The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-10

He, too, was sngularly handsome. felt
as if were to be swamped with beauty. He
was an English-looking man with an Italian
complexion. rale, dark, clear, and with
pair of black eyes which fascinated and held
The person into whose face be was looking
with a sort of magnetic power.
81 have come Mr.. Thornton" said he,
with that voice which had noticed before as
singularly musical-''I have come at Lady
Diana's request to explain her rather sudden
descent upon you yesterday. She is, as you
know, the daughter of an earl, and left by
his death, with her widowed mother and
very large fortune, entirely free to do as she
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 find you out.
She knows everybody-artists, actors, au-
thors, celebrities of all kinds. as well as the
whole world of society. Never was such a
woman as she is for leading iour or five lives,
full of impulse, and, fortunately, also full of
good sense although she sometimes gets herself
laughed at. Well, in her inquiries about
you, she, knowing that you were an Ameri-
can, naturally went to Mr.. M, your I'M
Gle, the eX-minister, and was very much re-
lieved to find that you were his nephew, and
better than all, that you were in Italy, where
she was coming. Water-color painting hap
pens to be (excuse me if speak irreverently)
her passion at present, and she will follow
that until she gets another fancy. My aunt,
Lady Estcourt, for l happen to be sort OF
distant cousin, is the slave of her daughter
and of her own ill-health. and if you run
round with shawl, and tell her she is in
draught, Lady Estcourt will take you into
high favor. The princess, your noble hostess,
we met at Milan. She is friend of Lady
Diana. and it was by the merest chance that
in their chat, it came out that Mr.. Frank
Thornton, whom we had been looking for at
Parma was here in her own Villa Lucca,
copying the Correggio."
II am very happy" replied, "and very
much flattered, Mr.. Courtney, TO have be-
come of so much Importance all at once; it
never happened to me before, assure you.
Now, will you add to your kindness, and tell
me about the princess ?-for although my I'M
Gle got me letter to her and permission was
graciously granted me to come here, never
have seen her"
was looking straight into Mr.. Courtnay's
black eyes as 1 spoke-peculiar eyes, in which
every emotion seemed to show itself; shifting
shadows came and went as he talked, even
with me, who looked at him only with an ar
lists curiosity. As spoke of the princess,
his eyes filled with great light; they seemed
to become larger and more beautiful-they
were positively dazzling.
"You have not seen the princess?" said
he. 'sThe most beautiful woman in Eu-
rope"
'Jupiter Ammon! more beauty. Why,
this is getting monstrous! I hope shall not
see her" said 1. 'Lady Diana is quite as
much as poor fellow can stand for one sum-
mer."
eyes," said Courtnay, the light shifting
again in his eyes, and sort of cloud coming
over their brilliancy-"Yes, Lady Dir is GER
tainly very handsome. You know the story
of the princess? She married very young,
the brother of the now reigning king, and had
a son. Her husband died very soon after the
marriage. She has remained widow. This
boy of hers may become of great importance
from his nearness to the reigning family, and
her royal brother-in-law holds pretty pow.
erful hand over her. Still she continues to
enjoy some liberty. and is happier everywhere
than here, where suspect che passed some
very unhappy years."
"How old is her son ?" said I, carelessly.
ooh. about six years, suppose. Old
enough to ride pony, run risks of being
drowned, and giving all his suite continued
uneasiness, including his mother, who adores
him, the cubp'
thought Mr.. Courtnay's voice was a tritie
less musical as he described the future prince
ling, the young gentleman whose fortunes
might become kingly. but who was now a
cubl
But he took on again his fascinating man
ner, and talked of the Correggio.
Then he left me, and I 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 probably looks" thought l,
''like Mary Queen of Scots. She wears a
1,nlrx, obi
head, as do royal widows. She is pale, sad,
noble-looking-the most beautiful woman in
Europer'
All, Mr.. Courtney is mistaken. He has
forgotten that Lady Diana Estcourt is in Eu-
rope!
The next day Lady Diana came in to take
her painting-lesson, with maid bearing wa
ter-color boxes, and her beautiful person
shrouded in brown.lnen guard, such as I
have noticed English ladies are fond of DON
ming when they work away at their pants.
Her mother followed her, stout, elderly,
aquiline-featured person, smothered in shawls.
/ was duly presented, and, remembering
Courtnay's hint, warned her of the draught,
and received gracious smile.
Lady Diana showed me her sketches and
went to work. She had got rather beyond
| the alpha of water-color, but she was still
farther from the omega. l should be able, I
found, to teach her great deal.
She was painting away with conscientious
ness and fervor, when Mr.. Courtnay was an
nounced. She began talking to him with vi
hand which had been dabbing away SO firmly
at the 'Lake of Como began to tremble,
and that the little ear nearest me became
very pink indeed.
So that was Lady Diana's secret, was it
Well, it was certainly none OF my business.
Courtney, after courteous salutation to
me and a "Good morning, aunt" seated
himself by the young lady,
"Why, Di, you have improved already
said he. What good teacher Mr.. Thorn.
| ton must be But the Lake of Como is get
teng jealous. I think you have painted it
long enough. Won't you come out and take
row with old Giuseppe and me?"
Lady Diana had just got to that part OF
her picture which needed that she should do
still little more before she left it. She
asked Courtney to wait half-hour for her,
when she would go.
He acceded rather ungraciously thought,
and the shadows in his curious eyes grew
gloomy. He looked at me once or twice.
being Jealous? I had been lifted up into such
unexpected notice in two days that did not
know what might happen. Perhaps the
widowek princess might take a fancy to me
and lit me to the height of morgantic mar
rage who knows? And gave new dash
to the eyelds of my beautiful Madonna after
Correggio yes long way "alter."
Lady Estcourt had been asleep, think, in
the sheltered alcove where I had placed her.
Lady Diana and Courtney had gone, 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 agreeable for five min
utes.
She talked of my work and of her daugh-
ter; asked what thought of her talents, and
if she was achieving much in water colors !;
and then volunteered the interesting infor-
nation that she would probably not want it
long, as there was every probability of her
marrying her cousin, Alfred Courtney, who
was devoted to her; land then, you know,
Mr.. Thornton" said Lady Estcourt, with a
rather crippled effort at layfulness-"then
ladies lose their interest in the accomplish
ments."
eyes, they do" thought I, as the days
!. went on, and l watched my beautiful pupil