self, it was certain that with Julietta but a single step was wanting to lead her to madness. Thus this strange pair passed the winter, esteemed happy and envied by all less gifted than themselves, but by the more shrewd and intelligent, accounted most wretched.

The spring came-the spring with all its wonders and delights, rehearsed and sung by innumerable poets, both good and bad. New life and new pleasure stirred in every bosom. Alfred and Julietta preserved their old joy and their old tor

ment.

But with the thousand buds that opened, and the thousand flowers that breathed abroad their odor, new tortures were developed in their breasts, and a new crisis seemed near at hand. Thus does fate and our own hearts hunt us, poor worms of the earth, from crisis to crisis, till we may say, indeed, that life is but one long malady. Is not a speedy, though it may be a violent end, often desirable?

It was a beautiful morning-not a cloud stained the pure azure of the heavens; the sun beamed mildly and warm, and the earth gave forth sweet odor and stirred, it seemed, as if the beating of her heart could be heard, as with creative power it toiled in love unceasing and ever young.

The cheerful sunlight fell once more upon the hearts of Alfred and Julietta, as talking and laughing with familiar gaiety, they walked out arm in arm beneath the clear bright sky. Without being aware of it, they directed their steps toward the gate of the church-yard, entered, and wandered onward among the graves.

Was it accident? was it the will of fate? Who can tell? Till one rises from the dead and reveals to us what is accident and what is fate, we shall never know; yet I must remark, that on this day, exactly a year had passed away since the death of Emilia; that in the self-same hour that she departed, Alfred and Julietta entered the church-yard together.

"How sweet!" cried Julietta, suddenly, as she bent down over a grave carpeted with perfumed flowers. "How sweet!" she said again, and bent still lower to read the inscription upon the marble slab, which was entirely hidden by their luxuriant growth. "Who is it that reposes here?" But she started back quickly, for a fragment of mouldered

paper glanced from amid the leaves, upon which she plainly recognized, written in Alfred's hand, the words

"Thine, even in death!"

"Thy hand-writing!" she cried, read the words once more, and then asked, passionately, "Who rests here?"

Alfred had turned pale as death, but recovering himself quickly, he laughed wildly, and replied, "A dead mistress of mine!" and striking the paper deep into the earth with his sword-cane, added, "Look, thus wither the fairest flowersthus perish the most sacred vows of love! Who can say how soon we

"Hold !" interrupted Julietta, with faltering voice, and fixed a cold, death-like glance upon him.

No, no!" he exclaimed, and clasped her passionately in his arms, while boundless love shone in all his features" No, no, my Julietta, never! But away, away from here!" As if overcome with terror, he hurried her quickly from the churchyard.

As, on the following morning, the Prince returned from his accustomed ride, he observed a great crowd before the dwelling of the opera-singer, Julietta. Officers and guards hurried back and forth, and now the Director of the Police stepped from the house.

"What is the matter here?" cried the

Prince.

"A dreadful crime has been committed!" replied the Commissary. Count Alfred was this morning found dead in the dwelling of the opera-singer, Julietta. She has poisoned him!"

The Prince shuddered, turned pale, and with strange agitation ordered his coachman to drive on in haste.

Julietta's chambermaid had testified as follows: Alfred and her mistress had returned to the house the evening before after a long walk. The Count was very cheerful, Julietta, on the contrary, evidently depressed and gloomy, but she took great pains to appear pleasant and gay. About nine o'clock they sat down, as usual, to supper, when the chambermaid left them. On the following morning, as Julietta had not rung for her by ten o'clock, she was seized with alarm, and foreboded some mishap. She ventured first to enter the ante-chamber, then the boudoir-here lay Count Alfred, dead and cold, half upon the sofa, half upon the floor; beside him, holding the lifeless

body in a convulsive embrace, the senseless Julietta.

After many unsuccessful attempts, she was able at last to recall her to consciousness. Julietta glared around her for a moment like one frantic, but as her glance fell upon the body, with the piercing scream, "I am thy murderess!" she threw herself upon it again, embraced it, and once more sank into insensibility.

Julietta was brought to trial, and she at once confessed the crime. "The motive had been jealousy." She related with great calmness and particularity how the purpose ripened in her bosom, how she had long meditated upon it, and at last resolved to carry it into execution. She had loved Count Alfred once-hence her momentary weakness after the act was done; but she did not regret it, on the contrary, if it were possible for Alfred to be returned to life again, she would (as she spoke these words she shuddered) she would do the deed again-for he was

a monster!

--

I leave it to you to decide concerning the weight of such a confession. The sage judges of I received it as an

acknowledgment of guilt, in all form of law; and the physician to whom Juliet ta's advocate appealed, declared that she was in perfect possession of her sensesnay, that she did not seem to exhibit the least disturbance of intellect, and was, accordingly, justly accountable to the laws. Do not distort your mouth, my friend! such men are found in the profession at the present day, who cannot see beyond the reach of their own noses.

The laws of that time and of that land were interpreted and enforced with all the barbarity of the middle ages. The letter of the law said death, and the sentence was laid before the Prince for his signature. The Prince, it is said, moved by the youth and beauty of the opera-singer, offered her pardon; be this as it may, it pleased his highness to sign the sentence, and three days after, at an early hour in the morning, Julietta's head fell upon the scaffold.

Her body was given to the anatomical theatre. The dissector caused it to be buried in private-the head he preserved. Soon afterward he resigned his post, and left No one knew the place of

his retreat.

On a stormy February evening of the year 1792, a band of furious sans-culottes hurried up the rue St. Honoré, dragging

in their midst a stranger of noble and stately appearance.

They stopped before a gloomy, antiquated building, and knocking violently at the door, cried out: "Come out, citizen Le Petit! Open the door. We bring you a new customer."

A window in the first story was now opened, and a singular figure, with a lamp in its hand, made its appearance. It was a man, apparently verging toward his sixtieth year, with a brownish, yellow face; a large black patch covered his left eye, and a loose dressing-gown, variegated with large flowers, hung like a talar about his meagre limbs. Upon his head he wore a fox-colored peruke, and over this a tall, white night-cap, ornamented with an enormous tri-colored cockade. It was Doctor Le Petit.

"A customer?" he cried, with a croaking voice-" A customer? Is he already shortened by the head?"

Not yet!" answered a young fellow, with a laugh. "Thou must let him take up his night's quarters here. The guillotine has too much work on hand to-day, and our man must wait, and take his turn in the morning, if he does not in the mean while depart by extra post-for he is almost dead with fright already. For this reason we have brought him to thee, that thou mayest revive him a little. In return we will bring thee the morsel warm from the knife in the morning."

"Come in, then, my brave fellows!" croaked Le Petit, and disappeared from the window. A moment after he opened the street door, and some of the sansculottes brought in the prisoner, and led him, more dead than alive, through the gloomy hall, and up the stairs. "Oh God!" he sighed, as he passed on. "The d--1" cried Le Petit, and stopped; "that is a German !"

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Yes, indeed!" replied a young sansculotte, " and a nobleman beside! We caught the bird in a nest of the aristocrats, while they were contriving how to betray the republic to the stranger."

"A pestilence upon the blockhead!" grumbled the Doctor, as he unlocked the door of his chamber. 66 Well, in then, all together."

The young fellow said, however: "Not so, citizen. We know thee, and will leave the prisoner in thy care. Thy head is a pledge for his. We have a great deal of work on hand this evening. We will call for him early in the morning, if thou dost not torture him to death in the mean while

with thy quackery. Come, comrades!" He shook the Doctor by the hand, beckoned to his comrades, and all departed with great uproar, as they had come.

"The d-1" muttered the Doctor to himself; "I would you were all under the guillotine!" Then turning to the stranger, he continued, in German : Courage, poor wretch! Perhaps I can save thee. You are not the first whom my craft has rescued from the hands of these bloodhounds. They have not the least suspicion of it indeed, or it were all over with my head. Let us hope for the best." "You are a German?" said the stranger joyfully.

"No longer! Things go badly enough in Paris, that is true; but, at all events, they go speedily, when it comes to the worst. Alas, in Germany they murder slowly as well as more dreadfully."

While he spoke these words, he lighted a lamp, and turned it toward the stranger; but as if stricken by lightning, he tottered backward, as he gazed upon his features. "For heaven's sake! what is the matter?" said the stranger.

Le Petit still gazed upon him with a stare, but at last, with great exertion, uttered the words-" Prince M-!"

"In the name of heavenly mercy! do not betray me," implored the stranger, It was the Prince of*

The Doctor's face wore a singular smile, as he replied: "Oh, no, there is no necessity for it. But does not your highness remember me?"

The Prince gazed upon him attentively, and replied at last, with evident embar. rassment and anxiety: "In truth, I cannot call your features to mind."

"I believe it," answered Le Petit, has tily; "great lords soon forget trifles, but the canaille has oftentimes a true, a d--d true memory! Exempla sunt odiosa!" "What mean you?" inquired the Prince, with increasing uneasiness.

"Oh, nothing!" said Le Petit, with a laugh, then rang for a servant, who brought in wine and food, and invited his guest to fall to with a good appetite. The Prince was frightfully disturbed.

"How do you expect to rescue me?" "I am at this moment thinking of it." "Let me fly. The darkness of the night will favor my escape."

"No, in truth, it will not. Spies lurk around my house-my own servants are watching me. It would bring destruction upon us both. But eat."

"Oh, God! I cannot."

"Bah! drink then!" He filled two glasses, reached one to the Prince, and held the other ready to touch it in compliment. With chattering teeth the Prince touched glasses, and poured the wine down his throat. Le Petit filled them

anew.

"Rescue! rescue!" cried the Prince, with a heavy sigh.

"Your highness," said the Doctor, drily "your highness seems to fear death greatly. Wherefore did you not remain in your own land?"

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'My God! who could foresee this catastrophe ?"

"Who? Who is there that could not? But, yes, ye princes could not, and your courtiers could not! Who could foresee this catastrophe? Ah! so will your children ask, and your children's children, when the occasion comes-for you learn nothing, and forget nothing. You do not drink, Prince! Do you wish to sleep?"

The Prince shuddered, and shook his head. He now related the particulars of his arrest, in a house in which many Frenchmen and foreigners of rank had taken refuge, and then begged his strange host once more to tell him how he expected to save him.

Le Petit seemed to contend with himself. He said at last, "I know but one way."

The Prince listened in breathless silence. Le Petit continued: "I am an anatomist. From the words of the sansculottes, you may have remarked that out of love and friendship (for I pass with them for a good citizen,) they often bring the bodies fresh from the guillotine to my house. Do not shudder! I have rescued many a condemned one by this means; for as they seldom exercise any control over my labors, (when they do, it is done even more carelessly than they guillotine,) every one who, like you, is brought to me alive-that is, if he is not a knave, and has not spilt innocent bloodI save, by dedicating him a victim on the altar of science. As, alas! I never want for fresh subjects, it has always been easy for me, thus far, to deceive these bloodhounds. All Paris curses me; and if a better party than that of a Marat should gain the upper hand, the guillotine were the mildest punishment for the monster. At present, however, I am in considerable embarrassment. I have indeed one male subject in my house; but, alas! it is impossible to pass him off for your

highness, as he has a hump-back, and very crooked legs; and then there are a number of students of medicine among the sans-culottes who left you in my hands. I must show them your dead body tomorrow morning! The only means, then, were to give you a potion which should lull you into a death-like stupor, that would last until to-morrow evening. When my good friends come in the morning, why I can bring them to the marble table on which your highness will lie stretched out like a corpse."

The Prince shuddered, and muttered half to himself, "Who will be warrant for me?"

"Your highness does not trust me," said the anatomist with a smile. "If you knew me, you would trust me still less. But by the great God, whose name so many knaves blaspheme, when they subscribe themselves by God's grace, I pity you and am truly desirous of saving you, as I have already saved many an innocent person."

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If you rescue me," replied the stranger, my gratitude shall know no bounds; your reward shall be princely."

Le Petit drew his face awry. "I said that I was desirous of saving your highness. Form your resolution."

"When must I take the potion?"
"Now at once."

"And where am I to pass the night?" "Immediately upon swallowing it, you will fall into a stupor, which by degrees will pass into death-like insensibility. As soon as this takes place, I shall call my servants, and tell them that you have had a stroke of apoplexy You will then be carried into the dissecting hall, and placed upon the marble table." "Where the guillotined lie?" cried the Prince in affright.

Le Petit shrugged his shoulders and replied, "It is necessary."

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Oh, why do you tell me of it?" "You wished to hear the truth. Yet you need not be alarmed; you will be sensible of nothing, so soon as you have taken the draught."

"No, no! First let me view the place of horror."

Le Petit started. He then spoke slowly and earnestly. "Do not desire that, Prince. Only as a seeming corpse, and unconscious of the external world would I be willing that you should be admitted among my preparations. Hark! what was that?" "What?"

"One! Two! See

The clock struck. the gleam of morning. Resolve at once! But an hour at most is ours!"

"I will!" exclaimed the Prince in death-like agony. "I will; but I implore you, let me first view the place!"

Le Petit glanced wildly around, and then said, "Well, come, but the consequences be upon your own head! I have given you warning."

He took the lamp, beckoned the Prince, and unlocked an adjoining cabinet, at the farther end of which a door led into the dissecting hall. They entered.

Upon a marble table in the middle of the hall lay a naked, misshapen body, near it the bloody head. Along the walls were skeletons, bottles with preparations in spirits of wine, and several chests of moderate size, furnished with covers. The Prince trembled in every limb.

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This is my private dissecting room," said Le Petit; "therefore things are arranged on rather a small scale. You see my whole anatomical establishment, except the kitchen for macerating and boiling." He placed the lamp upon the table, pushed the body a little aside, and pointing to the empty place near it, remarked, “You will lie here, if it please your highness."

Be it so!" replied the Prince, in stupid indifference; "give me the potion." "Well, let us return to my chamber."

He took the lamp from the table again, and walked toward the door. The Prince turned to follow him; but excitement and alarm had deprived him of his strength; he tottered and stumbled. In order to hold himself upright, he grasped at one of the chests which stood against the wall; he overturned it, and it fell with him upon the floor.

With a piercing cry the anatomist sprang forward, casting the rays of the lamp full upon him, and then cried in fearful tones, "The consequences be upon your own head!"

"Pardon me!" muttered the Prince faintly, as he arose with difficulty. "Pardon me! Come-away from hereaway! Give me give me the potion !"

A wild laugh broke from the lips of Le Petit, the glasses around the walls gave a shrill echo to the sound, and he cried with fearful irony: "Gently, my good sir! not so fast! I told you beforehand that it were not well for you to enter my work-shop alive. Your highness, do you know what it is that lies upon the

ground near you? Look here! here!" With these words he thrust his hand into the chest, drew forth a head, and held it close before the Prince's face.

"Julietta!" exclaimed the latter, starting backward with horror.

"Julietta!" reechoed the Anatomist with fearful earnestness. "Julietta! the poor, unhappy one, whom, though innocent, thou didst suffer to be executed. Murderer! Poisoner! Or dost think I do not know that it was thou who poisoned Count Alfred? Look! Dost thou not remember me?" With these words, he tore off his night-cap and peruke, removed the patch from his eye, and Al fred's friend, the dissector of stood before the almost lifeless Prince. "Pardon! Mercy!" he groaned, and crouched, writhing, at the Doctor's feet, A violent knocking was now heard at the street door, and furious voices bellowed, "Open, Citizen Le Petit! we are here!" Le Petit readjusted his disguise in haste,

and walked toward the door.

"Have compassion!" howled the Prince, clasping his knees in a convul. sive embrace.

"It is too late!" replied Le Petit. "The avenging gods demand their victim. Repentence only is left thee here. Hope for mercy yonder!" With a strong hand he seized the trembling wretch, dragged him into his chamber, and opened the door.

The,sans-culottes poured in. "Where is the prisoner?" they cried.

Le Petit pointed to the sofa, upon which the Prince lay, half senseless. "There, my brave fellows! he has had a bad night, but he is alive yet-well, handle him daintily, and make short work of it."

"Do not be uneasy, citizen. And thou shalt have him again as soon as he is dispatched."

"I do not want him."

"The d-1" cried a young fellow, "the d-1, doctor! are you crazy? To refuse such a noble subject as this?"

"Take him thyself, popinjay, since he pleases thee so much. I will have nothing to do with him.”

"Very well," laughed the sans-culotte, as he grasped the Prince by the collar and raised him upon his feet. "Come, Monsieur !"

The Principality of year 1807, incorporated with a neighboring kingdom, and in 1814 was divided into thirty-eight distinct parts.

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Soon after the events here related the Anatomist disappeared from Paris and from France. He has never parted with the head of the unfortunate Julietta. When he dies his last prayer will be: Consign the beautiful head to repose." "Such was the narrative of the Anatomist," said the young physician, as he concluded his story. "I myself fulfilled that last prayer. With my own hands I buried Julietta's head in his garden, and it has long since turned to dust.”

The women, although pale as death, were well pleased with the narration; but the men declared that it was as revolting as it was diabolical and frightful.