COLUMBIA MUOCltlT.
I have sworn upon tho AUnr of God, eternal hostility to every form of Tyranny over the Mind of Man." Thomas Jefferson
HUNTED AND PUBLISHED BY II. WEBB.
Volume VE.
BLOOM8BUB6, COLUMBIA COTTY, PA. SATURD AY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1842.
ffumiicr 10.
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EansosrsaiiasriasDisrsa
THE DAGGER, AND THE GOBLET
OF WATER.
Have you heard of the affair that lia!
. just happened at Cambridge?' asked Col
OrauuocK ot kaily Ijaura Margteavc. during
a morning can upon me latter at her hotel
in the Hue . Ilonore.
'Not a won! of it.'
'What ! not know the story of the dagger
aim me guuiui 01 wateri 11 is in all Hie
newspapers.'
'We rarely seo an English newspaper;
but tell us all about it, Colonel,' said Lady
Laura.
'Dr. Evcringham will laugh at me.'
I Colone for what reason? I shall
probably be more likely to shudder at some
fresh example of tho direction so prone to
betaken by the minds of uur youth of the
present generation; pray proceed.'
'1 will relate as closely as my memory
terves mo the extraordinary circumstances
that havo given riso to rigid magisterial
investigation, tho result of which the ac
cused havo thought proper to avoid bv
flight. An inquest now pending seems
likely, by the evidence already adduced,
to terminate by . rinding a; yotintr stnlp..ii
guilty ofmurder, effectpd by practising
witchcraft, I suppose I must 'term it; hav
ing for his accomplice a certain juggling
gifisey.giil.
'How revolting!' exrlaimed the doctor.
'Hush 1 1 am dying to hear the story.'and
Lady Laura raised her finger to forbid fur
ther interruption.
'I am distantly related to tho family of
the young man who figures in this unhappy
business,' returned the Colonel; -but as the
real name has not yet transpiied in the pub
lic prints, I ftel sure that you will excuse
me ilivu'giiig it at present."'
'No mutter,' rejoined her ladyship.
'You have all heard.doubtless.of a gipsey
girl who for some two or three years past
lias been accustomed to attend the diflerenl
me-courscs, especially those of Epsom and
Ascot, and attained wido nolorittv by the
succ?; of her predictions; she goes by the
name of Nathea.'
'Good heaveiiB. that's
ex-
viimi-u u jonng iauy present
'Is film in I'l. Ii?' :.,
in Paris?' excUitucd the Colo-
Del.
'In Paris ! she told my fortuite but a
few days since.'
'This young student, then, who it seems
was m icsidcnrn at tho university, although
the vacation had already commenced, was
walking one evening in the environs of
Cambridge; he had proceeded alone and for
Mine disianco in a musing mood, along the
Hiintingdon-roiid, when having nearly
leached Cnixion Heath, he ttruck into "a
"eluded lane which he had never traversed
before, and ere advancing more than a few
Imwlred paces, was suddenly overtaken by
a heavy shower of rain. He hurriedly
'ought shelter in a small hovel budl of mud
and thatch, appaiently constructed for tem
porary abode only, under a huge oak tree,
l ie lowermost blanches of which formed
Its rafters of the toof. The rude structure
vus m faci part f a gipsey'a encampment,
siw served as a refuge to several ill-looking
fellows of that vagabond race, ss well as a
woman, whom they treated as their mistress
"I the miserable domicile. Her features
possessed that species of wild beauty and
"itelliger.ee peculiar to manv of these wo
men, and as she ostensibly "sold beer and
spirits, the yul,ng man, heated with walking
1 drenched to the skin by the siqrm.eall.
iii or a gla8g 0f ,)B ar soallng mnsef
"ilie same timo on a stool.
'the men's conversation, which had
"n momentarily interrupted by the arri
lift i 8ranRci, was again continued
j' ouil. unmindful of his presence; tha sub
SV, 1,1,0 r'1 Inclined at first to
21 ' ,d6'ces excited his curiosity, and
ne of the details ultimately paused bun
vivid astonishment; it was upon the occult
sciences, and the pnwor wheicwith certain
individuals aro encowed of disputing at will
of the powers of nature. The curious, but
still incredulous student, perfectly confidertt
in his own judgment, did not hesitate to
enter into the conversation with a view to
refute victoriously, in his own opinion, the
arguments of his adversaries. He contend
ed that belief in tho mrrvellnns nower.
whose possession waB boasted of by certain
individuals, was a remnant of the supersti
tion peculiar to tho daik ages; urging that,
formerly the science of physics whs a mys
tery, but that now. increase of Utiowlrritrn
having exploded the mystery, tho light of
science had forever dispelled the shadowed
spells ot soicery. In fine, ho discoursed
upon the subject as logirally and practically
as our worthy doctor hero would have done;
if nut quite so loarncdly.al least to the same
enect.
The discussion was prolonged, and end
ed as such discussions generally are. bv
leaving each party more iirmly strengthened
in ins own way 01 iniiiKiiig.
i ne siorm uau ii'iisiiec', ana the men
alter finishing theii several potations, hav
ing one by one disappeared, the student
was about to retrace Ins steps towards the
umi i.ni , imuwyii a nigm oi piieny uarK
ness, when the woman, now his only com
panion, approached at his request to receive
payment for the glass of spirits l:e had
drunk.
. i . . . . . .
iou interest me much, said she; 'you
are yout;g, eloquent, and above all firm in
your own opinion upor. the fallacy of occult
science; out wnat unulil you say, were I
no ciy mgiii io convince yuu ol your
urrori
I should say why. nnihir.o: fur
wnaiever you might be enabled to show
me.lhat only would give credence to which
1 should be enabled to comprehend, tlunem
might be the mete effect o)' illusion, of a
prestige which I should decidedly attribute
io your sum without you are able lo make
me concede that there exist individuals pa.
pauio ol deranging the immutable order of
things.
1 he woman fixed a penetrating Innk
upon him, and her countenance asiumed
for a moment a temfie, but not menacing
"vprpssirwi
'Ate you a courageous man?
'Why that question?'
'Have you a stout lierrt?'
'As every man of honor has.'
' Hraver than tho common order of
men:
I iopc so.'
Well, then! follow mc-but. no, vou
will not dare.'
I dare if yon will
give ine
for such
way to
your
1 per
cntrap pledged word as a gipsey.
reive you are, not in any
me.
'I will give you my pledged word, as a
gipsey, not to bring you into contact will;
aught save the powers of nature.'
' 1 he student, whose cunosity was now
raised to the highest pitch, and whose
armour propre, like that of most young
men, by being dared, becoming somewhat
piqued, promised to lollow the gipsey and
submit himself to whatever proof she might
require.
1 1 browing a cloak over her shoulders,
she slept forth a fow paces, saying, Follow
me then;' but, halting on the thrcshhold of
the door, added
'Drink another glass.'
'Not another drop- I do not need it.'
'No matter, you require, and will be the
belter for one moie glass.'
'Thus pressed, the student emptied the
glass presented to him, and they then to
gciher quitted the hut.
'They walked at a rapid pace through
the bye lanes in the direction of tho uni
versity, guided by the disla.it flashes of
lightning which at intervals vividly illumi
nated iheir path; and on approaching Cam
bridge, crossed tho high rond which skirls
iho rear ol the river side colleges, then fol
lowed for some moments the line of hedge
bounding the walks of Clare Hall it King's
College, until the woman slopped before
the largo iron entrance gate of the latlcr.
A blaze of lightning discovered tho woman
in the art of applying a hey, attached lo a
bunch at her waist, to the lork, and in an
instant afterwards they stood within the
walls of King's College. The gipsey
crossed the cycloid bridee, took the direc
tion of the chapel, passed thiough the side
gate leading to Clare Hall, and again stop
ped before the ancient ivy colored gate-way
of the now uninhabited and ruinous old
routl of King's College, An owl, scared
by the cloaking of the rus'.y hinges of the
postern hy which they gained thu deserted
area, strewn hero and there with heaps of
stones and rubhUh, screeched ominously
across their path as they entoied.
' Where am 1? said the young man.
'In the old court of King's College.'
'I knojy the collego verv well; iudeed, j
of it; but I
'It is the most ancient portion of the orig
inal buildings still standing, but it has been
long untenanted, and all the access closed;
you were, therefore, not likely to havo vis
ited it.'
'The young man followed in anxious
silence the footsteps of the gipsey. The
half crumbled walls were pierced by point
ed stone-shafted windows of various di
mensions, now dismantled of their glazed
lattices, and the embattled towers of tho
entrance gates astonished him by their
massive proportions; as his eye glanced
upwards at the lofty turrets of which
ihey were flanked, his gaze was arrested
I... !!.!.. I! I.. . . .
uy a ngiu inmiy streaming tlirougii a nar
row loop-hole cut in tho highest story of
ine euuiee. I lie next movement Ins com
panion suddenly bade him enter a low and
narrow arched door-way, evidently leading
io some sunicrrancati passage.
'The young man musi have been a sim
pleton, lo say the least,' exclaimed Dr.
LiVenngham, unable to resist interrupting
ine ooionei; -who nut an neensato would
have followed a woman of suspicious char
aetcr. and a total stranger to ITim, into such
a place.'
'1 would ! cried the young ladv who
had before borne a part in the conversation;
i would navu lulloweu her to thecentie of
tlie earth!'
Go on,' said Lady Laura, whose ever-
juvenescent imagination was captivated bv
n nariative so attractive in its commence
ment.
The gipsey lighted a dark lantern.
which she drew forth Irorn a hole in the
wall, and both continued their way in si
lence along this damp and deeri lavbrinth:
arrived at the base of a spiral staircase,
they commenced its ascent, and continued
Willi considerable difficulty to mount (lie
decaved stairs, obstructed as they were by
fallen fragments of stone and mnriar
frequently finding some half broken, others
wiioliy Wauling, which compelled them in
leap the void space, while the looser frag
ments rolled from under their feet, and fell
echoing below. At lenirth. iifier n l,,r.r'
mm i.ufiiuni-g ascent,
less ami
Pvhllcilffl
ntui
rcacTiWtne'srt
tJmliit ol the turret; a
narrow passage presenipd itself, ternnna-
led by a low door which admitted them
into a vast stone-vanllcd apartment. As
they entered the door closed behind them.
A sepulchral looking lamp hung flickering
from the centre of the roof, beneath which
stood a circular table covered with antique
embossed letter, having a hole sufficiently
large to admit n man's head in the middle
md which ?pcrturo was enclosed lo the
flooring hy folds of the 'tamo meterial cov
eting tlie table. JNear the edge of this
species of tunnel were placed a goblet
filled with water. and a sharp pointed dag
ger, around these several open books were
strewn, written in strange lookii.g charac
ters of vellum. As llip student's gaze
wandered round their dreary chamber, he
perceived it was destitute of any other
article of furniture save that just described,
but the walls were garnished with utensils
of quaint forms, the uses of which it would
havo been difficult rinhtl v to divine-
Having contemplated in silence all this
paraphernalia
'Well! what next havo you lo show me?'
asked lie.
You aro ovor hasty, my young gentle
man.
Mv impatience is natural enouch, I
should think.'
'True. you are a bravo man, and
3'oui coolness deserves to be rewarded;
pluco your head over that hole in the table
and tell me whai you sej therein.'
1 lie young man obeyed without makinff
reply. A moment afierwarks he rose
from his stooping posture seemingly as
tounded. 'What have you seen?' inquired the
gipsey.
Alost singular, he replied; I have seen
hut no! 'tis impossible.'
Well?'
'I saw ihe abode of my cousin, Julia,
in London, and my brother and a parly in
wedding attire assembled in l 'no drawing
room, ready lo celebraio a marriage.
You love your cousin?'
'Alas! yes; but 1 am a younger son, and
she has rejected my suit in favor of rnv
mother, for he is wealthy. 1 now
perceive the reason for my father keeping
me here during vacation time. At this
very hour they are about to be united, and
knowing the despair it would cause ine,
and the disapproval of another party of the
family, have chosen the night time for the
ceremony, 1110 bettor to insure its privacy.'
1 hen looking a; his watch, lie exclaim
ed, in ureat agitation
'Half-past eleven)'
The colonel here momentarily interupled
his narration to address a French lady
know ttto oi three members
have Hever seen these ruins.'
present. 'Perhaps, madame, you aro not
aware,' said ho, 'that It is by no means
unusual in England to marry at night. It
is a usage, however, exclusively confined
to the wealthy, who obtain for the purpose
what we call 'a special license-' begging
pardon for the digression, I resume ray
story.
The young sludont, utterly astonished
continued
'But how camo you acquainted with all
this?'
!l know nothinc of it it ia ilm
. luiiuujjs ui a jpini, Are you now con
viiiceur
inr ...i...? -i- .i
v-i ,vuii oi me existence o a su
pernatural power accorded lo certain indi
viouals! Wo, I can novel believe in soi
cety, out 1 am totally unable to explain
"Jim i nave jusi seen.
i on are very incredulous, replied the
gipsey with considerable acerbity, as she
riveted her dark eyes gloomily upon the
stuueni' Make care, young man, obstinacy
is an evil counsellor nothing is done in
hub wiinu, eiiner oi goou or evil, by slifi-
neciicu stubborncss. neaven and hell alike.
love submission.'
'I will never submit to that against which
my reason revolts '
.
I'd s try airain: iraze once more ihrnntrri
the aperture.' The young man obeyed un-
uesiiaiiugiy, stooped over the centre of the
table, and started back.
Look at it attentively,' exclaimed the
gipsey.
ii icdiuii ire uoai on nau seizpi unnn
him. and he treinpled in every limb: hiu
no sun continued gazing through the aper
i .in . . . ' . '
lure, whilst his features became nainfollv
distorted; a profuse perspiration trickled
iro.n his forehead, and ho appeared ieody
IU BWUUII,
-v ell, what havo you seen this lime?'
'It is all over; they are married, and
misery is irremediable.'
'Now that vou no loncer remain ilnnhi
ful of my power, follow, at least, the advice
trial '
'Your power!' scornfully exclaimed the
young man, goaded by his despair;
your.power is all a farce tho wholo affair
whfcii has made me accurately gtiess that
which mosi interests you in the world, you,
whom I have never seen before, and whose
name has not oven been pronounced in
my hearing? How happens it that I show
you here, that which occupies your thoughts
and lakes place fifty miles dislaat from us?
Do you not perceive that I have made use
of your soul by way of a guido, and that 1
can aei upon spirit, as the uninitiatod upon
the body?'
'I see nought of tho kind: if you have
nothing further to show mo, suffer ms' to
retire and collect myself1 for I am not in
the humor at this moment to become a
convert to witchcraft, or have its existence
proved lo ins.'
'So much tho worse for you,' icplied die
gipsey; 'you shall, however, be enlightened
thereupon, in spite of your credulity that
I am rcsclved.'
'I defy you to shako my conviction''
relorted the young man. 'True, I cannot
explain to myself that which I have seen;
but does chance ever explain itself?'
'I will prove to you, too surely, ere we
part,' continued the Pythoness, 'that I can
at will invert tho natural order of things.
'The expression of her countenance as
she said this, became einic'.cr end forbid
ding in the extreme; every feature was con
tracted, she foamed nt the mouth, and her
lips trembled in silence. She approached
the table; seised the dagger, and traced a
few signs with ils point along iho surface
of the water with which the goblet was
filled.
I havo only this means of persuading
you remaining, she continued, with an air
of increased gloom; 'but I ought to warn
you of the serious nature of the proof; it is
a terrible one. One may not sport with im
punity with supernatural power. this proof
is, indeed, a terrible one, I repeat, and the
physiognomy of ihe woman became horri
bly convulsed, her voice sepulchral in its
tones, and her eyes flashed wildly. This
proof consi'sts in firmly striking with the
dagger's point the water contained in the
comet which stands on tho table; can you
strike tho blow without flinching? Are
you bold enough to do this?'
'What is lo hinder my doing il? It will
not be the first or the last time of my strik
ing with steel.
'You will repent of this jest for the
remainder of your life; strike, then, and
confess ihe power of '
The young man struck, a piercing shriek
from a man's voice rang in his ears the
student answered with n groan. I felt flesh
at Iho bottom of tho goblet,' he exclaimed
with horror, as he flung tho dagger from
hia hand
Ho cast a glance at the goblet
He fell to (lie
ground in a swoon.
' I ho unhappy young man was wholly
ignorantof the length ol the time he had
remained in a slate of unconsciousness,
but on regaining his senses he found him
self extended on the pavement of a narrow;
lane in Cambridge adjacent to his own col
lege. In iho stupor that succeeded this
interval of insensibility, ho could scarcely
believe either what he had seen or done
to induco it., 'What a horrible dream!'
was his repeated exclamation. His first
impulse was to seek tho old dismantled
gateway by which ho had gained access to
the ruined court of King's College; but he
found the wicket fasi, and all around buried
in silence. Not only did ho believe that
he had beer, dreaming, but that ho was still
so; his brain grew dizzy, his ideas wandered
and terrified at what he felt, ho regained his
college, and flung himself upon his bod,
exclaming, 'I am about to lo3e my reason,
if indeed, I am not mad already.'
He slept soundly until mid-day,but found
himself so fatijiued on awakeninir that l.n
could not rise. In the course of the after
noon a letter was brought him, vhich had
arrived express from London. It was from
his father.and was to the following purport;
'My dear son. An inexplicable event
hasiust spread conslerMRJon and dism.iv
in our family: last night, at a quarter to
twelve o'clock, tho marriage of your cousin
was solemnized in the drawing room of
your uncle in -Square. ImmediatBlu-
after the ceremony, the newly married
pair took leave of us to enter their travel
ling carrbge which stood at the door, to
convey them to their seat -Park.
Your sister-in-law whom we conducted as
far as the hall door, after receiving embrace
stepped into the carriage, followed closely
by her husband, who had already placed
one foot upon the step of the vehicle when
an agonizing shriek filled us all with terror.
I rushed out of the house and sprang down
the door-steps- jndje of iny astonisruitent
& horror at beholding ,yottr,brolljerllxtend
ed lifeless, upon tho pavement. "What has
happened! I cried, but nobodv fnnll
uiai ine emoiion oi ine monjenmau Drought
on a tainting tit Irom which he would
quickly recover: but, having conveyed him
within doors, on closer examination I per
ceived that his. clothes were stained with
blood he had been stabbed to the heart.
No one had seen the weapon by which ha
had been murdered or the arm that dealt
tho blow. Such, my dear son, is tho issue
of a mariiagc formed under the happiest
auspices; who could have foreseen so la
mentable a catastrophe? All search to dis
cover the author of tho crime has hitherto
proved vain. Return to us so soon as vou
receive this: I have no longer, alas, anv
motive for keeping you away from home
and your sisters, whose despair is truly
pitiable, and who have need of your pres.
ence. xour cousin Julia, now a nearer and
dearer relation is with us; her grief is more
calm in its expression than that of the rest
of us; for she alone has never lost her pres
ence of mind, Come, itfen, I shall expect
to see you this very night; all are anxious
for your return. You are now tho eldest
of my children; your father would embrace
you with an almost broken heart.
At the receipt of this astounding intelli
gence, the unhappy student rose, and aided
by the strength imparled by a high state of
fever, ran direct lo the residence of a mag
istrate. He related, in all its minutest details
what you have just heard from my lips;
notwithstanding the strangeness of his
disposition ho was listened to with attention
but he could give no exact description of the
woman whoso infernal art appeared lo have
deranged his intellect. Ultimately, however,
it occurred to him that he had met with her
before elsewhere; at firsl he could not recol
lect when or where, or even bo certain of
the fact, but on taxing his memoiy deliber
ately, he thought she could be no other than
Nathea, the famous gipsey, whom he had
met some months back on Epson race
course.' 'At the very same timo that I saw her
there !' exclaimed the young lady, who had
previously spoken ol the gipsey, and whose
attention had been wound up to the highest
pilch of excitement by ihe colonel's story.
'And I also.'rejoined the latter,but neither
you nor I, madam, I am happy to say, paid
so dearly for the interview as did my young
friend the student.
Who knows?' sighed she in a low mel
ancholy tone of voice, as her head drooped
upon her bosom, whilst the colonel thus
concluded his narrative;
'An instant pursuit was mado after tho
gfpsey, but on tho police searching the
hovel in which Nathea had last been eeenf
no trace of her could bo discovered, ant! i!;6
only tidings that have been gathered respect.
iny nur.uiergo in u supposition that she had
ought refuge in Paris,'
lt was filled with blood!