Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-07-25


the advent of his model. All his recollections
were confused, and every effort of his memory
and reason failed to bring him any nearer to
the truth. Divided between the mystic and
the real, he sometimes thought that it must
have been vision of the virgin, and at other
times be imagined that it must have been Mary
Ruthven. At last, in order to solve his per
picking doubts, he determined to address to
the maiden the following epistle;
Lady, forgive me, if, led by the impulse of
| a mistaken idea, | address a few unintellIuible
expressions to you. If | am not mistaken, YOU
will understand me, and condescend, hope, to
set my mind to rest. Tell the poor artist.
whom you have blessed with inspiration. if il,
was thou or an angel that sat as a model of the
virgin during the night, -..t.i
Unfortunately for young men in certain
condition of mind, they are not blessed with too
much judgment. If this epistle had fallen into
the hands of Mary Ruthven only, there would
have been but little more about it, but the dow
ager Lady st. Adams, as superior duenna, had
the privilege of supervising the correspondence
of her ypnpg charges, dire was the scan, and
wrath, and Indignation that iliamined the Wis
age of that great dame when she broke the seal
| of the painters audacious bnt incoherent note.
Horror cried she, in sfrill, treble tone,
and adj the young ladies suspended their labors
to listen to the sequel; "a lady Of lofty house
so far degrades herself and forgets what she
owes to her statlun, az to go alone at night to
seek the studio of painter As she spoke,
she looked scornfuly on the culprit, as if she
would have slain her !; but her wrath redoubled
as she beheld Mary, gentle and undisturbed as
she ever was, listen to her reproaches as if she
had expected scene, who had anticipated a
deep and sudden confusion, and hoped to re-
ceive sincere ayowal as the price of pardon,
saw that she was not likely, from the maiden s
so thoroughly composed manner, to obtain ei-
ther. The alarm was accordingly sounded IN
the palace and it WAS decided, by patiia-
ment of ladies. that the poor, lost and degrad-
ed Mary Ruthyen should return TO her father
on the morrow. Neither tears. nor prayers
nor proiestations would be listened TO and on
the following day the sad and weeping maiden
a dishonored name to her own native land and
in order that she might be strictly under due
serveillence until her departure, the dowagel
placed her couch in her own apartment
l.. Ii 4 Z ,
The preceding night arose. Awakened by the
movement, from her unquiet slumbers, the dow
ager, also rejoicing in the opportunity of con
vincing those who yet clnng TO a belief in tn,
maiden's innocence, called several ladies oftht
palace to behold the nocturnal wanderer q
forth again to the painters rooms. Lighting
their flambeaux, the dowager and train of la
dies followed the footsteps of the shadow-likt
maiden. She traversed the great square ano
the corridors on the previous night, ant
moved towards the galleries of the chapel
The duenna turned towards the ladies', and sht
saw in their naughty. scqrnful risages sufficient
proof of their belief in Mary's culpabili,y. =
They followed her into the studio of the artist
and found her quietly and composedly seatec
before the easel. The sound Of many feet, III,
explanations of surprise, and The fambeau,
which threw their sudden light upon her beau
fil face, all combined to astonish and move tn,
maiden, and with a sudden start, she spreaC
out her hands, rose to her feet, and locke,
around her az she uttered a scream.
She had been asleep. 1t was as a somnam
bulist that she had gone 10 the studio of thu
painter and had served as his model She ha,
rendered 10 him unconsciously tic means o
winning fame and glory, for he bore ieom al
competitors the prize for his head of the virgin
and shortly afterwards daughter Of the hous'
of Ruthven pigh,ed her ,roih u Sir hnthJn,
Vandyke, the greatest painter Of his day.