Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-06-01


Estelle was weeping too bitterly to reply.
'-Stella! will you promise to do thiss''
"LOrd MOntressOr, best and dearest friend! DO |
not seek to bind yourself to one who can give |
you nothing in return! Try 20 think oil the
melancholy girl that you have pitied and loved
-orly as a shadow that fell for amOment across
the sunshine of your path, and then passed away
fOrever!-and so forget her!"
"Stella. have pledged my honor never to
renew the suit, unless you reverse in my favor
the sentence You have pronounced upon 1t; but
inspired by the deep and deathless love bear
you, and hoping against hope | feel impelled
to lmplore before leaving you, that, in the event
Of a favorable change of sentiment or purpose /
towards me, You will not hesitate TO give me /
leave to return. Stella, will you promise me so
much as that!'
''Nobest friend that have in the world how /
gladly would | promise, but l must not, Mon
tressor Were l to do so, you would feel bound |
to wait the changes of my mood, and so, for |
most undeserving love, might miss, in some |
nObler wOman's affections the happiness in store |
for you'll
stella, will you raise your sweet, mournful |
eyes to mine, one moment, that you may read |
my soul while | speak?"
Estelle lifted her dark orbs to meet the clear,
pure blue eyes bent with so much love and can |
dor upon hers, and read the deep unchanging
| truth Of the cOnstancy of his soul as he said
"Stella in the presence of the heart-searching
| God who sees and hears me, | assure you that
shall never love another woman as l love you,
and therefore, of course, can never wed another;
so that whether you give me this slightest OF
hopes or not am equally and forever bound!
Now will you promise, Stella? Remember, II is
only to let me know in case of change in your
sentiments
For an instant the light Of an unutterable love
and JOY broke on her beautiful dark face, and
her smiling lips parted to speak-when-as if a
sudden memory and warning had gripped her
| very heart-she uttered low, sharp cry turned
paler than before. and then said
mo, no, my lord Stella cannot even give
you that. She is poorer than the poorest in gifts
to you! She can only pray that you may forget
her and be happy"
He looked profoundly disappointed and trou-
bled but soon mastering his dependency he
| said hopefully
! "Weil. dearest Stella, although you reject me
without apparent reason, and refuse to give me
/ the slightest promise or the most distant hope,
yet repeat-should you, in the long future.
change your purpose, and write to me one word
Come will hasten to lay at your feet an
unchanged heart. Good bye God be with you"
and raising her hand, he bowed over it, pressed
tito his lips, turned and left the room.
Some moments after Lady Morelle, who came
to seek and congratulate her daughter upon
what she imagined to be the only possible result
of the interview, found Estelle lying in a swoon
. | "a
| terrible illness, terminating in tedously pro-
tracted cOnvalescence The town season was at
hand before Estelle was able to re-enter society.
They went up to London, and once more the
4" star Of beauty" arose upon its world And
though the cloud upon her life settled darker
and heavier, day by day, She was more followed,
fattered and cOurted than before.
Thus three years had passed away, when one
morning, while the family, (then occupying their
town house in Berkely Square) were seated at a
late Breakfast and Sir Parke was engaged in
reading aloud from the London Times, an ac-
count Of the SaUiHg of the French ship, LIE Due
D'.4jOu, t0Tecked off the coast Of .4igiers, ES-
telie uttered a iOlc cry and sunk taiHtiHg from
her seat
This attack was not, as the others had been,
folloNed by illness; On the contrary, from that
day the cloud seemed lifted from her head, and
even those who had most admired her face in its
shadow, were enchanted to see how brilliant was
her beauty in its sunshine! Her health and
spirits daily improved; yet in the midst of all
this flowing tide of new life, Estelle aStOnshed
her friends by suddenly, in the height of the
London season, retiring to her fathers country
seat where she remained in strict seCluSOn from
the world for eighteen months.
At the end of this period, Lord MOntressor
who had never left England, or lost trace of his
beloved Stella, and who was now staying at his
castle in Dorsetshire, was one day seated a
him. Among a score of letters, the first that at
tracted his attentiOnwas a dainty white envelope
subscribed in a delicate hand writing. He took
that up first and opened it it contained but one
word" CONE"
The light of an ineffable Joy broke over his
face Oh he had waited, patiently, hopefully
years. for that word, and at last he received it
Thanks TO heaven in the first instance and theT
pushing all the other letters unopaned aside, h
sprang up, rang for his valet and ordered hi
valise packed and horses put to the carriage.
In twenty more minutes he had reached tn
railway station, just as the cars were about t,
start, and in three hours he was at Hyde Hall
and standing in the presence of Estelle-sh
looking so beautiful and happy.
With the old chivalric enthusiasm of devotion
he dropped. at once, upon his knee, and raiseC
her hand to his lips, saying
''For four years have hoped and waited 70
one word from you :; and, at last, beloved, yOl
have written, Come, and am at your feet, a
l said, with an unchanged heart"
But L." she said, deeply blushing while sht
held both hands TO raise him, Z" l. my Lord, have
not an unchanged heart for longer than fou
. years l have loved you more than woman
, tongue may tell and never more than at thu
I hour in which we babe farewell, as l thought
foreverp
Il know it, beloved! knew it then know i
ailCay never doubted it! Could be deceived
, in the heart of the woman loved No, and tina
was the secret of my patience - he replied, tax
ing his seat on the sofa by her side
, "And yet you never inquired, and do not evel
, now inquire, why, without explanation and with
out hope, sent you from my presence and VII.
, now, without apparent reason, l summon yOl
back"' she said. a shade Of the old sadnes
I fell upon her beautiful face.
, \ our motives. dearest. were, and are you
own. Not until your spirit moves you to do so
shall you give them to me. have full conf
dence in you, beautiful Stellar
I "COH6deHce, u my God :" she exclaimed in
low deep thrilling voice.
Why what is the matter dearestp
She lohked up suddenly, smile Of worship
ping love breaking like sunlight over her darl
face, and said
Nothing, nothing, my lord but that all you
thoughts and feelings are so elevated beyOnt
your poor Estelle's! And yet she would afmos
choose it so; tor could she be an angel, she woul,
wish You to be something far higser-a godI'
Sweet enthusiast, moderate your aspirations
or the world and its people will disappoint you
BE not an idolater; worship only God, my Stel
:. La
Such was their meeting.
Yet, occasionally throughout the interview
sudden shadow like the recurrence of a painful
thought, would fall upon her bright face, and thei
pass as il came.
They were engaged, and within few days tn
marriage was announced TO take place on tn
! hrst OF May.
But il was observed by the nearest friends 0
the bride, that from the day Of her betrothal, he
spirits had been marked by the strangest fuctus
tOns. Sometimes with her beautiful, dark fac
illumihed with deep, STILL almost religious JOY
she moved about, As il were, on winged feet
! sat broOding in happy trance. At other time
she fell into deep gloom and anxiety, as inexpl
cable as il was alarming 20 her friends. VIII
greatly feared her relapse into the deep melan
, ! zhrho har an
tha they bad grown to dread as a serious cor
siitutional malady. But they hoped everythin
from her approaching marriage with the man sh
loved. Lord AoaIressOr observed with the d eI
est interest the uncertain moods his betrothed
but with the high-tOnsd sentiments that distiI