A Great Man's Secret.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2379, 8 October 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Great Man's Secret.

TIIK Baton d"S 1 lon >-•■ an.x ii id lived for Iwi i.t•.-two years in his castle at, Montmix -I'Vui ies,, never leaving'' it, never reis iving any one, serve 1 by domestics i■ ii’i- 1 11y crabbed and bearded, the on ik hj iving ahnost ns much whisker on her i-h'-i-k as her husband, the valet. Tlie chateau had an aspect of feudalism; three tall, massive towers might be used as prisons, the fourth -.vas in ruins. The f .liter of the present 15 iron hat! known a veritable siege, and, through pride, a! >vuys opposed having (he damages repaired. The outside grew wots-’, but be hied lie: appai'-aii, opening a strong wail wa- built which prevented any entrance by assault. It, was known that the Baron ha 1 a son, but tbe buy had never b en at th e eh.-Beait. Burn in Baris lie bad been I. fc with a inir.'S. His mother had died in giving him birth. It was supposed that the Baron, overwhelmed at her death, could not pardon his son, for having been the cause of it. Ho had educated him and made him a regular allowance, but had not seen him half a dozen times, mnl might havo been introduced to him with mt recognizing him. The Baron was rich, charitable, and four times a month ordered a mass for the repose of tho soul of his wife, who was certainly in purgatory he declared. From this it was concluded that he had the memory of her faithlessness to add to tho sorrow of widowhood It was remembered that she was very beautiful and a Parisian. A portrait which never left tho Baron’s study proved this. But in any case tho husband had pardoned her, and it was not through bitterness Unit lie did not receive his son.

The singular life of a recluse and other proofs of eccentricity did not prevent the 15 iron from being a scholar of the first order in his locality. He belonged to a number of French and foreign societies of anthropology. He was distinguished as numismatist, and his reports to his Sueiete Acadcmiipie, proved deep erudition and great intellect. But the Baron allowed no one to come to his house. If he was obliged to be present at any scientific excavation, he hastened oil on horseback, saw a pro-historic man dug up, and hastened home delighted to have given his opinion on the tibia or the •skull. 11 is son, doubtless moved by his father's kindness, often wrote to him, acting as agent for his purchase of books and precious objects, but never brought tiie treasures to him. One day tlie Baron received a letter from Paris which troubled him greatly. His sou wrote.: “ f thank you, my dear father, for consenting to my marriage. Be reassured. My bride, reared by a pious mother, is as pure of soul as .die is beautiful. You can bless her without fear. Are you not coming to Baris'; I have sent to tho notaries the details you gave mo for the contract. I thank you again. I did not know myself sc rich. 1 eauliracc you, TiiKoemi.K nn.s Housskaux. B.S. -Hear father, please, toll mo the, date, etc., "f my mother's death, so that I can hj no tho bans published.” This letter caused the Baron extraordinary agitation. He read and re-read it to study it. Ho was all one day pondering and unwilling to answer. The bearded old servant, seeing him going and coming through the house, ventured to question him ; tlie bearded old cook also became uneasy, and dared to ask the Baron why his appetite failed. It appeared that the learned man had no ■secrets from his domestics. 11c showed them the letter. They were thunderstruck. What could ha done? What reply should he made ? Three days after tho reception of that letter, so simple in appearance, yet rousing such mysterious alarm, the Baron, who had not slept, wrote to his son : “Conic! I expect you.” The sou hastened to the castle. The father welcomed him with real emotion,ami, taking him into the library and closing the door, said to him ; “My hoy, you believe me to he an honourable man?”

“Ail ! my father !” “ You think that I am incapable not only of erime, hut of cowardice ?” " Yes.” “ Have you ever found in my scientific works tlie shadow of a falsehood?’ “No.” “I have your entire confidence ?” “ Kntirc, absolute.” “ Very well. My son, I am going to reveal to you a great secret,"most painful for the honour of our family For twenty.two years I have allowed it to be believed that your mother was dead. I have deceived you. I have deceived the world. Your mother is living, but she is mad !” The young man felt as if suffocating. Ills mother had lived and he had not known her ! His mother was mad 1 “ Where is she ? I want to see her.” “ You shall sec her,” said tlie Baron. “ Let us go ! ” “It is not necessary ; she is here.” “ Here? ’ Theophile dos Housseaux rose, trembling. The B iron, grave and pah; as a judge, put his cold hand upon his son and forced him hack to Ida seat. “Listen to me two minutes longer. When I discovered this misfortune I left Paris. I was obliged to bring your mother away. A milk-fever had caused incurable insanity. I knew the case was hopeless.” “ What ! Tlie doctors told yon that ? But since then r ” " Then and afterward everything necessary was dune. I shut myself up with the lunalie in this old chateau ; I eniidemned myself tos'dilude, isolation. 1 made myself the guardian of the poor, crazy worn in. Yon shall see hje r . .She has become very gentle, and 1 often ask myself if it would he a serious inconvenience to let her have her liberty. But, she is nnwi ling to leave her rooms, and I •■unafraid to urge her. Gome, bo prudent; take care not to excite her.” The lliroii rose and showed his trendiling sou tlie way to one of the groat towers. If great precautions hid boon taken to prevent the madwoman's escape, if no window looked outside the c.'Hlio, she had at least all tlie care, all the comforts that a tender husbandeontd give. Theophile bad a fresh shock when, reaching the tower where his mother had been twenty-two years imprisoned, lie. saw bis fattier place in tlie prison-lock a. jailer's key. This horrible impression vanished, when, through the open door, he saw I,ho spacious, alino-t elegant rooms where tin; (lour lunatic lived. The sen had a portrait of his mother, young and beautiful. It was graven on his heart, ami he conhl scarcely recognise the original in the little woman with gray hair, palo, hen!, dressed without taste

and without fashion, who turned a frightened glances towards the two men, •"■'ho scorned iimi'li astonished to .see her husband :u!i!oinpanied. “ A doctor r she .stammered, in a strange voice, which had no sonorous sound after twenty-two years of talking to herself. Tim Baron advanced wi'hont speaking, bat Theophile, carried away by his emotion. Hung lumself at Ids mother's feet. “ Mamma, minima!" tie cried, clasping licr bands and covering them witli kisses. She was seated before lier embroidery - fraine. Sliu sprang up with a shriek and foil back almost fainting. Leave the mom I" said the Baron. But the soil resisted. “1 beg of yon; perhaps her reason is returning !” The pour woman seemed to boar and understand : she name to herself, made a gesture to keep her son, and, weeping, .sobbing, her head thrown back, murmured : “M ybuy, my hoy !” The Baron .suddenly approached. When she opened her cyei the madwoman saw “ Bat you will take him away again she asked, with fear. '* No, if you arc roas ma'd-;. We came after yon.” “ After me f Free ! I am free !'’ The look her husband fixed on her alarmed her. “ It is not true,' 1 sho said, wildly. You did not cmno after me.” Jierson thou told her gently, cautiously, as one tells something to a child, tha' Im was [fling to he married ; that

she ought to bo proton I at tlio ceremony, that lio was going hack to Paris with hi'r, with liis father.

She appeared to comprehend, but she .■'bowel no pleasure. Next. <.lay the Baron, his wife and son loft for Paris. During the journey the crazed woman was silent, docile, timid, yielding to her boy’s caresses but never seeking them. It was necessary to present her to the family. The iphile was about to enter; her long seclusion was explains! indue to ill health, and she gracefully, assenting, nodded and smile:!, saying ; “ It is true. I have been ill, very ill.” The evening when the contract was to ho signed, in the presence of the two n italics and of three magistrates invited, Madame des Honsseaux, who had been sitting in the most obscure corner, and to whom no one paid more attention than to a parent, forlorn, infirm and silent, suddenly rose, advanced to the centre of the drav. ing-room and said in a sweet, firm voice: “ Gentlemen, ladies, I never hoped for such an oppportnuity as this, but I thank God for giving it to me. lie witness, answer before a court of justice if I have to appeal to it, repeat what I am about to tell you. lam not insane. I bavo never been so. Journals can be found in the rooms where I have languished twenty-two years which will show exactly my stale of mind. lam to be examined by all doctors. But I demand that the Baron shall be also examined. It is ho who is crazed, and it was the fear of what he might do in his madness that made me docile. The Baron was jealous, and that jealousy which might havo made him a murderer madehim a tormentor. Since thn birth of my son, who is his, I swear it, he has been the prey of an hallucination which separated me from my infant, bore me away while yet feeble, barely convalescent, and shut mo up in Ids chateau, What could Ido ? Ho would havo killed me if 1 had resisted. I submitted through fear, always hoping for the return of his reason. At hist I resigned myself to waiting for deliverance by my death or by his. The servants were convinced of my insanity, or were his accomplices through foolishness, or baseness or interest. I demand an investigation, and I place myself under the protection of the law.” 11 But I say that she is mad 1” cried the Baron, stamping his foot in rage. The listeners were stupefied, and did not know what to conclude. The bride’s parents looked at tbeir.danghter in alarm. Wbat sort of a family was she about to enter ? Who was crazy ? The wife P The husband f Both ? The signing of the contract was postponed. Physicians were called, and in a few days gave their decision. The Baron was declared to be insane. The sensation his wife had caused made him betray his stale. Many circumstances confirmed the judgment of the doctors, and finally to prove they were right, the learned old maniac had such a paroxysm that any doubt was impossible. He is to-day in an asylum, incurable. The Baroness now resembles the portrait her son keeps ; her hair is not so gray, it appears only lightly powdered. Happy with heir children, she employs her time in learning all that happened in the world of, Paris during her twenty-two years of captivity, but site regrets only the time lost away from her son. The Baron had to submit to a strait-jacket the day the Academy of Turin proclaimed him corresponding member, after the reading of his learned and conclusive paper on the presence of fossil man in secondary rock. —[Translated from thr. Freneh for the JS'ews Letter, lnj E. F. T)nifeon.]