Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-01-06
Iv.-TnB ENCHANTED PRrnc.ss.


We had boy at Toms place, . capital dis
penser. could leave him in the shop with per
feet confidence, his master had grounded him
60 thoroughly in the routine Of parochial medi-
"Parish patients, /" Tom would say to the boy;
"have only two ailments. Either it's ahem, or
else it's alum. If it's ahem. give 'em chalk; il
it's ahum, give them Epson salts. IL they're
not the better for one, try An slterative-give
the m the other"
There was a big bottle OF chalk mixture on a
lower shelf, an immense jar of Epson salts
close beside it. Every thing else was put away
out Of the reach Of the lad, so that he couldn I
go wrong.
1t was with an easy mind. therefore, tina.
left the shop to visit my fair and distinguished
patient. She looked wonderfully different now
sad, indeed but radiant with purpose. didn't
wonder that poor Charles had lost his heart, she
was Q, s1e .s are beauty look at her
was, my life was at her disposal; but OF what
avail my life? IL was money she stood in need
of; and had only five and-twenty shillings.
told her much.
Give and-twenty shillings, have You? To
NE that seems a fortune. See here, here are
manuscripts; l have written, oh, SO much
write; my heap Of white paper a little tunnel, as
il were, from a dull and dreary world into
world where every thing is fresh and bright"
Or traP-door,' suggested, "such as the
enchanted princeSses passed down. when they
danced their shoes away in the garden with the
talking trees"
:" Or the hole in the mountain that leads into
Come, Lady Charles, this is not practical
We must have money to carry on the campaign
What can we do with five-and-twenty shillings?
couldn't think of any thing. There was a
baby coming-an heir to the estate and title,
perhaps. That it should be born in these squat
led lodgings might faint its birth with suspicion.
The Inspiration came upon me with a flash
We would 20 and take possession of Delpere
Hall.
v.-THE START.
Where was the soi-distant Sir Frederick? He
was in London, knew, attending the Phanto-
dent disciple of that faith. Where were the
girls? Gone to Brighton, to be out of the way
OF the falling leaves. 1 had heard they were
going when was at Hurstham.
The first thing to be done was to send three
kilograms.
One to the housekeeper at the Hall to send
carriage "fOr Lady Charles" to meet her at the
Hurstham station that evening.
One for the family doctor at the village, to at
tend Lady Charles at the Hall that night.
One to the local lawyer, to meet Lady Charles's
She shrank from all this, implored me to give
1t up; but would not. "In justice to your
child" said, and silenced her.
The three kilograms cost three shillings. Poor
Constance had only one dress left her, the cot
ton one in which had first seen her. To me
she seemed a queen in that old cotton dress.
The housekeeper at the Hall might have a diff
ferent impression. First appearances would be
every thing. Were We adoubttul-lOoking party,
we might have the door shut in our faces. Con-
stance had, for lack of bread, pawned all the
really good garmentsshe had possessed. A black
silk dress and a black Astrakhan travelling jack.
ct were redeemed at a cost of nine shillings.
RObed in these, as she came down to the cab
that stood by the s9ualid lodging, she seemed
very empress.
Cab eighteen-pence; frst-class to Hurstham
for my queen, six shillings; third-class for my
self, two shllings Why, my purse was, like
Foftunatuss, insxhaustible! had still three
and-sixDence left.
Once seated in the train and whizzing away to
HuTstham, profound depression succeeded the
excitement OF the day. All kinds OF gloomy
forebodings haunted me. We should fail, we
should be ANONYMOUSLY turned out of the Hall
as lmpOstOrs, perhaps handed over to the police.
For myself had no hope; it was ever my lot to
me all the days Of my life. But for her, for Con-
stance-ah, my ideas grew clearer as 1 thought
of her; the swarm OF buzzing, singing thoughts
took flight.
The train stopped; saw a carriage standing
ais Lady Charles carriage here?'' shouted,
jumping on to the platform.
All right-met," said the fOOtman; "where's
her ladyships luggage"
VI.-THE FINISH.
The housekeeper didn't know us from Adam
and Eve; could tell that by her way: she had
only been there few weeks, however, and she
didn't like to appear ignorant of the family con-
nectiOns. All the principal servants were in
town with their master. The hall-porter re-
manned, and eyed me suspiciously. He seemed
as if he half remembered me.
:" Are you her ladyship's wally?' he said to
"No, I'm only her secretary; and desire
ter"
The man grumbled and growled, and retired
to his den.
The doctor came bustling in, and was shown
up to Lady Charles-the lawyer presently. And
now my task began. took him to the library
and made him sit down, ordered in some re-
freshment, and then commenced my story. He
was young man; fortunately for me, youth of
spirit and ambition. My story charmed him, /
could see; found he caught spark of the fire
that burned within me. 1 told him how had
been the early friend of Charlie Delmere from
the days we had been at Westminster together;
fathers wish, who intended him for the Guards,
that he might serveswith me and see some fight
ing. told him of his sad death, and of the Sc
cret he had confided to me-the secret of his
marriage to his cousin Constance. And then 1
showed him the proofs. Yes, everything was in
order-with one exception; and my heart sank
Yes, the certificate of marriage was in the name
OF Charles Doughton and Constance Darrell.
letter here affirming that"
said the lawyer, ''if the other party to the mar
yiage were ignorant Of it; but it throws an awk-
ward obstacle In the way. What induced him
why, 1t was in this way-they were married
by bans"
"What f0olishness They should have had a
EceDse-it's only swallowing an affidavit. She
was an orphan; he hadOnly afather-why didn't
he get hcense?r
"Charlie Delmere could never have perjured
himself"
Gone kind Of deception's as bad as another,
l think, }" said the lawyer.
"Well, they were "asked" at Brighton parish
church, where the family had been staying
you know what interminable lists OF names they
gable over there. So Charles thought they'd
escape notice among all these names; but as the
servants OF the house went to church, to make
all safe he gave in his name as Charles Dough-
ton--a name, after all, to which he was as much
entitled as the other; for his fathers name was
really Doughton, although he took the name OF
Delmere when he came into this property"
"Then why wasn't the marriage acknow-
lodged when Sir John died, IL they were too
much afraid OF the OLD man to own to it before?''
"The poor thing was friendless. No one
would believe her, especially when they found
no register of the marriage she alleged to have
taken place; and you'll mind that as she knew
nothing of the change Of name, she couldn't
give the clew. So they offered her small pen
sion out Of the estate, which she refused, and
went away and tried to support herself rs q gov
erness; and then her state revealed itself, and
she was obliged to leave, poor thing; and then
she tried to earn living by writing; she could
paint little too, and sold sketches TO the little