Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-12-16
MISCELLANY.
From the Ladies' Companion.
MASKING AND UNMASKING
OFT HEBAR oNEr's SECRET.
BY F. A. DURIvAGE.

BY IA DURIvAGE.
The Prince of Darkness is genucman."-King Lcsr
CHAPTER 1.-THE FARM HOUSE.
THE Castle of Elinwood stood in tho midst of n |
wide and valuable domain in one of the northern |
coun,ies OF England, and was place Of great an
,iuny maintained Ivy its different possessors in n
state Of perfect repair. From time to time, var
Gus architectural additions had been made to il, !
but all these executed in good taste, so thu,
the an,iNne and Gothic character of he original !
pile had not degeneratcd, the period of our sto-
~, the events 81 which occurred during the reign
OF Charles II, of vriuous aud moral memory.
Like most OF the old castles and stronghos in |
northern England it was the scene many strange
tales and amazing traditions, all Of which du-
" credited 10y the honest yeomanry OF the district
aud related by some garrulous old crone or Cos
slipping village attorney, formed the staple nntise
menls OF the winter evenings and Christmas holi
days. Foremost among these legends, and most
religously believed, was the story al Il certain ia
nar or Demon visitor, said TO make his appear
ance at midnight to each lord of the castle on the
day of his taking possession. A certain quaint
hand.bel was preserved at Elinwood, fashioned
in The shape OF II grm-cHp--Or rather in that OF
the Father OF Evil himself the clapper to which
represents that singular elongation of spine which
forms so characteristic feature in the personnel OF
the Fallen Spirit, and is duly delineaied in all the
portraits OF his sae nujesty. This bell, it was a
night which the heir took possession, and lis
tintinnabuary summons was as invareb'y answer
ed by the presence of the spirit Whether his
mission was for good for evil was unknown
but the fortunes of The lords OF Elinwood fiuciua-
ted like those of all other families, aud The ignO-
rant and supcrstilious failed attribute them
10 the c price OF The Demon Of the Castle.
AT the point where Our story commences, the
Lady Adelai !e Arnnge, aud her lovely and ac-
complished daughter Mary, girl just blooming
INTO womanhood, had received u peremptory sum
mons TO quit the custle-which The former had
considered hers, together with other possessions,
in virtue other marriage with Sir Albert Arn,itage
mn accomplished gentlemen and soldier, who had
served with distinction in the civil wars, been hon
ored with The favor OF his royal master on his res
toralion, aud brought home TO Elinwood in Fri
umph the beautiful wife he had married in Elan
ders during IA tedious exile, which he bore with
the firmness of a man. He was not permitted,
however long to ENJOY the delight of wandering
with his wife and daughter among old remember
ed scenes OF his native country, Tor few months
after his return an nsidious disease undermined
his constitutions and lie was hid 10 rest beside tie
bones Of his ancestry, with martial pomp and mu :
sic, amidst the tears and regrets, not only OF his
henrt-siricken Adelaide, and his loving md lovely
child, but of all his friends and tenants. This event
was tho commencement of Nil the cares and lrou-
bles Of his widow, whose life had hitherto been
one of sunshine aud Joy, but who now found her
hood, compelled TO encounter the hostility OF Ger
tain relations of her late husband, who laid claim
TO hcr property and forthwith Instituted n suit a.
gainsl her TO obtain il. They grounded their de
nands on the alleged fact thet Adelaide rAlberl
had never been married to Sir Albert, and the,
challenged her TO adduce legal evidence Nom
such, however, was forhcoming-no marriage
certificate could lie found among the papers of he
late husband, and when she sent TO The vi,lag
where she hUd been welded, she found, to he
disnuy, that The little Lutheran church in whic
the ceremony had been performed Ind been de
stroyed by fire, together with oil It's records. Til
vast estates which were theirs by right, accord
ingy pissed away from the widow and cllild b
a formal decree OF the law, aud they we're ordere
to depart forthwith from those venerable wall
which she had been so long taught to considf
their innllenable heritage. property Of sna
value, which she had inherited from her fathe
was all TINT remained to Lady Armitage in her M
tive country, to which she now proposed retiring
This terrible change of circumstances would no
however, have suttced to how down the sereI
aud uncomplaining spirit of the lovely and info
innate ady-but j, pierced her very soul to thin
that she was now, in the eyes of the world, dc
graded being, shorn of her fair iume, aud able
transmit TO her poor child-her adofed Mary-ol
ly heritage OF shame.
II was n gloomy nulumnal day-that in viii,
the bereaved pair-the widow and the fatierle
girl, looked their last on Elinwood, and betot
themselves TO n small Ia IN house, occupied by
humble friend, Dame Ashton, IA tenant of the e
tate, from whose roof they were to depart by mig
TO a neighboring seaport, thence 10 embark {
Rotterdam in small packet. They were accor
panied TO the farm house by a strange attendant
a rustic mechanic by the name Of Walter Nc
inuin-u mason by trade-whose story was env'
oped in web of mystery. He was coarse, b
hardy and iovial fellow, who, some four years L
fore, had been u very gossip in his speech, roy
terng blade at vilinge fairs and wakes, and We
boon companion at the ale-h0use. forgot 10 me
ton that Lady Ar,nitnge and her daughter we
absent from the castle on the day which proved
tai 10 It's lord. He had, for some days previo,
shown such decided symptoms Of improving hea
thar the ply scians pronounced him wholly out
danger, and the invalid had compelled his W
and child, who hal been constant watchers at
bed side. to accept the invitation Of a lady who
sided few miles from Elinwood, to pass the d
at her house. During their brief absence, his
order took an unlavorable turn, and they WI
summoned back in haste, hut arrived only in III
to close tho eyes of the sufferer in death. Wal
NORMAN had been with hin, in the scene, and
was supposed tina, the sudden death OF his putr'
owhom he was singuary attached, had affect