The native American., 1839-04-20


membered dream. / could not recollect that hac
ever been in company with the Duke, and yet
was sure that his face was not unfamiliar to me
Great were the heart-burnings that night IN the
ballroom. His highness did not dance, bu
amused himself with watching the many lovely
forms that noa;ed amid the mazes Of the bewltch'
ing waltz. Many bright eye grew brighter be-
meath his glance-manv fair cheek blushed zee
lestia rosy red," the dancers gossamer robe
brushed the velvet trapplngs OF the noble stranger
The next day, the Duke exhibited himself on
horseback, and thus afforded us an opportunity OF
observing his small and beautiful foot. His form,
was evidently diminutlve, but the graceful cloak
which seemed his constant companion forbade us
TO discover its proportions and all were willing
10 believe that, where the head was so fine, and
The extremites so we'll shaped. the figure also
must be good. As he rode slowly away, the
same vague feeling of recognition passed through
my mind, and, as he dlsmounted after his return.
discovered the mystery. HIS horse, alarmed
by some unwonted sound, turned short round as
he was about alightng, and, to avoid an appear
ance OF awkwardness, he was compelled to dis
mount with the sun full i'll his eyes. He raised
his head and met the full blaze of light, without
la momentary dropping Of the eyed; and this
simple incident at once lssipated all my doubts
lie was the strange individual had met on board
the steamboat-the handsome stranger
My suspicious once aroused, | determined to
watch the noble Duke very narrowly, and disco
yer, If possible, the meaning of this surprising
netAmorphose. | found him gradually making
himself acquainted with the loveliest among the
females. and The richest among the men. His
cqupage and servants were always at the COM
mand Of the ladies whom he honored with his
admiration; and their brothers could not be so
unreasonable as to object to an acquaintance with
man who displayed the decorations Of immune
rable orders of knighthood-who limited his con-
sangu!nity with the blood royal of France-and,
above all, who lost his money at billiards with so
much grace and dignity.
Among the bellies Of the season, Matilda Eas-
ton, The orphan hcress Of a Southern planter,
was conspicuous. She had visited the Springs
under the protection of her aunt, a sentimental
spinster of the old school, who doaed on the pro-
ductlon of the Minerva Press" and expected
all kinds of romantic improbablities from the
charms OF her beWltchng niece Matilda was
certainly splendid creature, and, with little
more seIt-distrust, would have been very lovely
woman: but born at the South and surrounded
by slaves from infancy, she had learned to look [
upon herself sor: of earthly divinity, whom
men ought to worship, rather than presume to love.
She was Just twenty, and in actual possession of
her immense fortune: it was no wonder, there
FORE that the Duke singled her out as the object
Of his special attention The undisguised delight
with which Matilda enjoyed the triumph over
her rivals, first made me doubt the better qualities
of her nature. |, using the privilege Of my
years, endcavored in vain TO arouse her suspicious
and AWAKEN her to a full sense of the danger she
was nearing IN this intimacy but she was too
selt-wil.e'! 10 listen to an old mans caution, and
nothing was left to me but to look on while the
game was played.
in the course of short time. the billiard play
ers found that the stranger could 1rin money as
amlahiv as he once lost it: and many precp-
tate reJeat from the summer abode of Fashion
might be attributed to the grace with which the
noble Duke presided over the table of Fortune.
Many young dandy, who had dealt out the
highest encomiums on his highness' af1abtv,
was obliged to add his regrets that republican
purse was quite insufficient to support SO aristo-
cratic al acquaintance. In the meantime, the sin
gular beauty Of his countenance seemed to serve
him as a letter of credit, and, wherever he went,
he was sure of being we'll received. ''Why
does he always wear that cloak?'' | asked of Ma
tllda, to whom he protessed to have narrated ma
ny incidents in his life. "Oh, there is very ro-
mantle story connected with it, replied she,
. but 1t was related to me under promise Of Sc
crecy: can tell you enough, however, to ac-
count for his wearing it. While travelling thro
Calabrla, he was fortunate enough 10 rescue a
Spanish Prince from the hands of banditti: in
the sudden impulse of gratitude, the Prince threw
his own cloak, with its splendid diamond clasp
on the Dukes shoulders, and exacted from him a
promise never to appear without it until they
should meet again. How long since this ro-
mantle adventure occurred?' | asked About
three years" 1.-The Duke has been extremely
careful Of his royal gift, if he has been able to re-
tain its first gloss SO long said | but Matilda
deigned no reply to my inuendo, and ! questioned
her no farther. remained an anxious, though
not an interested, spectator of their proceedings,
until learned that Matilda had broken Off an en-
gagement Of years standing with her cousin a
promising lawyer in Charleston, and then in dis
gust quilted the Springs.
had been but few days at nv old winter
lodgings, in the City Hotel, when found the
Duke Of Piombino among US. Matilda had
returned to her splendid house, the Battery,
and the Duke took up his abode in the vicinity
determined to follow up his advantage. Living
in the house with him, could not but observe the
admirable manner in which he conducted his ma
nRuvres. His fine Observation-Disclosures skill in