Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIV. Christiane's Via Crucis *he dawn of the following day brought bad news to Andermatt. He learned on his arrival at the bath-establishment that M. AubryPasteur had died during the night from an attack of apoplexy at the Hotel Splendid. In addition to the fact that the deceased was very useful to him on account of his vast scientific attainments, disinterested zeal, and attachment to the Mont Oriol station, which, in some measure, he looked upon as a daughter, it was much to be regretted that a patient who had come there to fight against a tendency toward congestion should have died exactly in this fashion, in the midst of his treatment, in the very height of the season, at the very moment when the rising spa was beginning to prove a success. The banker, exceedingly annoyed, walked up and down in the study of the absent inspector, thinking of some device whereby this misfortune might be attributed tw some other cause, such as an accident, a fall, a want of prudence, the rupture of an artery; and he impatiently awaited Doctor Latonne's arrival in order that the decease might be ingeniously certified without awakening any suspicion as to the initial cause cf the fatality. All at once, the medical inspector appeared on the scene, his face pale and indicative of extreme agitation; and, as soon as he had passed through the door, he asked: "Have you heard the lamentable news?" "Yes, the death of M. Aubry-Pasteur." "No, no, the flight of Doctor Mazelli with Professor Cloche's daughter." Andermatt felt a shiver running along his skin. "What? you tell me --" "Oh! my dear manager, it is a frightful catastrophe, a crash!" He sat down and wiped his forehead; then he related the facts as he got them from Petrus Martel, who had learned them...