CHRONICLE. 



163 



The Civil Tribunal decrees that 

 Quetel should have his horse on 

 giving security lor the expense. 



" Quetel accuses Valdempierre 

 in public of having loljbed him of 

 a bag, containing 1,'2'20 francs ; 

 and the latter institutes a suit 

 against him in the Criminal Court 

 for defamation. On the other 

 hand, Quetel charges him with 

 robbei-y. This latter charge is 

 rejected, and the Criminal Court 

 declares Quetel guilty of defama- 

 tion, and .sentences him to a year's 

 imprisonment, a tine of 3,0t)0 

 fiancs, interdiction from the ex- 

 ercise of civil rights for ten years, 

 and to 15^000 francs damages and 

 costs. 



" From this sentence Quetel 

 appeals, and demands that the 

 cause should be sent back to the 

 Ci\il Tribunal before which it 

 was brought at first. Double 

 proceedings take place, in which 

 two decrees of the Rojal Court 

 are obtained against Quetel. Then 

 follows an appeal from eachof these 

 decrees, both of which the Su- 

 preme Court has contiruied. Peo- 

 ple acquainted with such jiroceed- 

 ings may calculate the enormous 

 expenses which this singular affair 

 has cost the obstinate Quetel. His 

 fortune, which is considerable, it 

 is said, is scarcely able to sustain 

 it. Eighteen witnesses have been 

 heard, voluminous memoirs have 

 been printed, the most able ad- 

 vocates letained, and paid, and 

 all this about four bottles of 

 wine !" 



On this afternoon a remarkable 

 accident hap[)ened in the Hay- 

 market. Tiicrc were only two 

 houses which were to be pulled 

 down to form tlie new street left 

 standing. Both adjoined the 



Opera House. The one nearest 

 the ruins suddenly fell, about a 

 quarter past four o'clock, with a 

 tremendous crash, cairying with 

 it the party-wall. The house be- 

 ing veiy old, the dust which arose 

 from the ruins lilled the lower 

 part of the Ha} maiket and Cock- 

 spur-street, and entering the shops 

 and houses, pioved for some time 

 very annoying to the inhabitants. 

 Two gentlemen, who were walk- 

 ing on the foot-jjathj very nai"^ 

 rowly escaped being bui'ied in the 

 ruins. The house, wliicii had 

 been unoccupied some time, was 

 formerly tenanted by a perfumer 

 and hair-dresser, and the cellar 

 by a basket-niaker. A poor iiged 

 woman, who got her living by 

 grafting silk stockings, had been 

 pejinitted to li\e in the house till 

 it suited the workuicn to com- 

 mence puUing it down. Shortly 

 after the acciilcnt^ it occuired to 

 some of the neiglibours, that the 

 j)oor woman was buried in the 

 ruins. I'his suggestion being 

 quickly tirc\daled, the workmen 

 at the new buildings hastened to 

 tlie spot, and began to dig their 

 way tlirough the ruins to the par- 

 lour, or room behind the shop, 

 where they not oidy found the 

 old woman, but two other women, 

 and a girl of about live years of 

 age, biu'ied in the rubbish. Most 

 providentially, the wainscot of the 

 room under which they were 

 found, falling on a slant, and 

 lodging on the ojiposite side of 

 the room, >hey weie preserved 

 alive, but wounded and bruised, 

 and in teriible alarm : they were 

 all extricated, though not Avith- 

 oul nnuh diflitulty. Jt is thought, 

 that liad not they been rescued so 

 (juickly, they must have been suf- 

 M 2 focated. 



