THE MYSTERY OF A NIGH T


OR. TILE RLACK VEIL.
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the liberty to infer therefore, that il will prove
OF as deep interest to others as it has to u.s.
For the foil understanding Of the accompany
ing extract it is necessary to premise, that on a
sold winter night, young London surgeon
was seated by his cheerful fire, listening to the
wind beating the rain against the windows, and
bowling dismGlly down the chimney, when his
musings were interrupted by visit from SIN
gulary tall female mutiiad in a black shawl,
as if for the purpose OF concealment, aGd her
face shrouded by thick black veil After a
prolonged interview, the young surgeon gath
ers, that the next morning, precisely at nine,
his services will be indispensable on behalf of a
patient who will then, and not till then, be un-
der the charge Of his visitor. 81 may be mad,
to ask your aid, sir, says the woman weeping
bitterly; "but night after night through the
long, dreary hours of watching and weeping,
the thought has ever been present to my mind;
and although even | see hopelessness Of human
assistance availing him, the bare thought Of
laying him in his grave without it, makes my
blood run cold." Just before the hour appoint
ed, the surgeon was at the designated place, a
desolate detached dwelling in one of the su-
burbs of the great city. AS he knocked at the
door, a low whispers las of stealthy conversation
in the passage, became audible. Presently, the
door was opened by a tall ill-iavored man, with
black hair, and face pale and haggard as a dead
mans In answer to the surgeons question,
"Am in time?" the man replied, "l'OO soon,
sir; but If you'll step in here, sir, you won't be
detained five minutes, | assure you" The
surgeon walks in, the door is closed upon him,
and he is left alone, And now commences
our scene:


\ at was a little cold room, with no other fur
nitule than two deal chairs, and table Of the
same material, A handful of fire, unguarded
= by any fender, was burning in the CRATE, which
brought out the damp, if it served no more
comfortable purpose; for the unwholesome
moisture was stealing down the walls in long
slug-like tracks. The window, which was
broken and patched in many places, looked in
to a small piece Of enclosed ground almost CO.
vered with water. Not 4 sound was to be
heard either within the house or without The
young surgeon sat down by the fire place to
await the result of his first professional visit.


'He had not remained in this position many
minutes, when the noise of some approaching
vehicle struck his ear. 1t stopped; the street
door was opened; low talking succeeded, ac-
companied with shufflng noise of footsteps
along the passages on the stairs as if two or
three men were carrying some heavy body to
the room above. The creaking of the stairs a
few seconds afterwards, announced that the
newcomers, having completed their task, what
ever it was, were leaving the house. The
door was again closed and the former silence
was restored.


''Another five minutes elapsed, and the sur
geon had Just resolved to explore the house, in
search of some one to whom he might make
his errand known, when the room-door opened,
and his last nights vsiter dressed in exactly
the same manner, with the veil lowered as be-
fore, motioned him to advance. The singular
height of her form, coupled with the circum-
stance OF her not speaking, caused the idea to
pass across his brain for an instant, that it
might be man dressed in woman's attire
The hysterc sobs which issued from beneath
the veil, and the convulsive attitude of grief
of the whole figure, however, at once exposed
the absurdty of the suspicion, and he hastily
followed.


'The woman led the way up stairs to the
front room, and paused at the door to let him
enter first. 1t was scantily furnished with an
old deal box, few chairs, and Il tent bedstcad,
without hangiDgs or crossroads, which was
covered with patch.w ork counterpane. The
dim light admitted through the curtain which
he had noticed from the outside, rendered the
objects in the room 50 indistinct, and commun-
icated to all Of them so uniform hue, that he
did not at first perceive the object on which
his eye rested, when the woman rushed fran
tically past him, and flung herself upon her
knees at the bedside


Stretched upon the bed closely enveloped in
linen wrapper, and covered with blankets,
lay human form, stiff and motoness The
head and face, which were those of man,
were uncovered, save by bandage, which
passed over the head and under the chin. The
eyes were closed. The left arm lay heavily
across the bed, and the woman held the passive
hand. The surgeon gently pushed the woman
aside, and took the hand in his:


"My God" he exclaimed letting it fall in
voluntarily, "the man is dead"


= The woman started to her feet and beat her
hands together: "Oh! don't say SO, sir" she
exclaimed, with burst of passion amounting
almost to phrenzy; ooh! don't say so, sir.
- can't bear it; indeed can't! Men have been
brought to life before, when unsllful people
have given them up for lost; and men have died
who might have been restored, if proper means
had been resorted to. Don't let him lie here
sir, without one effort to save him. This very
moment life may be passing away. Do try
sr-do, for Gods sake!" And while speaking
she hurriedly chaled, first the forehead and thc1
the breast of the senseless form before her, anc
then wildly beat the cold hands, which when
she ceased to hold them, fell heavily and list.
lessly back on the coverlet


"Why;" said the woman, starting up.


"Undo that curtan" repeated tile surgeon
in an agltated tone.


81 darkened the room on purpose said the
woman, throwing herself before him, as he rose
to undraw it, "Oh! sir have pity ON me, L
1t can be of no use, and he is really dead, dc
not, do not expose that corpse to other eye:
than mine'


"Ihis man died no natural or easy death, ,
said the surgeon. 81 must see the body!n Anc
with a motion so sudden, that the woman hard
: ,ly Knew that lie had slipped from beside her, he
\ ttort open the curtain, admitted the full light o
Jay, and retained to the bedside.