IftheLivonianhadhappenedtomeetMadameMarneffeinsteadofLisbethFischer，hewouldhavefoundaprotectresswhosecomplaisancemusthaveledhimintosomeboggyordiscreditablepath，wherehewouldhavebeenlost。Hewouldcertainlyneverhaveworked，northeartisthavebeenhatchedout。Thus，whilehedeploredtheoldmaid’sgraspingavarice，hisreasonbidhimpreferherironhandtothelifeofidlenessandperilledbymanyofhisfellow-countrymen。
Thiswastheincidentthathadgivenrisetothecoalitionoffemaleenergyandmasculinefeebleness——acontrastinunionsaidnottobeuncommoninPoland。
In1833MademoiselleFischer，whosometimesworkedintothenightwhenbusinesswasgood，ataboutoneo’clockonemorningperceivedastrongsmellofcarbonicacidgas，andheardthegroansofadyingman。Thefumesandthegaspingcamefromagarretoverthetworoomsformingherdwelling，andshesupposedthatayoungmanwhohadbutlatelycometolodgeinthisattic——whichhadbeenvacantforthreeyears——
wascommittingsuicide。Sheranupstairs，brokeinthedoorbyapushwithherpeasantstrength，andfoundthelodgerwrithingonacamp-bedintheconvulsionsofdeath。Sheextinguishedthebrazier；thedoorwasopen，theairrushedin，andtheexilewassaved。Then，whenLisbethhadputhimtobedlikeapatient，andhewasasleep，shecoulddetectthemotivesofhissuicideinthedestitutionoftherooms，wheretherewasnothingwhateverbutawretchedtable，thecamp-bed，andtwochairs。
Onthetablelayadocument，whichsheread：”IamCountWenceslasSteinbock，bornatPrelia，inLivonia。”Nooneistobeaccusedofmydeath；myreasonsforkillingmyselfare，inthewordsofKosciusko，/FinisPolonioe/！”Thegrand-nephewofavaliantGeneralunderCharlesXII。couldnotbeg。Myweaklyconstitutionforbidsmytakingmilitaryservice，andIyesterdaysawthelastofthehundredthalerswhichIhadbroughtwithmefromDresdentoParis。Ihavelefttwenty-