this

ancient people in almost every condition of

life.

We

them

see

their diversions,

funerals,

their banquets

at

at their

engaged in

and

marriages and their

their

athletic

games,

dancing, playing on various instruments, and

Numerous

even on their death-beds.

and valuable specimens of

vases,

and armour, have

these dwellings

curious

their ornaments,

also been

found in

of the dead, as well as the

sarcophagi in which the body had been deposited.

powerful

The

Etrurians

were

and resolute enemies

empire of the

Romans had

and were not conquered

to

the
the

most
rising

contend with,

tiU after

long wars

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

211

and much effusion of blood and treasure had

exhausted

its

strength.

Having given

this Httle sketch

of one of

the most interesting specimens of antiquity

we

in Italy,

will

now

was on a

It

fine

spring that Alberto

return to our hero.

morning of the

early

Riquetti started on his

expedition to the Etruscan tombs, the

visit

first

he proposed being to the necropolis of

the ancient city of Veii

which

cost the

it

a city,

Romans many

and which,

to win,

after

by the way,
a hard battle

holding out a siege

of ten years, was at length taken by their

famous general, Camillus, about four hundred

years before the Christian era.
Veii, or rather the spot

stood,

is

situated

Rome, on one of
the

first

where Veii once

about twelve miles from

the roads to Florence.

nine or ten miles the

way

lies

For
along

the high road, but, at a village called Fossa,

it

diverges,

leads across

and

some

for

about two miles more

fields, till it

terminates at a

P 2

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

212

place called the Isola Farnese, where there

an inn

at

which

although the

site

of Veii

put up, and where,

is

two miles further

they are obliged to leave their horses

still,

and

travellers

is

carriages,

beyond

as

this point there is

no practicable road.

The

Isola Farnese

situated

and murmuring
pretty

a quiet

inn

adorned by this

waterfalls,

nocence

travellers,

and

and venerable

who

inhabitants,

shepherds and vine-dressers,

to

hamlet,

and picturesque rocks,

and an ancient

The

fortress.

civil

little

on a rising ground, surrounded by

and streams,

cliffs,

is

are

and have an

rural

simplicity

are

all

extremely
air

that,

of into

frequenter of cities like Alberto Riquetti, was

quite irresistible.

" Here,"

and

vices,

thought he, " must the crimes,

and miseries of a great

unknown, and probably unsuspected.

few of the dwellers in this
ever extended

their travels

little

city

be

How

Eden have

even as far as

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

Rome

Their

enough

vines

happy.

The
and

their

flocks

must be pure and

pattern

of

It is

an

their

quite a subject for a poet."

inn-keeper too, was the most

obsequious

are

Above want, and below

for them.

ambition, their minds

lives

and

213

inn-keepers

of

inn-keeper;

and

civil

quite

Alberto

Riquetti was so charmed and fascinated by

all

he saw, that he

resolved to

Isola Farnese his head-quarters,

make

the

and thence

extend his excursions to the different objects

of curiosity around.

As

the

necropolis

first

day was to be devoted to the

of Veii,

after

refreshing

himself

with a crust of bread and a glass of wine, he

asked for a guide, who, being immediately

presented to him, he set forth on his expedition,

having informed his host

should be occupied

all

that, as

he

day in sight-seeing, he

should not care to have any dinner, but that

he wished a good

supper

to

be provided

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

214

against his return at night

the worthy Boniface assured

strictly

" he

attended

he

said,

in the habit of acting as

and

cook himself,

him should be

" Indeed,"

to.

was generally

request which

he thought he

might

venture to promise his guest a ragout, the

like of

which he had never tasted

particularly

famous

added he, "most

them

for his ragouts

travellers

who

he

indeed,"

them

eat

was

find

so good, that they are never inclined to

taste another."

"Except of your making,

suppose?"

said Riquetti, smiling.

"

Of

that's understood,"

answered

tolerably

conceited fellow,"

thought

course

the host.

"

our

traveller,

as he followed his guide in the

direction of Veii.

the

same

The guide seemed

opinion,

for

he

to be of

chuckled

and

laughed, and appeared greatly diverted with

this explosion of the host's self-love.

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

*'

"Not

answered the man;

in the winter,"
first

we have

You come from

seen for this long

Florence ?"

" Yes, I do," replied Riquetti.

happened

drove you

"

How

did

that ?"

you know
" I

travel-

said Riquetti.

" you are the

time.

many

suppose you have a good

lers here ?"

215

tell

to

hear the postilion that

the inn-keeper so, and that you

were making a tour for your health ?"

"That's

too,"

true,

said Riquetti, rather

whom

wondering how the

postilion,

never seen before,

should have learned so

much about
"

him.

It's dull travelling alone,"

man

he had

" particularly

when

continued the

a person's sick

and

out of health; but perhaps you are a bachelor,

and have nobody

am

"I
rather

to look

much

after

you ?"

a bachelor, certainly," said Riquetti,

amused

at the curiosity the

man was

exhibiting. "Unsophisticated nature," thought

he,

" savages,

and uncivilized people,

are

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

216

always inquisitive;"

without taking offence

so,

he answered as many

at the interrogations,

as the guide chose to put to him.

In the meantime they advanced slowly on

the road to Veii, stopping ever and anon to

the

inspect

examine everything that appeared

a vestige of antiquity
point of rock, they

came suddenly upon

hovel, before the door of

man

scraping and tying

at

to present

when, in rounding

little

sticks which,

and

view,

of

points

different

up

which stood a
bundles the

in

another period of the year,

At

the

sound of the approaching footsteps the

man

are

used

lifted

up

for

training

his head,

the

and as

vines.

his eye fell

upon

the surgeon, he started visibly, and an expression of surprise passed over his counte-

He

nance.

even parted his

the impulse of the

but

speak

after

giving

stooped

forward,

as

if,

upon

moment, he was about

suddenly

one

lips,

closing

look at

and

the

silently

them

to

again,

traveller,

resumed

he
his

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

previous

attitude

and

Riquetti,

who had

cast

the man, and

at

to the

on,

who

occupation

217
whilst

but a passing glance

attributed his surprise

suddenness of their appearance, walked

and thought no more of the matter.

was drawing towards the afternoon, and

It

our traveller had already spent some hours

amongst the tombs, when, on emerging from

one of them, he
sitting

He

observed the

on the ground, near

seemed

same man,

the

entrance.

to have wounded his

foot,

and

was stanching the blood with a handkerchief.

The guide approached him, and asked him

what was the matter.
" I

hurt

my

foot

yesterday,"

said

he

" and being obliged to walk thus far to speak

to old Guiseppe, the exercise has set

it

bleed-

ing again," saying which he bound the handkerchief round his foot and arose.

As he
voice

spoke, there was something in the

and the play of the features that struck

Riquetti as familiar to

him; and

that this

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

218

approach to recognition was legible in his

own

face,

was

evident, for the

away

frowned, and turned

man

instantly

He,

head.

his

however, seemed inclined to join the party,

or at least his
for

way

lay in the

same

direction

he kept near them, lingering rather be-

hind, as if his lameness

Presently, at a

moment when

a few yards in advance,

the two, he

felt

impeded

his activity.

the guide was

and Riquetti between

himself slightly touched upon

the back, and on looking round he beheld

the vine-dresser with the forefinger of one

hand placed upon

his

lip,

silence, whilst in the other

as

if

to

enjoin

he held a piece of

linen stained with blood, which he stretched

out towards the traveller, shaking his head

manner

that

understand,

and

the while, and frowning in a

Riquetti was

at

a loss

to

which, as the injunction to silence was perfectly

intelligible,

curiosity,

he forbore to

ask.

His

however, being vividly awakened,

and indeed

his fears

somewhat aroused,

for

THE SURGEONS ADVENTURE.

he thought the gestures of the

219

man seemed

designed as a warning against some danger

that awaited himself, he endeavoured to keep

him

near

as

eye

his

guide,

as he

pretty

whom

could;

man

fixed

constantly

upon

his

he imagined must be the enemy

he was admonished to
that

he kept

whilst

distrust.

"

Who

is

with the wounded foot?" he in-

quired.
"

That

is

Gasparo, the vine-dresser," was

the answer.
Riquetti'

had thought as much, although

the appearance of his former guest was very

much

altered by the restoration of health,

a considerable acquisition of

with the conviction that

embonpoint ; but

was Gasparo came

it

also the conviction that the

warning had been

weU

intended, and that the danger

But

it

He

was not easy

to

there

light

enough

real.

to

do.

inn, in a lonely

and the evening was

was barely

was

know what

was two miles from the

place,

and

drawing on;
to enable

them

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

220

see their

to

but he had himself no weapon, whilst

other might

the

might be enemies
aware

to the Isola Farnese.

he saw nobody near him except his

It is true

guide

way back

armed

be
in

ambush

besides,

was not

that he

However, there was nothing

of.

there

to

do

but to return to the inn as fast as he could,

and

he

this

did,

taking care

guide in advance of him

his

surprise,

he

all

the

arrived there

to

keep the

way

and, to

without any

alarm, or without perceiving anything in the

conduct of his companion that could have

excited the slightest suspicion.
*'

"I must have

Surely," thought he,

taken

Gasparo's

intentions;

meant

to entreat

my

silence

mis-

he must have
with respect to

himself; and the bloody cloth was for the

purpose

of

recalling

my memory

to

his

wounds, and the circumstances under which

we

formerly met.

reason

or

other,

He

is,

afraid

probably, for

some

of being identified.

This must be the true interpretation of his

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

gestures.

221

would be absurd to suppose

It

can have anything to fear amongst this virtuous, unsophisticated people."

Comforted by
in

this conviction,

and resolved,

compliance with Gasparo's wishes, to ask

no

set himself,

Riquetti,

having

supper, and a bottle of wine,

his

called for

him,

about

questions

with a good appetite, to his

fare.

some fresh-water

The

first

fish,

of which he partook sparingly, reserving

dish consisted of

whose merits

his appetite for the ragout, of

The

the landlord had so confidently spoken.

odour

it

emitted

appeared

when

confirm

to

the cover was lifted

predictions

his

the

aroma was very savoury indeed.

So the surgeon hfted
an

himself to

ample

Then he took up
as

to

mouth, he suddenly
a

him, he said

bottle of
:

and helped

portion

of the stew.

and

fork, but, just

his knife

he was preparing

hand on

a spoon,

put a morsel into his

stopt,

and, placing his

wine that stood beside

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

2^2

"By

the bye, have

you any good Bor-

deaux ?"
" I have

no Bordeaux," answered the host,

" but I have

some good Florence

in flasks, if

you hke that."

" Bring

me

ragout of yours

wine

And

!"

No

" This

some," said Riquetti.

deserves

the host

left

glass

of good

the room.

sooner had the door closed upon him,

than the movements of the surgeon would

have extremely puzzled a spectator.

Instead

of conveying the savoury mess from his plate

to his

mouth, as might naturally have been

expected, he

conveyed

it

with inconceivable

speed to his pocket-handkerchief, which, with

equal
that,

celerity,

he deposited in his pocket, so

by the time the host returned, the plate

was empty.
" That
lent,

a capital ragout of yours

is

indeed

!"

said

he, as

excel-

he poured out a

tumbler of wine, and tossed

picious eye

it

off.

sus-

might perhaps have observed that

THE SURGEON

ADVENTURE.

223

and Hps were blanched, and that

his cheeks

hand

his

was

unsteady

brought back the blood

but

the

to his face,

wine

and the

The

host perceived nothing extraordinary.

ragout being removed, some bread and cheese

were

next produced,

of which

he

slightly

partook, and then the table was cleared, and

the host retired.

As soon

as he

was gone,

set a chair against

Riquetti, having

the door, to prevent his

being too abruptly disturbed, took out his

handkerchief, and very closely examined

its

contents, after

which he restored the whole

to his pocket,

and began pacing the small

room from end

to end, with a

countenance in

which anxiety and apprehension were

depicted.

He

looked

at

the

visibly

wmdow, and

appeared to be deliberating on the propriety

of getting out of
cable

enough

know

in

The

thing was practi-

" but then,"

" I could not find

not

it.

my way

murmured

to Fossa

which direction

he,

should

to turn ;" for, as

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

224

we have

observed,

it

was yet but the

season of the year, and

long

knows whether

had abeady been

it

" Besides,"

dark.

added

would be

it

"

he,

might be running from Scylla

Gasparo

Gasparo

where

am

to Charybdis.

thou ?"

art

who

address

safe to

myself to any one there, stranger as

it

early

These

were but thoughts scarcely formed into words,

and yet they seemed

that

moment
taps

slight

to be answered, for at

his attention

was roused by two

There was

on the window.

but a calico curtain

nothing before

it

he drew

and then, on the taps being

aside,

this

repeated, he gently lifted the sash.

"

Go

to

your bed-room as soon as you

can," said a hurried voice

light,

" put out your

and when you hear the

your window, and, as

quietly

signal,

open

you

can,

as

descend a ladder you'll find ready for you

and the speaker,

whom

the light in the

;"

room

showed

to be Gasparo, turned quickly away,

adding,

"Shut down

the

window

be

silent

and

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

225

" Bravo,

whis-

cautious

!"

Gasparo

!"

pered the surgeon to himself, as he obeyed

injunctions by closing

his

replacing the curtain

"

Bravo

you're a grateful one, at

villain,

Having removed the

window and

the

chair

If you're a

events."

all

from the door,

and seated himself in an attitude of great

and nonchalance, he drew a book from

ease

his pocket,

which he placed before him, and

then he rang the

coffee
shall

am
be

"

bell,

tired with

my

off early in the

coffee

my

bed got ready,

day's work, and I

to his

a small

for I

mean

to

morning."

was accordingly brought and

drunk, and then Riquetti

shown

to the host, " I

and then," said he

be glad to have

The

and ordered some

requested

to

be

bed-room, which proved to be

apartment up one pair of

stairs.

As

he expected, there was no fastening to the

door

of any

sort

dressing-table before

VOL.

III.

so,
it,

having

placed

the

and inspected the place

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

226

round, not forgetting to look under the

all

bed, he took his portmanteau under his arm,

put out his

down

sat

He

light,

and, with a beating heart,

to await the

promised

did not wait long.

In

signal.
less

than half

an hour, a few small pebbles, thrown against

the window,

summoned him

it.

He

felt it,

and,

open

to

could not see the ladder, but he

As soon

stepping out, he carefully descended.

as his foot

touched the ground, Gasparo,

was there

to receive

him, took him by the

hand, and whispering,

life !"

"Now, run

he dragged him forwards

him up

hill

and down

who

hill,

for

your

and, leading

across fields, over

hedges and ditches, and through the water,

without

ever pausing to

take breath or to

utter a word, he at length, after

flight,

suddenly stopped,

some hours'

and Riquetti per-

ceived that they were on the high road.

"

Now,"

said

Gasparo,

" you are within

half an hour's walk of the city

you

are safe

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

farewell,

and God speed you

227

have paid

!"

my debt
And with
hastily
after

to

he

that

away;

turned,

and

walked

though Riquetti

and,

called

him, and begged him to stay and speak

him

for a

moment, he never

so

much

as

turned his head, but, departing as rapidly as

he could, was soon out of sight.

The surgeon

looked after him as long as

he could see him,

of

day

and,

for

was now the dawn

it

when he

could see

him no

longer, having breathed a prayer for his preserver, with a grateful heart
to

Rome, where,

he took his way

before ever seeking the rest

and refreshment he so much needed, he

re-

quested an interview with the chief officer of

the police.
" I

have,"

he

"

said,

communications to make

most

but before

word, you must obtain for

that,

whatever

discoveries

important

me

may

say a

a promise,

ensue from

Q 2

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

228

my

disclosures, the life of

He

be spared.

one individual shall

has saved mine, and I cannot

endanger his."
This condition being acceded

government Riquetti proceeded

to

by the

to detail his

adventures, and to display the contents of his

and the consequence of

handkerchief;

communications

was, that

virtuous, obliging,

dressers

his

innocent,

these

and unsophisticated vine-

and shepherds were proved, on inves-

tigation, to

be leagued banditti, of

inn-keeper was the chief.

whom

the

In the month of

March, 1839, no fewer than forty of them

Rome and condemned

were brought to
death
the

The

or

punishments,

amount of crime proved

worthy

excellent

the

other

host,

ragouts,

scaffold.

surgeon,

many

so

according

to

to

against them.

celebrated

for

his

expiated his enormities on

Besides the evidence

circumstances

of the

combined to

show, that, when short of provisions, he had

THE surgeon's ADVENTURE.

229

been in the habit of supplying the deficiency

by compounding

human

dishes of

his

flesh.

apprehensions had been awakened

Riquetti's

by observing something on his

plate,

which

his

anatomical science enabled him to recognise

human

as part of a

to Gasparo's

interpretation

and opened

eyes

his

to

Numerous

situation.

victims

fallen

hand, thus furnishing the

to

warning gestures,

the danger of his

seem

travellers

this

atrocious

to

have

conspii'acy,

but these wretches admitted that they never

attacked the English, as
that

would have been

set

the investigations

on foot by

their

countrymen, had any of them been missing,

would

infallibly

have led to a discovery of

their iniquitous proceedings.

satisfaction

not

at the Isola

was some

Gasparo was

to the surgeon, that

found amongst the troop

been seen

It

he had not

Farnese since the night

they had fled together.

It

appears wonderful that within so late a

period,

and within twelve or fourteen miles

230
of a great

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

city,

such a villanous combination

could have subsisted; in

England,

such a

nest of scoundrels would be exposed and extirpated in a

month.

V.

THE LYCANTHROPIST.
Whoever

has read the " Arabian Nights'

Entertainments," will be acquainted with the

words ghoul and vampyre.

lieved to be a being in the

ghoul was be-

human

form,

who

frequented graveyards and cemeteries, where

disinterred, tore to pieces,

bodies buried there.

person,
to

who came

so sucked

and devoured the

vampyre was a dead

out of his grave at night

suck the blood of the

was

it

living,

and whoever

became a vampyre

in his turn

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

232

when he

Both these persuasions have

died.

been rejected by the modern

as altogether

scientific

unworthy of credence or

world

inquiry,

although, about a century ago, the exploits of

vampyres created such a sensation

in

Hungary,

that they reached the ears of Louis XV.,

directed his minister at

Vienna

to report

who

upon

them.
In a newspaper of that period, there appeared a paragraph to the effect that Arnold
Paul, a native of Madveiga, being crushed to

death by

waggon, and buried, had since

become a vampyre, and that he had himself

The

been previously bitten by one.

ties

authori-

being informed of the terror his

visits

were occasioning, and several persons having

died

with

his grave

all

symptoms of vampyrism,

the

was solemnly opened, and, although

he had been in

the^body was

forty days,

it

To

like that of a living

man.

propensities, a stake

was driven

upon he uttered a

cry

after

cure his roving

into

which

it,

where-

his

head

THE LYCANTHROPIST.
was cut

and the body burnt.

off,

233
Four other

which had died from the consequences

bodies,

of his bites, and which were found in the

same

perfectly healthy condition,

manner

in a similar

and

these vigorous measures

continued more or
wards, was so

mined

to

rife,

make

less,

number

sons of
to

say,

all

The

thing.

that the authorities deter-

a thorough clearance of these

On

this occasion a

of graves were opened, of per-

ages and both sexes

the bodies of

all

and, strange

those accused

plaguing the living by their nocturnal

were found
blood,

and

evil

and, five years after-

troublesome individuals.
vast

was hoped that

would extinguish the

But no such

mischief.

it

were served

in
free

the vampyre state

from

every

of

visits,

fuH

symptom

of

of

death.

The documents which

actions bear the date of
are signed and

record these trans-

June

7,

1732, and

witnessed by three surgeons

and other creditable persons.

The

facts,

in

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

234

tation to put

all

may
ing

that has been

suggested

fallen

into a state of catalepsy or

and been buried

mystery

be, the

alive.

However

that

so,

through the

whole of Eastern Europe innumerable

of

stances
occurred,

whilst

That which
has in the
thropy,'

or

menon,

as

treated of

though

each

language

to designate

in the East

has

wolfomania

well

as

is

called

ghoulism'

;'

and

vampyrism,

this

'lycan-

pheno-

utterly

was once very generally

been

has

by numerous ancient authors

latterly

an

it.

West been denominated

*

in-

same kind of thing have

the

word

this

sufficiently perplex-

is

and the more

especial

is,

these supposed vampyres were persons

who had
trance,

upon them remains extremely

One

difficult.

that

though what interpre-

are indubitable,

short,

and

denied and scouted,

believed.

There are various shades and degrees of

lycanthropy.

In some cases the lycanthrope

declares that he has the

power of transform-

THE LYCANTHROPIST.

235

ing himself into a wolf, in which disguise

corresponding

tastes

his

delights in feeding on

public

the

corroborate

human

was no

their

instances there

the

his

form

flesh

he

and

in

examinations of these unhappy

individuals there
to

to

scarcity of witnesses

confessions.

In other

was no transformation, and

lycanthrope

appears

more

closely

to

resemble a ghoul.

In the year 1603, a case of lycanthropy

was brought before the Parliament of Bor-

The person accused was

deaux.
fourteen,

called

Jean

Grenier,

a boy of

who herded

Several witnesses, chiefly young

cattle.

came forward

gii^ls,

as his accusers, declaring that

he had attacked and wounded them in the

disguise

them but

mth

of a wolf,

and would have

killed

for the vigorous defence they

sticks.

the crime,

made

Jean Grenier himself avowed

confessing to having killed

and the father of the

eaten several children

children confirmed

he

all

and

said.

Jean Grenier,

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

236

however, appears to have been

from an

removed

little

idiot.

In the fifteenth century, lycanthropy prevailed extensively

many

amongst the Vaudois, and

persons suffered death for

similar case

it

but as no

seems to have been heard of

for

a long while, lycanthropy and ghoulism were

set

down amongst

the superstitions of the

East, and the follies and fables of the dark

ages.

circumstance,

now come

to light in

and

strange

is

has

light

upon

The account we

drawn from

just

France that throws a

unexpected

curious subject.
to give

however,

this

are going

a report of the investi-

gation before a council of war, held on the

10th

of the

present

month

Colonel Manselon, president.

that the court

that

many

The
came

(July
It is

1849),

remarked

was extremely crowded, and

ladies

were present.

facts of this mysterious affair, as they

to light in the examinations, are as fol-

low: For some months past the cemeteries

THE LYCANTHROPIST.
in

237

and around Paris have been the scenes of

a frightful profanation, the authors of which

had succeeded

eluding

in

WHS exerted

that

to

all

the vigilance

At one

detect them.

time the guardians or keepers of these places

of

were

burial

others,

themselves

suspected

odium was thrown on the

the

at

sur-

viving relations of the dead.

The cemetery

of these

field

first

appears

of Pere la Chaise

that

for

horrible

was the

operations.

It

time

the

considerable

guardians had observed a mysterious figure

flitting

on

As

about by night amongst the tombs,

whom

they never could lay their hands.

they approached, he disappeared like a

phantom; and even

loose,

and urged to

and ceased

to

the dogs that were let

seize

bark, as

fixed by a charm.

him, stopped short,

if

When

they were trans-

morning broke,

the ravages of this strange visitant were but

too visible
forced,

graves had been opened, coffins

and the remains of the dead,

fright-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

238

scattered

upon

Could the surgeons be the

guilty

and mutilated,

fully torn

the earth.

No.

parties?

lay

member

of the profession

being brought to the spot, declared that no

scientific knife

had been there

human body might be

parts of the

for anatomical studies,

might have

money by

violated

required

and the gravediggers

the

tombs

the sale of them.

was doubled
soldier

but certain

to

The watch

but to no purpose.

was one night seized

obtain

in a

A young
tomb, but

he declared he had gone there to meet his

sweetheart,

and had

fallen asleep

evinced no trepidation, they

At
la

let

him

and

as he

go.

length these profanations ceased in Pere

Chaise, but

it

was not long before they

were renewed in another quarter.

cemetery was the new

little

girl

suburban

aged seven years, and much

loved by her parents, died.

hands they

theatre of operations.

With

laid her in her coffin,

their

own

attired in

the frock she delighted to wear on fete days,

THE LYCANTHROPIST.

239

and with her favourite playthings beside her

and accompanied by numerous
saw her

friends, they

the following

relatives

and

earth.

On

laid in the

morning

was discovered that

it

the grave had been violated, the body torn

from the

coffin, frightfully mutilated,

There

heart extracted.
sensation

in

w^as

no robbery

mendous;

and in the general

perplexity,

suspicion

hearted

was

father,

on

fell

whose

the

was

tre-

terror

and

neighbourhood

the

and the

broken-

the

however,

innocence,

Every means were taken

easily proved.

to discover the criminal

but the only result

of the increased surveillance was, that the

scene

of profanation

cemetery of

Mont

humations were

was removed

to

the

Parnasse, w^here the

ex-

an extent,

carried to such

that the authorities were at their wits' end.

Considering,

by the way, that

all

these

cemeteries are suiTOunded by walls, and have

iron

gates,

which are kept

closed,

it

certainly

seems very strange that any ghoul or vampyre

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

240

of solid flesh and blood should have been

pursue his vocation so long undis-

able to

However, so

covered.

not

till

it

was

and

it

was

they bethought themselves of laying a

snare for this mysterious visitor that he was

detected.
wall,

Having remarked a spot where the

though nine

been frequently
a sort

feet high,

scaled,

appeared to have

an old

officer contrived

of infernal machine, with a wire at-

tached to

which he so arranged that

it,

should explode

if

any one attempted to enter

the cemetery at that point.

a watch being

now
at

it

This done, and

they thought themselves

set,

secure of their

Accordingly,

purpose.

midnight an explosion roused the guard-

ians,

who

perceived a

man

already

in

the

cemetery; but before they could seize him,

he had leapt the wall with an

confounded them

and although they

their pieces after him,

his escape.

But

agility that

fired

he succeeded in making

his footsteps

were marked

with blood that had flowed from his wounds,

THE LYCANTHROPIST.
and several scraps of military
picked up on the spot.

seem

have been

to

still

241
were

attire

Nevertheless, they

uncertain where to

seek the offender, tiU one of the grave-diggers

of

Mont

Parnasse, whilst preparing the last

resting-place of two

criminals about

of the 74th regiment remarking

had

sergeants

preceding

night

that

one

on

the

returned

wounded,

cruelly

nobody

knew how, and had been conveyed

de Grace, which
little

tery;

is

to

Val

a military hospital.

inquiry

now soon

and

was ascertained that Sergeant

Bertrand

it

was

profanations,

same

be

overhear some sappers

executed, chanced to

of their

to

the

and

of

cleared

author

many

description previous

to

up the mys-

of

all

others

these

of the

his arrival in

Paris.

Supported on crutches, wTapped in a grey

cloak,

pale

and

feeble,

Bertrand

brought forward for examination;

VOL.

III.

was now
nor was

242

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

there anything in the countenance or appear-

ance

young man

of this

indicative

of the

fearful

monomania

for the

whole tenor of his confession proves

that in no

of which he

other light

his

is

is

the victim

pro-

horrible

pensity to be considered.

In the

he

first place,

himself the

author

freely

these

of

acknowledged
of

violations

the dead both in Paris and elsewhere.

What

"
in

you propose

object did

committing

these

acts ?"

to yourself

inquired

the

president.

" I

cannot

replied

tell,"

was a horrible impulse.

against

my own

deter me.

myself what

will

Bertrand

was driven

"

it

to

it

nothing could stop or

cannot describe or understand

my

sensations were in tearing

and rending these bodies."

President.

And what

did you do after one

of these visits to a cemetery ?

Bertrand.

withdrew,

trembling

con-

THE LYCANTHROPIST.

a great desire for repose.

vulsively, feeling

no matter where, and

I fell asleep,

hours

several

243

but

during

slept for

this

sleep

heard everything that passed around me

I

bodies in a night.

fifteen

with

exhumed from

sometimes

have

my

ten

to

dug them up

hands, which were often torn and

bleeding with the labour I underwent

minded

nothing,

them.

The

so

that

guardians

could

fired

but I

get

me

at

at

one

and wounded me, but that did not

night

prevent

my

sire seized

This

returning the next.

me

generally

de-

about once a fort-

night."

He

added, that he had had no access of this

propensity since he was in the hospital, but

that

he would

return

when

he hoped not.
he.

not

his

be sure

wounds were

" I

think I

might not

it

healed.

am

cured," said

"I had never seen any one

hospital I have seen several of

Still

die

my

R 2

in the

comrades

244

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

expire by

my

for

now

believe

side.

am

cured,

I fear the dead."

The surgeons who

attended

him

v/ere

then

examined, and one of them read a sort of

memoir he had

received

from

which contained the history of

far as his

From

memory

his

Bertrand,

malady as

served him.

these notes,

it

appears that

there

had been something singular and abnormal

about him from the time he was seven or
^ight years old.

was not

It

so

much

in acts,

as in his love of solitude and his profound

melancholy that the aberration was exhibited

and

was not

it

frightful

peculiarity

Passing

had just been

their

"At

were

fully

one

labours,

day,

his

itself

where the

body

that

he entered to observe

shower of rain interrupted

which they

sight,"

developed

covering a

interred,

A violent
this

two years 'ago that

cemetery

grave-diggers

them.

till

says

left

unfinished.

Bertrand, "horrible

THE LYCANTHROPIST.

245

my

my

me

desires seized

head throbbed,

heart palpitated violently

to

my

No

sooner did I find myself alone,

procured a spade, and retiu'ned to the

cemetery.

had just succeeded in exhuming

when

the body,

at the gate.

authorities of

and

excused myself

companions, and returned hastily into

town.

than

saw a peasant watching

me

Whilst he went to inform the

what he had

seen,

retiring into a neighbouring

withdrew,

wood, I

laid

myself down, and in spite of the torrents of

rain

that

were

falling,

remained

there

in a state of profound insensibility for several

hours."

From
free

this period

course to

his

he appears to have given

inclinations; but

as

he

generally covered the mutilated remains with

earth

again,

proceedings

many narrow
by the

it

was some time before

excited

observation.

his

He had

escapes of being taken or killed

pistols

of the

guardians;

but

his

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

246

seems to have been

agility

almost

super-

human.

To
was

the living he was gentle and kind, and

especially beloved in his

regiment for his

frankness and gaiety

The medical men

gave

it

interrogated unanimously

as their opinion, that although in

all

other respects perfectly sane, Bertrand was

not

responsible

for

these

He

acts.

was

sentenced to a year's imprisonment, during

which time measures

will doubtless

be taken

to complete his cure.

In relating this curious case of the

pyre, as

he

has

affair

especially

in

is

called in

where the

considerable

excited

the

Paris,

medical

Vom-

world,

attention,
I

have

omitted several painful and disgusting particulars

that,

but I have said enough to prove

beyond a doubt, there has been some

good foundation

for

the

ghoulism and lycanthropy

ancient

belief

in

and that the books

THE LYCANTHROPIST.
of Dr.

Weir and

of this malady

is

others, in

247

which the existence

contemptuously denied, have

been put forth without due investigation of

the subject.

VI

THE PRISONER OF THE

CONCIERGERIE.
At

the period of the French Revolution,

there resided in Paris a family called

feuil,

son,

Ger-

consisting of a father, mother, and one

Edward

Gerfeuil,

who was

about fifteen

years of age, a pretty, clever, interesting boy,

the

darling

of his parents'

pride of their eyes.

that he

But

at

heart,

the

and the

same time

was a source of unbounded comfort to

them, he was also a subject of the deepest

anxiety

for, at

that season of anarchy

and

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

250
peril,

when no

one's

life

or fortune

was

secure,

they trembled at the thoughts of the future

They

that might await their innocent child.

possessed a comfortable, independent fortune,

the whole of which was designed for

Edward

but who should promise that he would ever

inherit

it

The

imprudence on the

slightest

part

of the father or mother might render

them

objects of suspicion

become

indeed, they

might

objects of suspicion without any im-

prudence at

enemy,

all

they might be accused by an

they might

friend, they

compromised by a

be

might be dragged

to the scaffold

any day without a moment's warning, or they

might be obliged
nothing but
backs.

to

fly their

country with

the clothes they had on their

And what was

Edward, bred in

become of

to

their

affluence, nurtured in delicacy,

educated in refinement

Many and many

an anxious hour did these

reflections

cost

Monsieur and Madame Gerfeuil.

" I sometimes think," said Monsieur Ger-

THE CONCIERGERIE.
feuil

one day to his wife, " that

be a bad plan to

make Edward

251
it

would not

learn a trade.

In these times, when everybody's fortune

is

so precarious, and when, without any fault of

our own,

we may be

beggars to-morrow,

in affluence to-day,

it

would be advisable

something to faU

have

and

back upon

to

some

resource by which one might earn one's bread,

in case of the worst falling out."

"

What

could he learn ?" said

Madame

Gerfeuil.

"We

must consult him about

" For

swered the father.

should

recommend

my own

printing,

it,"

an-

part,

because

the

education he has received would there turn to

some

account, and he w^ould find

pation for his

mind

When Edward

some occu-

as well as his fingers."

was consulted, he agreed

that he should prefer printing to any other

occupation; and, as he promised himself a

great deal of diversion from appearing in a

part so

new

to him,

he made no objection to

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

252

the proposal.
fore

prepared

working- dress being there-

for

him,

and

respectable

establishment selected by his father, the youth

commenced

his apprenticeship, attending

the printing-office a certain

every day,

of hours

and receiving instruction

various branches of his

The

number

plan

seemed

Edward

Gerfeuil

and the

father and

was

at

in the

art.

to

answer

very

well.

fast acquiring dexterity

mother were comforted

to

think that they had provided such a resource

for their son

dreadful

in case of extremity,

calamity befel them.

when

pamphlet

supporting principles very obnoxious to the

revolutionary
culating

which had been

tribunal,

amongst the

people,

the printing-house of

cir-

was traced to

Monsieur Gros, and

suddenly himself and aU his

workmen were

arrested and carried off to the Conciergerie,

and amongst them poor Edward

Gerfeuil,

who, although he had never seen the pamphlet,

nor was aware of

its

existence, being at

THE CONCIERGERIE.
work

253

in his printer's dress, shared the fate of

his companions.

Who shall

paint the alarm and distress of

the parents on learning this intelligence

alas

how few were

there who, once arrested

on suspicion, ever escaped with

What

availed his youth

How

innocence?

many,

as

perished weekly on

And

how

bitterly they

Their

selves.

they

not

did

innocence,

if

was next

to

what

to

innocence
impossible

had

to

been

him

prove

his

availed,

they had

quaintance with anybody in power

probability their

his

assist

would have
;

as

the scaffold

do to

Even

know.

availed his

young and

reproached them-

over-anxiety

destruction; and

their lives

what

innocent,
then,

for,

no acin all

motive for sending him to

the printing-office would not be credited, if

they told

stir

his

it

and they almost dreaded

about him,

case,

lest

to raise

by drawing attention

and betraying that he was

to

w^hat

254

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

would be

called

only accelerate his

In

an aristocrat, they should

fate.

meantime,

the

Edward,

poor

after

undergoing the form of an examination, in

which he was only insulted when he attempted

to explain

who he

found in such a

was, and account for being

and flung

Conciergerie,

was dragged

situation,

dungeon under ground

into a
too,

to the

dungeon

a French

for

prison under the old regime was a dreadful

place
as

is

they have since been

improved,

always the case as countries become more

and enlightened.

civilized

to

much

know

that the loss of liberty

evitable hardships of a

enough

jail,

for slight offences,

entitled to

inflict

But no such
the hearts
jailers,

People then learn

and

in-

punishments
all

that

on unconvicted

rays of

or

are

and the

we

are

prisoners.

mercy had yet reached

understandings

of Edward's

and he could not have been worse

treated if he

had robbed a church

or

com-

THE CONCTERGERIE.

The poor

mitted murder.

may be imagined
home and
to

torn

miserable

cell,

and transferred

harsh

without

was added

turnkey,

light,

terror

to

all

fire,

and dieted
these suf-

the terror of what

Though

remained behind.

in

without
on,

lie

And

on bread and water.

feelings

from his comfortable

with a wretched pallet to

ferings

boy's

his tender parents,

custody of a

the

255

Edward

had

never seen the guillotine, he had heard too

much

of

it

and although, with the natural

thoughtlessness
little

on the

of youth,

which

peril in

long as that

peril did

his parents, yet

he
all

had

men

lived,

he had missed too many of

their

tom.ed paths and daily whereabouts,

comprehend something of
Poor child

How

his

him

for the jailer's visits

was the gleam of

own

accus-

not to

situation.

did the darkness and the

silence, too, frighten

watched

as

not approach himself or

and neighbours from

his friends

reflected

How
!

eagerly he

how welcome

his dull lantern

how he

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

256

drank in the tones of his husky voice

how he

listened to

Then he wondered

father

the echo of his receding

and sighed when he heard them no

footsteps,

more

and

much

so

if his

and mother knew where he was, and

he trembled wdth the dreadful apprehension

that they might not be able to trace him, and

might some day be carried

that he

without

tion

them

What,

again.

arrested

seeing

ever

would be none

hearing from

or

they had been

if

Then

himself?

well as

as

there

to interest themselves for

and he might perish

on the

too,

to execu-

scaffold,

him,

either in the prison

without

arm

an

or

being

stretched out to save him.

It

may

horrors

well be conceived

the

of

anxiety

li\dng, the confinement,

air of his

dungeon

their effects
fell ill

jail

that

the medical

had him removed

these

the bad

mind,

and the unwholesome

were not long

on a boy of

all

fifteen.

man
to

in

showing

Poor Edward

that attended the

cell

a degree less

THE CO^XIERGERIE.

257

wretched than the one he was

in,

and having

with some

Hfe,

he ordered

saved his

difficulty

that he should take an hour's exercise every

day in the court

a miserable place,

rounded by four high

walls, little better

a dungeon open at top.

was,

it

was a great comfort

for here

sky,

However, such

and

he at

least

to poor

sur-

than
as

it

Edward,

caught a glimpse of the

saw^ the faces of other

human beings,

although he was not allowed to address them,

and many a kind glance

young

captive,

made him

yet tender hearts

pity
It

cast

upon the poor

feel that there

who

in the world,

were
could

though they could not aid him.

happened that the

giii

jailer

had a daughter,

about a year older than Edward, whose

home was with

her

father at

the prison,

whither she returned each night, whilst her

days were spent in acquiring the art of dress-

making

at a fashionable

Palais Royal.

She thus very

of the prisoners

VOL.

III.

establishment in the

but

rarely

one Sunday,
s

saw any
as her

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

258

was conducting Edward

father
daily

to take

his

walk in the court, she chanced to meet

him, and, struck with his appearance of youth

and

the cause of his

inquired

suffering, she

being there.
" It's

very hard,"

when she heard

said

the jailer's

given by her

account

the

wife,

husband, and who, being a mother, was dis-

posed to

feel for

he only printed what

his

master told

without troubling himself to

ing of

about

it.

What

know

him,

the mean-

should a child hke that care

politics ?"

"It's

no business of

ours,

the man, who, though by no

larly

" I dare say

one so young.

was

hard-hearted,

wfie," replied

means

afraid

to

particucultivate

feelings of compassion, lest they should bring

him

into trouble.

"

We

our prisoners, without in-

but to look

after

quiring

the right

into

have nothing to do

and wrong of

their

cases."

" That's true, indeed," said the wife

" walls

THE CONCIERGERIE.
have

and the

ears,

259

said

least

soonest

is

mended."

The impression made upon Annette's mind,

however, was not so easily effaced

and the

emaciated form, and paUid cheeks of the young

prisoner

were often remcmhered when she

was plying the needle

It

may be

many

her daily

toil.

imagined, at a period w^hen so

and virtuous persons were

innocent

thrown into

at

and

prisons,

the scaffold, that

it

daily perishing

upon

was no uncommon sight

to see their anxious friends hovering about the

gate,

and gazing

objects so

dear,

at the w^alls

whom

it

which contained

was too probable

they might never behold again.

eyes were therefore too

Annette's

much accustomed

these melancholy visions to be generally

struck by

drawn

to

them

the constant attendance and carea lady, who, she fancied,

not only looked at her as

to

much

but her attention had been

worn countenance of

desire

to

address

her,

if

but

she had a great

whom
s

she had

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

260

more than

observed,

way

the

to her

She had

once, to follow her all

magazine in the Palais Royal.

remarked

also

this lady occasionally

buying things in the shop

worked

in a

but, as Annette

back room, and only perceived

through a glass door, there

this circumstance

was no opportunity of communication.

At

length, however, the lady ordered a dress to

be made for her

but

when

the mistress of

the establishment proposed to wait upon her

to

try

trouble,

having

it

on,

she offered to save her the

by stepping into her back shop and

it

done

young people

at once.
at

work

Annette could not

but

stranger's eyes sought

There were several

in

none but

said she

room,

but

that

the

observe

she went away, she gave her

Rosbeck, and

the

When

her.

name

as

lived near

Madame
the Pont

Neuf.
"

And," continued

jailer's

people

daughter,

come from

she, glancing

"if any
that

of

still

at the

your young

quarter, I should be

THE CONCIERGERIE.
glad

if

my

she would caU at

house to-morrow

morning, on her way here, as

me which

lace

by

my

dress."

I will

261

have some

send you to put upon

" That will be in your road, Ma'amselle

Annette,"

said

the

" Don't forget to

call as

the

of

mistress

shop.

you come past."

"No, ma'am," replied Annette, inyoluntarily

looking at the lady as she spoke, for she
could not help fancying there was some mystery behind

this

matter of the

lady, too, looked at her,

and

said

The

lace.
:

" Pray, do

not forget," and then she took her leave.

" Father," said Annette that night at supper, "

have you any prisoner here of the name

ofRosbeck?"

"No," answered

the

jailer.

**Why do

you ask?"
"
ter

Oh, nothing

particular," said the

daugh-

" only they were talking at the shop of

somebody of that name being

arrested."

" They have not been brought here,

then,'**

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

262

man

answered the

" indeed, we're quite full;

but I suppose the guillotine wiU take some of

them out of our way to-morrow."

"

Not

that poor

young boy,

I hope,"

said

Annette.
"

Why,

no," answered

don't think

it

the

be his turn just

will

" I

father.
yet.

There

are others will go before him."

On

the following morning Annette, not

without considerable curiosity, presented herself at

beck

the address given by

Madame

Ros-

and on naming her errand, she was

in-

troduced into that lady's bed-chamber.

" Pray,

down," said

sit

" I have desired

Rosbeck.

my maid

to bring the lace.

me

give you a cup of

In the meantime,
chocolate.

Madame

am

let

just

going to

take

my

breakfast."

Annette would have been more surprised

at

an attention so unusual, had not her pre-

vious observations satisfied her that she was

wanted to give some

information,

or

to

THE CONCIERGERIE.
perform some

of

service,

than fetching the lace

invitation,

same

and seated

263

more importance

so she accepted

the

at the

herself, saying,

time, that she could not wait long, as

her presence would be required at the magazine.

" Since that

Rosbeck,

what

is

the case,"

I am aware

have to say to you.

Madame

said

" I had better proceed at once to

you are the daughter of the

at

jailer

that
the

Conciergerie, and I dare say you have observed

me

in that quarter before this."

" Yes,

and

ma'am,"

said

Annette,

fancied that perhaps

relation

" I have

you had some

there

you

w^ere

the truth,"

said

Madame

or friend

anxious

about."
"

beck

That
;

is

" there

is

a person there I

the world to learn some

tidings

you think you could procure

would you,

if

me

Ros-

would give

Do

of
any

and

you could ?"

" I w^ould very willingly, ma'am," said

An-


LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

264
nette

" but I

and very

soners,

perhaps
father,

them

know

though he

" Oh,

Is

But

something from

my

a lady or a gentleman ?"

mere

Rosbeck,
"

my

it's

child !"

ex-

clasping

her

my

only

son

!"

*'

saw one poor boy

walk

name was
" Oh,
" that

is

Gerfeuil;

name

son,

who

there,

he

in the court because

Annette

plied

the

it

Madame

hands in agony

to

any of them.

not fond of talking about

is

a child

it's

claimed

son

find out

about the pri-

little

rarely see

might

either.

very

my

" but

is
is

father

allowed
re-

ill,"

said

his

Gerfeuil."
that

my

is

he

!"

cried

poor Edward

but

have taken

the mother
I

am Madame

this lodging in

of Rosbeck, in order to be near

and that

may watch

my

the tumbrils as

they pass with the prisoners for execution,

that I

may

be sure he

Then you have

ill?"

seen

is

my

not amongst them.

poor

child,

and he

is

;;

THE CONCIEKGERIE.

"

He

"

now

is

Oh,

if I

Madame
" I

been vevy

has

" but he

better."

could but see

him

!"

exclaimed

that

impossible

is

!"

replied

" Since one or two of the prisoners

Annette.

through

no

friends,

Annette

said

Gerfeuil.

fear

escaped

ill,"

265

the

of

assistance

their

visitors are admitted."

" Could you give

him

a letter or a

from me?" asked Madame

message

Gerfeuil.

"I don't think I could," answered Annette

"for the only chance

him

is

as he is

my

but then

I ever

have of seeing

going

to

and from the court

father

is

always close beside

him."
"

And

is

"Very,"
be

But

so.

keep

it

your father so very

said
if

Annette; "he

you

always

will give

in

my

opportunity of giving

it

me

strict
is

obliged to

the letter,

bosom, and
to

?"

if

him should

I'll

any
offer,

I'U do it."
It

was arranged

that Annette should call

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

266

for the letter at night

and

after

some more

conversation, she took her leave, and pursued

her way to the Palais Royal.

jailer's

she was a girl of tender

daughter,

heart and kind feelings, and

sat at her

Although a

all

day as she

work her thoughts were upon the

poor mother and son; and her young companions laughed at her silence and abstraction,

and accused her of thinking of her

whilst she

was taxing her ingenuity

some contrivance

for

But none could she

delivering

upon.

hit

lover,

to find

the

letter.

The

only

chance she ever had of meeting Edward was

on a Sunday

but she had no excuse for

going into the part of the building occupied

by the

and had she not been sent

prisoners,

with a message
never have seen

her father,

to

him

at all

she

and even

would
if

she

did contrive to throw herself in the way, the

jailer

was

so

watchful,

would be impossible

And, accordingly,

that

she feared

it

to accomplish her object.

at the

end of four weeks

THE CONCIERGERIE.
the letter was

poor

still

Madame

in Annette's

Gerfeuil

as

267
bosom, and

miserable

anxious as ever, except that the daily

of the

young

consolation.

girl

It

afforded her

was a

some

who

had made a friend

seemed

little

dwelt under the

same roof with her Edward, and

as that friend

visits

slight comfort to her

to speak to a person

that she

and

to

think

for him, powerless

to be.

Suddenly, however, about this time, a fresh

access of fury
to seize

for executions

seemed

on the minds of the blood-thirsty

revolutionary
feuil

and rage

tribunal

was plunged

and

Madame

Ger-

into daily agonies of terror

at hearing of the fearful rapidity with

their victims were

which

hurried to the scaffold

and from the hints dropped by her

father,

even Annette began to tremble for her young

protege,

Madame

Gerfeuil

young person wdthout

had a

v>'aiting-maid,

father or mother,

whom

she had taken into her house w^hen a child,

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

268

and brought up.

This

girl,

who was now

about sixteen, was extremely attached to her

and sympathized warmly with

mistress,

the

mother's

anxiety for

could but be

her

son.

means of procuring

the

release," she often said to herself, "

be some return for

In

Gerfeuil."

the

all

owe

to

all

" If I
his

would

it

Madame

vague hope that some

opportunity of being of service might

offer,

she neglected no means

of cultivating the

good- will of the

daughter,

jailer's

who

at

length invited her, one Sunday, to supper;

from which time she became a

family

she took care to

make

frequently contriving to

meet

a privilege

the most

of,

visitor in the

her friend as she returned from the Palais

Royal, where, having accompanied her as far
as the gate of the Conciergerie, the jailer,

on opening the
see his wife

door,

would

and thus,

little

invite her in to

by

little,

Made-

leine

had got on a footing of intimacy, and

was

pretty

constant

visitor

in

Maitre

THE CONCIERGERIE.

Having accomplished thus

Jacques's parlour.

much, she next began

how

possible

selves

to

would be

it

269

hint to Annette
to possess

some evening of the

jailer's

them-

keys, at

an hour that he was not

likely to

and make

Edward's dungeon.

way

their

to

" If he were only to see

would

be

Madeleine
life

ing,

me

for a

miss them,

moment,

such

comfort

" and

it

might perhaps save the

to

him,"

of his poor mother, whose heart

and who,

we cannot

it

am

afford

is

sure, will not live

some

relief to

said

break-

long

if

her anxiety."

Annette was not unwilling to do anything

she could for

many

Madame

difficulties in

Gerfeuii

the way, and, above

she dreaded her father's anger

tempt were discovered.

contrived to

but she saw

if

their

all,

at-

However, Madeleine

overcome her objections,

the ensuing Sunday night was fixed

upon

and
for

the enterprise.

The young
day together,

girls
first

spent a good part of the

attending mass, and then

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

270

walking with their friends,

till,

the

at

ap-

proach of evening, they directed their steps

towards the prison, each armed with a bottle

of wine, which Madeleine had bought

at a

guingette, and which they carried under their

wherewith

shawls,

" Whilst he

to

Madeleine;

jailer.

drinking, he will not be

is

observe what

likely to

the

treat

we

when

and

are

she

doing,"
told

so

said

Maitre

Jacques that she had brought him a couple

of bottles of good wine to

make merry with

he

himself extremely

supper,

at

expressed

obliged for her kindness.

"

you must do

must

and

to-morrow, you

as she has

party

a favour in return

to

go

to

a holiday,
St.

start very early, that

of

it."

jection

Annette go home and sleep with

let

to-night

me

" But," said she,

To

know,

is

me

a fete,

we have made

Cloud; and we are to

we may have

a long day

this proposal, fortunately,

was made;

you

and,

to

no ob-

cut short the

narrative of the insidious proceedings of the

THE CONCIERGERIE.
two

the jailer's

girls,

271
were

senses

lulled,

the keys were taken possession of only for a

few minutes, and the active pair reached the

cell

In a mo-

of the unfortunate Gerfeuil.

ment he was

in the

arms of

his

faithful

Madeleine, and inquiring for his dear mother.

" She

is

street, in

girl

him

quite well,

and

living in the next

order to be near you," answered the

and in a few hurried words she gave

information

the

urgent

to

"

have.

which he

But

was most
was

there

thing," continued she, " that your

particularly desired

in case

me

and

as

mamma

you about,

to caution

you are brought up again

nation;"

one

for exami-

she spoke, she drew

him

gradually towards the door, whispering as

making some

private communication,

Annette, whose

through

fear,

hmbs had almost

seated herself on

if

v/hilst

failed

her

the side of

the bed.

The door was

side.

ajar,

the key on the

out-

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

272
"

Now

run

out

and in a moment more they were

him

!"

Madeleine,

said

thrusting

both hurrying along the passages by the light

of the lantern which she had taken care to

When

carry herself.

they reached a conve-

nient spot, she paused, and taking off a loose

upper

and a shawl, with which she had

dress,

provided herself, she

this female attire,

on

his

being
ceal

Edward

disguised

and completed

in

by placing

it

head a drawn mushn bonnet, which,

pliable,

she had also contrived to con-

She had too

about her person.

marked the road

came along

as she

carefully

to miss it

now, and presently they found themselves at

the door of the
said she, to

jailer's

Edward, placing him

corner, " stand there, and,

take hold of

your

life 1"

my arm

"

when

in

a dark

come

out,

but don't speak, for

and she entered the room.

" Maitre Jacques,"

jailer

''Now,"

parlour.

by the arm,

said she, shaking the

for

how can you keep us

he was

still

waiting so

asleep,

Here

THE CONCIERGERIE.
are Annette

and

wanting to get out

shall get into trouble

"
eyes,

Eh

if I stay

come and open

Pray, do

!"

and I

here so

late.

the gate for us/'

and shaking himself awake

where

We

replied she.

leave to

go

do open

the--

can't wait any longer."

Where

"Annette!

what do

you going ?"

are

Home to bed, to be sure,"

"You know you gave iVnnette
home with me to-night. Come,
you ?

"

"

gate, will

Maitre Jacques, rubbing his

said

you want ?

273

Annette?"

is

said

Maitre Jacques.
" Here,

at

the

Come, do make

door,

waiting

for

j'ou.

haste ;" and she half dragged

the drowsy jailer from his seat, and led

"

towards the door.

she, taking

Come, Annette,"

Edward under her

" your father will

let

us out

proceeded towards the gate

the

jailer's

instant

belt

he

VOL.

III.

opened

more they were

fearful gate locked

now

other

him
said

arm

and they

;"

the key was at

and in an

it,

in the street,

behind them.

and the

Through

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

274
cross

streets,

and

at

first

with a deliberate

pace, lest whilst near the prison they

might

excite suspicion, they traversed a considerable

part of the

city,

till

at

length

stopped at the door of a house

Edward.
"

" This

No," said she

take you

home

is

"

it

not

Madeleine

unknown

papa's,"

said

would not be

to
he.

safe

to

you must be concealed here

for the present."

In that house dwelt an

old servant of Monsieur Gerfeuil, to

the family allowed a pension,

whom

and on him

Madeleine knew she might rely with con-

Her

fidence.

Edward was
to

reliance

was not disappointed.

gladly received

and, continuing

wear the dress of a female, he remained

there

several

him;

till,

weeks,

and Madeleine with

favoured by the disguise,

it

was

thought possible to remove them both from

Paris

and not

till

then, so fearful were they

of betraying the place of his concealment, did

the anxious father and mother permit themselves the happiness of beholding their rescued

THE CONCIERGERIE.
It is gratifying to

child.

275

be able to add, that,

except her father's displeasure and her

poor Annette suffered no

terror,

in the

list

conse-

When Edward's

quences from the adventure.

name appeared

ill

own

of those to be sent

to the scaffold, Maitre Jacques contrived to

persuade the authorities

executed some time before

not

person of sufficient

much

excite

inquiry,

he had been

that

and as he was
consequence

to

and as they had plenty

of heads to cut off without

his, after a little

blustering and pretence at investigation, the

affair

was suffered

to die away,

and

w^as for-

gotten.

Edward and
land,

his parents escaped to

Eng-

where he found the means of putting

the knowiedge he had acquired in his profession

to

some use

indeed,

the

greatest

which can be supposed, the support of himself,

and an aid

to that of his parents.

for several years,

London

till

Thus,

did the family remain in

the Reign of Terror

was

T 2

over,

and

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

276

refugee emigrants found

their native

country.

it

One

safe to return to

of the

first

acts

of the Gerfeuils, on being restored to their

property,

whose

was

fidelity

to

seek

out

Madeleine,

to

they owed so much, and to

place her beyond the reach of

remainder of her existence.

want

for the

VII.

MADAME

LOUISE.

Louis XV. of France had, by

with

riage

Stanislaus,

several

Maria

Leczinska,

mar-

daughter

of

King of Poland, two sons and

daughters.

These

aunts of Louis XVI., of

find

his

ladies

whom we

were

the

frequently

mention made in the history of that

unfortunate monarch.

Madame

Louise, the heroine of our story,

was one of the youngest, and was

also the

one

that took most after her mother in character.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

278

Maria Leczinska was a pious, amiable, tender-

woman, and Louise resembled her

hearted

in these characteristics

whilst the

sort

of

education she received, being brought up in

the
to

Abbey

the

increase

disposition

much

of Fontrevault, tended very

so

seriousness
that,

of her natural

she

after

lost

her

mother, though she continued to reside with

her father at Versailles, or Paris, or wherever

he might

was not of
its

for

and so

be,
it,

lived

the court, she

nor ever imbibed a taste for

splendours or amusements, and

and

dissipations

its

standing

Louise was

woman

a tender, loving heart

there were so
cavaliers

it

still,

piety,

however,

and a woman with

and in a court where

many gay and accomplished

must have been next

for that loving heart

to

to impossible

remain untouched.

But poor Louise had one safeguard

love, which,

would

less

Notwith-

vices.

her virtue and

all

still

against

pure and pious as she was, she

willingly

have

dispensed

with

she

MADAME
was deformeu.

With

279

LOUISE.

a lovely

and bewitching

and eyes of inconceivable beauty, her

face,

figure

was

quite distorted,

quences of an unfortuniite

Without
merit,

it

misfortune

meaning
is

fall

in her infancy,

derogate

to

extremely

may have

from the conse-

possible

from

her

that

this

considerably influenced

her character, and led her to seek in Heaven

those

of the

consolations

despaired of enjoying on

Of

heart

that

she

earth.

course each of the

princesses

had a

regular suite of servants, and of ladies and

and amongst these,

gentlemen in waiting;

each had also an ecuyer and a lady of honour,

who were

in immediate and constant attend

on their persons.

ance

The

office

of the

ecuyer was one which placed him in a peculiar

situation as regarded his mistress

he placed

her chair, opened the door for her, handed her

up and down

stairs,

and accompanied her in her

drives

and walks, and, in

went

so that, were

it

short,

wherever she

not for the respect due

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

280

must have been

to royalty,

it

susceptible

young man,

difficult for

or a susceptible

man

of any age, to be in this hourly attendance on

charming Princess and

The

entire.

deformity

of

retain

heart

his

Madame

poor

Louise, as well as her piety, however, were

perhaps thought sufficient

any dangers of
party;

either
fidence,

this
for

defences

against

description, as regarded

without

some such con-

would seem a great oversight of

it

the King to have placed in this necessarily

intimate relation with her one of the most
fascinating

men

about the court

for such,

by

admission, was the young Vicomte

universal

Anatole de Saint-Phale,

who was

appointed

ecuyer to the Princess upon the

marriage,

and consequent resignation, of the Baron de

Brignolles.

At

the

time of his appointment,

Phale was not

Saint-

much more than twenty

years

of age, the son of a Duke, handsome, accomplished,

eminently

agreeable,

and

^Yith

MADAME
name

281

LOUISE.

He

already distingushed in arms.

himself solicited the appointment, and

been granted
influence

of

Madame

his

wishes, and

making no

she had none.

to

her
as

festivities

the

men-

Indeed

objection.

The Vicomte was but

little

avoiding

court

for,

much

and w^hen

permit,

had

demur;

without

father,

Louise, w^hen the thing was

tioned to her,

known

own

to his

it

had

the

as

her

father

would

she

did

attend

them,

appearing there rather as a spectator than a

partaker

beyond

the general characters and

the personal appearance of the gay cavaliers

of the court, she

She

with

had

generous,

also

the

most

them.

heard

honourable,

flattering epithets;

he w^as

that

and

eyes

and her

had informed her that he was

extremely handsome.
she was

brave,

extravagantly

beloved by his father and mother

own

of

had always heard Saint-Phale's name

coupled
she

knew nothing

indifferent

To

the latter quahty

and the

others

well

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

282

him

fitting

for his office

about her person,

she signed his appointment without hesita-

dreaming

tion, Httle

was

signing the

also

at the
fiat

moment

that she

own

destiny.

of her

In due time the Baron de BrignoUes took

his

and the Vicomte entered on

leave,

duties

and

everybody

it

that

soon

appeared

evident

he had not sued for

without a motive.

situation

his

The

to

the

Princess's

lady of honour was the Comtesse de Chateau-

grand, Anatole's cousin;

was, to

He

and with her he

appearance, desperately smitten.

all

wore her colours, as was the fashion of

the gallant world at that period, paid her the

most public

attentions,

and seemed determined

not only to be violently in love, but that

the world should

know

it.

There was, however,

prising in

this.

all

nothing very

sur-

The Comtesse de Chateau-

grand was a widow, with a considerable

for-

tune, and, though nearly ten years older than

Anatole, she was

still

extremely handsome

MADAME
added

to which, she

283

LOUISE.

was very amiable, much

esteemed by her mistress, and she and the

young Vicomte had always been on the most

His passion,

friendly terms.

have

no

excited

said,

therefore, as

surprise in

but whether the lady returned

ther another

affair,

it,

we

anybody;

was

altoge-

and was. Indeed, a question

that created considerable discussion

amongst

the curious in these matters.

" But she looks so happy

so calm

!"

said

the young Duchesse de Lange.

"

And why

when

she has every reason

to be so ?" answered the

Comtesse de Guiche.

not,

" Are not his attentions unremitting ?

What

can she desire more ?"

" Ah, true," replied the other

you

will,

but calm

" Well,

Madame

if

!"

and why not calm

"

repeated

de Guiche.

" Ah, one

returned

" happy,

the

affectation.

is

never calm

when one

Duchesse, with a

little

loves 1"
air

of

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

284
^'That

is

Comtesse,
mental,

my

so

like

*'

laughing.
dear

I maintain that

you

returned
so

are

the
senti-

a real heroine of romance.

Madame

perfectly content,

l"

You

de Chateaugrand

and that she intends,

in

is

due

time, to reward his devotion with her hand.

I

am

sure he deserves

it.

Except waiting on

the Princess, he never does anything in the

world but attend to her caprices

and

do

believe she often affects to be whimsical, for

the sake of giving

"

He

him occupation."

certainly does not

that there

is

another

seem

woman

to

in

recollect

the world

beside the Princess and his cousin," said the

Duchesse, with some httle

Many
held

a conversation of this

almost

nature was

within hearing of one of the

parties concerned

many

spite.

namely,

a jest besides,

panions, rendered

it

the Vicomte

amongst

his

and

own com-

quite impossible that he

should be ignorant of the observations

upon him and Madame de Chateaugrand

made
;

but

MADAME

285

LOUISE.

he never showed himself disposed to resent

this sort of interference, nor did

to

make

it

cause

him

the slightest attempt at concealing

his attachment

whilst the

Comtesse

herself,

though she could not be more ignorant than

he of the court gossip, appeared equally
different to

The consequence

it.

was, as

inis

usual in similar cases, that the gossip nobody-

seemed to care

became

less

for,

and which annoyed nobod}',

interesting,

and gradually the

grande passion of the Vicomte Anatole for

his cousin
fact,

whilst

being admitted as an established

it

was concluded, from the calm-

ness of the lady's demeanour, that she had

accepted his proposals, and that they were to

be married some day, people began to think

little

about them

then, that in
tation

of the

privately
said.

all

and, except a hint

now and

probability the true interpre-

mystery was, that they were

married

already,

very

little

was

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

286
But now

there arose another bit

of court

gossip.

my

" Observe,

Lange

dear," said the Duchesse de

to her friend the

Madame

Comtesse, "

de Chateaugrand

is

how

fast

declining in the

Princess's favour !"

am
Madame
"I

perfectly

Guiche

de

attachment to
in short,
self

who

devotion

it is

till

value on

never in her

at it," returned

"for

Madame

has always,

greatest

confounded

certainly

Louise

is

her

very great

and the Princess her-

lately,

appeared to set the

it.

How

life

showed the

is

that she,

it

slightest

tendency to caprice, should begin with such

an injustice towards her most faithful friend ?"
" It

"

is

inconceivable

!"

replied the Duchesse.

But what do you think the Due

d'Artois

?"

says about

it

" Oh,

the

wicked

man

!"

Comtesse de Guiche, laughing.

does he say ?"

returned
"

the

But what

MADAME
"

He

says

it is

287

LOUISE.

the attachment between her

and Saint-Phale that offends the Princess

that she

is

so rigid, that she can neither be in

love herself, nor allow anybody else to be so

and that he has seen her turn quite pale with

horror at the sight of the Vicomte's attentions."

"

Be

in

Madame

certainly

not," said

" besides, to

what pur-

love herself

de Guiche

pose, poor thing, with her unfortunate figuj-e ?

But

I think she is

much

too kind-hearted to

endeavour to cross the loves of other people.

However,

certain

Madame

of

And
Madame

it is,

that she

is

not so fond

de Chateaugrand as she was."

grief,

thought

de Chateaugrand herself.

Louise,

so,

to

her

great

the gentle, the kind, the considerate, was

now

often peevish, impatient, and irritable;

and

what rendered
afflicting to the

the

change

infinitely

Comtesse was, that

all

more
these

ill-humours seemed to be reserved solely for

her

to

every one else the Princess was as

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

288

gentle and forbearing as before.

even to her at times

for there

still;

moments when she appeared

remorse for her
sions she
to

injustice,

So she was
were

to be seized with

and on these occa-

would do everything in her power

make amends

for

it

but as these intervals

did not prevent an immediate recurrence of

the

evil,

began

Madame

poor

to think very seriously of resigning her

situation,

and so she

my

" If you do,

told the Vicomte.

dear Hortense," answered

he, turning as pale as if she

his sentence of death

done
"

Chateaugrand

de

" if

had pronounced

you

do, I

am

un-

!"

Why ?"

said the Comtesse.

"

You need

not resign because I do."

" I should not dare to remain," answered
he.

" Besides,

know

it

But

would

it

would be impossible

have always told you

for you, I never could

the situation,

as

have undertaken

you well know

have been discovered."

so.

should

MADAME

289

LOUISE.

my dear Anatole, you can hardly

me to remain here to be miserable
am really so," returned Madame de

"But,
expect

and

" It

Chateaugrand.

is

not that I would not

humour and

bear with her

caprices

I love

her well enough to bear with her a great deal

more

but to lose her friendship, her afFection>

her confidence, breaks

"
*'

She must be

Some

certain.

secret

when

may

It

Vicomte,

preying on her, I

how

observe

handed her a

thought sh^ would have

*'

the

am

her cheek

and how her hand trembles

flushes at times,

To-day,

is

heart."
said

ill,"

malady

Do you

my

be

Chateaugrand.

so,"

returned

" Certain

of water,

let it fall."

it is,

not sleep as she used to do

lieve she is often

glass

Madame

de

that she does

in short, I

be-

up half the night walking

about her room."

" I think his Majesty should be informed

of

it,"

said the Vicomte, " that he

might send

her his physician."

VOL.

III.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

290

" I think so too/' answered the lady

when

named

me

was very angry, and forbade

remarks on her
not

to

trouble

and, above

" but

her the other day, she

to

it

all,

to

make any

enjoined

me

her father with such non-

sense."

am

" I

afraid her religious

austerities in-

jure her health," said Anatole.

" Apropos," returned the

desired

me

Comtesse

you that she goes

to tell

Denis to-morrow, immediately

and that no one

is

to

" she
to

St.

after breakfast,

accompany her but you

and me."
Denis,

St.

as

well

is

known,

is

the

burying-place of the royal family of France,

and

there, consequently, reposed the

remains

of Maria Leczinska, the Princess's mother;

and
first

it

was

to her

proceeded

tendants

tomb

alone,

that

whilst

remained without.

they waited for her

Madame
her

Louise

two

at-

long hour

and Saint-Phale was

beginning to get so alarmed at her absence,

MADAME
that he

was just about

mands by opening

when

com-

to violate her

the gate of the sanctuary,

came out

she

291

LOUISE.

pale and exhausted,

and

with evident traces of tears on her cheeks.

She then entered the

requesting

vent,

Even

parlour.

who have

in

precincts of the con-

be

to

conducted

effect

abjured the world and

came

and on

forth to

its

tempta-

not without

this occasion the Prioress

meet the Princess, whilst the

rushed to the corridors to get a peep

sisters

at her,

mob

the

a convent of holy nuns,

tions, the prestige of royalty is

its

to

with as mundane a curiosity as the

runs after a royal carriage in the streets

Louise looked at them

of Paris or London.

benevolently; and with tears in her eyes, and

a sad smile, told

them how much happier

they were than those

who

lived

amongst the
"

intrigues and turmoils of a court.

sisters,"

be

she said,

What

"

my

how happy you should

repose of spirit you

to in this holy

Ah,

asylum

may

1"

u 2

attain

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

292
Alas

could she have looked into some of

those hearts, what a different tale they would

have told her

miserable

when we

But

that

ourselves,

very

are

which

situation

own

presents the greatest contrast to our

is

apt to appear the one most desirable.

" There
is, if

is

she be

profession I

my

amongst you,
still

alive

my

sisters

a Princess, at

was present when a

mother,'^ said

Madame

that

whose
with

child,

" Is the

Louise.

friend of Maria Leczinska here ?"

" I

am

here,"

answered

sweet low

voice.

" Clotilde de Mortemart ?" said the Princess inquiringly, looking

in

the direction of

the voice.

" Formerly,"

answered the nun,

"

now

Soeur Marie du Sacre Coeur."

" I would speak with you," said

Louise, taking her by the hand

your

Madame

" lead

me to

cell."

Accordingly, whilst

all

the others retired,

MADAME
Sister

293

LOUISE.

Marie conducted her royal

to

visitor

her Httle apartment.

"

That

your

stool is too inconvenient for

highness/' said she, as the Princess seated

" I

herself.

ask

will

Prioress

the

for

chair."

"

By no means

Madame
I

want

is

what

I wish,"

" Sit

down

opposite

it

Louise.

Nay, nay,

to talk to you.

said

me

sit !"

she

added, obser\dng the hesitation of the nun.

*'

Sit, in

that

God
"

the

name

Heaven

you should stand before

I

was

as

you are

How, madame
"

ing surprised.

claimed the
into the nun's

What am

I,

Would

to

me ?

!"

!"

said the sister,

Are

you not happy ?"

my

" Friend of

tears

of

mother, pity

Princess,

as

me

!"

look-

ex-

she threw herself

arms with a burst of passionate

for they

were the

first

open demonstra-

tion of a long-suppressed grief.

she continued, after an

" Tell me,"

interval, as

she raised

294

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

her tearful face

"

me,

tell

you

are

really

happy?"
" Yes," replied Sister Marie, " very happy

now."
"

Would you go back

would you change,

''

No, never

" I

!"

if

again to the world

you could ?"

answered the nun.

remember your taking the

Madame

Louise, after an interval

" and you will

veil,"

said

of silence

remember me, probably,

as a

child at that time ?"

" Oh, yes

well,

quite

"

you," replied the nun.

well, I

Who

remember

could forget

you that had once seen you ?"

" I w^as pretty, I beheve, as a child," said
Louise.
'^

my

Beautiful
Princess

prised

for

!"

angelic

as

you

are

now,

exclaimed Sister Marie, sur-

moment,

by her enthusiasm

and admiration, out of her nunlike demeanour.

"

MADAME
"

As

am now ?"

295

LOUISE.

said Louise, fixing her

eyes on the other's face.

" Pardon

me

!" said

the nun, falling at her

feet, fearing that the familiarity

had offended

my heart that spoke

my sister," said Louise
offended
rise, and look at me
"

1"

was

it

" Rise,

*'

the

aside

which,

cloak,

am not

and

she

with

its

!"

threw

ample hood, had concealed her deformity.

" Jesu Maria !" exclaimed the

sister, clasp-

ing her hands.

"

You

are a

woman

yourself, and, as I

Judge, now,
" But,
"

why

nay,

if I

my

not ?

even in

you were once young

have heard, beautiful

am

happy

Princess,"
Is there

also.

!"

answered the

nun,

no happiness on earth,

court,

but

with

Besides, are you not beautiful ?

beauty?

Ay, and a

thousand times more so than hundreds that

are not-

" Deformed," rejoined Louise

"

do not fear

296

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

word

to utter the

repeat

myself a

to

it

hundred times a-day."

" This amazes
after a

me,"

Sister

said

Marie,

her countenance

pause, whilst

ex-

pressed her surprise as eloquently as words

"

could have done.

Madame

the

Louise,

fame of whose devotions and self-imposed

has

austerities

they but

are

ears,

even

reached
the

our

refuge

secluded

of a mor-

tified--"

" Vanity," added the Princess, as respect

again caused the

actly

nun

cannot do myself the

admit that altogether,

knew

for I

was deformed.

disposition to be so

seeing

to hesitate.

how much

was

my

I should

ex-

injustice

to

was pious before

It

and

Not

*'

my

natural

mother, fore-

need the consola-

tions of religion, cultivated the feeling as long

as she lived

be aware of
blessing

it

and when

my

was old enough

misfortune, I

was that

felt

to

what a

had not placed

my

MADAME
what

happiness in

But

it

came

was not

remember

the

my

upon me

also,

as

was

older,

you too much

hearing a

faint

she

as

w^ould not give

lips."

pale cheek of the

red,

retire

pain, I should be glad to learn

from your own

The

if it

well

farew^ell.

motive alleged for your resolution to

from the world, which,

we drove

had bade you

when

I w^as

made

and

mother's tears

to Paris after she

remember

as

the scene

veil,

"but

Louise,

Young

of you.

impression

great

the

that surrounded me.

Madame

here," continued

when you took

make

to

speak of myself that I

to

to ask a favour

back

seemed

women

happiness of the

297

LOUISE.

said,

nun
"

flushed with a

What would my

Princess wish to hear ?"

" Is
it

it

true," said

Madame

Louise, " that

was an unrequited love that brought you

to this place ?"

"

It was,"

answered the

hand before her

eyes.

sister,

placing her

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

298

" Excuse me/' said

will

me

think

tions

but

it

cruel to

Madame

Louise

awaken these

must have been a

" you

recollec-

bitter

sorrow

that could have induced you, so young, so

beautiful,

highly-born,

so

forsake

to

the

world, and become a Carmelite ?"

" It was," returned the nun, " so

that I

and

it

felt it

my

was turning

was not so much

bitter,

blood to

to

flee

gall

from the

misery I suffered, as from the corruption of

my mind

and character, that

which

sight of that
evil

from the

I could not see without

thoughts."

" Ah, there

well !"

lous

I fled

it

said the

is

understand that too

Princess

" you were jea-

!"

" I w^as," answered the nun

made

it

whom

so

bitter

" and

what

was, that the person of

was jealous was the woman

I loved

best in the world."

"

You

loved Henri de Beaulieu, and he

loved your cousin?"

said

Madame

Louise.

MADAME
The nun
and was

299

LOUISE.

covered her face with her hands

silent.

"

How

cruel

you must think

me, to rend your heart by recalling these

recollections !" continued the Princess.

" It

is

so long since I heard that

" I did not think I

said Marie.

was

name,"
still

so

weak."
"

But

tell

me," said Louise, seizing her

hand, " did your anguish endure long after

you had entered these gates?

come

Did repose

quickly ?"

" Slowly, slowly, but surely," returned the

" Till I

nun, with a sigh.

irrevocable vow, I
I

had taken the

had a severe struggle

never wavered in the conviction that

done wisely; for

it

was only by

but

had

this living

death I could have ever conquered myself.

Dreadful temptations had sometimes assailed

me

whilst I

nothing

saw them together.

heard

nothing

and

Here

my

saw

better na-

ture revived and conquered at last."

" I see,"

said

the

Princess,

rising

''I

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

300

comprehend
she

added,

given you

We

shall

On

!"
it all

and then embracing

me

" Pardon
it

her,

the pain I have

has not been without a motive.

meet again

ere long."

Madame

the following day,

Louise re-

quested a private interview with the King,

for the purpose of obtaining his permission to

Louis was

join the Carmelites of St. Denis.

at first extremely unwilling

proposal.

to

hear of the

Louise was his favourite daughter;

and he not only did not

like to part

with her,

but he feared that her delicate health w^ould

soon sink under the

austerities of so rigid

an

order.

But her determination was taken

and

length,

at

by her perseverance, and the

repeated assurance that she was not, nor ever

could be, happy in the w^orld, she extracted

his unwilling consent.

him

that, besides her

being obliged to
afflicted

to

own

and

to

private griefs, the

w^itness

her severely

immure

She even avowed

his

as she

irregularities

beheved that

herself in a convent,

where she

MADAME
could devote her

life

301

LOUISE.

to prayer,

was a

sacrifice

pleasing to the Almighty, she hoped by these

means

to expiate her father's errors, as well as

Fearing the opposi-

attain peace for herself.

tion she

might meet with from the

rest of

her family, however, she entreated the King's

silence, whilst

resolution to

Paris

she herself communicated her

nobody except the Archbishop of

and he having obtained

consent in form,

Madame

his Majesty's

Louise at length,

on the 11th of April, 1770,

at eight o'clock

in the morning, bade adieu to Versailles for

Accompanied by the Vicomte and

ever.

Madame

de Chateaugrand,

her former
all

visit to

kindness,

and drove
veil

to

visited

since

the convent, she had been

St. Denis.

she renounced

the

whom,

she stepped into her carriage,

and amongst the

with

to

all

rest,

As by
earthly

taking the

distinctions,

that of being buried

royal family of France,

she

now

those vaults for the last time; and

having knelt for some minutes

at the

tomb

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

302

of her mother, she repaired to the convent,

leaving her two

attendants in the carriage.

The Abbot, who, having been

apprized by

the Archbishop, was in waiting to conduct

her

to

the

parlour,

now

addressed several

questions to her with respect to her vocation,

representing to her the extreme austerity of

the order, which was, indeeed, a sort of female

La Trappe.

She answered him with un-

shaken firmness;

and then, without once

looking behind her, passed into the

cloister,

where the Prioress and the sisterhood were

informed of the honour that awaited them.

She next proceeded

to

the chapel, where a

mass was performed; and having

thus, as

it

were, sealed her determination, she requested

that her two attendants might be conducted
to the parlour, whilst she,

through the grate

which now separated her from the world, told

them

that they were to return to Paris with-

out her.

The

effect

of this unexpected intelligence

MADAME

303

LOUISE.

on Madame de Chateaugrand was no more

She wept,

than the Princess had anticipated.

entreated and expostulated

but the Vicomte

moment

de Saint-Phale, after standing for a

as

if

upon

transfixed, fell flat

Amazed and

ground.

his face to the

agitated at so unex*

pected a result, the Princess was only restrained

from

by the grating which separated them

flying to his assistance

but before she

could sufficiently recollect herself to resolve

what
so

to do, the Prioress, fearing the effect of

distressing

came and

moment,

scene at such a

led her

away

own

her

to

apart-

ments.
It

would be

describe the state

difficult to

of the Princess's

mind

at that

The

moment.

anguish expressed by Saint-Phale's

counte-

He

that she

nance could not be mistaken.

had supposed would be

her loss!

Why

w^hen he had

should

still

with

utterly indifferent to
it

affect

him

his

him

thus,

love,

the

304

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

chosen of his heart

grand

Hortense

She did not know what

but certain

had been

it

is,

unflinching

so

With

broken.

an

for pride,

From
with

she

bewildered

that time nothing

to

Madame

she

made her

morning the humble

the Princess

pearance
pearls

mind and
cell,

to

and there
help

her

more was known

Louise

till

six

afterwards, when, her novitiate being-

completed,
that

now

this last struggle.

respect

months

God

prayed to

hour before,

have been

heavy heart she retired to her

kneeling,

to think

that the resolution which

might perhaps, but

through

de Chateau-

exhibited

profession.

On

cell

inhabited by

a very

unusual ap-

robes of gold and silver brocade,

and diamonds, and

a splendid lace veil,

were spread upon the narrow couch.

In

this

magnificent attire she was for the last time

to appear before the world, and for the last

time her

own women were

in attendance to

MADAME
superintend
dressed,

beauty

her

and

When

toilet.

everybody
as she

305

LOUISE.

was

struck

wore a superb

she

was

with

her

cloak, the

only defect of her person was concealed.

Of

course the profession of a " daughter of

France" was an event to create a great sensation.

All Paris

turned out

to

the

see

show, and the road from thence to St. Denis

was one unbroken

officers

Mounted

line of carriages.

were to be seen in

all directions,

the

Royal Guard surrounded the abbey, and the

Pope's nuncio came from

Rome

to perform

the ceremony.

On

this

solemn occasion, of course the

attendance of the Princess's ecuyer and lady

of honour was considered indispensable, and

Louise had prepared to see them both

instead of Saint-Phale, to

Baron de

but

her surprise she

beheld advancing to offer his

attendant, the

arm her former

Brignolles.

A pang

of disappointment shot through her heart

VOL. in.

306

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

he had not cared, then, to see her for the

last

and she should behold him no

time,

more

She

felt

that she turned pale

and

trembled, and she could not trust her voice

to inquire the cause of his absence

that

hearing

his

the

opportunity

Vicomte was too

service for this

bowed her head

in

occasion.

silence

De

of saying,

had requested permission

attend, he

sume

an

took

Brignolles

but

ill

to

to
re-

Louise

she durst not

speak.

At
Louis

that

solemn ceremony were present

XVL,

then Dauphin of France; Marie-

Antoinette, the queen of beauty, and the idol

of the French nation

vence, afterwards Louis

Comte

d'Artois,

who

the

Comte de Pro-

XVIIL

and the

subsequently, as Charles

X., likewise lost the throne.

After an eloquent discourse by the Bishop

of Troyes, which drew tears from every eye,

the Princess retired for a few moments, and

MADAME

30?

LOUISE.

presently re-appeared stript of her splendour,

shorn of her beautiful

earth,

When

and the

pall,

dead pronounced

over her.

she arose, the curtain which closed the

entrance to
lifted,

covered with a

the

prayers for

and clothed in the

She was then stretched

habit of the order.

on the

hair,

of the convent was

the interior

and every eye was fixed on

it

as she

passed through the opening, to return to the

As

world no more.

that curtain

fell

behind

a fearful cry echoed through the vaulted

her,

roof of the abbey, and a gentleman was observed to be carried out of the church by

who immediately surrounded

several persons

him.

Every

one,

occupied with his

ment
the

to inquire

was too much

however,

own

who

feehngs at the

On

was.

it

new-made nun alone the

familiarly

or perhaps

it

her heart that told her

the ear of

voice

struck

w^as not her ear,

it

mo-

but

was the voice of

Saint-Phale.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

308

Louise was a Carmelite

the

King and the

Madame

the profligacies of

court proceeded

as before

de Chateaugrand, instead of mar-

rying her cousin Saint-Phale, married

whom

Rivrement, to
long engaged

appeared she had been

and Saint-Phale himself,

a long and severe

his

it

M. de

illness,

after

which endangered

quitted France for Italy, whither he

life,

was sent

sake of the climate.

for the

length, in 1777,

when

At

Lafayette astonished

the world by his expedition to America, the

Vicomte astonished

his

friends

no

less

by

returning suddenly from the south, in order

to join

it

and

his relations,

he

fell

in spite of the entreaties of

he executed his design, and there

at the battle of

Monmouth, in

the year

1778.

He

did not, however, die in the

lingered

some days

but

before he expired, during

which interval he wrote farewell

father

field,

and mother; and one

letters to his

also,

vv'hich

he

MADAME

309

LOUISE.

entreated the latter to deliver according to

address,

which was

to

'The

de Saint Augustin, formerly

its

Theresa

Sister

Madame

Louise

de France/

As soon

mother had

as the poor bereaved

sufficiently recovered

the shock of this sad

news, she hastened to St. Denis to

son's

injunction

and the

fulfil

her

Therese,

Sister

having obtained permission of the superior,

received

and opened the

The

letter.

first

words were an entreaty that she w^ould

listen

who

could

dying man,

to the prayer of a

never offend her again, and read the lines

He

that followed.

from

his

earliest

and that

it

then went on to say that

youth, he had loved her;

was

be

to

near her,

without

exciting observation, that he had solicited the

situation of ecuyer

the inequality

must be

but knowing that, from

of their conditions,

for ever hopeless,

concealed

it

from

its

his love

he had studiously

object.

No

one had

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

310

ever penetrated his

He

Chateaugrand.
that

when

secret

Madame

but

by

concluded

that curtain hid her

from

de

saying,
his

on the day of her profession, he had

view

felt

the

world contained nothing more for him, and

that he had ever since earnestly desired that

death which he had at length found on the

and which he had gone

of battle,

field

America on purpose

to seek

to

and asking her

blessing and her prayers, he bade her farewell

for ever.

Poor Louise
poor Carmelite
that she

poor Therese

had been the

knees,

poor nun

last, to
first

remember only
and

falling

and clasping those thin

vigils,

exclaimed with a piercing

"

me

cry,

on

trans-

parent hands, wasted by w^oe and

loved

For a moment she forgot

was the three

that she

her

she

Then he

!"

after all

Rigid as were the poor nun's notions of

the duty of self-abnegation, such a feeling as

MADAME
this

was one

penance

to

be expiated by confession and

but as nuns are

311

LOUISE.

still

women,

was

it

not in the nature of things that she should

not be the happier for the conviction that her

had been

love

returned,
first

and

returned

his sake, he

had

than

loved

her

she had forsaken the world for

had requited

dying for her.

pious spirit to

the hossue,

more

nay,

Saint-Pliale

for
if

It

was

know

as

the

sacrifice

balm even

by

to that

that she, the deformed,

she called herself,

thought

it

affection,

had been the chosen

impossible

she

who had

could

inspire

object of this

devoted passion.

Madame
years

Louise survived her lover nine

and they were much

calmer

and

happier years than those that preceded his

death.

She could now

direct her

thoughts

wholly to the skies, for there she hoped and

believed he
as

was

we have hinted

within

the

and since

human

before, ivill be

walls

of a

nature,

human nature

convent as

well

as

LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

312
outside

of them,

she

had

infinitely

more

comfort and consolation in praying for the

repose of his soul in heaven, than she could

have had in praying for his

earth

^provided

piness in the

he

happiness

on

had sought that hap-

arms of Madame de Chateau-

grand, or any other fair lady.

THE END.

LONDON:
Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street.

If

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA

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