Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-03-17

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He took the children, seated them OF
his knees, and then began to tell then
a fairy story evidently of his own in
vention and extemporizing) to whicE
they listened with profound interest,
indeed, | could not help being inter
ested in the story, SO fanciful were the
ideas, and so poetical the language il
which they were expressed.
The story ended, the stranger repla
ced the children on the carpet, ant
approached the table on which stood
in a porcelain vase, q boquet Of flow
ers. These he admired, and began ;
discourse on Horticulture. / listened
with intense earnestness, 50 profount
were all his observations. We were
standing at the table for at least eight
or ten minutes my boys hanging or
the skirt Of my dress and now ant
then compelling me to beg of them te
be silent.
One o'clock came, but not the Ma
jor. | received, however, a note from
him, written in pencil on 4 slip Of pa
per. He would be detained at the
Government House until half past
two
"Again | requested the fascinating
stranger to partake of luncheon,
which was now on the table in the
room ; and again with the same win
ming smile, he declined As he was
about, as | thought, to depart, | ex-
tended my hand ; he stepped back,
made low bow, and declined taking
it."
For gentleman to have his hand
refused when he extends it to another
is embarrassing enough. But fora la
dy ? Who can possible describe what
were my feelings ? Had he been the
heir to the British throne, visiting the
penal settlement in disguise (and from
the strangers manners and conrersa-
ton be might have been that illustri-
ous personage), he could scarcely
have, under the circumstances, leat-
ed me III suce an extraordinary man
ner. | hardly knew what to think
Observing, as the stranger must have
lone, the blood rush to my checks {;
being cognizant, evidently, of what
was passing through my mind, he
spoke as follows:
MADAM, | am afraid you will new
er forgive me the liberty have taken
already. But the truth is, the pas.
sion suddenly stole over me, and l
could not resist the temptation of sat
styling you that the skill which made
he so conspicuous in the mother coun.
ry still remained to me in this convict
and"
stared at him but could not speak
hen.
"Aladam' he continued, "the penal.
y of sitting at the table with you, or
akipg the hand you paid me the com.
'llment to profer me-yourself in ig-
lOrance Of the fact | am about to dis
,loGe-would have been forfeiture of
ny ticket of leave, Il hundred lashes,
md employment on the road in irons.
As it is, | dread the Majors wrath ;
'ut | cherish hope that you will en-
'eavor to appease it, if your advoca-
y be only return for the brief a
I afforded your beautiful
children" y"
"You are q convict 2" I SAID, inj.ig-
lantly, my hand on the bell rope.
"Ntadam," he said, with an express
ion of countenance which moved me
o pity, in spite of Indignation.
ga convicted felon, how dared you
inter- my drawing room as a visitor ?"
asked, my anger again getting the
Scendancy of all my other feelings.
''The Major, madam" said the
tranger, requested me to be at his
ouse at the hour when | presented
myself ;and there wait If he were from
ome when | called. The Major wish
s to know who was the person who
eceived from me a diamond necklace
Which belonged to the Marchioness of
)errington, and came into my posses
ion at a state ball some four or five
ears ago-a ball at which | had the
onor Of being present."
"Now, madam, when the orderly
Who opened the front door informed
nc that the Major vas not at home,
nut that you were, that indomitable
mpudence which so often carried me
nto the drawing 10 Jms of the aristoc-
acy of our country, took possession
# me and warmed as | was with
generous wine-just sufficient to give