LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1822, 23 December 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A SusGULAK ACCUSATION. By M. E. Pekn. ( Concluded .) ‘ I remember seeing it in the paper?,’ cried the Jewess, before I could speak; ‘the “Mysterious Disappearance of a Medical Student.’ A man was arrested on suspicion of having tracked the young fellow home from your shop, M. Ulb>ch, but as there was no evidence against him, he was set at liberty, and the real murderer was never found—’ ‘ Till this moment, ’ put ia the Jew. I burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter; it was too ridiculous. Never, surely, had a man been placed in a situation so grotesque and improbable; accused of having murdered —myself ! ‘lt ia no joke, as yon will soon find,’ said Isaac, grimly. * Gargon, fetch a sergent de ville,’ • Wait a moment, ’ I interposed. * I want to ask you something. Was the “body” ever found ?' ‘ No ; it was thrown through the window into the Seine ; a boatman heard the splash, but ns the river was swollen by rain, the current was unusually strong, and must have carried it away.’ • I see j that accounts for it. The victim was a friend of yours ?' ‘He was a client of mine,’ he answered sharply, * and owed me money, a great deal of money, which I should have had that night if you had not robbed him of the cheque, brigand!’ * Gently, Isaac,’ I said, as gravely as I could ; ‘ just put on your spectacles and take a good look at me. Supposing your late lamented client had chosen, for reasons of his own, to disguise himself in a digger’s dress and a false beard, might ne not have looked something like me ?’ He started, and looked at me closely, but the next moment he s’ rugged his shoulders with contemptuous incredulity. ‘ The force of audacity can go no further ! To assume the name and identity of the very man whom you 'lhat ia enough, ’ he broke off; ‘ out of this place you shall not go except in custody.’ The others murmured their approval, and gathered round with the evident intention of detaining me, by force it necessary, till the waiter returned with a policeman.

Decidedly the joke was getting serious. 1 Come, come,’ I said, ‘ You can't be in earnest. Let me have a few words with yon in private and I’ll soon convince you of my identity.’ I was moving toward the door when he seized me by the arm. I shook him off with to little ceremony that he staggered backwards in'o the arms of the plump proprietress, who had left her throne behind the counter and joined the group. At the same moment the gargon returned with two policemen, one of whom was in plain clothes. * That is the man,’ the waiter said, indicating me. ‘ Yea, that is the man—the robber and assassin!’ cried Isaac, excitedly. ‘He ha-, just assaulted me, as messieurs here can testify.’ Upon that, all the tongu-s were let loose at once. In vain I endeavored to explain. I could not even make myself heard, much less understood. At length the ‘agent’ in plain c’othes, who bad listened to it all without comment, turned to me and said civilly : ‘ Monsieur will have an opportunity of explaining himself before the Commissairc de Police,’ which I took as a polite intimation that I might consider myself in custody until farther notice. ‘ If monsieur prefers it, we can have a carriage,’ he added, considerately. I c;rtainly did prefer it, under the circumstances. So the shock-headed girgonwas despatched for a fiacre, which i entered, followed by Isaac and the policeman in plain clothes ; he of the eseked hat and sword returned to his beat. The Commissary of the quarter was a little, yellow, high dried man, like a resuscitated mummy, who took snufi incessantly during the interview.

Having listened in silence to the agents statement and Isaac’s charge, he turned to me for an explanation. In response, I related the story of my escapade pretty much as I have written it here, glancing from time to time at Isaac, ai I proceeded, to see what effect it had upon him. His face was a study. Incredulity, doubt, astonishment, succeeded each other rapidly, giving place by degrees to a half-reluotaat conviction. But when I told of my brilliant success iu California, and added that I had returned to Paris for the ex proa i purpose of paying ray old debt, his expression changed with ludicrous abruptness. As if a flood of light had suddenly burst np>n his mind, he started to his feet. ‘ It is himself I’ he exclaimed rapturously, seizing my hand. ‘ Ah, cher monsieur, can you over forgive mo for having been so blind?—so —Monsieur lo Cnmmissairc,” ho broke off, ‘I ask a hundred pardons ; I was mistaken. This is indeed my long-lost and respected client,’ •That remains to bo proved,’ wai the quiet reply. ‘How! proved? but I have proved it by recognising him. I am ready to swear to his identity ’ * And a few momenta ago you wrro ready to ewear exactly the reverae —a somewhat sudden conversion, M, tllbach,’ drily remarked the magistrate, to whom Isaac was evidently no stranger. ‘But I had not heard his story then,’ho explained eagerly ; ‘ I did not know ’ ‘ That it would bo to your own interest to acknowledge him—just so,’ put in the other with a smile. Turning to me, he added : ‘ I forbear to comment on your statement, fill I have made further inquiries. The friend you mention will ha communicated with at once; meantime it is, of course, my duty to detain you.’ This was pleasant ; however, I submitted with a good grace to the inevitable, and, having obtained permission to send a note to Dalattre, I bowed to the Commissary, and, with a friendly nod to Isaac, who was loudly protesting against my incarcerate n, I followed my conductor from the apartment.

He Ifd me down a short passage into a bare board'jd room, where half a dozen men off duty were lounging about the stove ; and here an official at a desk entered ray name in the charge-book. Thence I was conducted to one of the cellules do detention—a cheerful retreat, with a stone floor and a baned window commanding an uninterrupted view of a blank wa'l opposite. He kindly allowed me a lamp and a copy of the ‘Gazette des Tribunaux’ to beguile my solitude, and, having politely hinted that smoking was forbidden, left mo to my reflections. Forbidden or not, directly I was alone I lighted my pipe, and, thanks to the soothing influence, managed to get through the first hour of captivity with tolorablo philosophy. But when my tobacco pouch was exhausted, my patience began to give way. I anathematised Delattre f r his tardiness iu coming; I paced about the coll like a caged hyena, consulting my watch half a dozen times in as many minntes.

When another hour had passed I began to speculate as to what would happen if my friend could not be found. Suppose Isaac’s testimony was not believed ? Suppose I could not prove my identity ? it was on the cards that I might bo tried for my own murder, and really I was bound to acknowledge that there was a strong case against me, notwithstanding the absence of the * body.’ It was now long past dinner time, as internal sensations warned mo. Recollecting the proverb, 4 Qoi dorb, dine,’ I stretched myself on the pallet bed in one corner, and endeavored to forget hunger in sleep I succeeded at length in dropping off, and, though my dose could not have lasted many minutes, I had time for a long and complicated dream, in which I was tried, found guilty, sentenced, and led to the scaffold. I felt the grasp of 4 Monsieur de Paris,’ I heard the click of the fatal knife, when—

There was a cheerful sound of voices in the passage outside, the door was thrown open, and there stood Delattre, with the Commissary and his satellites in tho background. I may explain here that my friend’s delay in coming was cansed by his having been out when tho messenger arrived. He started when he saw me as Isaac had done, but came forward at once with both hands outstretched, 4 Weston, old fellow, is it really yon ?’ he exclaimed in English. * I think so,’ I answered cautiously ; 4 1 wouldn’t swear it But 4 if this be las I think it bo,’ I owe something to you, for I found more than one big nugget.’ ‘Didn’t I predict it?’ he cried, trl umphantly, shaking both my hands at once. ‘Upon my word,’ he added, looking me over, 4 now that I have seen you I can make excuse for Isaac. Yonr own mother wouldn’t know you, my boy.’ 4 1 trust M. le Oommissaire is satisfied,’ I said, turning to that functionary 4 Perfectly, monsieur, M. Delattre has made a statement which confirms yours in every particular. I have the pleasure to set you at liberty, regretting that you should ever have been detained.’ 4 And now,’ said I to Louis, as we left the building aim in-arn, ’perhaps yon will tell me why you never answered my letters ?’ * Parbleu ! but I did. Yon never got mine ? Then they miscarried. In the first I wrote I gave you a full, true, and particular account of your own 4 murder, ’ which was tho first piece of nows I received on my return to Paris after a month’s etay in England. As the nine days’ wonder of yonr disappearance was over by that time, and the subject nearly forgotten, I thought I might as well leavs you to enlighten the public when you returned. The mystery has had a dramatic denoument, thanks to Isaac, who Parlezdes anges!’ he added, in an undertone, 4 here he is.’ He had Leeu waiting for us outside. 4 Monsieur Ulbach,’ said Louis, gravely 4 allow me to present to you your ‘late lamented client.’ who seems very little the worse for his sojourn among tho fishes.’ 4 Ah, monsieur 1’ cried Isaao. piteously, 4 if you could only imagine how I reproach myself ’ 4 Enough 1’ I interrupted. 4 Come to my hotel, and we will settle accounts at once, unless you have still some lingering doubts of my identity. 4 lf he has, the touch of tho money will dispel them,’ was Louis’ remark. ‘And you will try to forget that preposterous mistake of mine, cher monsieur?’ ‘No, no! it’s too good a joke to be forgotten,’l answered, langhinc. ‘Whenever I speak of my return from California, you may be sure that I shall tell the story of that singular accusation.’