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Article The Vision of Evil. A Story of Old Paris. ← Page 2 of 7 Article The Vision of Evil. A Story of Old Paris. Page 2 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Vision Of Evil. A Story Of Old Paris.
neither have I as yet despaired of our happiness being ultimately consummated . " " Thanks , dearest , thanks for that assurance , " cried her lover , in joyous tones . "You cannot conceive the wei ght yon have lifted from my heart . I thought , " lie added , " that your feelings towards me had altered . But I am interrupting you ; pray continue . "
" On the night of onr last meeting , " she resumed , "upon retiring to rest , I began to ponder upon the all-important matter you had so persistently urged during the evening . To detail to you the various chaotic thoughts , ideas , and conjectures that passed through my poor head in the space of an hour would be alike tedious , foolish , and unnecessary , suffice it to say that they in a manner resolved
themselves into the following alternatives , either to obey the dictates of a prejudiced though loving father , or the inward promptings of my own fond heart . I had reached this vital passage and was seriously considering what step to take when a drowsiness crept over me and I sank to sleep , and had a dream of awful moment . I imagined I was walking in a parterre of great beauty , amusing
myself by culling a bouquet of flowers , and listening idly to the g lorious notes of the feathered songsters that peopled every tree and bush , when I suddenly came to an arbour gracefully festooned by roses , the sweet perfume of which was wafted by every gentle breeze that came stealing softly through the verdant groves of this seeming earthly Paradise . Methought I entered and carelessly flung
myself upon a bank radiant with blossoms of every hue . I had scarcely been seated a moment when the entrance to my sylvan retreat was darkened by the passage of a human form . I looked up half alarmed , but to my joy discovered that you were the intruder upon my solitude . With a cry of delight I rose to receive you—at that very instant a huge snake , whose resplendent scales in every
movement of its writhing body reflected the most beautifnl colours , darted from the bank and , with its eyes flashing gleams of fire , menaced my approach . With a startled cry of dismay I instinctively recoiled in affright , but you , on the contrary , appeared unmoved and with a defiant air drew your sword to smite the monster to the earth . I have but an indistinct recollection of the rest of the vision .
All that I can remember is that the arbour quickly became full of reptiles of a like descrip tion to the one that yon were about to destroy , and that they , with their eyes sparkling with fury and thenforked tongues protruding , simultaneously coiled themselves with lightning rapidity around your struggling body . The remainder of my strange dream troubles me exceedingly , and 1 hasten to bring the unpleasant relation to a conclusion . I distinctl y saw you laid a
quivering , crushed and bleeding corpse at my feet . I then awoke with so loud and mournful a scream of agony ringing from my lips that it speedily brought my kind aunt into my chamber . Mio was seriously alarmed , and , by my cry , feared that , something dreadful had happened . After such a vision , " concluded Louise , "do you not think that it is perfectly natural for me to be disturbed ? Who can deny that it may not be a warning sent direct from Heaven to deter me from committing the crime of filial disobedience ? "
" I do not think so , my beloved , " remarked her lover , " I mainly attribute the dream to the effect of an overwrought imagination . If you recollect on that particular day I had been reading to you the monkish and apocryphal story . of the deed of the horrible dragon who was eventually said to have been gloriously vanquished b y the tribune George of Cappadocia . The hero , you know , was afterwards canonized , and became by some unaccountable reason the tutelar saint of England . "
" There , indeed , yon are mistaken , " she answered , smilingly , " I never gave the legend a thought , but I certainl y did on that occasion recall to mind the determined threats of M . le Comte de
Waircne , when I gave him to understand that I objected to his attentions , mid , moreover , plainly told him that I would never consent to be his wife . In fact , it was for the solo purpose of being released from the contamination of his presence that I prevailed upon my father to grant , although reluctantly , his permission for me to visit my lamented mother ' s sister here in Paris . "
" Heaven be praised ! " fervently ejaculated D'Arcy , " for that event as it led to the p leasure not onl y of my becoming acquainted with you , but of laying my hand and fortune at your feet . However , " he continued , "to put aside this unpleasant vision of evil from our thoughts let me proceed to inform you of the plans I have formed for the due consummation of our happiness . "
" But , did I not tell you I had not as yet decided what step to take in the matter ? " said the lady seriously . "Mafoil you did , Louise , " assented our hero , laughing ; "but , nevertheless , 1 am sanguine enough to imagine that by the simple force of my reasonings , arguments , not to say supplications , I shall happily succeed in removing all such lugubrious and unpleasant ideas from your mind . "
"Indeed , my young philosopher and modern Orpheus , " she cried , merrily , while an arch smile lighted up every lineament of her beautiful face , " this last assertion quite equals your egotistical laudation of the magical power yon believe yon possess in being able to drive away melancholy by the mere sound of your harmonious voice , or a symphony on your dolorous lute . "
' Thus agreeably employed our lovers passed ( he time pleasantl y together , alternately discussing and p lanning matters both grave and gay , which they , in their innocent hearts , imagined would engage their thoughts during the remainder of their lives . Dream on , dream on , poor mortals , be happy if ye so will in the fleeting present ! Bestow not a thought on the dark future that is slowl y opening
The Vision Of Evil. A Story Of Old Paris.
chasm-like at your feet ! Even as ye part to-night with your bosoms fired with mingled hopes and aspiration at the bright fields of happiness so temptingly spread out before you in Imagination ' s , roseate landscape : remember that L'homme propose el Bieu dispose ! But enough , we are figurativel y not only anticipating events , but , gentle reader , must bo necessarily wearying you by our Avandering apostrophes .
CHAPTER II .
in one ot tiie lowest streets ot far-is , at the period of which we write , there was situated a house of entertainment very questionable in character , inasmuch as it was the known refuge of the wanton , the thief and the assassin who at all times found here a secure haven of rest and concealment , as no officer of justice , unless possessed of a vast amount of intrepidity , would have dared to venture into the
heart of the vilest den that ever disgraced a capital city . The tavern in question was distinguished by the sign " Le Rendezvous , ' and was surrounded by a number of squalid streets , with numerous alleys leading- therefrom , so intricate in their tortuous windings that unless guided by a member of the sanctuary—for such it was—no individual would ever have succeeded in discovering its immediate locale . It was kept by one Jean Grande , a man whose former life
wonld not have been open to a judicial examination . Even those criminals who frequented the house and were partly cognizant of the landlord ' s crime-stained career fairly shuddered when the subject happened to be broached by some inquisitive member of the unholy fraternity longing to feed his morbid feelings of delight with any information in connection with a ruffian whose sanguinary and notorious antecedents were the general topic of conversation in all the disreputable drinking dens in the refuge .
Seated at the table within one of the rooms of "Le Rendezvous , " was a man with a flask of wine standing untouched before him , whose features were almost entirely concealed b y the dark cloak and hat that he wore . The apartment had no windows , therefore , although in the streets it was broad daylight , yet the room would have been in darkness had it not been for a lamp which gave forth a smoky radiance in conjunction with the glow that came fitfull y
from the logs that smouldered on the huge old-fashioned hearth . Notwithstanding it was summer time the house was cold and damp , owing to its proximity to the river . The sole occupant of the room had been there some time , and by the words that lie casually uttered to the host when he first arrived he was in expectation of meeting three men who were instantly to be admitted to his presence on their producing a signet ring . He also informed Grande par precaution , that his visitors would bo masked . The latter announcement
occasioned the landlord no surprise , as such mysterious proceedings on the part of the frequenters to" Le Rendezvous , " and other places of similar description in the sanctuary were of common occurrence in those bygone days of semi-barbarism . The man with the cloak had just stirred the logs , drawn his chair nearer the hearth and poured out a goblet of the hitherto neglected wine , when a low tap was heard at the door .
" They are here at last , " he muttered , smiling with evident satisfaction . He then arranged his person in such wise that the li ght from the fire was entirely removed from his immediate station , and having turned dywn the lamp he cried , "Come in . " The door opened and three men of great stature were ushered in by Jean .
" Bring mo three flasks of your best wine , my friend , " said our senior acquaintance , " and when you have done so , take care that my privacy is not interrupted . I need not tell you , " he sharply added , "that the consequences will be serious if I discover any eavesdropping . "
" Yes , my good monsieur , your commands shall be strictly obeyed , I will personally keep watch in the ante-room and prevent any one from approaching your chamber , " answered tho proprietor of " Le Rendezvous , " speaking in smooth oily tones , which , to judge by his appearance , were entirely foreign to his nature
He then quitted the room and shortl y reappeared with tho wine which he duly uncorked , and , having made a low cringing bow , he straightway departed . " Pesle ! I have been awaiting your presence some considerable time , my masters . What was the cause of your delay ? Did not my servant give you a good earnest in the matter I wish you to
undertake , and for which purposo 3 'on were summoned hez-o to-ni ght . I should have thought , " added the unmasked , with a sneer , " that a desire to receive the remainder would have hastened your coming . " " Don ' t be too qnick in forming conclusions , monsieur , " replied one of the men , somewhat hotly , " The fault , if fault it be , lies in the fact that being strangers to the locality we had a difficult y in finding the man that your valet said would be our guide to this
cunningly contrived den , and when we did secure the fellow he was so full of liquor that it was a matter of great trouble to make him clearly understand where we wanted to be taken . However , by means of an extra piece of silver , the si ght of which seemed to brig hten his faculties , we succeeded in getting him into the street , and after making many blunders , all of which no doubt proceeded from his besotted state , he contrived to bring us here . "
" So far , so good , was the remark uttered b y the first speaker . "Your information has satisfied me , but prithee drink your wine , make yourself at home , and then to business . " Thus invited , the men poured out three beakers of the generous liquor , and , raising the vessels on high , expressed a wish that their .,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Vision Of Evil. A Story Of Old Paris.
neither have I as yet despaired of our happiness being ultimately consummated . " " Thanks , dearest , thanks for that assurance , " cried her lover , in joyous tones . "You cannot conceive the wei ght yon have lifted from my heart . I thought , " lie added , " that your feelings towards me had altered . But I am interrupting you ; pray continue . "
" On the night of onr last meeting , " she resumed , "upon retiring to rest , I began to ponder upon the all-important matter you had so persistently urged during the evening . To detail to you the various chaotic thoughts , ideas , and conjectures that passed through my poor head in the space of an hour would be alike tedious , foolish , and unnecessary , suffice it to say that they in a manner resolved
themselves into the following alternatives , either to obey the dictates of a prejudiced though loving father , or the inward promptings of my own fond heart . I had reached this vital passage and was seriously considering what step to take when a drowsiness crept over me and I sank to sleep , and had a dream of awful moment . I imagined I was walking in a parterre of great beauty , amusing
myself by culling a bouquet of flowers , and listening idly to the g lorious notes of the feathered songsters that peopled every tree and bush , when I suddenly came to an arbour gracefully festooned by roses , the sweet perfume of which was wafted by every gentle breeze that came stealing softly through the verdant groves of this seeming earthly Paradise . Methought I entered and carelessly flung
myself upon a bank radiant with blossoms of every hue . I had scarcely been seated a moment when the entrance to my sylvan retreat was darkened by the passage of a human form . I looked up half alarmed , but to my joy discovered that you were the intruder upon my solitude . With a cry of delight I rose to receive you—at that very instant a huge snake , whose resplendent scales in every
movement of its writhing body reflected the most beautifnl colours , darted from the bank and , with its eyes flashing gleams of fire , menaced my approach . With a startled cry of dismay I instinctively recoiled in affright , but you , on the contrary , appeared unmoved and with a defiant air drew your sword to smite the monster to the earth . I have but an indistinct recollection of the rest of the vision .
All that I can remember is that the arbour quickly became full of reptiles of a like descrip tion to the one that yon were about to destroy , and that they , with their eyes sparkling with fury and thenforked tongues protruding , simultaneously coiled themselves with lightning rapidity around your struggling body . The remainder of my strange dream troubles me exceedingly , and 1 hasten to bring the unpleasant relation to a conclusion . I distinctl y saw you laid a
quivering , crushed and bleeding corpse at my feet . I then awoke with so loud and mournful a scream of agony ringing from my lips that it speedily brought my kind aunt into my chamber . Mio was seriously alarmed , and , by my cry , feared that , something dreadful had happened . After such a vision , " concluded Louise , "do you not think that it is perfectly natural for me to be disturbed ? Who can deny that it may not be a warning sent direct from Heaven to deter me from committing the crime of filial disobedience ? "
" I do not think so , my beloved , " remarked her lover , " I mainly attribute the dream to the effect of an overwrought imagination . If you recollect on that particular day I had been reading to you the monkish and apocryphal story . of the deed of the horrible dragon who was eventually said to have been gloriously vanquished b y the tribune George of Cappadocia . The hero , you know , was afterwards canonized , and became by some unaccountable reason the tutelar saint of England . "
" There , indeed , yon are mistaken , " she answered , smilingly , " I never gave the legend a thought , but I certainl y did on that occasion recall to mind the determined threats of M . le Comte de
Waircne , when I gave him to understand that I objected to his attentions , mid , moreover , plainly told him that I would never consent to be his wife . In fact , it was for the solo purpose of being released from the contamination of his presence that I prevailed upon my father to grant , although reluctantly , his permission for me to visit my lamented mother ' s sister here in Paris . "
" Heaven be praised ! " fervently ejaculated D'Arcy , " for that event as it led to the p leasure not onl y of my becoming acquainted with you , but of laying my hand and fortune at your feet . However , " he continued , "to put aside this unpleasant vision of evil from our thoughts let me proceed to inform you of the plans I have formed for the due consummation of our happiness . "
" But , did I not tell you I had not as yet decided what step to take in the matter ? " said the lady seriously . "Mafoil you did , Louise , " assented our hero , laughing ; "but , nevertheless , 1 am sanguine enough to imagine that by the simple force of my reasonings , arguments , not to say supplications , I shall happily succeed in removing all such lugubrious and unpleasant ideas from your mind . "
"Indeed , my young philosopher and modern Orpheus , " she cried , merrily , while an arch smile lighted up every lineament of her beautiful face , " this last assertion quite equals your egotistical laudation of the magical power yon believe yon possess in being able to drive away melancholy by the mere sound of your harmonious voice , or a symphony on your dolorous lute . "
' Thus agreeably employed our lovers passed ( he time pleasantl y together , alternately discussing and p lanning matters both grave and gay , which they , in their innocent hearts , imagined would engage their thoughts during the remainder of their lives . Dream on , dream on , poor mortals , be happy if ye so will in the fleeting present ! Bestow not a thought on the dark future that is slowl y opening
The Vision Of Evil. A Story Of Old Paris.
chasm-like at your feet ! Even as ye part to-night with your bosoms fired with mingled hopes and aspiration at the bright fields of happiness so temptingly spread out before you in Imagination ' s , roseate landscape : remember that L'homme propose el Bieu dispose ! But enough , we are figurativel y not only anticipating events , but , gentle reader , must bo necessarily wearying you by our Avandering apostrophes .
CHAPTER II .
in one ot tiie lowest streets ot far-is , at the period of which we write , there was situated a house of entertainment very questionable in character , inasmuch as it was the known refuge of the wanton , the thief and the assassin who at all times found here a secure haven of rest and concealment , as no officer of justice , unless possessed of a vast amount of intrepidity , would have dared to venture into the
heart of the vilest den that ever disgraced a capital city . The tavern in question was distinguished by the sign " Le Rendezvous , ' and was surrounded by a number of squalid streets , with numerous alleys leading- therefrom , so intricate in their tortuous windings that unless guided by a member of the sanctuary—for such it was—no individual would ever have succeeded in discovering its immediate locale . It was kept by one Jean Grande , a man whose former life
wonld not have been open to a judicial examination . Even those criminals who frequented the house and were partly cognizant of the landlord ' s crime-stained career fairly shuddered when the subject happened to be broached by some inquisitive member of the unholy fraternity longing to feed his morbid feelings of delight with any information in connection with a ruffian whose sanguinary and notorious antecedents were the general topic of conversation in all the disreputable drinking dens in the refuge .
Seated at the table within one of the rooms of "Le Rendezvous , " was a man with a flask of wine standing untouched before him , whose features were almost entirely concealed b y the dark cloak and hat that he wore . The apartment had no windows , therefore , although in the streets it was broad daylight , yet the room would have been in darkness had it not been for a lamp which gave forth a smoky radiance in conjunction with the glow that came fitfull y
from the logs that smouldered on the huge old-fashioned hearth . Notwithstanding it was summer time the house was cold and damp , owing to its proximity to the river . The sole occupant of the room had been there some time , and by the words that lie casually uttered to the host when he first arrived he was in expectation of meeting three men who were instantly to be admitted to his presence on their producing a signet ring . He also informed Grande par precaution , that his visitors would bo masked . The latter announcement
occasioned the landlord no surprise , as such mysterious proceedings on the part of the frequenters to" Le Rendezvous , " and other places of similar description in the sanctuary were of common occurrence in those bygone days of semi-barbarism . The man with the cloak had just stirred the logs , drawn his chair nearer the hearth and poured out a goblet of the hitherto neglected wine , when a low tap was heard at the door .
" They are here at last , " he muttered , smiling with evident satisfaction . He then arranged his person in such wise that the li ght from the fire was entirely removed from his immediate station , and having turned dywn the lamp he cried , "Come in . " The door opened and three men of great stature were ushered in by Jean .
" Bring mo three flasks of your best wine , my friend , " said our senior acquaintance , " and when you have done so , take care that my privacy is not interrupted . I need not tell you , " he sharply added , "that the consequences will be serious if I discover any eavesdropping . "
" Yes , my good monsieur , your commands shall be strictly obeyed , I will personally keep watch in the ante-room and prevent any one from approaching your chamber , " answered tho proprietor of " Le Rendezvous , " speaking in smooth oily tones , which , to judge by his appearance , were entirely foreign to his nature
He then quitted the room and shortl y reappeared with tho wine which he duly uncorked , and , having made a low cringing bow , he straightway departed . " Pesle ! I have been awaiting your presence some considerable time , my masters . What was the cause of your delay ? Did not my servant give you a good earnest in the matter I wish you to
undertake , and for which purposo 3 'on were summoned hez-o to-ni ght . I should have thought , " added the unmasked , with a sneer , " that a desire to receive the remainder would have hastened your coming . " " Don ' t be too qnick in forming conclusions , monsieur , " replied one of the men , somewhat hotly , " The fault , if fault it be , lies in the fact that being strangers to the locality we had a difficult y in finding the man that your valet said would be our guide to this
cunningly contrived den , and when we did secure the fellow he was so full of liquor that it was a matter of great trouble to make him clearly understand where we wanted to be taken . However , by means of an extra piece of silver , the si ght of which seemed to brig hten his faculties , we succeeded in getting him into the street , and after making many blunders , all of which no doubt proceeded from his besotted state , he contrived to bring us here . "
" So far , so good , was the remark uttered b y the first speaker . "Your information has satisfied me , but prithee drink your wine , make yourself at home , and then to business . " Thus invited , the men poured out three beakers of the generous liquor , and , raising the vessels on high , expressed a wish that their .,