Litchfield enquirer., 1876-02-03
WHOLE MO- : 2592.

l gracefully fitted down an alley and dis appeared. When went into the pavilion to my breakfast, Luigi's wife was in Q ] great flutter. could not imagine what had happened to the good, motherly, calm Italian peasant who had attended to my few wants.
 "Well, Annunziata, said I, ''where is acquaintance, this morning, and have invited her to breakfast with you and me. 1 Will you both come ?'
 'Ah, Holy Saints l" said Annunztata 'sthe signor little knows whet he has done. That was madame the princess herself, ,and 1 here she comes ]" '..s
 At this moment, my pretty Greuze, my Hamon, my Spring personifed, stepped laughingly into the pavilion. accompanied by boy of about six years, and tall and very dignifed lady. -s- a
 "Ah, Mir. Thornton, forgive me. did not intend to mystify, still less to frighten you. Forget, I beg of you, that I am the princess, title that frightens everybody, and heavy one to wear. Gall me here-4it ! is my pleasure Louise, and on- ly use the etiquette which always comes naturally to every well-bred man of the here, Madame Sermoneta. will do me the | mean what say" H..
 'tThe princess is to be obeyed in what ever she may command" said the lady. in- waiting, making deep obeisancs.
 l There were two alternatives opon to me: one was to jump into the lake and sink or swim the other was to make bow and an apology, and blush it through. Ichose the latter alternative. It was not my fault if @ princess chose to dress like garden CTS daughter, and to come out alone, at in the morning, into her garden, although I confess felt like fool when l remem- bered my undue familiarity. It never chanced to me to see the princess again alone-Madame Sermoneta was always 1 with her.
 This however, put slight restraint on the cordiality and sweetness of her man. ners and conversation. She chatted about the politics of Europe, as another woman would have talked about the fashions. knew about art, and books, and music, and was altogether the queerest mixture of courtly elegance and bizarre love of freedom, and almost Behemianism, that ever met. ..,..t ....f ,-i ,l.,r,... ...,....t She was European celebrity in this respect, as afterward found out. She too, had the great gift which Lady Diana had had-she could put man at his ease at once There was no condescending af- fability-there was genuine sympathy. soon found that Alfred Courtnay was EriRht-7she was one of the most beautiful women in Europe. This appearance of extreme youth was but another charm although she had really only reached her 23d year. She took much interest in my copy of Correggio, and gave me an order for copy of the Madonna della Scodella, at Parma, to be done at my leisure.
 All this followed our first breakfast in the pavilion. through the month which succeeded Lady departure. Perhaps l owed someting to the friendship which immediately sprang up between me and the young duke, the heir to so many possi- bilities. As he is a very great parsonage now, hesitate to remember that he was bullet-headed little boy, not at all like his beautiful mother, and quite full of the dispositions of spoiled child but he liked big playfellow, and l liked him. Twice in the course of our acquaintance | did fish him out of the lake, thus alterat- ing, perhaps, the whole face of European politics He disported himself in my painting. room to his infinite satisfaction, and, like most spoiled children, obeyed me better than he did any of the people whom he was bound to obey.
 Once the princess came to my painting room, and. seating Madame Sermoneta in an alcove, led the conversation toward | Lady Diana.
 "Lady Diana told me that you pictured me to yourself as Mary Queen of Scots, and perhaps as Lady Macbeth, said she, laughing. ..O
 ''Yes," said I, ''here is sketch which made of your probable highness ;'' and I showed her one of my careless sketches. It was rather as Ristori looked then (twen- ty years ago, now), and as had seen her at the theater In Florence She recog- nized the resemblance to the famous tra- gedienne, ,and laughed even more heartily. Turning over the leaves of my book, she came on the first sketches had made of the beautiful face ot Courtnay.
 Alfred CourtnaYl'' said she, and her face was covered with the deepest, most intense blush.
 "Yes," said I, ''and here is the finished portrait. Lady Diana and I painted Oourtnay at the same time he said we wanted to save the expense of a model Lady Diana, as was natural, regarding their relations, gave him a much better expression than I did. I was not fortu- nate in the expression, but what do you think of the portrait?" ......t
 had busted myself turning the picture round from the wall, and when I again looked at the princess she was pale. 'It is very gOod-very like him." said she, coldly; ''bnt what do you mean by their relationsY
 "Only that they are betrothed, I sup. pose, from their manner, and from what Lady Estcourt told me-"
 Here the little duke managed to pull down one of my easels, and to make Q great noise. The princess reused Mad anne Sermoneta, and, taking her son by the hand, bade me "Good-mornihE, and retired. av sr Ha.raH liam - .t,s I did not see her again for two days, during which time reflected deeply on what had observed. Courtnay's change of manner when he spoke of the princess had impressed me at the time, but vas it possible that man who pretended to love Diana Estcourt could love another woman? could believe it of Courtnay more than any man had ever seen, for there was subtle falseness behind his curious eyes; looked at my picture. yes ! had painted it there without knowing it. l was thinking this over and summing up all knew of him, and working at the same time at my copy, when I again heard hls sweet voice and English accent pro- nouncing my name. He came in, hand 1 some as the morning, fresh, fascinating and manly, disarming criticism. rf After the usual salutations and the nat uraI inquiries for Lady Diana, Courtnay said, in sn off-hand manner :--s4 a..L By the way, Thornton, my friend the princess says that you misunderstood the relations of Lady Diana and myself; you supposed us betrothed; it was nothing. I assure you, but g cousinly filtration; Diana has forgotten me before this, and, indeed, I doubt if.she ever thought much of me. Her mother did me the honor to desire an alliance, l believe, because | belong te a branch of her family, in, which there is a title pending. but. ,Diana-no, she is queer girl; I think she never liked me very deeply" and the beautiful, change fnl eyes took on another clond. such as I had seen sail over them before. .,.- ...f