ASSASSINATION BY SILENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6572, 9 December 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

ASSASSINATION BY SILENCE.

"Assassination , by silence is (says the Detroit Free Press) the latest Gallicism. _ It was the verdict of the medical men and or society in the case of a French woman recently deceased; and a coroners jury would probably have rendered the same verdict if the case had not been kept iroc. the coroner. Noble by birth she was, and very rich ; but she was hopelessly plain, ugly ol feature and hump-backed. Her hus: and, a duke, married her for her money, and hatod her for her ugliness. A fortnight alter her welding her martyrdom began, but not as other conjugal martyrdoms have done. The duke lavished attentions o:i her in public ; be was affectionate—before the servants: 15 was '"darling" and " beloved"' and "my little cat"—when anyone was present; but in private changed, and only one oKI nurse was in the secret. He pretended to le jealous of her, and so played the Othello. He had the hinges of all the doors so carefully oiled that tiiey could be opened without a creak, the domestics were trained to move about noiselessly, snares were set in the vast gardens of thc-ir'hotel so that never the c:nrp of a sparrow was heard. The poor woman was forced to live in the midst of silence, and J when they went together into society ne scowled so fearful!v at everyone who approached his wife to" speak to her that htt:e by little people ceased to make the ei:orc. And then after they had returned, and sM I had gone to bed, he would enter with hst shoes on his feet, so not to announce his coming, and would simulate a scene o jealousy. That is to say, he would pace r.p and down like one in 'a fury is about to burst into reproaches ; words of anger wou.J seem on the point of issuing from his mouth : then he would stop by the bedside and nuse his hand in threat, but he never struck, n<. never spoke, and resuming his walk wouk go through the same scene over and orer again until, overcome by fatigue and horror, the duchess swooned. 'Every night lor ten years his victim watched for menaces. tt ' luc ° he -seemed about to proffer, but to which n never gave vent. The doctors were summoned at last; but the utmost they eouM s:'> was that they were in the presence of some horrible mystery which could not be fathomea without killing the husband. And when toe poor woman died and the old nurse told ncr story, they rendered the verdict above recorded.