THE MYSTERIOUS COACHMAN.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1118, 28 November 1883, Page 4

THE MYSTERIOUS COACHMAN.

literati; re.

The following tale is mo fiction, but a positive matter of fact. 1 conceal tlio name, as belonging to one of the most distinguished, families in. Germany : Marshal ■ C-- was in want of ;a coachman, and applied ■ to the hotelkeeper, where.he was lodging, to recommend him one. The latter stated that, of the several ho knew of, he Could only recommend one with confidence; and that one he conld not part with, finding him so very useful in _ his own Establishment. The marshal was, however, at last so pressing that the coachman was-'transferred to his service. When settled in the family, nothing was observed about him very particular, except that be was dull and silent, avoiding mixing with the other servants arid was exceedingly punctual and attentive in the performance of his duties. He became a great favourite of the master, and strange to say. this did not excite the . -envy iof the other servants; There wits in this man such, an expression of deep

iffid cohtihhcd' sorrow, that it was easy

To see It was not pride that kept him j from-his comrades. All meals be was silent and abstemious, and retired to the stable as sbori fts he had finished. When iho fnmily Was in the country, and he had little to do, he would not frequent a public-house, but, would sit for hours reading, or In deep thought, under a tree. All this was remembered and

commented ; npon afterwards; but at tbe .time excited only the reflection on '.the of the men that he was on odd . follow; and on that of the women that a boar.

j'Tljb marshall .went to the .wars -in . flnringithe. campaign 0f.1807, and ,con- : . tinned to live-with his master when he n-had heom’ appointed : commandant 1; at Bagnsa, after the peace. A grand dinner having been: given tb-Vth’e moir-shaftj-staff and several Austrian qffiebrs, all fchs' servants 6f the Hmise wefe found insufficient to wait npon the gn<'Bts and the. service's of Muller and others were pnt into request. The nnm6er of the guests prevented Muller remarking anyone of them in particular, and ■ the dinner was nearly, over, when, as; ho was about to place a dish on the table, one of the Anstrien officers drew on one side:. tft him ; to; doing so he happened to cast a look upon, the coachman’s face'and uttered a cry of surprise., ..Muller, 100, no sooner, perceived thp joffieer than be r became pale and trembling ; and, in .his emotion, let fair the dish and r.m but of the room. Everyone at table was si ruck with Astonishment, bni. so rapid had all these proceedings been, that it seemed very uncertain whether the fall of the dish was caused, by the emotion, or the emotion ?■ by the fall of the dish. s The dinner, ended without: Mailer reappearing. The master of the. house- conld not : help thinking that tlfe officer and his coachman were old acquaintances,, and was determined to clear up the mystery as . soon, as die was at liberty. It certainly had hot the appearance of a mere meet.ing between .an- pld servant and his f^Jnaßt,er. :; Alarnuand terror were manifested by hplb, and the ■ abstracted state of the officer, during the’ rest of the repast was remarkable. Tf the war had still existed, the! general might have supposed Muller; whose manners were far above those of a coachman, 16 be * spy, hot the slate of affairs forbade the supposition. The remaining probability was that Muller had formerly solved under the officer, and had been gUilty of some crime,, the fear of whose revelation was so alarming. The general,, therefore; determined to probe the matter; to thehottom, and get rid of hi£ ; servant, believing that his good eondnet was only intended as a cloak. ; v - When'the company had retired to the drawingrrbbm, the marshal looked every T where tor the officer, bnt he had disappeared, and did not retnrn the whole evening. ' Kow, . really alarmed, hb inquired for, Mnller ; and learned that; flsbatned at bis awkwardness, lie bad rushed to the stable, and remained there

in & state of great agitation. He also that after dinner ihe officer had inquired .for the coachman, and that after ‘Chaining for a long linaos hi, earnest conversation they had the together. , The geno^aj 1 , thns

obliged:vtp wait nntil next day.,: when, iie. again bnsy with his hor sea impassivenes&r;.|||&cqfiosity- was now so highly that he went LiruseSf to the atable to interrogate Malier ; but ns ROQh aa the latter, ' perceived his master he wient-JOf him.and presented.a letter', which w£a c6nched as follows :

' * Marshall—Upori my I answer for the fidelity, honesty, and good conduct of your coachman, Muller and I shall feel'ever gratefnr to ybh if yon decline asking any questions con-i cerninghim.

‘ The CojixE de V ’

* Suppose I am' determined to kstiW who yon said the marshal, nug«ly. * Then % Should '"-hie obliged leave your service,’. Mailer gravely, replied; ‘ although I shorild much segret doing so, as I am so happy have. Nevertheless, I would. do.B£b.aistantly.’ This oondnot of the man* and the unlocked for recommendation of the officer, determined thelmarshal to abstain from interrogating Mnller, trusting tt> time to clear up the mystery. , In* a few days all went on ns irsnal, and.the event had become forgotten; when, long after, a' fi%ktfnl accident recalled it to the marshal’s mind. Muller was thitowh while taking his horses, to water, fractured his sbnfl, and died without .once recovering his senses. The marshal desired his aide-de-camp to examine his boxes, and mnke a memorandum of their contents. Great was the surprise of all, when in one of fcbem4he uniform of an' Austrian tf Cornet’s' commission and epaulettes, and several stars of foreign orders were discovered; The aide-de-camp, recolccting the affair of the dinner, believed lieso were the products of robberies

committed by Muller. All the papers which were found bore the niitrie qf the Count do Y,, bnt no trace of anything explaining the connection of the count with the coachman could be discovered. Several Weeks had now passed over since' his death, when the same Austrian officer presented himself for the first time! since the dinner. He had hoard of the death of the coachman by chance, and- came to ask for ■ the papers in his ou.i name. The birth, fortune and position of this gentleman allowed no doubt do be entertained ns to his right to them f bnt still the marshal declined giving them up without some explanation. The officer replied that he was well entitled to such, seeing that he had trusted his honour when required, and had retained Muller in spite of suspicions appearances. (To be continued.)