The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-01-13
CHAPTER Ill.
MARIA sAXoNBURY.

The golden light of the setting sun was
falling on a golden room. 1t is scarcely
wrong to call It such, for the color pre-
vailing in it was that of gold Gold~col-
ored satin curtains and cushioned chairs,
gilt cornices, mirrors in gilded frames,
gilded consoles whose slabs of the richest
lapis lazuli clone with costly toys, paint
ings in rich enclosures, and golden cTaa-
ments. Altogether the room looked 9 tla=e
OF gold. The large window opened upon
wide terrace, on which rose an ornamen-
tai fountain, its glittering spray dancing
in the sunlight: and beyond that terrace
was a fair domain, stretched out far aud
wide; the domain of Sir Arthur Saxon
bury.
Swinging her pretty foot to and fro, and
leaning back in one of the gay chairs, was
a lovely girl budding into womanhood,
with bright features and a laughing eye,
the youngest, the most INDUCED, and the
vainest daughter of Sir Arthur She was
in g white lace evening dress, and wore q
pearl necklace and pearl bracelets on her
fair neck and arms. They had recently
come homs after a short London season,
which had been half over when they re-
turned from the continent, and were as
vet free from visitors. Lady Saxonbury
was in iii health, and Mrs Ashton, the
eldest married daughter, was staying with
them while her husband was abroad.
In chair little behind Miss Saxon.
bury. as if conscious of the difference be.
tween them-for there s0GS a distance-sat
Raby Raby. 1t WAS said the house was
free from visitors, but he was scarcely re
garded as such. Sir Arthur, in the plen-
itude of his heart, had invited him to come
and stay a couple Of months at Saxonbury;
the country air would renoyate him; be
could have the run of the picture-gallery,
and copy some of its chefs d GuUre. And
Raby came. Sir Arthur's early secret was
safe with himself, and he could only ex-
plain that his interest in Raby Raby was
but that which he would take in any RI
sing artist So the family, even the SER
wants, looked on him with a patronizing
eye, as one who had ''come to paint" Raby
had accepted Sir .Arthurs invitation with
q glow of gratifcation-the far-famed
Saxonbury gallery was anticipation
enough for him. He forgot to think where
the funds were to come from TO make a
suitable appearance as Sir Arthur Saxon
bury's guest but these the painter Coram
deiicately furnished. alt is but loan,
said he: ''you can repay me with the frs;
proceeds that your pencil shall receive"
Thus Raby went TO Saxonbury. And
there had he been now for half his allot-
ted time, drinking in the wondrous beau
ties of the place and scenery-and other
wondrous beauties which il had been az
well that he had not drunk in. The ele-
gance that surrounded him, and to which
he had been latterly a stranger-the
charms of the society he was thrown
amongst once again, as an equal for the
time belng-the qualification of the eye
and mind, and the pomp and pride OF
courtly life; all this was but too congenial
to the exalted taste of Raby Raby, and he
was in danger of forgetting the stern real
ities of life, to become lost in false Elys-
ium.
He was thrown much with Maria Sax
onbury-far more than he need have been.
The faultwas entirely hers. A great admi.
rer of beauty, like her father. and possess
ing high reverence for genius, the ex-
quisite face of Raby Raby attracted her
admiration as it had never yet been at
tracted; whilst his eager aspirations, and
love for the fine arts, were perfectly con-
sonant to her own mind. His companion
ship soon grew excessively pleasing, and
she gave her days up to it without re-
straint, absorbed in the pleasure of the
moment Nothing more: of all the people
in the world, Maria Saxonbury was the
last to think seriously OF one beneath her.
So, leaving consequences to take care Of
themselves, or be remedied by time, she
dwelt only on the present. She would
fit about when he was at work in the pic
ture-gallery, she would linger by his side
in the gardens, one or the other of the lit.
tie Ashtons generally being their compan.
ion: in short, it seemed that the object o.
Maria's life, just now, was to be with the
artist~visItor. Even this night, when hel
father and sister had gone out to dinner
she had excused hersel # she would stay
at home with her mother, she said: bn
Lady Saxonbury was in her chamber, anC
Maria remained in the drawing-room will
MIR. Raby. Its probable that Lady Sax,
onbury, if she thought Of him at all, be-