CHAPTER IV
_A Fashionable Lady--the Lovers--the Negro Paramour--astoundingdevelopments of Crime in High Life--the Accouchement--Infanticide--theMarriage--a dark suspicion._
The scene changes to that superb avenue of fashion, Broadway; the time,eleven o'clock in the morning, and the place, one of the noblestmansions which adorn that aristocratic section of the city.
Miss Julia Fairfield was seated in a luxurious apartment, lounging overa late breakfast, and listlessly glancing over the morning newspapers.
This young lady was about eighteen years of age, a beauty, an heiress,and, per consequence, a _belle_. She was a brunette; her beauty was of awarm, majestic, voluptuous character; her eyes beamed with the fire ofpassion, and her features were full of expression and sentiment. Herattire was elegant, tasteful, and unique, consisting of a loose, flowingrobe of white satin, trimmed with costliest lace; her hair wasbeautifully arranged in the best Parisian style; and her tiny feet wereencased in gold-embroidered slippers. The peculiarity of her dressconcealed the outlines of her form; yet the garment being made very lowin the shoulders, the upper portions of a magnificently full bust werevisible.
For some time she continued to sip her chocolate and read in silence;but soon she exclaimed, in a rich, melodious voice--
'Very well, indeed!--and so those odious editors have given the fullparticulars of the great ball last night, and have complimented mehighly on my grace and beauty! Ah, I never could have ventured there inany other costume than the one I wore. These loose dresses are capitalthings--but my situation becomes more and more embarrassing every day.'
At this moment a domestic announced Mr. Francis Sydney, and theannouncement was followed by the entrance of that gentleman.
'My dear Julia,' said Frank, seating himself--'you will pardon myintrusion at this unfashionable hour, but I was anxious to learn thestate of your health, after the fatigues of last night's assembly.'
'No apology is necessary, my dear Frank,' replied the lady, with abewitching smile, at the same time giving him her hand, which hetenderly raised to his lips. 'I am in excellent health this morning,although dreadfully bored with _ennui_, which I trust will be dispelledby the enlivening influence of your presence.'
'What happiness do I derive from the reflection, my sweet girl,' saidFrank, drawing his chair closer to hers, 'that, in one short month, Ishall call you mine! Yes, we shall then stand before the bridal altar,and I shall have the felicity of wedding the loveliest, mostaccomplished, and purest of her sex!'
'Ah, Francis,' sighed the lady--'how joyfully will I then bestow uponyou the gift of this hand!--my heart you have already.'
These words were said with so much tenderness, and with such a charmingair of affectionate modesty, that the young man caught her to his breastand covered her lips with kisses. Struggling from his ardent embrace,Julia said to him, in a tone of reproach,--
'Francis, this is the first time you ever forgot the respect due to meas a lady; but do not repeat the offense, or you will diminish myfriendship for you--perhaps, my love also.--When we are _married_,' sheadded, blushing--'my person will be wholly yours--but not till then.'
'Pardon me, dear Julia,' entreated Frank, in a tone of contrition--'Iwill not offend again.'
The lady held out her hand, and smiled her forgiveness.
'Now that we are good friends again,' said she--'I will order somerefreshments.' She rang a silver bell, and gave the necessary order to aservant, and in a few minutes, cake and wine were brought in by a blackwaiter, clad in rich livery. The complexion of this man was intenselydark, yet his features were good and regular and his figure tall andwell-formed. In his demeanor towards his mistress and her guest, he wasrespectful in the extreme, seldom raising his eyes from the carpet, andwhen addressed, speaking in the most servile and humble tone.
After having partaken of the refreshments, and enjoyed half an hour'sconversation, Frank arose and took his leave.
As soon as he had gone, an extraordinary scene took place in thatparlor.
The black waiter, having turned the key within the lock of the door,approached Miss Fairfield, deliberately threw his arms around her, andkissed her repeatedly! And how acted the lady--she who had reproved heraffianced husband for a similar liberty--how acted she when thus rudelyand grossly embraced by that black and miscreant menial? Did she notrepulse him with indignant disgust,--did she not scream for assistance,and have him punished for the insolent outrage?
No; she abandoned her person to his embraces, and returned them! She,the well-born, the beautiful, the wealthy, the accomplished lady--thebetrothed bride of a young gentleman of honor--the daughter of anaristocrat--the star of a constellation of fashion--yielding herself tothe arms of a negro servant!
Oh, woman! how like an angel art thou in thy virtue and goodliness! howlike a devil, when thou art fallen from thy high estate!
Yes, that black fellow covers her exquisite neck and shoulders withlustful kisses! His hands revel amid the glories of her divine andvoluptuous bosom; and his lips wander from her rosy mouth, to theluxurious beauties of her finely developed bust.
'My beautiful mistress!' said the black, 'how kind in you to grant methese favors! What can I do to testify my gratitude?'
'Oh Nero,' murmured the lady 'what if our intimacy should be discovered?yet you are discreet and trustworthy; for from the night I first hintedmy desires to you, and admitted you into my chamber, you have behavedwith prudence and caution. Yet you are aware of my situation; you knowthat I am _enciente_ by you; all our precautions have failed to preventthat result of our amours. I dress myself in such a way as to keep mycondition from observation; no one suspects it. In a month, you know, Iam to be married to Mr. Sydney; but I hope to give birth to the child inless than a week from the present time, so that, with good care andnursing, assisted by my naturally robust constitution, I shall recovermy health and strength in sufficient time to enable my marriage to passon without suspicion. I will endeavor to adopt such artifices andprecautions as will completely deceive my husband, and he will neverknow that I am otherwise than he now supposes me. After my marriage, wecan continue our intrigues as before, provided we are extremelycautious. Ah, my handsome African, how dearly I love you.'
The guilty and depraved woman sank back upon a sofa, and her paramourclasped her in his arms.
Let no one say that our narrative is becoming too improbable for belief,that the scenes which we depict find no parallel in real life. Those whoare disposed to be skeptical with reference to such scenes as theforegoing had better throw this volume aside; for crimes of a muchdeeper dye, than any yet described, will be brought forward in thistale: crimes that are daily perpetrated, but which are seldom discoveredor suspected. We have undertaken a difficult and painful task, and weshall accomplish it; unrestrained by a false delicacy, we shall dragforth from the dark and mysterious labyrinths of great cities, thehidden iniquities which taint the moral atmosphere, and assimilate humannature to the brute creation.
Five days after the occurrences just described, in the middle of theafternoon, Miss Julia Fairfield rode out in her carriage alone, drivenby the black, Nero. The vehicle stopped before a house of respectableexterior, in Washington street, and the young lady was assisted toalight; entering the house, she was received by an elderly female, whoimmediately conducted her to a private room, which contained a bed andfurniture of a neat but unostentatious description. The carriage droveaway, and Julia remained several hours in the house. At about nineo'clock in the evening, the carriage returned, and she was assisted toenter, being apparently in a very feeble and unwell condition. Shereached her own dwelling, and for over a week remained in her chamber,under plea of severe indisposition. When at length she made herappearance, she looked extremely pale, and somewhat emaciated; yet, forthe first time in several months, she wore a tight-fitting dress, andher father, unconscious of her crimes, good-naturedly expressed his joyat seeing her 'once more dressed like a Christian lady, and not in theloose and slatter
nly robes she had so long persisted in wearing.'
The next morning after her visits to the house on Washington Street, thenewspapers contained a notice of the discovery of the body of a newbornmulatto child, in the water off the Bowery. That child was the offspringof Miss Julia and the black; it had been strangled, and its body throwninto the water.
About three weeks after her secret accouchement, Julia became the wifeof Frank Sydney. An elegant establishment had been prepared for theyoung couple, in Broadway. Here they repaired after the performance ofthe marriage ceremony; and now being for the first time alone with hisbeautiful bride, Frank embraced her with passionate ardor, and was notrepulsed.
Ah, happy bridegroom, how little thou knowest the truth! Thou dost notsuspect that the lovely woman at thy side, dressed in spotless white,and radiant with smiles--thou dost little think that she, whom thou hasttaken to be thy wedded wife, comes to thy arms and nuptial bed, not apure and stainless virgin, but a wretch whose soul is polluted and whosebody is unchaste, by vile intimacy with a negro menial!
The hour waxes late, and the impatient husband conducts his fair brideto the nuptial chamber--Love's hallowed sanctuary.
Two hours afterwards, that husband was pacing a parlor back and forth,with uneven strides, his whole appearance indicative of mentalagony.--Pausing, he exclaimed--
'My God, what terrible suspicions cross my mind! I imagined Julia to bean angel of purity and virtue yet now I doubt her! Oh, horrible,horrible! But may not my doubts be facts without any foundation? I willtomorrow consult a physician on the subject. Pray heaven my suspicionsmay prove to be utterly groundless!'
He was startled by the sound of an approaching foot-step; the dooropened, and his wife entered, bearing a light. How seductive she looked,in her white night-dress! how tenderly she caressed him, as withaffectionate concern she inquired if he were unwell.
'Dearest Frank,' she said, 'I had fallen into the most delicious slumberI have ever enjoyed;--doubly delicious, because my dreams were of you.Awaking suddenly, I missed you from my arms, and hastened hither to findyou. What is the matter, love?'
'Nothing, Julia,' answered the husband; 'I had a slight head-ache, butit is over now. Return to your chamber, and I will follow you in a fewmoments.'
She obeyed, and Frank was alone. 'Either that woman is as chaste asDiana,' he said to himself, 'or she is a consummate wretch andhypocrite. But let her not be too hastily condemned. My friend, Dr.Palmer, shall give me his opinion, and if he thinks that she could havebeen _as she was_, and still be chaste, then I will discard mysuspicions; but if, on the contrary, the doctor deems such a conditionto be incompatible with chastity, then will I cast her off forever. Icannot endure this fearful state of suspense, would that it weremorning!'
Morning came at last, and Sydney sought the residence of Dr. Palmer,with whom he held a long and private consultation. The result of thisinterview was not very satisfactory to the husband, for the doctor'sconcluding remarks were as follows:--
'My dear sir, it is impossible for any physician, however great may behis professional knowledge and experience, to decide with positivecertainty upon such a matter. Nature has many freaks; the condition ofyour lady _might_ be natural--yet pardon me if, in my own privateopinion, I doubt its being so! I have heard of such cases, where thechastity of the lady was undoubted; yet such cases are exceedingly rare.Your position, Mr. Sydney, is a peculiarly embarrassing and delicateone. I cannot counsel you as a physician; yet, as _a friend_, permit meto advise you to refrain from acting hastily in this matter. Your wifemay be innocent; you should consider her so, until you have ocular orother positive evidence of her guilt. Meanwhile, let her not know yoursuspicions, but watch her narrowly; if she were frail before marriage,she needs but the opportunity to be inconstant afterwards. I haveattended upon the lady several times, during slight illness, in mycapacity as a physician, and I have had the opportunity to observe thatshe is of an uncommonly ardent and voluptuous temperament. Phrenologyconfirms this; for her amative developments are singularlyprominent.--Candidly, her physical conformation strongly impresses mewith the belief, that moral principle will scarcely restrain her fromunlawful indulgence, when prompted by inclination.'
'The devil!' muttered Frank, as he retraced his steps home--'I am aboutas wise as ever! A pretty opinion Dr. Palmer expresses of her, truly!Well, she shall have the benefit of a doubt, and I shall try to lookupon her as an innocent woman, until I detect her in an act of guilt.Meanwhile, she shall be watched narrowly and constantly.'
Frank's suspicions with reference to his newly-made wife, did notprevent his carrying out the plan of benevolence which he formed in thefirst chapter of this narrative. Adopting various disguises, he wouldpenetrate into the most obscure and dangerous quarters of the city, atall hours of the day and night. The details of many of these secretadventures will be hereafter related.