A STRANGE STORY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3533, 25 January 1886, Page 3

A STRANGE STORY.

Mi 1 E. C. Grenville Murray, m "Side Lights on English Society," tells tho following story about a lady at Brighton: — Tho reason why pcoplo fought Bhy of the gracoful feline, Mrs Fox, was that, although she was not more than twenlyuight years of age, sho had had three husbands, ull of whom hud died with mysterious suddenness. Tho threo deaths had brought her threo fortunes, nnd tho young widow was mightily rich m coiibcquenco ; but at Brighton, where Bhe mostly resided, people whispered of poison, and nicknamed her " Lucrczia Borgin." Toxicologists hold it as an axiom, demonstrated by universal experience, that when a poison lias onco administered poison with impunity, tho tomptation to do so again and again becomes irresistible A little knowledge concerning tho action of tho drugs, a little prudence m apportioning tho dose, a little judgment m selecting the time, a patiently affectionate behavior towards tho victim, and tho risks incurred aro almost nil. Tho poisoners who como to trouble are the novices m the art, or those who, grown reckless by repeated successes, nogloct the precaution which carried them safely through previous experiments. Of course, if a wife flivors her husband's soup with .1 whole half pound of ratsbane, bought at tho nearest chemist's, she must expect that the coroner will euquiro into the matter. So must the wife who prefaces her drugging with a aeries of violent domestic scenes, wherein Bhe calls her neighbors to witness that sho is married to a brute, and wishes herself well rid of him. But thero nro no coroners' juries abroad, whereas numerous popular reßorts for invalids exist, where a man's rapid death would excito no manner of surprise. How smpect tho loving and tearful young wifn who lirin^i her already ailing husband to drink the waters of Phosphore-lo-Cains, and seems ho miserably afflicted by hia condition. Tho pair havo brought servants with them and put up at the best hotel, whero they pay generously. One of tho local doctors is called m and feo'd on a scale quito magnificent, according to liis Frouch notions. Ho prescribes the waters of the p!aco ; tho patient taKea them, nnd m ono day lie dits. But what of that 1 Phoaphore-le-Bains is accustomed to sco its broken-down visitors die oil' like flies ; when tho doctor has received a valedictory 1000 franc note m acknowledgment of his precious services, he would be an unmanly churl if ho demanded a j)osf mortem, or refused to Eign a certificate stating that the patient had succumbed to natural causes. Indeed, if this doctor committed the mistake of hinting at foul play, without positive proof, it might cost him hia practice. Certainly the hotelkoepetß who recommended him would never forgive his having drawn a scandal upon their house, and even tho local authorities would frown upon him for trying to scare away visitors from their town. As the French custom is to bury within forty-eight hours after death, tho deceased stranger is soon laid m the local graveyard, and thero is an end of him. His sorrowing widow 'lingers a fortnight m tho placj, to pay for a handsome tombstone ; sho discharges her hotel bill, thanks tho attendants of tho deceased for their sympathy, and then vanishes, leaving no address, hut only the reputation of an excellent, open-handed person. This is what the gossipers of tho Brighton Club used to say to one another, as they watched the pretty but suspicious Mrs Fox driving up and down the Kiug'sroad m her smart pony-chase, drawn by a pair of frisky greys. Sho held the reins herself ; a boy-groom sat bohiud, and by her Bide figured n toothless servile old dame, who was her iuscparablo companion. Together tho pair used to show themselves on tho West Pior, at tho Aquarium, at the Pavilion on Saturdays, when tho Garrison Band played, they had sittings at the Ritualist Church, and lived m a showy house on the Marine Parade, whero no ladies were ever soen to cull. This isolation wns, howevor, due rather to the circumstance that Mrs Fox took no steps to cultivp.to acquaintances among her own sex ; for, had she done so, not a doubt but her drawing-room would havo been as well frequented as that of any other wealthy young widow. Ladies would hardly have been deterred from calling on Mrs Fox by a rumor which rested upon not so much as a tittle of authenticated fact. Probably her nickname owed it 3 origin to the joke of somo disappointed suitor ; but, like many other jokes circulated m fun or vindictive malice, it "took" famously, and during a whole Brighton season was so pitilessly thrust at all suspected anglers after the young widow's fortune, that Mrs Fox remained, to nil matrimonialintents, nscomplotely shunned as if she had been a lepor. Mrs Fox had never belonged to the innermost circlo of good Society ; but she was of excellent middle-class rank, well educated, ai>d a capital pianist. Her complexion was pale, her hail- dark ; her eyes wero keen, and could shoot killing glances. There was m her compact little figure a lithenesa which suggested the activity of a cat ; while the mobile expression of her eyebrows, and her quick nervous way of laughing, were ovidenceß of a temper which would be sura to make her obtain the mastery m any household where the titular head was not a man of exceptionally iron make. Mrs Fox occasionally alluded, and m feeling terms, to her last husband, but never to the first two ; on the wholo, sho was a person of remarkable attractiveness, and nover failed to impress malo listeners with the idea that sho would make a first-rate wife, and be an ornament to an affectionato huaband'H homo. A good-looking and much indebted officer of tlio Hus3ar regiment m garrison determined to brave the prejudice that was assailing this widow with such a cowardly stupidity, as ho called it, and proceeded to pay his court to the lady ; but he instantly became the butt of ferocious pleasantries. Some of his brother officers who could draw papered the messroom with sketches descriptive of Captain Doughty passing through the progressive agonies of slow poison. There was "Captain Doughty finding a queer taste m the sherry;" "Captain Doughty writhing on the hearthmg, with a hand on the pit of his waistcoat and his eyeballs starting from their sockets ;" " Captain Doughty having a conjugal tiff with Mrs Doughty, and being cautioned by her m the well-known wortts hurled by Lucrezia Borgia at the Duke of Ferrara : ' Guarda a voi, il mio qxiarto marito !' " (Mind what you are about, my fourth husband.) If Captain Doughty had lived m a duelling country he might have stopped I this persecution by challenges ; but a British officer has no remedy against chaff but grinning and boaring it, or else removing the causes which gave it rise. This is what Captain Doughty did. He

coasod to court tho seductive widow, and boro with what faco he could tho crowning piece of facetiousness of his friends, which consisted m wringing his hands with silent force, and exclaiming, " Thank Hoaven, old follow ! " just as if he had been rescued from inovitablo and violent death. Mrs Fox's next wooer was a young solicitor, who would havo been very glad of her money to sot up m business with ; but one day ho rccoivod, by post, a copy of Alexandro Dumas' Marquise do Brinvillioia, with a photograph of hin innttmarata pasted on tho fly-leaf ; and when, having mado inquiries, ho learnod what rumors had dictated this delightful warning, ho fled m horror, never to return. A merchant and a naval captnin woro successively scared off by similar pranks, and all this whilo Mrs Fox, being ignorant of tho things bruited against her, could not, for tlio life of her, undorstnnd what made all hor lovors act with such inconceivable flippancy and lack of manners. Tho present writer becamo acquainted with Mrs Fox about a fortnight boforo tho catastropho which opened her eyes, [t was a cruel joko that was played upon hor, and proved onco ngain what little consideration women havo to expect from tho other sex when thoy nre not protected by tho strong arm of n malo champion, or failing that, by a blameless reputation. A masked ball, m aid of some charitablo object, was given nt the Pavilion, and Mrs Fox, who did not generally attond balls, went thero under cover of a dmnino, and of a Incod mask, which effoctnnlly concealed her features. Her companion attended her, and the pair did not mix m tho dances, but moved about, watching tho fancy dresses and enjoying tho music. They had been thus harmlessly disporting themselves during an hour, when one of those ruffians, who are to be found m high ranks as well as low, strodo through tlie hall m tho guise of a policeman, and with his physiognomy travestied but not masked. Ho was evidently m search of Mrs Fox, and must havo dotected her by tho ungainly liguro of her companion ; for, upon espying tho two women m tho Chinese Room, ho marched straight up to them, and, laying a hand roughly on Mrs Fox's shoulder, thrust a paper before her eyes. What was written on this paper was never ascertained, but tlio unfortunate widow uttered a piercing shriek and swooned on tho floor. Tho pseudo-police-mnn beat a hasty retreat, and his victim had to bo carried into a retiring-room, whence, after a second fainting Gt, which left her ns weak as water, sho waa sent home m her carriage. She nover showed herself m public ngain ; but within a week Bold her furniture nnd ponie?, and for ever quitted Brighton, leaving no cluo to hor next destination. Tho brutal joker did not reveal his identity ; but tho dotnils of his freak transpired, and wero variously commented on, most men being of opinion that thero must havo been a grain of truth m tho accusations, which else, said they, would never havo struck such deep roots. Possibly, however, Mrs Fox was simply ,i widow whose misfortune, rather than whoso fault, it hod been to lose threo husbands m countries whero there were no coroners and no inquisitive penny papers to harry her with impertinent questions.