Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-10-20
EVENING STAR.
DESCRIPTION OF COUNT D'oRsAY.

DESChlFTlON OF COUNT D'ORSAY.
LAZY Blessington spoke French we'll
but if you would endeavor to imagine
French angel, who had been not only
educated, but had passed the whole of
his existence out of heaven and in Paris,
you would possibly arrive at the idea
which was then formed by me of Dor
say 8 style Of voice. utterance, accent,
and phraseology. The French tongue
seemed rather to adapt itself to his ideas.
than his ideas appeared to adapt them.
selves to it. Purely Gallo as he was, he
was by no means the Frenchman who
lounges about Paris at the present day
You may wander, should you choose to
do so, for many month through that
city, without meeting any likeness to
whom either his manner or conversation
can be assimilated. 1t was not, so far
as one is able to judge by report and rep
utation, that of the old regime. He was
too young to have imbibed the traditions
of the Vielle Cot>, and too innately the
gentleman to have been tainted by the
carelessness and want of refined feeling
which had attended the Revolution, and
acquired strength, consistence, and dura-
bility under the Consulate and the En-
pre-. His dress was in itself a model
worthy of study. Quiet, and vet mos:
minutely refined, no one could have mis-
taken it for any but the attire of gen.
tleman. How exquisitely kind and So
ciable were his manners! Yet through
them all, how very evidently was it OBJ
vious to any who might be associating
with him, that he was man who never
by any accident forgot bis own position,
and that he was possibly the only living
person, who, but for his rank and intel
lect, might have worthily occupied the
throne left vacant by the inglorious flight
of Brummell. His rank alone would not
have lifted him beyond the man who has
stamped himself immortal by the fact
that he confessed to having once " tasted
a pea" But this, combined with his
intellect, and welded with his rare per-
scnal beauty and elegant figure, raised
him far beyond the stature of that repu
tation which had been enjoyed by this
well known individual
And then, with how sublime and touch
ing resignation did he resign himself to
support the weight of his debts.
Did he happen to know that the officers
of the sheriff wished to secure the plea
! sure of his society, how frankly was be
accustomed to submit to that knowledge,
in the security insured him in the Gore
House, by the well-known legal fact,
that every Englishman 8 dwelling place
is his castle-a locked up castle in such
a case, it is true-but what then? He
was a Frenchman, but he lived under
English laws. Need l say that he most
thoroughly availed himself of the security
these laws afforded his person.
Slowman, or Thompson, or Levy
whichever 1t was, mattered but little
might lurk about and around the pre-
clncts of that establishment day after
day.
They might case with hungry ardor
on the equipage of Lord Chesterfield, as
lit rolled into the gates of Gore House,
and then closed upon its retreating wheels
With keen scent after their prey, they
might cast longing and envious glances
on the brougham ofmy Lord of Brouo ham
and Vau1, when it paused at the door
and contemplate the nose of its master
as it twitched convulSively, when he
mounted the steps within the external
walls. But, alas long as they might,
those gates were scrupulously closed
upon them, until after the hour of twelve
o'clock upon Saturday night. Then was
DOrsay freed from their supervision for
the next twenty-and-four hours. The
criminal law only is awake upon the
English Sabbath. For the civilized vio-
lator of the m I'm and t,tum, that day is.
as it is for the Christian, day of rest.
His cab with its splendid bay would be
waiting for him at the door about 2
o'clock. He would descend the steps
and enter it, looking like q somewhat
elderly AdOnis-for the first blush of his
youth was trifle faded. Two or three
visits would be paid by him. Then,
about five, he would drive around HYDE
Park, holding the reins with his spotiess
gray or yellow kids-show himself to
his numerous friends and acquaintances.
as his horse lounged along the banks of
the Serpentine, and then visit his club,
or dine with friend, ever returning be-
fore the hour which would give the un.
lucky walters upon Providence chance
of seizing his most precious person.
Is not this a picture of content worthy
of the ancient philosophers 2 Could even
Epicures have exceeded its Candidly,
think not.