Litchfield enquirer., 1876-02-03
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 From App, tons Journal.l A FATAL ENCHAMTER.

near Florence, and in Rome, certain un occupied houses, belonging to the scions l of royal families. These houses, fitted uI l with works of art, beautifully furnished 1 and with an equipage of servants, stand always ready for their host and hostess and are in their absence freely shown tC guests, who pay trifing gratuity to the 1 steward for the privilege. Such house, rich in Canova's masterpieces, stands, al
 ways empty, always open. on the lake ol Como. It is the Villa Carlotto, known to 1 to all travellers. Not so we'll known. and on a different part of the lake, stands an other villa, which we will call Villa Lucca. l had gone there to see disputed Correg- Eglo of which had heard at Parma. Rfolnd the house the perfection of solitude. | luxury, refinement and beauty, and full oi statues, pictures, storied tapestry, goblets of Benvennto. old china. aud bric-a-brac l enough to break the heart of collector. had permission from a great parsonage l connected with the Osner of the villa to copy the Correggio, and the old steward told me that there were certain apartments in pavilion in the garden which he had the right to let 1 could take them for Q month. The princess who owned the viii la had not been near it for several years;
  again, but his orders were imperative-he was to keep the house always ready for her. -
 So took up my comfortable quarters in the pavilion, and began my copy of the Corregio. The room in which it hung looked out on secluded part of the gar den, far away from the noble front en- trance. -s
 The people who came to see the villa often passed through the grand state partments, nor noticed the modest wing where I was at work. This pleased me; it helped the illusion which was careful ly creating in my own mind that owned the villa and should continue to work and live there, forgotten by the world, unin- truded upon by the real owners, perhaps for the whole summer.
 This charm was rudely broken in upon by a most silvery voice, one mornings a woman's voice. l heard her parleying with the old steward. r-...-..
 II want to see the Correggio! My friend the princess says am to see the Correg- gio!' said the voice. .- '
 :.'Yes, excellenza," said the old Italian, "Sut there is young man painting in that room Let me ask him to retire first, and then your ladyship shall enter"
 was about to jump out of the window, when heard the voice again.
 ''No! wish to see the artist. have 8 letter from the princess in my hand. Go in and give this card to him, his name is his name is-Thornton, said the voice, hesitatingly. g ss "Yes," said masculine voice respond ing. which han not heard before, voice scarcely less sweet than that of the wo~ man.
 I recognized the English voices, Eng fish accent. English speech, and the old steward put into my hand the cards of "Lady Diana Estcourt," and Mir. Alfred Courtnay." " ""f
 A tall. superb fgnra in a white dress and wearing sort of Reubens hat with a long white feather, few minutes there after swept into the room I had only time to observe that I stood before a beauty, an English beauty, young and and fresh woman, not more than twenty years of age-perhaps not so old-and that with her was Q tall dark young man in the irreproachable morning toilet of London, when she addressed me:
 "Excuse me, Mir. Thornton" she said. ''for intruding on your working hours, but I have pocket full of letters to you. In the first place, here is one from Holman Hunt, another from Ruskin; and another from Millais. They all tell me you have the secrets of the water color brush, and that you will perhaps give me few les sons. Then here is one from your uncle, the ex-minister to London, one of my in- timate friends, assure you. Then here is another from your unknown hostess, the princess, who gives me leave to take up my residence here, and to take up my residence here, and to paint as many views of the lake as I please. Now let me introduce my friend, Mr. Alfred Court nay, who will i'll his turn introduce me: and l assure you that l am Diana Est court, a woman of caprices, and not apt to be foiled in anything she undertakes. 7"
 l had lived many years in London; I knew all these people; had an uncle who was an ex-minister;I had influence enough, here and there, to reach my princess, and obtain permission to copy her Correggio 1; but l was withal a very modest parsonage, nor had catalogued my own greatness or merits quite so rapidly as had Lady Di- ana Estcourt. was much embarrassed, but knew enough to express my willing ness to place my poor talents at the dis position of Lady Diana. ,.+
 She told me that she was staying with her mother at Caddennabia, and should, the next day. be glad to come and begin the water-color lessons. I accompanied her and Mir. Courtnay to the shore of the lake, where they seated themselves in a little row boat. and, each taking an oar, were soon receding toward Caddenna- bia. -.
 noticed that Lady Diana pulled a very good oar. There were good muscles in those we'll shaped arms and hands; there was health and vigor behind the del icate beauty. When came back to my Correggio it struck me that his Madonna was not so fair as had thought her, nor his flesh tints so irreproachable. The beauty of Lady Diana was unbecoming to even Correggio, the sweetest and most perfect of the painters of women and chill dren. @" @
 Lady Estcourt, her daughter, and 8 troop of maids and serving men, came down by the steamer, next morning, and somest suites of the unoccupied villa. They did not pay me visit. that day, themselves; but MT. Alfred Courtnay pulled himself over in his little boat, and kindly came in to see me.
 He, too, was singularly handsome. felt as if l were to be swamped with beauty. He was an English-looking man, with an Italian complexion, pale. dark, clear, with a pair of black eyes which fascinated and 1 held the person into whose face he was looking with sort of magnetic power.
 'I have come, MT. Thornton" sad he, with that voice which had noticed be- fore as singularly musical-.I have come at Lady Diana's request to explain her rather sudden descent upon you. 'yester- day. She is, as you know, the daughter of an earl, and left at his death, with her widowed mother and very large fortune. entirely. free to do as he pleases-in fact, that Is what she has always done. She happened to see water-color of yours in London which pleased her very much, and she determined to tind you out. Wa ter-color painting happens to be her pas sion at present, and she will follow that until she gets another fancy. My aunt, Lady Estcourt for happen 10 be sori of distant cOusin), is the slave of hel dar,0htor nd sce he,v III hSolfI, oD1 Il