The Portland daily press., 1876-09-16
From the Galaxy.l
The Ring with Two Lions.

The Ring Win TWO Lions.
bought it in Venice,on the Rialto 1t was
a very curious piece of jewelry, with two
lions heads in bold relief. They were in
profile, like those of royal personages, and
were evidently intended as Roman satire
great improvement upon some of them, no
Doubt
The old king lion, bold and and imperial,
had diaTond eyes, those of the lioness were
rubies. So cunniDgly had the artizan buried
the diamonds that the old lion seemed to
wink aud bash on the gazer; sometimes in
contempt, sometimes I'D sympathy. gave it
next day to Mary Jessamine, my friend of pa-
tonic intentions. ] do not say what my inten-
lions were-hers. she had said, would ever re-
main platonic. That last evening on the canal
by moonlight had seemed to me to modify her
views. But did not know. She did not
look displeased as put the ring on her fin
ger, if perhaps held her white hand trifie
longer than was really necessary, to see the
effect. Her hand did not 60 back to her till
! had kissed it, 1t the old lion winked at
me as I did so. I winked back. was in a
courageous mood, and not at that moment
afraid of lions: but was afraid of Mrs. Jes-
samine, Mary's grim and terrible aunt, an old
woman eaten up with avarice, wise in her
own conceit, and in nothing else. Mary was
an enchanting and most accomplished girl,
winning every one by her beauty and wit.
bringing her aunt all the nice people and good
society, speaking several languages, and play
ing the part of courier and purchase maker,
while her aunt stood behind bullying and
abusing her. 1t was a sight to make ones
blood run cold, this angel in gall
ing harness, slave to miser.
Mary had had repeated opportunities to
change her service for better, but she
seemed to hug her chain. There was
patience under her unnecessary yoke which
was sublime.
81 feel the spirit of murderer within
me-" said the Rev. Mr.. Ainslie, as we came
home from an expedition with the ladies. Il
shall push Mrs. Jassamine into one of the
dark corners under the Bridge of Signs. Did
you see her refuse to pay for the little lace
handkerchief Mary had bought?"
"Alas, yesv'
sand Mary bears it so patiently. sup
pose she has no other aternative?"
''She has me-" l answered plainly.
'Oh, yes, she has you, Charleton, and
could have me were l not as good as married
to dear girl in the british provinces"
'.She has Baron Hammerstein too. He is
ready to put five centuries of German nobil-
ty at her feet"
"By the wa7, here comes Mr., Handyside
Narbury. Do you know him Ainslie?"
THAT seedy old fellow with such gor-
geous name. No, 1 do not. One of our
countrymen?"
Eyes, one of our few impecunious ones
Americans are so yugarly rich generally.
met Mr.. Hardyside MarburYU Alexandria,
and hal the pleasure of lending him a few
pounds, pending the arrival OF bis letters.
imagine they have never arrived, as he has
not mentioned it."
Sand does be not show some akwardness,
and desire to avoid you"'
lob, no. In the words of the popular
song, II Thought he Would Shun Me-" but
he does not. suppose he belongs to the
noble army of borrowers who are described
by Charles Lamb. A more amusing old fell
low I never meta scholar, poet and
uaurien. Come and be introduced"
IL was great pleasure to hear Mr.. Mar
bury Ainse talk. History and poetry land
romance were all at his fingers ends, and as
they rambled on I could not but observe a
sort of resemblance between the shabby old
man and the dapper young clergyman, who
was as correct as his own church clock, so far
as knew, Yet did Lot know Ainslie well
nor did quite believe in him. He and had
been travelling, and as he was most brilliant
and agreeable. We soon became friends.
Sometimes it occurred to me that his opin-
ions were somewhat fiuctuvting and shallow,
and principles not those of John Knox, but
these were scarcely impressions: they were
fleeing clouds. knew about his social posi-
ton, and so on-these are things easily found
out-and he had told me that he was engaged
to be married. Rather a singular engage
ment he said. But the man as yet remained
q mystery. 1t was one of those characters
not read in minute, perhaps not in years.
A beautiful and sympathetic woman like
Mary Jessamine is not so easily found as a
travelling companion, nor is she TO be readily
dropped, even If she has dreadful aunt; so
Ainslie and for two months had logged
the footsteps Of the two ladies. A certain
intimacy had grown up between Mary and
Ainslie at Rome, where she had shown, as
most imaginative and not altogether happy
women do show. great leaning toward what
Ainslee called Romansm. And his clerical
as well as his natural turn of argument had
led him to take an immediate interest in her
continuing in the faith of her fathers. Some
times it seemed to me that should be lit
tie jealous If l were the engaged yodDg lady
whom he told me lived in the British prov
inces. But after all, provincials have very
few rights.
Our travelling party had been augmented
at Florence by Mr.. and Miss Hamm .rstein,
very nice German people, who spoke English
better than we did, and allowed us to drop
their title in addressing them. Bertha Ham
merstein was very beautiful Marguerite
sort OF girl, and her brother the handsom-
est Teuton ever saw. They knew every
thing, were amiable, well read, and ate with
their knives.
We had made their acquaintance at the
house of our ambassador at Florence. So
Mary said it was all right-high-born Ger
mans do eat with their knives. 1t looks
little odd at first, but you soon get to feel
that the fork is mere prejudice. Both
brother and sister played and sang delight
fully, and were great cards on the canal for
that very reason. We could all join in the
chorus If Bertha's high, clear, exquisite voice
would fly out on its strong wings and show
us the way.
Hammerstein Immediately fell in love with
Mary in the most violent fashion. His Ger
man blood started off with the fury of
mountain torrent, and he made no attempt
TO disguise his emotion, as an Anglo Saxon
would have done.
Perhaps Ainslee, and certainly T., loved her
quite as much, but we Seorned to show it.
We went wandering along together through
the Italian cities, with nothing to chain us
to earth but Mrs. Jessamine. She was the
plague to our Decameron, and a most terri
BILE bore. She was foolishly fond of attention,
and had an unnatural and imaginary rivalry
with her niece, which was most ludicrous.
We young men treated her with civility be-
cause she was woman, and with something
more because she was the aunt of the sweet
est and most refined woman on earth; but
she would have been glad to believe that her
charms alone brought her our unwilling hon.
age.
1t was at Ferrara that we met Carter the
angel of our deliverance. Great and excel
lent and polite Carter, how much didst thou
absorb and carry off!
Carter was an elderly beau called the gay
deceiyer by his friends. He was introduced
to Mrs. Jessamine, and fell in love at once
with "les beaux yeaux de sa cassette," for
our dear friend was very rich, and STILL" as
Carter observed to me, "a fine figure of
woman"
She was desperately fond of admiration.
and l now saw that half OF her sternness TO
her niece had been the result of jealousy.
The gay deceiver was an angel. He took off
Mrs. Jessamine, and Mary bloomed like
sweet briar.
use the smile advisedly, for there was
certain prickly self defense about Mary which
always reminded me of that delicious and
odorous shrub. She was impenetrable and
mysterious. At once the most transparent
and truthful OF human beings, she had mys-
FERROUS absences, little journeys by herself
with the maid, and queer distracted moments
which I never could fathom. People who