The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-31

When the tiir. for the annual summer
exodus drew neh~ on this particular year,
happened TO mention one day that, after
month at the seaside | was going to
take my wife and the children 10 leigatc
Tor September. NprsChOyle was present at
the time, and turned round TO express his
delight. He was going for n fortnight's
shooting TO "A friends place, nlDut ten miles
from ltOlgate. If we were there, he should
be able to see something OF us. How jOllyl
or course ] echoed his pleasure. The
young fellow was puppy and noodle;
but gentlemnnly puppy too, and not
the whole.
Sure enough. | had not been ten days ut
Rclgntc, AMI was standing, one Afternoon,
ON the platform Of the London and Bt ght-
on station with a friend, waiting for tho
train which was to convey INN 10 town,
when. lowering my eyes FROM one of the
most glorious golden sunsets ever vouCh-
SAT Il 10 the eye oi man. saw standing up
black against the saiirOn-COlOTcd sky two
men mt the further end OF the platform,
one of whom was making vel, meut ees-
lures OF recognition IN my direction.
Needless TO say 1t was Nerschoyle. and
the next moment we were shaking hands,
and ho had Introduced his friend, who
turned out To he ms then host, and who
met me very cordially, and gave me his
q al with hearty invitation To come over
to lunch any day and see the picture gal
llry, of which he said his brother. the own
cr of the place, was very proud. When
they were gone | looked at the card. and
saw wrttDn M pencil. under tn name and
London address. "DitChiey Abbey
Ditchity Abbey Wei! what was there
in tho name to make me stpitY | had
probably heard Ul the place before. II was
II tOlerablN wcll-known one, and belonging
To IN equally well-known peer. saw h
name IN the papers every dav The glories
OF the Abbey were mentioned with honor
IN the county guidc-book | had even II
dim notion that | had once been to the
place. and had seen one If the ladies of the
house. Ii must have been long tune back,
AT ali events. MY ideas on the subject were
most mdistinct; ana / Ind not even had
an idea that the Abbey was within n drive
OF my present residence. My friends
train came up while was still looking at
the card, and dropped II on the platform,
and with II the memory had been trying
to recall.
I'm due time. however, drove over 10 the
Abbey. n magnificent place. palatial IN size
aud ugiiuess aud approached 10y one of tn
finest avenues IN the sOuth OF England, ana
WAS welcomed very cordially 10y my must,
who intro iucod mo to his wllc ana sister
in-law. and a couple of men friends, who.
like Ncrschovle, were down for thu shoot
ing, ana with whom We all sat down To
lunch.
During the meal ! gathered that Lord
Mdrol"s himself was travelling on the con-
tMeut Tor his wifc's health, and that his
brother was only STAYING at the Abbey fOr
the home shootn-, and the vicinity 10 the
regiment 10 Wiz u ht'. ~ wen AZ tl-iutN ~
aud one Of the other men, belonged.
Tn" conversation, however. chiefly turn
ell on art. IN Cumplin NJ To me. ! sup
pose. as "A stranger. AMI to the idea Iuuly
TOO correct II one, | fcarl that pa n,crs
and SINGERS Al" never thoroughly bauu,
on any subject out OF their own prof -
SION. Al any rate. IN" usual w,l-br,d Sill
Ines and iuanitlcs common T. those 'ul-
tiVated mcmhct~ Of society who wouldn't
know a lItlnn from Gam borough N lcft
to themselves, were sad hV nav pretty
hostess ana her husband, Y cIs chot lc
Ginning IN with the AR 81 M \. Il. \. ~
the very least md bringing out such
repertoire of studio slang m ihc way OF
bits" "Cht.t~.' modelling. and
"tou,. &c. that he was equal 90 Il whole
crew Of -, lnd-Idtr ~uhuik--trC,t artists
rolled INTO one; AMI Us sooE as lunch WAS
over he repaired o. "a" picture gniiNlN.
| have no space or time for dw,lhu- on
the paintings There were some very
good Onl-. ana some equally trashy u
very far collection OF old masters; aud
lengthy array OF family portraits. These
had u gallery 20 themselves leading ou. of
thu a. gan room. and We cane To tIom at
the lar, our host showing considerably
more interest III dssc.HtIac on them than
on the more interesting picture we had
Just been seeing.
AiIat onreR strange fephug came over
mo. | saw nothing, amt heard nothing
hut my hands grew cold "a ice. aud sirk'
shivrTIng sensation Crept along every vein
in my BODY, bringing hack to me IN One
breath the rushing sound of that shadow
step " men / bad heard. or hNd iaured /
hr;lrd. ten years ago, IN the very park cn
to which the windows Of tbs picture gal
lrry were looking. How II Ctmp. or
whence u came, | know not; hut IN that
moment the terror had 50 long forgotten
was there. as plainly amt Vvidly a. though
the souuu oi the stcaltuy footsteps Wcre
even then m my ears. ! was standing
facing the window, ana with NV back To- Il
picture. som thing mr'le me turn round.
Though with feeling Oh reluctance winch
| could NJ. define, ANA look at ~.
Il was the htc--i1c, nul'-lcu-;h por-
trait OF man III tn" drcs, ot the stuart
era, very well painted. but with dtrN,
oyl face, strongly mcd' aud wearing -
/ peculiar look IN the eyes, nall somhre,
/ half passionate winch gave u sinister eN-
/ pl,s,lon 10 IN whole cuuntcuauce.
! had never seen the picture or any
| copies OF il before. had never met auy-
| one in tie least reminding me- of n. If
! you ask me how a lace. thus utterly
| strange and uuiam iiai, could relniud IA"
/ of sound, uncQunectvd with iate Ca shape
/ of any sort, cannot answer. ! can only
! uVri ~ soismulN ~ ! stand here mat ~
/ and, aud ~ ultimately thar onr seemed n,
! IL were only Il corcomitant of the other. |
! made no comment on ~ WhAttVrr ! went
/ on, ans wricd some queries OF my mort s
} relative t. ilpther pOliIal, ana tntu
stopped snort. as If strurN by suddrn
blow, and cried ont SO loud ~ To siartle
| them All.
food heavens, Twas right Here she
! j., too!
We had come 10 II long, narrow picture,
! almost hlddcu nv a projecting pliHr ~ Il
corner of the cailorv-ihe portrait of Il
| lady IN "a canary -c1lorcd gown. the sleeves
| puhed gld siashCd with daik red, thu
bodice cut square over the bosom, whose
dOWuy whitcupss Was partly hidden by "a
lace lerchirt. Clusters OF diamonds ana
ru1i"s gliltered az her throat. aud IA her
ears: aud one hunl WAS Curl,d round thC
mock of "a llltrtt lDIlfltl. v hose uNth nlUyHU