they did not betray the presence of colouring matter. There was nothing, nor on the supplemental handkerchief, which the lady let drop and the gentlemen picked up with a show of politeness and with intense curiosity. At the same time with the perspiration and the flushed face, another phenomenon manifested itself, namely, an abundant secretion of oily appearance, and not at all coloured, which took place at the edge of the eyelids while the violent contractions were going on. At twenty minutes gation, pronounced the blacks taken from abundant, especially on the hands; which afforded Madame Z.'s eyelids to consist essentially of a pretext for examining the fingers, to see if carbon in a state of liberty. To confirm his opinion, he compared the substance obtained from the chromidrosiac lady with carbon prepared artificially. Profound differences distinguish it from ordinary charcoal as well as from carbonised cork; but he declares that he is unable to distinguish it from the black of smoke (lamp-black) prepared by himself, by receiving the flame of a waxlight on a square of glass, especially when he took care to select the lamp-black from the middle of the spot. The colour obtained from the cutaneous surface of the eyelids in the present case of chromidrosis, On Monday, the 1st of July, a second meetdiffers considerably from animal or vegetable ing was held, the eyes having been cleaned two blues, and even from the black pigments of the hours previously. Madame Z. and her husband human economy: it only approaches the carbon-stated that, during the evening of Saturday, the aceous matter of the lungs. to six no return of coloration. black colouring, which had been removed, had At half-past four, the eyelid was clean, and returned with great intensity; so much so that Madame Z. became the object of the strictest Madame Z. had been subjected to unpolite resurveillance. Surrounded by the members of marks, which gave her husband great pain. It the committee, with whom she never ceased to continued very dark the whole of the 30th, and converse in the most amiable manner, she was was very black indeed on the first of July. The never lost sight of for a single instant. If one committee separated at half-past six, after waitgentleman left the saloon, he gave previous ing three hours for nothing; Madame Z. annotice to the others, but upon the whole all nounced, besides, that she felt there would were present. At a quarter to six, no black probably be no return of colouring; nor was had reappeared, and an appointment was made anything apparent at half-past ten at night, nor with the patient for Monday, the 1st of July, on the following Tuesday up to five in the afterat three o'clock, begging her to remove the noon. The results remained absolutely negative. colouring herself before coming, in order to The lady and her spouse took leave of the comallow a longer time for the reproduction of mittee, saying that they were obliged to rethe stain. Messieurs Roger and Béhier, how-turn to Brest next morning; they remained, ever, remained to keep the lady company, nevertheless, in Paris until the evening of as her husband had not yet returned from a the 8th. walk which he took while the examination lasted. But although the committee retired from the scene of action, the patient was not left an instant alone; their reporter never ceased to watch her attentively whilst M. Roger was accompanying his colleagues to the door. As soon as they had left the room, the patient took from her pocket a handkerchief different to the embroidered one which she held in her hand. Immediately suspecting that she might attempt some deception, now that she was left alone with a solitary companion, the observer strained his attention to the utmost, noticing how she blew her nose, and whether the forefinger of the hand employed were not passed over the lower eyelid, smearing it with some colouring matter; but no, she was innocent of the apprehended legerdemain. She blew her nose twice very naturally, never eclipsing the totality of her face behind her handkerchief, nor ever concealing her interesting left lower eyelid. These observations were made in a spirit of scrupulous distrust. M. Roger returned; Madame Z. began to appear ill at ease; she had two or three little fits of dry coughing, Spasmodic movements were observed in the face, which reddened sensibly, with similar motions in the arms, and winkings of the eyes, or rather very energetic veritable orbicular contractions, repeated very frequently. Perspiration became The committee felt themselves sufficiently enlightened. Their reporter had the wickedness to make inquiries respecting cosmetics likely to produce analogous effects. He found three articles of fashionable perfumery employed to blacken points which coquetry wishes to bring out into relief. A paste retailed in boxes, with the addition of a little brush and a little stump, sometimes as Indian Pigment, sometimes as Henné of Sennaar, intended to blacken the hair, the eyebrows, the whiskers, the moustaches, the edge of the eyelids, and differing sensibly from oily cosmetics. Then there is a preparation in the form of pencils, contained in an ivory case, and known by the name of Mysterious Pencils. This is more tenacious, and the pencil must be heated for application. It probably contains wax; its application is more difficult. Thirdly, there is a very fine black powdery substance, sold in little ivory cases accompanied by a stick terminating at one end in a little stump, which is sold as Koheuil or Pyrommée; its destination is to blacken the eyelashes and the edge of the eyelids, in order to render "the glances more provoking," as the wrapper emphatically says. The reporter, M. Béhier, irreverently applied all these substances to his own lower eyelids, whistling all the while the air "What a beauty I do grow!" and he succeeded in producing a capital imitation of chromidrosis. He also sophisticated the eyes of a young man, his neighbour, and so presented him to the com- her eyes. She was fifteen years of age, had mittee; the committee, with their lenses and been carefully brought up, had never been microscopes, could see no difference between ill, and had never had anything to vex her the young man's case and Madame Z.'s. Chemical in her life. She had nothing to excite her tests had the same result; there was a complete imagination, and had never heard speak of similitude of characters. If you put a good chromidrosis. Still, as her epitaph might one dose of koheuil into your eye, and then writhe | day say, "Chromidrosis sore long time she bore; and twist yourself until you perspire, and wink, Physicians were in vain." They formed the most and give your face convulsive twitches, you will ingenious theories, and left the patient's checks shortly exhibit a beautiful instance of chromi- indelibly sable. drosis. If the reader doubt, a single trial will convince him of the excellence of the preparation. To complete the case, it only remained to discover under what common form this colouring matter was employed in the recipes of these diverse cosmetics. The task was not easy; it was, in fact, the fathoming of a deep secret. Fortunately, M. Behier had friendly relations with the proprietor of one of the largest manufactories of perfumery in Paris, the house of Violet, who had the kindness to furnish accurate information as well as the requisite ingredients, believing that he was thereby rendering a service to scientific truth. The supplementary and odoriferous substances employed as vehicles constitute the commercial secret, and there is no need to mention them; but nobody's interests will suffer from the announcement that the colouring matter of Indian Pigment, Pyrommée, Koheuil, and Mysterious Pencils, is simply-lamp-black! | Chromidrosis, ends, literally, in smoke. M. Robin ascertained, on one person affected with chromidrosis, the presence of a substance offering a blue coloration. Black pigments are not the only ones prepared by perfumers. Besides China rouge and the different liquid and other paints, Court rouge, Plessis rouge, Rouge de Carthame Hespéridé; besides white of fleursde-lys, fleurs-de-lys water, pearl-white achromatised or chromatised, straw-coloured, rose, and demi-rose; besides carnation and carmine pommade, employed to give to the lips of these painted faces the vivacity of a coral tint; there is also fabricated a composition to imitate the veins on the skin, which is sold under the name of Azure Network. Indigo is the foundation of these false veins; and M. Robin might find indigo on his patients' eyelids without the occurrence of a miracle. It has happened that the same, or about the same, scientific discoveries and inventions have been made at about the same time by different persons in different places; such likewise has been the case with the fair inventors of chromidrosis. It is a disputed honour who was the first to appear with a face like a half-washed chimney-sweep. Some years ago, Dr. Spring, Professor at the University of Liege, was consulted respecting the daughter of a high functionary, who presented the most magnificent example of chromidrosis you could wish to see. On each side of her face she had a large black spot extending from her cheek bones to Dr. Spring commenced his treatment of the inky lady by the application of a large dose of incredulity. He found that the substance exuded and secreted was graphite, or blacklead, the same which brightens our stoves and makes our pencils mark. How could a pretty girl contrive to produce a mineral? How, indeed? To discover whether the black was really a secretion, the doctor one evening cleaned her eyelids and cheeks; and under the pretence of applying a remedy which must prove infallible, he coated them with a stratum of collodion. Next morning, the eyes were as black as ever, only the pigment was found outside and upon the collodion, and not between the collodion and the skin. No secretion, therefore, but outward application! Where the damsel hid her store of black-lead, and how she applied it, mattered little to the doctor, thus convinced that its source did not lie below the epidermis. He advised the parents to travel with their daughter, to take her to pleasant watering-places, and to change the air and the scene entirely. Since then, the fair one has had no more graphite patches on her face. And yet some people like to believe a thing because it is absurd. M. de Méricourt and a few staunch followers are still convinced that there is such a disease as chromidrosis! NEW WORK BY SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTON. NEXT WEEK Will be continued (to be completed next March) A STRANGE STORY, BY THE AUTHOR OF "MY NOVEL," "RIENZI," &c. &c. Now ready, in 3 vols. post 8vo, GREAT EXPECTATIONS. BY CHARLES DICKENS. CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. Just published, price 5s. 6d., bound in cloth, THE FIFTH VOLUME OF ALL THE YEAR ROUND. Containing from Nos. 101 to 126, both inclusive. The right of Translating Articles from ALL THE YEAR ROUND is reserved by the Authors. Published at the Office, No. 26, Wellington Stre, Sirkari. Printed by C. WHITING, 3 aufort House, Strand. ALL THE YEAR ROUND. A WEEKLY JOURNAL. CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DICKENS. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED HOUSEHOLD WORDS. No. 134.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1861. A STRANGE STORY. [PRICE 2d. readily entertained was that joyous youth in whose sunny aspect life and conscience alike seemed to BY THE AUTHOR OF MY NOVEL," "RIENZI," &c. keep careless holiday. But I could not overcome, CHAPTER XXXVI. nor did I attempt to reason against, the horror akin to detestation, that had succeeded to the fascinating attraction by which Margrave had before conciliated a liking founded rather on admiration than esteem. THE belief prevalent in the town ascribed the murder of Sir Philip to the violence of some vulgar robber, probably not an inhabitant of L. Mr. Vigors did not favour that belief. In order to avoid his visits I kept away from He intimated an opinion, which seemed extrava- the study in which I had habitually spent my gant and groundless, that Sir Philip had been mornings, and to which he had been accustomed murdered, for the sake not of the missing purse, to so ready an access. And if he called at the but of the missing casket. It was currently front door I directed my servant to tell him that believed that the solemn magistrate had con- I was either from home or engaged. He did atsulted one of his pretended clairvoyants, and tempt for the first few days to visit me as before, that this impostor had gulled him with assur- but when my intention to shun him became thus ances, to which he attached a credit that per- manifest, desisted; naturally enough, as any other verted into egregiously absurd directions his cha-man so pointedly repelled would have done. racteristic activity and zeal. I abstained from all those houses in which I Be that as it may, the coroner's inquest closed was likely to meet him; and went my profeswithout casting any light on so mysterious asional round of visits in a close carriage; so that tragedy. I might not be accosted by him in his walks. What were my own conjectures I scarcely dared to admit-I certainly could not venture to utter them. But my suspicions centred upon Margrave. That for some reason or other he had cause to dread Sir Philip's presence in L- was clear, even to my reason. And how could my reason reject all the influences which had been brought to bear on my imagination, whether by the scene in the museum or my conversations with the deceased? But it was impossible to act on such That morning, on going my round, my carsuspicions impossible even to confide them. riage passed by another drawn up to the paveCould I have told to any man the effect produced ment, and I recognised the figure of Margrave on me in the museum, he would have considered standing beside the vehicle, and talking to me a liar or a madman. And in Sir Philip's accu- some one seated within it. I looked back, sations against Margrave, there was nothing tan- as my own carriage whirled rapidly by, and saw gible-nothing that could bear repetition. Those with uneasiness and alarm that it was Richard accusations, if analysed, vanished into air. Strahan to whom Margrave was thus familiWhat did they imply ?-that Margrave was a ma-arly addressing himself. How had the two gician, a monstrous prodigy, a creature exceptional to the ordinary conditions of humanity. Would the most reckless of mortals have ventured to bring against the worst of characters such a charge, on the authority of a deceased witness, and to found on evidence so fantastic the awful accusation of murder? But of all men, certainly I -a sober, practical physician-was the last whom the public could excuse for such incredible implications and certainly, of all men, the last against whom any suspicion of heinous crime would be made acquaintance? Was it not an outrage on Sir Philip Derval's memory, that the heir he had selected should be thus apparently intimate with the man whom he had so sternly denounced? I became still more impatient to read the memoir-in all probability it would give such explanations with respect to Margrave's antecedents, as, if not sufficing to criminate him of legal offences, would at least effectually terminate any acquaintance between Sir Philip's successor and himself. VOL. VI. 134 All my thoughts were, however, diverted to channels of far deeper interest even than those in which my mind had of late been so tumultuously whirled along; when, on returning home, I found a note from Mrs. Ashleigh. She and Lilian had just come back to L, sooner than she had led me to anticipate. Lilian had not seemed quite well the last day or two, and had been anxious to return. CHAPTER XXXVII. LET me recal it-softly-softly! Let me recal that evening spent with her!-that evening, the last before darkness rose between us like a solid wall. It was evening, at the close of summer. The sun had set, the twilight was lingering still. We were in the old monastic garden-garden so quiet, so cool, so fragrant. She was seated on a bench under the one great cedar-tree that rose sombre in the midst of the grassy lawn, with its little paradise of flowers. I had thrown myself on the sward at her feet; her hand so confidingly lay in the clasp of mine. I see her still-how young, how fair, how innocent! which forms the one topic of the town, for all tales of violence and blood affected her as they affect a fearful child. Mrs. Ashleigh, therefore, had judiciously concealed from her the letters and the journals by which the dismal news had been carried to herself. I need scarcely say that the grim subject was not broached by me. In fact, my own mind escaped from the events which had of late so perplexed and tormented it; the tranquillity of the scene, the bliss of Lilian's presence, had begun to chase away even that melancholy foreboding which had overshadowed me in the first moments of our reunion. So we came gradually to converse of the future-of the day, not far distant, when we two should be as one. We planned our bridal excursion. We would visit the scenes endeared to her by song, to me by childhood-the banks and waves of my native Windermere our one brief holiday before life returned to labour, and hearts now so disquieted by hope and joy settled down to the calm serenity of home. Strange, strange! So inexpressibly English; beauty, So inexpressibly English; so thoroughly the creature of our sober, homely life! The pretty delicate white robe that I touch so timorously, and the ribbon-knots of blue that so well become the soft colour of the fair cheek, the wavy silk of the brown hair! She is murmuring low her answer to my trembling question "As well as when last we parted? Do you love me as well still ?" "There is no still' written here," said she, softly, pressing her hand to her heart. "Yesterday is as to-morrow in the For ever." "Ah! Lilian, if I could reply to you in words as akin to poetry as your own. "Fie! you who affect not to care for poetry!" "That was before you went away-before I missed you from my eyes, from my life-before I was quite conscious how precious you were to me, more precious than common words can tell! Yes, there is one period in love when all men are poets, however the penury of their language may belie the luxuriance of their fancies. What would become of me if you ceased to love me ?" "Or of me, if you could cease to love?" "And somehow it seems to me this evening as if my heart drew nearer to you-nearer as if for shelter." "It is sympathy," said she, with tremulous eagerness; "that sort of mysterious sympathy which I have often heard you deny or deride; for I, too, feel drawn nearer to you, as if there were a storm at hand. I was oppressed by an indescribable terror in returning home, and the moment I saw you there came a sense of protection." Her head sank on my shoulder; we were silent some moments; then we both rose by the same involuntary impulse, and round her slight form I twined my strong arm of man. And now we are winding slow under the lilacs and acacias that belt the lawn. Lilian has not yet heard of the murder, The As we thus talked, the moon, nearly rounded to her full, rose amidst skies without a cloud. We paused to gaze on her solemn haunting beauty, as where are the lovers who have not paused to gaze? We were then on the terrace walk, which commanded a view of the town below. Before us was a parapet wall, low on the garden side, but inaccessible on the outer side, forming part of a straggling irregular street that made one of the boundaries dividing Abbey Hill from Low Town. lamps of the thoroughfares, in many a line and row beneath us, stretched far away, obscured, here and there, by intervening roofs and tall church towers. The hum of the city came to our ears, low and mellowed into a lulling sound. It was not displeasing to be reminded that there was a world without, as close and closer we drew each to each-worlds to one another! Suddenly, there carolled forth the song of a human voicea wild, irregular, half-savage melody-foreign, uncomprehended words-air and words not new to me. I recognised the voice and chant of Margrave. I started, and uttered an angry exclamation. "Hush!" whispered Lilian, and I felt her frame shiver within my encircling arm. "Hush! listen! Yes; I have heard that voice beforelast night--" "Last night! you were not here; you were more than a hundred miles away." "I heard it in a dream! Hush, hush!" The song rose louder; impossible to describe its effect, in the midst of the tranquil night, chiming over the serried roof-tops, and under the solitary moon. It was not like the artful song of man, for it was defective in the methodical harmony of tune; it was not like the song of the wild bird, for it had no monotony in its sweetness: it was wandering and various as the sounds from an Æolian harp. But it affected the senses to a powerful degree, as in remote lands and in vast solitudes I have since found the note of the mocking-bird, suddenly heard, affect the listener half with delight, half with | for those whose thoughts fuse their outlines in awe, as if some demon creature of the desert fancies ;-whose world melts away into Dreamwere mimicking man for its own merriment. land. Therefore I spoke. The chant now had changed into an air of defying glee, of menacing exultation; it might have been the triumphant war-song of some antique barbarian tribe. The note was sinister; a shudder passed through me, and Lilian had closed her eyes, and was sighing heavily; then with a rapid change, sweet as the coo with which an Arab mother lulls her babe to sleep, the melody died away. "There, there, look," murmured Lilian, moving from me, "the same I saw last night in sleep; the same I saw in the space above, on the evening I first knew you!" Her eyes were fixed-her hand raised; my look followed hers, and rested on the face and form of Margrave. The moon shone full upon him, so full as if concentrating all its light upon his image. The place on which he stood (a balcony to the upper story of a house about fifty yards distant) was considerably above the level of the terrace from which we gazed on him. His arms were folded on his breast, and he appeared to be looking straight towards us. Even at that distance the lustrous youth of his countenance appeared to me terribly distinct, and the light of his wondrous eye seemed to rest upon us in one lengthened, steady ray through the limpid moonshine. Involuntarily I seized Lilian's hand, and drew her away almost by force, for she was unwilling to move, and as I led her back, she turned her head to look round; I, too, turned in jealous rage! I breathed more freely. Margrave had disappeared. "Lilian, at the risk of offending you-alas! I have never done so before this night-I must address to you a prayer which I implore you not to regard as the dictate of a suspicion unworthy you and myself. The person whom you have just heard and seen is, at present, much courted in the circles of this town. I entreat you not to permit any one to introduce him to you. I entreat you not to know him. I cannot tell you all my reasons for this petition; enough that I pledge you my honour that those reasons are grave. Trust, then, in my truth as I trust in yours. Be assured that I stretch not the rights which your heart has bestowed upon mine in the promise I ask, as I shall be freed from all fear by a promise which I know will be sacred when once it is given." "What promise?" asked Lilian, absently, as if she had not heard my words. "What promise? Why, to refuse all acquaintance with that man; his name is Margrave. Promise me, dearest, promise me." "Why is your voice so changed ?" said Lilian. "It's tone jars on my ear," she added, with a peevishness so unlike her, that it startled me more than it offended; and, without a word further, she quickened her pace, and entered the house. For the rest of the evening we were both taciturn and distant towards each other. In vain Mrs. Ashleigh kindly sought to break down our mutual reserve. I felt that I had the right to be resentful, and I clung to that right the "How came he there? It is not his hotel. Whose house is it ?" I said aloud, though speak-more because Lilian made no attempt at reconciing to myself. Lilian remained silent; her eyes fixed upon the ground as if in deep reverie. I took her hand; it did not return my pressure. I felt cut to the heart when she drew coldly from me that hand, till then so frankly cordial. I stopped short: "Lilian, what is this? you are chilled towards me. Can the mere sound of that man's voice, the mere glimpse of that man's face, have" I paused; I did not dare to complete my question. Lilian lifted her eyes to mine, and I saw at once in those eyes a change. Their look was cold; not haughty, but abstracted. "I do not understand you," she said, in a weary, listless accent. "It is growing late; I must go in." So we walked on moodily, no longer arm in arm, nor hand in hand. Then, it occurred to me that, the next day, Lilian would be in that narrow world of society; that there she could scarcely fail to hear of Margrave, to meet, to know him. Jealousy seized me with all its imaginary terrors, and amidst that jealousy a nobler, purer apprehension for herself. Had I been Lilian's brother instead of her betrothed, I should not have trembled less to foresee the shadow of Margrave's mysterious influence passing over a mind so predisposed to the charm which Mystery itself has liation. This, too, was wholly unlike herself, for her temper was ordinarily sweet-sweet to the extreme of meekness; saddened if the slightest misunderstanding between us had ever vexed me, and yearning to ask forgiveness if a look or a word had pained me. I was in hopes that, before I went away, peace between us would be restored. But long ere her usual hour for retiring to rest, she rose abruptly, and complaining of fatigue and headache, wished me good night, and avoided the hand I sorrowfully held out to her as I opened the door. You must have been very unkind to poor Lilian," said Mrs. Ashleigh, between jest and earnest, "for I never saw her so cross to you before. And the first day of her return, too!" "The fault is not mine," said I, somewhat sullenly; "I did but ask Lilian, and that as a humble prayer, not to make the acquaintance of a stranger in this town against whom I have reasons for distrust and aversion. I know not why that prayer should displease her." "Nor I. Who is the stranger ?" A person who calls himself Margrave. Let me at least entreat you to avoid him?" "Oh, I have no desire to make acquaintance with strangers. But, now Lilian is gone, do tell me all about this dreadful murder? The ser |