A ROMANCE OF THE EIFFEL TOWER;

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8521, 16 November 1889, Page 6

A ROMANCE OF THE EIFFEL TOWER;

OR, THE QUEER STORY OF A JEALOUS MAN. Three days after Mrs Tounghusband had left London for Paris, Mr Younghu&bnnd began to grow uneasy. In the first place he had not received ft line from his wife since her departure, and in the second he had heard at his clut that young Charlie Malton had suddeply changed his mind, and after having vowed that on no account whatever would he visit the Exhibition, had rushed over to Paris on the day following Mrs Younghueband's crossiDg. Charlie Malton was Mrs Younghusband'scousin, and, as Mr Younghusband UHderstood, there had been some sentimental nonsense between the two young people before Edith's marriage. Now, Mr Younghusband was a jealous man, an absurdly jealous man. It had been with the greatest difficulty that Edith had been able to coax him into letting her go over to Paris at all. "Those Frenchmen!" he had eaid, shrugging his shoulders. " But," Edith, had urged, " I shan't bB alone. You know the two Misses Brown are going to he with me and I am sure you could not wish for two more severe chaperons than they." "It is true," her husband had answered, "that excellent women aa the Misses Brown undoubtedly are, their appearance is just such as would frighten off any too adventurous foreigner. Well, as it is quite out of the question, that I should accompany you with all these board meetings, &c, coming on, I will lot you go, only you must write to me every day." Mrs Younghusband had promised, but amused herself so well in Paris that she forgot to keep her promise. This together with what ho had heard at the club made her husband very uneasy. "Of course," lie cried to himself as the fourth morning's poat had oome and gone without bringing hi» 8 line from Paris. "That fellow Malton is over there with them, and Edith ia so taken up with him that she haa forgotten all about me. There is only one thing to be done that I can see, and that is for me to run over thero myself. It is a great nuisance. I'll drop on them out of the clouds." When Mr John Younghusband had made up his mind to do anything he did it, and that same afternoon al four he took his seat in the limited mail express for Paris at Cbaring-cross. He reached Paris at eleven, and drove at once to the hotel in the Rue de la Paix where his wife had told him that she and the Misses Brown proposed to etay. " Mrs Younghusband ?" he asked, when his traps had been brought in. The clerk consulted a register before him, and then shook his head. " We have nobody of that namo here," he said. "Well, then, Brown P" "Still less," said the clerk. " And do you mean to say," ciied Mr Younghußband flying into a pasßion, " Do you mean to affirm that no persons of such names have ever been here at all?" " Ever," said the clerk, "Is a long while. Now I coma to think of it, we did have some Browns here last year." "Very well, young man," snorted John, " I suppose you think beoauseit's Exhibition time that yon can give ma your sauce. We'll see about giving you a lesson in manners later on. Just now I am tired and want a room." " Ail right," cried the clerk. " There is still room for a bed in passage G, I'll have it fitted up for you at once." The next morning John came down | in tho vilest of humors. He had passed a miserable night, and besides began to feel that in coming over as he had he had been making a fool of himself. His jealousy, too, was hot within him. " Sha comee over here," he muttered, " aad hides herself away." Directly after breakfast he went off to the telegraph station and wired home to his housekeeper to ask for a reply by telegraph whether any letters had been received from Paris that morning. "If so," he added, " open, and wire me Mrs Younghusband's address." " Well, as I am here," ho said after he left the bureau, " I may as well go and look at the famous Eiffel tower and tho rest. Besides there is a chance I may run across Mrs Y. at the Exhibition. Won't she be pleased to see me ? " ©n his way to the cabstand John stopped at a newspaper kiosk and bought a copy of tho speoial edition of the Figaro, which is printed on the second platform of the Eiffel tower, and which contains a register of the names of all persons who have visited it. With this in his hand he jumped into a cab and drove off. After a while he turned his attention to the paper in his band, and after glancing down the long lists of names to see if there were any that he lenew, he began to emuse himself by reading and sneering at the more or less insipid sentimentalities in verse and prose that had been copied into the paper from the visitors' book. 11 1 never thought I should occupy so lofty a position In life," " From the top of tliiß tower, I send greeting to my dear mother-in-law," &0. "I always havo wondered," cried Mr Younehuaband, " how people can persist in making such egregious asses of themselves." So saying he crushed the paper up contemptuously, and thrust it into his pocket. As soon ashe had got to the Exhibition he went straight to the Eiffel tower, and found a long qnona of people waiting to take their places for the lifts. " How long should I have to wait ? " he asked of one of the attendants. '

"Oh, only about an hour and a half," said tho man. " Catoh me waiting anything like that time," oriedJohn. "Is thero no other way of getting up ? " "Certainly ; thero are the steps." " How many aw thcr.) to the top?" " Some thomands ; I Jo not know the exact number.,' /'Oh, not good enough," said John, moving away, "by no means good enough." "And still less so," interposed a stranger who had overheard the remark, "that a very much finer view is to be enjoyed from the convenient seat of the monster captive balloon of which I have the honor to bo the representative. If monsieur will allow me, I will present him with a card." "Good view, oh?" " Oh, monsieur, it is not for me to exaggerate the value of my merchandise, but people who have been up iv the monster captivo balloon do say that the neoessity of having an Eiffel Tower at all does not impress itself on the mind in the slightest degree. It is conveniently situated in the vicinity of the Exhibition grounds, of tbs poat-office, and tramway terminus. Thero are ten ascensions per diem, and the fee ia only ten francs. To-day there is a special attraction, and without any extra charge to our esteemed patrons. The Signor Chauvin or Champion paraohutist will take headlong leaps into space in the presenceof the astonished voyagers. The ascension is smooth and easy. Impcroeptibly does the voyager find himself transported in cloudland, while below his feet the marvellous panorama of Paris end the surrounding districts gradually unfolds itself." "All very nice," said Mr Yonngbusband, "especially that about the voyagers. But where is it P How am I to find my way there ? " " Oh, if monsieur will allow me," said the man, " I will do myself the honor of conducting him to the place of the monster captive balloon. It is quite close, and if we set out at once we shall be in time to join the noon ascesnion party . There is nothing more to be done here," he added, with a contemptuous glance round. '• It was well I happened to be there to get my lord away from that crowd of nobodies." The monster captive balloon was awaiting its load of passengers in a courtyard of a house a few paces from the Trocadero entrance to the Exhibition. There were about twenty people assembled near }t as John and guide came uji. "Starting soon?" B§ked John after he had taken bis ticket. "In about twenty minutes," said the official — "as soon as we get our complement of passengers. We never let go under four pound." "Perhaps in the meanwhile," said the guide, " monsienr would like to make the acquaintance of the celebrated Monsieur Chauvin, of whom I had the honor of entertaining him. He ia sitting over there taking bja ftbsinthe. lam Bure he would be glad to make monsieur's acquaintance. He's not s bit proud." " Isn't heP" rejoined Mr, Younghus? band. Then shrugging hiß shoalders he added to himself : "After all, what does it matter? I am in Paris, and nobody knows me here. I may as well have all the fan 1 can." M. Ghauvin waa not in the least proud, aud invited the Englishman to sit down and '' strangle a parrot " with him. "It's fresh up there," ho said jerking his head Bky wards, " and a drop of absinthe is famous for protecting che chest." " Well, I don't mind If I do," said John. " I have never tasted the stuff in my life. Am curious to see what it is like." " Are you going to parachute to.daj?" he asked, as the waiter served him. "Hot this morning," Baid Chauvin. " I am just going up now to reconnoitre —see how tne land Hea. I dare say I shall begin work this afternoon." "I suppose it's very dangerous," said John, beginning to sip his absinthe. " Well, as you are so friendly," said Chauyin, closing one eye, " I'll tell you straight. There Is not a cent's worth of danger about it. If tfce.re waa you may bet I should not be in the busjness. I am too fond of my life to risk my ppepious self for any consideration." ''.Gof yonr apparatus with you— your parachute ?" " No, it's in the ca«f. I bliow it to the passengers, and get pourboires. See 1" In the meanwhile some more amateurs had come up, and presently a bell began ringing. "We must go," said Chauvin ; " they will be storting in a minute." John rose, paid for the drinks, and feeling very brave under ths influence of his first glass of absinthe, took his seat in the car of the Monster Captive. About two minutes after leaving terra firma a severe jerk apprised the company (ihat the ballobn Jjs<J reached the end of its tetber. Certainly the view was .very fine, aad if Johu did not look at it sb much as he should have done it was that he was not felling very well. It was the absinthe, perhaps, or maybe the motion of the swaying balloon. He felt sure his face [ must ba livid, and to hide this had taken out the Figaro he had in his pocket, and was trying to absorb himself in its contents. Suddenly his eye lighted on the followine sentence, copied from the visitor.?' book, and inserted at the bottom of the last column : — " E. sends her very best love to 0. She will wait for him to-morrow at the top of the tower. No fear of the old people risking themselves in the elevator. So we shall be able to spend some delicious houra alone." Mr. Younghusband sprang to his feet. "E. ?" he cried, "O.P Old people? Delicious hours together ? Why, of course, it's Edith and that rascal Charles. Here, I say, take me down again at once." "Oh no, monsieur," said the attendant. ' " Your fellow-passengers are entitled to enjoy tho superb panorama which lies stretched out at your feet for one hour. We shall not give the signal of descent for another three-quarters of an hour at. the least." " I should hopa not," said one of the passengers. "I expect vpluo for my money." "I must now," continued the guide, ■ "call the attention of the ladio3 and gentlemen to the fact that we are on an exact level with the third platform of tho Eiffel tower, that is to Bay at an altitude of nine hundred and seventy feet. Considerable amusement may bo obtained by watching the persons on the platforiji through this opera glass. I am sure that the young lady whom I see just now with her arm round the waist of the fair young gentleman in the tweed suit, is far from suspecting thai , . . ." " Give that glass here," shouted John, now mad with rage, "You give it here at once." With those words he snatched at the opera glass, oo cjumsily that it was jerked out of the man's pnnd and fell over the side of the car into space. "That's a cjeyer thing you have done," cried the attendant. "Oh, here's money for your wretched glass," said John, thrusting a couple of napoleous into the man's hand. "And bow lot me down, I beg you, I implore you." "You'll go down quicker than you wont to," said the attendant, laying his band on John's arm to steady him, " if you rampage about like that. I have j ;: no objection to going down if the 1' others are agreeable." t "And that tho others are not," in- g terposed the mm ffljo had, spoken abouj; t

.getting value for money. "The idea! I have paid my ten francs, and I mean to have tho vrorth of them, or to know the reason why." The other passengers also protested against any change in the programme. The attendant shrugged his shoulders, and, giving a shrill whistle, informed !he company that for the small supplement of a franc each a further stretch of a hundred yards would be ascended. On hearing this John grew pale with rage. What ? Whilst his wife was so Bhamefully betraying him as to be standing iv a public place with her arm round the 'waist of her former suitor, literally under his very eyes, he was to sit calmly by and look on 1 Never 1 Rather would he take a leap jnto space. Anything rather than inaction. Only to get at them. Only to be able to cast her shame in her tenth. Ho was ao angry that he shook his fiat repeatedly at tho tower. "It's one of the engineers," suggested a lady to her friends, who, like, the rest, were a loss to account for his extraordinary conduct, " who competed with Eiffel. Look at him. He wants to box tho tower. ' "Oh ees Anglais," sneered an old gentleman; "they want to hoxer with everything under the sun." Meanwhile, M. Chauvin had approached the Englishman, and laying his hand on hi 9 arm, said : " You really want to get down, to you ? " " This minute ! " gasped John ; " this very minute ! " " And you would not mind paying, I dare any, to do so ? " " Paying ! " cried John. " Anything. Anything. Do you hear? Any sum \ you like to name.' 1 I " Hand over ten pound," said the 3 professor, still in a whisper, "and you i shall get down before another five minutes have passed." "Yes; but how?" c " Well, with my parachute. What f about it P" c John started. "Ohl "ho cried ; " the I parachute, But I never was on one in i my life." c " No, I .lare say not. No more was I s the first time. It's as plain as sailing, i Juat grip hard and down you co." q " I—l— l hardly like. lam not-— " began John. 9 " Oh, 1 say ! " cried the parachutist a to the company, pointing to the Eiffel i Tower. "Po look at how they're i. carrying on over yonder. It's aa good i- as a play, Ido declarn " o John ground his teeth. After all, ho thought, the man's suggestion is not so c impracticable. There is no danger. I have road that time after time, and he c himself said so. But anything, any- -- tiling rather than suffer these tprturos. o " Here, man," ho cried, thrusting two bank notea into the professor's hands, '6 " I accept your offer." :a The professor grinned, pocketed the i- monpy, aud turniug to (he company " said ; " Ladies and gentlemen, I have ■T been asked by many of you to-day c whether I proposed to execute before J" you the grand feat which has won for me fortune, fame, aud Ihe approval of i e the crowned heads of Europe, Asia, and c Africa. I said, not to-day. That was g because the honorable administration y which lias engaged me, recoiling before II no sacrifice, had informed mo that a great surprise way in store for you it to-day. Allow me to present to you my 0 honorable colleague, commonly known h. as the 'Aerial Wouder,' and next to d myself the " p " Out it short, will you ? " cried John, c stamping his foot with impatience. " All rleht," said the professor. "In 1 Bhort, then, this gentleman will here 9f before your eyes hurl himself into a space. '' Bravo ! bravo ! " cried the value- ' for-money man. The ladies gave little screams and crowded together. "A clever misc-en-schie," said one. '-'That's c why he pretended to be so anxious to 1 get clown." Meanwhile the professor had slewed 6 his parachute up to one of the cords which connected the car to the baloon, j fastening 1{ loosely with a piece of string. x John was too woch pc-occupied with j his mad rage to pay mush actuation to these preparations. Tha ladies admired I bis apparent indifference, and one said, " How handsome." Just then the professor put a rope into hin head, saying : " Get a firm grip of r it with both your ha^ds. Now Btand up on the seat, and when X cry ■' Qq : ' jump ? into tho air. And don't forgei. to senc< me the parachute back to tlie house.'' 3 Norving himself with a formidable 1 effort, John gripped the ropo and mounted on the seat. The minute after 7 he heard some screams and then the word of command. Then he felt the ' wind blowing up all around him, a 3 violent and painful wrench at his wrists, 3 and an "all-gono" feeling in his stomach. STeiit the eound of thousands k of yelling voices, which grow louder ' and louder. " f "I am sure I shall let go. Oh, I'm sure of that," he thought, and tried to I open his eyes. This, however, seemed impossible. He was wondering nest whether he should fi% on falling gently for ever, when the' voioea that Ije had heard all along seemed to bo all fou&d hjm. Then at lant he was able to wrench his eyes open and look down. The nest minute hv w^,s wriggling on his cord like a worm op jta hpo'S:. This is what caused his disturbance, About two hundred yards from the site of ths captive balloon, there was erected, and is there now, a circus or arena in whioh several times a day a presentment of the bull-fight as pra,otif>ed in Madrid Is given for the benefit of the visitors to the Exhibition. Now, 'when' Johji openud his eyes and looked dosyn ha fouDd himself Blowly but surely descending into the very centre of this arena, i% which at that very moment a large black bull wjjiph had had the life, so to speak, worried oat ot it for the last half-hour, was preparing with d^apnstrations of the wildest fury to fry conclusions with the celebrated matador Lartivela. ft was just at the most exciting moment that, ljVe a dens e,v machine., John came hovering orci' tij.o scene and the cries which he waa healing were Ihoeo of an excited audience. "Toro," "Toro," "Matador," " Mata," " Mata." Jt ia certain that no one in all the crewded arena, so intensely wos the Interest fixed on the spectacle before theiß, saw tho curious and unexpected descent that was being made upon them. John w(is fa? too frightened to cry, and his wriggling only accelerated the downward motion. LBrtivela has taken up the graceful attitude that has so often won him tho applause, the cigars, and the nosegays of Madrilene audiences. The black bull, now iv a frezy al pain and fury, has marked him. Lartivek shall pay for the rest. Tho bull puts d&wu hu head, and, with a roar that pnrdles the stoutest blood, rushes upon him. The matador, composed aud smiling, awaits he onslaught wj-th his bright Toledo ; blade ready in his Jiai.rt. Nuw a t distance of only two yar.Js i the combatants, aud so unusual clamor, as if of aatonisbmbnt, ames from the crowd. L'irtivela, surprised, S looks up. A cloud of dust blinds aim, ii but not so complete!? an to prevent him o seeing that a black and 'struggling mass tl ia down upon him. He steps back, and, n amid tho roars of laughter of the mighty p audience, lungea out right hoartilv. A si loud cry of pain goes up, and the al moment afterwavdp, the cloud of dust n having dispelled itself, Lirtivola sees h before him in the dust the form of a v portly gentleman, clutching at his sc leg which ia bleeding profusely, while h the blaok bull goen roaring, and afc a sc gallop round the arena, with his head m taken and blinded ia wh-i loots like » ci

gigantic umbrella. From the audience shout after shout of laughter goes up. Some throw ooppers to the strangers as, still clutching at his legs, he limps to some safer place. All this Is very irregular, and Lartivela, sadly offended, wraps himself in his crimson mantle and stalks away. Meanwhile John has reaohed a door- way ; it Is opened for him, and people crowd round him in agonies of curiosity. Fortunately, an Englishman is there, who reccgnislug a country, man and seeing his distress, pushes forward, crying "Don't you see that the man is wounded P" He gets him into a cab and jump* in after him. " Whore shall I tell the man to drive lo?" ho asks. ''For Heaven's sako, let us get away from this mob."

"To tho BifEel T"wer," gaßps John. " Oh, nonsense," s<ys the other. " Don't you see you are wonnded ? What hotel are you Btayingat? But, by Jove," he cries, "if it isn't Younghusband."

" You ! Malton J " cries John,

" Yes, but now tell me where am I to take you to. You must have that wound attended to. You lost a lot of blood already."

"It's nothing," says John, sitting up; " I'm all rieht. Tell him to drive to the Rue de la Paix. If I bandage this with my handkerchief it will ho all right." Not another word was spokan until the hotel was reached, and here at once a doctor w.is sent for. He pronounced Lartivela'a lethal stroke the merest flesh wound, but recommended hia patient, after he had bandaged him up seamtlum artem, to keep as quiet as possible. " I suppose," asked John, " that the voyage to England won't harm me? I am anxioua to get away as soon as I can. I must ha the laughing-stock of Paris." The doctor made no objection, and John determined to leave that evening. " I have made a complete fool of myself,' he thought.

Shortly after the doctor's departure, the waiter came in with a telegram from England. It came from home, and read ; " I crossed last night and am at home. Shall I join you in Paris? — Edith." It waa then that John began to realise how completely ho had made a fool of himaelf. " Malton," he cried, putting out his his hand to the young man, " I have never been particularly friendly to yon, but I am sure you are too fine a fellow to bear me any grudge. So will you OBru my undying gratitude, and not breathe a word about this at horne — not a word V

" Oh, you can rely on me," said Milton, " Edith would be too much upset. But I cau't answer for the papers being as discreet. I have already sent away three reporters, who were dying to interview you."

" I must say," he added, bursting into a! laugh, "that you did look fuDny flopping down between the bull and the Mlocr."

John's wound was so slight that he was ablo to conceal it from his wife, to whom hp never breathed a word about his absurd jealoUßy and the scrape it had got him into. He felt all the more ashamed of It that the first words his wife said to him when he came home were : "I felt so lonely without you, John, in that great crowd of strangers, that I came home at once."

The paragraph in the ffigara John hns never beon ablo to explain to himself, any more than who was the kind friund who had sent him a marked copy of the payer from Paris on the day it was published. To tell the truth, he does not particularly relish thinking about the matter at all. Should he, however, visit the Exhibition again, and go through the visitors' book at the Eiffel Tower office of the Figaro until he comes to the manuscript copy of ljiat fatal paragraph, he might recognise it as the work of that mischievous young fellow-member of his club whose lore for practical jokes of the worst kind is constantly getting him into trouble. But it is sot at all likely that John will ever set foot in Paris agq,in.