Litchfield enquirer., 1876-02-03


 flor have never seen her.
 was looking into MT. Courtnay's black eyes as spoke-peculiar eyes. in which every emotion seemed to show itsefs; shifting shadows came and went as he talked, even with me, who looked at him only with an artist curiosity. AS Ispoke of the princess, hls eyes filled with great light; they seemed to become larger and more beahtiful-they were positively dag zling Aal-
 "You have not seen the princess?" said he. ''The most beautiful woman in Eu- rope!" +' 4
 'Jupiter Ammon! more beauty. Why, this is getting monstrous! hope shall not see her, said l. 'Lady Diana is quite as much as poor fellow can stand 1 for one summer"
 ''Yes," said Courtnay, the light shifting again in his eyes, and a sort of cloud coming over their brilliancy-''yes, Lady Di is certainly very handsome. e.-You know the story of the princess? She married. very young, the brother of the now reign ing king, and had son. Her husband died very soon after marriage. She has remained widow. This boy of hers may become of great importance from his near ness to the reigning family, and her broth er-in-law holds a pretty powerful hand over her. Still she continues to enjoy some liberty, and is happier everywhere than here. where I suspect she passed some very unhappy years"
 "How old is her son?" said l, careless ly. ""
 ooh, about eix years, suppose Old enough to ride pony, run risks of being drowned, and giving all his suite contin- ued uneasiness, including his mother, who adores him, the cub."
 l thought MT. Courtnays volce was a trife less musical as he described the fu- ture princeling, the young gentleman whose fortune might become klngly, but who was now cub!
 But he took on again his fascinating manner and talked of the Correggio.
 Then he left me, and fell dreaming of the princess. pictured to myself the royal lady who had lived in this beautiful villa, and who had been unhappy. "The mother of son, six years old, she proba- bly looks" thought 1, ''like Mary Queen ofScots. She wears black velvet dress and a white coif on her head, as do royal widows. She is pale, sad, noble-looking the most beautiful woman in Europep" An, MT. Courtnay was mistaken. He has forgotten that Lady Diana Estcourt was in Europe!
 The next day Lady Diana came in to take her painting lesson, with Q maid bearing water color boxes, and her beau tiful person shrouded in brown linen guard, such as noticed English ladies are fond of donning when they work at their paints. Her mother followed her, a stout elderly, aquiline-featured person, smothered in shawls. was duly present. ed, and, remembering Courtnay's hint, warned her ot the draft, and received | gracious smile.
 Lady D1ana showed me her sketches, and went to work. She was painting away with conscientious fervor when Mir. Court nay was announced. She began talking to him with vivacity, but noticed that that the strong, white hand which had been dahbing away so firmly at the "Lake of Como" began to tremble, and that the l little ear nearest me became very pink, ,in- 1 deed.
 | Courtnay, after courteous salutation to me and "Good morning, aunt" seat ed himself by the young lady. ...'
 ''Why, Di, you have improved already" said he. What good teacher Mir, Thornton must be. But the Lake of Co., mo is getting jealous. think you have painted it long enough. Won't you come out and take a row with old Giuseppe and me?'
 Lady Diana had just got got to that part of her picture which needed still a little more before she left it. She asked Court nay to wait half hour. He acceded rath- CT ungraciously, and the shadows in his curious eyes grew gloomy. He looked at me once or twice. Could he possibly pay me the compliment of being jealous.
 Lady Estcourt had been asleep, I think. in the sheltered alcove where had placed | ho. To1xy hol and the maid was picking up the brushes. when she awoke, or came to, and began talking to me. A high bred English lady knows how to be agreeable, even If she is profoundly selfish and afraid of draughts, and Lady Estcourt condescended to be 1 agreeable for five minutes. She talked of my work and of her daughter, asked what thought of her talents, and if she was achieving much in water-color; and then said that she would probably not care for 1 it long, as there was every probability of marrying her cousin. Alfred Courtnay, who was devoted to her; lard, then, you know Mir. Thornton" said Lady Estcourt, with rather crippled effort at playfulness -"then ladies lose their interest in the accomplishments" -.,..' .Ea
 "Yes, they do, thought I, as the days went on, and watched my beautiful pu- | plI duu ICI WnCn OOuEUuhy CuOOE~ ed the room, or saw them as they walked through the Towering shaded alleys in that deep converse which lovers love.
 As she walked with Courtnay, Lady Di- ana had one beautiful trick, which Iaiways admired, of holding his arm and turning to look at him with her head thrown back like deer. Her heavy glorious hair had | given her certain carriage of the head which was very noble. As she walked away, one day, leaning on his arm, no- l ticed this attitude especially. It seemed to me that she was adoring Courtnay far more than he did her.
 The lessons went on unremittingiy, and, 1 enc day, when Courtnay had left us for journey to Milan, ventured to speak of his extraordinary beauty. andltosshow her Lady Diana was highly delighted, and proposed that we should both ask him to sit. and that she should sketch him in water-color. while attempted him, in . sort of Titianesque.d dress, Tn oils. Court nay was very good natured under this joint infiction, and posed for us patiently. He was indeed a subject worthy of work, l and a perfect representation of Venetian noble. have never seen a more superb masculine beauty. To see the woman who loved him so tenderly, and with sort of attempted concealment of her passion-to see her gracious, noble, and aristocratic head thrown back as she looked at him with an artists comprehension and wo- mans adoratlon, was the most worthy picture have ever seen. I sat up nights to paint her from memory. and have the sketch by me still. l We made two pictures of the same man totally unlike each other. Mine was the best Dicture and the most like him I still think; but. do what would, it would look like Caesar Borgia. I got in Court nays eyes. but they had a haleful luster.
 tsYou have made me ( very handsome fellow. with very cunning, bad look' he
 Lady Diana had gived h1m the expres- sion O, an angel. Those black eyes swan in sort of liquid beatitude. I could not