The Baroness Dewel Box.

Otago Witness, Issue 1555, 27 August 1881, Page 25

The Baroness Dewel Box.

The Baroness Rukavina-Eltz was the most splendid and dashing personage in the Er Valley. Her oastle near Somlyo was the .finest specimen of a great residenoe in all that shadow of the Ermellek, and she, a Roumanian by birth and a Hungarian by marriage, seemed to unite all the brilliant characteristics of both these plotureeque races.

She was a widow to begin with, and since the animal man has speculated upon the varieties of the ang«l woman, a widow has been pronounocd the most amiable variety of the speoies. She was very beautiful, tall, 'svelte,' blue-eyed, black-haired, piquant, red and white, with the most soornful little mouth and the most delicate profile ; her . hand and foot were models, although the latter was frequently stamped when she was not pleased. She was— in the third and last place, as the preachers say— very rioh, and 'had fallen heiress to two collections of jewels whioh were almost fabulously valuable. A brilliant oreature, the Baroness. She owned villages and vineyards, and made a large in-

oome every year from her sale of Ruster, a grand wine of a pale golden hue, whioh had as full and peouliar a flavour as Bhe had herself. The Baroness sent her wine to Vienna, where it was considered almost equal to Tokay. Of oeurse she had suitors, the beautiful sharp Baroness. They oame from Transylvania and Russia, from Roumania and all Hungary, from Austria and from the German principalities, and for the unlucky wretches about Pus Pokl, and the Behar settlement, and the country gentlemen of Erdloszegh, they knelt and worshipped in vain as she dashed past them on her fleet thoroughbred, for she was Diana as a huntress and the Queen of the Amazons also. Her black horse Tetenyer was said to emit fire from his nostrils when he stopped to This grand lady was afraid of nobody, lovftd nobody, had no friends, save the nuns at the foot of the Rez Gebirge and one old priest who Beemed to be deeply In her oonfidenoe. Every year she made a grand viiit somewhere— Vienna, Paris, Rome, London, or St. Petersburg. She spent money like water, made everybody talk, wonder, and admire, and where her splendid jewels were the envy of all the court ladies. Yob, she was afraid of one man, and that was her steward, Neusledler, he who for years had managed her vast estates, her vineyards and her wheatfields, her fields and fisheries.

Neusledler was a crouohlng, crow-eyed, mean-looking German Jew, married to a bold, blaok-eyed, large-noaed woman, who waa twioe his size, and who lived in the village, near the castle, and who spent her time envying and hating the Baroness. Madame Pasteur, the French companion, and Matilde, the Frenoh maid, who never left the Baroness, thought that Naualedler and hii wife had the evil eye, and that they would some day wilt the Baronets. But BukavinaEltz laughed at this fear, and and kept on her. oourse exultant ; still when the yearly pay day oame round, and she had to look over aooounts with Neusledler, she did show what the never had shown before —fear. Among her jewels was a splendid rope of pearl-ooloured pearls, the rarest thing in the whole world— neither biaok nor white, but Searl oolour, with three great emerald penants, each as large as a small pear. The Emperor always noticed this jewel with a smile and a compllmeat when the Baroaess Rukavina-Eltz went to a court ball at Vienna. He told her that the Empress had nothing half as handsome, and it is to be feared that the Emperor spoke also of the white, firm neok on whioh the neoklace rested, for Rukavina-Eltz was apt to blush and look magnificently well at such moments. Then she had great chains of sapphires as blue as her eyes, and some big rubies whioh the Baron had given her (the old Baron, twioe her age, who went down into Ronmania for her when she was fifteen), and she had diamonds, of course— every rioh lady has diamonds— and a grand box full of engraved amethysts and antique gems : Some that Cardinal Antonelli gave her in Rome, for he, too, had admired the wild Baroneiß.

Indeed, if the Baroness Rukavlna«Eltz had ever written her memoirs what a story she oould have tol i ! But tbe end of every woman's history is that she fiaally falls in love; and such was the beginning of the end of the story of Rukavma-Eltz. She went to England one summer, and there was a young Lord Ronald Somerset, or a Lord George Levenson Montague, or a young Lord Howard Plantagenet (they mix them up so, these English words, they are not half so individual as our Hungarian names), who could ride better than she oould. This was a dreadful blow to the Baroness, and she wished herself dead.

But when at dinner the soft-voiced, handsome, tall young Englishman, Sir Lyster Howard Lyster (that was his name after all) sat next to her and talked so well and was bo complimentary to her seat, cross country, and noticed the pearl-coloured pearls, and the emeralds, with his lips, and the neok underneath with hit eyes. Rukavina-Eltz forgave him, and began to talk of her home near Somlyo, and it ended in a large English party coming to the Er Valley, under the shadow of the Er Mellek, for a long summer visit. And how they raved about everything—the wine, the horses, the scenery, the wild, barbaric splendour of the Baroness' housekeeping ; and how they all hated Neusiedler, and his big, blaok-browad wife, who were invited up to the balls.

There was an English lady, one with very long teeth, and very long nose, and very high eyebrows, and they oalled her Lady Louisa. She was very grand and lofty, and Madame Pasteur heard her say one day : 'Do you know, dear Baroness, I think you are so very careless— don't you know ? about those beautiful jewels of yours— do you know V 'But who oould steal them?' said the Baroness, laughing. 'There are none like them in all Hungary, and no one would dare to wear them they are so rare !' 'Ah! but some of these wild people of yours ! they might swallow your emeralds, those fieroe Croats, the Roumanians, and then you keep them in such open closets and boxes.' Madame Pasteur nodded her meek head, too. She had trembled for the jewels always. But the Baroness and Sir Lyster began to think of other things than jewels; there were moonlight rides and walks, and there were long talks and many reveries ; Lady Louisa went home, they all went, but Sir Lyster oame baok. And then, one evening, Madame Pasteur said afterwards that she saw Neusiedler oome in and bully the Baroness, and she heard him hiss out the words :

' Remember, if you marry, you lose aIL Remember the Baron's will ! '

And Rukavlna-filtz turned pale, and said: 'Bully — traitor — fiend! 1 between her shut teeth.

She went off to Paris, for one of her long visits, and Neusiedler squeezed the tenants, and made everyone miserable. The castle was shut up, and black Tetenyer grew thin in his Htable,

When she came back Bhe looked older and more sedate. She went often to see the nuns at the foot of Rez Gebirge. She saw the priest also very often, and Madame Pasteur thought, she was growing devote,

But she dressed in her usual dashing colours (for she was a very Roumanian at heart), and she wore one of those scarlet quilted petticoats that the English ladies wore so much, and very pretty it looked, with her dark habit and her dark dresses looped up over it. This, with a scarlet feather in her hat, looked as if the Baroness was thinking of England. It was a miserable day that when Madame Pasteur and Matilde came soreaming down the long corridor. • The jevela are gone— gone— gone 1' The Baroness had the great bell of the oaßtle rung, and Neußiedler was sent for at once; She was very pale, for she loved those pearls and emeralds. Neusiedler was composed ; every look was made to say, 'I told you so.' He had always warned her about the jewels. * What oan be done?' asked the Baroness.

' Search, whip, imprison all who attempt to leave the provinoe,' said Neusiedler, calmly. ' Except women— l will have no women whipped,' said the Baroness. ' I am glad to hear thai,' said Neusiedler, laughing his malicious laugh, * for Madame Neusiedler goes to Vienna to-morrow ' 1 Ah ! ' said the Baroness, ' you know I could not mean, at any rate, that Madame , Neusledler should be disturbed. Send her in my little oarriage with the three ponies to Erdlozegh,' 1 Your Excellency is very condescending, ■aid Neusiedler, bowing to the ground. , The looal police sought everywhere for the , lost jewels, but no traoe of them conld be found. The Baroness sat in a sort of stupor, and gazed out of the window. * I will go to England, 1 said she hastily one day. ' Neusiedler, some money, aud arrange for me to be gone three months.' ' It Is well, madame, 1 said the steward. It was a very roundabout route that the j Baroness took for England. When Matllde and Madame Pasteur reaohed the station at Erdloszegh they were astonished to flee the Baroness dash into the tioket offioo and buy tickets for Vienna, and when they arrived, I all of them at her fine hotel at Vienna, who uhould step out to meet them but Sir Lyster Howard Lyster ! Nothing but the well-known eooentrloity of the Baroness apologised to Madame Pasteur for what followed. She commanded two dresses to be made, and that Madame Pasteur should go with her to a Jewish masked ball at the Opera Honse in Vienna. ' Sir Lyster Howard Lyster will go with us,' said she, as a shade passed over the pale face of her companion.

Oh ! that the lady of sixteen quarterings should be seen in such a low plaoe. No, she was not Been— she was masked ; but that ihe should even go ! What a saorifioe of pride and of decenoy, Madame Pasteur thought it, as she saw the Baroness take the arm of one masked man after the other, and then go into the BUpper-room with a party who followed a tall mask in a black domino, A voioe struok on Madame Pasteur* ear— was it that of Madame Neueiedler ? was it— could it be ?

Yes ! and as she threw back mask and hood, there sparkled on her neok the pearl, oolonred pearta and the emerald pendants of the lost jewels. Oh, heaven ! « The necklaoe of the Baroness,' shouted the impulsive, the imprudent Madame Pas* teur.' It nearly spoiled the plot, for Madame Neusledler was amongst friends and confederates. However, the tall Englishman stepped forward, and the two Viennese policemen arrested the woman. She behaved with extraordinary ooolness, and explained : ' It is indeed the neoklaoe of the Baroness, given by her to my husband for moneys which he has advanced to her. I have her written acknowledgment of the money, and I have oome to Vienna to sell the neoklaoe, where it Is well known.' The Jews gathered around the wonderful necklace, which the Ohief of Police put in bis breast pooket, removing the woman Neueeidler,'

The Baroness went baok to her hotel, and allowed Madame Pasteur to pass a wretohed night. She would explain nothing.

AU Vienna was alive when the great case oame on, and not a few ladles were glad to hear that the Rukavina-Eltz jewels were In pawn — that envied neoklaoe ! Neueledler oame to his wife's rescue, and told the story over again. The evidence against the Baroness was damning. She had, according to his story, lived far, far beyond her income, and he had supplied her with money from the Jews. She had fabricated the story of the lost necklace, to try and oheat him, but here were her signatures, and here was the Baron's will, whioh she was about to try to disregard. His will saying that she should never marry, or, if she did, that she lost all her vast estates. 'Baroness Rukavina-Eltz, what have you to say to this ? What is your defenoe !' said the prosecuting oounoll. ' Only this !' said the Baroness, holding up in her hand the pearl-coloured pearls and the emerald drops, the real necklaoe ! On the Judge's desk lay a facsimile of the famous neoklaoe. The two ornaments looked exaotly alike. ' Lat an expert be brought and Bay whioh is the real neoklaoe and whioh the imitation one, made in Paris, aud used by me, to lure this wretched and dishonest thief of a steward on to his destruction 1' said the Baroness, with a flash of Roumanian fire in her eyes. It was true ! Neusiedler had been foiled ; he had stolen a false neoklaoe, whioh tho Baronesß had made in the Rue de la Paix. * He has been stealing from me for years j he has doubtless forged a false will of the Baron, for I have found the true one !' said Rukavina-Eltz. 'I could not unravel the net that he has thrown over me, but for this happy thought of tempting him to steal some false jewels. Had he got the real ones his story would have been possible. Now I trust justice is convinced that it is b lie !' A dreadful noise followed this speech of the spirited Baroness ; Nousiedler had fallen down in a fit. Never more would he drink the yellow-tinted Buster ; never more would he return to the joys o£ crushing the peasantry of Somlyo — of cheating the Baroness. The Baroness had cheated him at last. Sold ! sold ; sold ! with false pearls and emeralds I poor Jew ! poor Jew I

It was a very grand wedding, that of the Baronesß to Sir Lyster Howard Lyster,.who, though only an English country gentleman, proved to be rioher than she, and who made her a loving and a hunting husband. The Emperor gave her away, and she wore the pearl-coloured pearls with the emerald drops, new become historical. 1 Ah, Madame, dear Baroness, please tell me where you have kept the real jewels all these months ?' said the pious Madame Pasteur, almost kissing the hem of her mistresa' robe.

The Baroness was dressed for travelling, as her adherent knelt and asked this qaestlon. She had on the quilted satin red pettlooat, the scarlet of old England. ' Waß it In the double-looked oloset of the north tower ? '

♦ Ah, no, faithful Pasteur, thou knowest Neusiedlier had the key to that !' 'Was it in the jewel case of thy great ancestress, the Roumanian princess ?' 'No! Guess again.' ' Was it in the oonvent of the nuns of Rez Gebirge?' ' No, Pasteur, I never gave them anything to keep bub my sins.' ' Was it In the Baron's strong box hi the cellar?'

• No, my dear Pasteur, no. You have the hiding-place under your finger. They were quilted into the lining of this red satin petticoat, I owe the idea to that good Lady, Louisa. See here !' and gently raising the . edge of her travelling skirt, right over her left foot, the Baroness showed Madame Pasteur a neat little serlei of pookets, where the jewelß had been safely hidden in a soarlet prison.