Fate decreed that the old bachelor with 
whom Count S-- went to dine, should 
be seized, after eating a hearty dinner with 
a violent colic. The pleasure of the day 
was spoiled; the host was carried to bed, 
and the guests separated. In consequence 
of this unexpected attack, the young count 
returned home about eleven o’lock, and 
\\as informed that Emily was gone to 
spend the evening at captain B’s. This in¬ 
telligence gave him no uneasiness; he walk¬ 
ed coolly to and fro, confident that the 
presence of the captain’s wife was a sure 
pledge, that the bounds of decorum would 
not be transgressed there. The clock, how- 
s ovei, st nick one, and no Emily came. 
Another hour passed, and still she did not 
return. The count now began to be uneasy 
■‘What can this mean? 1 thought he: ‘she 
never stays so late as this.’ He counted 
every minute, and nnmbered every hour 
that struck. When he heard a carriage 
rattling at a distance, he instantly thought, 
'That is she;’ but still he was disappointed, 
When lie heard footsteps in the street, he 
cried, 'There she comes;’ but still she came 
not. As Jong as it was dark he was all ear; 
not the smallest sound escaped him, and 
he fancied every one had relation to Emily. 
Some one knocked at the door of a neigh¬ 
boring physician. ‘Possibly she may have 
been taken ill,’ thought he. It was to 
him the most terrible, the most tedious of 
nights, such as the bewildered wanderer 
alone passes in a dreary forest. He needed 
only to have sent to inquire the reason of 
his wife’s stay; but that he did not choose 
to do. ‘I will see,’ thought he, ‘how far 
she will carry it: if she knows that I am at 
home, she will have leisure to devise some 
excuse or other for her absence, but if she 
is surprised by the sight of me, she will 
not have time to prepare hersolf, and I shall 
perhaps read upon her glowing cheek the 
confession of her shame.’ 
At length it grew light, and now his ears 
were relieved is their duty by his eyes. As 
often as he measured the room with hasty 
step, so often did he stop at the window 
and look out, not only the way which she 
was to come, but also that by which she 
■could not possibly be expected. His anxiety 
increased every minute. He sat down to 
read, took up a magazine, but though his 
eyes were steadfastly fixed on the pages, 
he knew not a word that they contained. 
He went to the piano-forte, sounded a chord, 
but his fingers remained motionless upon 
the keys. The clock struck six, and his 
impatience increased to the highest pitch; 
it struck seven, and he could no longer en¬ 
dure the cruel suspense. Tf the countess 
comes home, ’ said he to his valet, ‘tell her 
j that I am gone to the coffee-house to break¬ 
fast.’ This was the fifth untruth; for in¬ 
stead of going to the coffee-house, he went 
straight captain B's. Laura had passed 
the night in the same manner as the count; 
and indeed still worse, for she was sincerely 
attached to the captain. She had, however, 
enjoyed one comfort, which is always at 
the command of women—namely, tears. 
This the count perceived from her eyes, 
which were red with weeping—he perceiv¬ 
ed it and trembled. ‘Has any accident hap¬ 
pened to my wife? cried he hastily to 
Laura. 
Laura. I hope not.— Count. Is she gone 
from hence, then?— Laura. She left me at 
half-past three.— Count. Did nothing ail 
hei? Laura. Ono! nothing at all.— Count. 
And whither was she going?— Laura. 
Home, I suppose.— Count. Home! but she 
has not been there. I have just come from 
home.— Laura, (in violent agitation) Well, 
then I don t know where she can be gone 
to. Count. Did she go alone?— Laura, {re¬ 
pressing her tears.) My husband accompa¬ 
nied her.— Count. Indeed! And they have 
been gone three hours and a half? It is 
very extraordinary ! —Laura trembled all 
over. She would fain have given free vent 
to her tears, but then she would have be¬ 
trayed her inmost thoughts. The fear of 
exciting in the count a suspicion, to which 
he was perhaps yet a stranger, and thereby 
furnishing occasion for a duel, which might 
endanger the life of her husband, restrain¬ 
ed her. She dissembled as well as she 
could, while the flame within raged the 
more furiously. The count was in the 
same predicament, and yet he determined 
to remain at Laura’s till her husband return¬ 
ed. They agreed to breakfast together. 
{To be continued.) 
