The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-10
From Appleton's Journal.l
An Artists Adventure.
BY NJ. E. W. S.

houses, utteu up WIFI WOTkS Vi art, peduti-
fully furnished, and with an equipage Of ser
vunts, stand always ready for their host and
hostess, and are in their absence freely shown
to guests, who pay trifing gratuity to the
steward for the privilege.
Such house, rich in Canova's master
pieces, stands, always empty, always open,
on the Lake of Como. 1t is the Villa Car
lotta, known to all travellers. Not SO we'll
known, and on different part of the lake,
stands another villa, which we will call Villa
Lucca.
had gone there to see disputed Correg-
gio of which had heard at Parma. found
the house the perfection of solitude, luxury,
refinement and beauty, and full of statues,
pictures, stored tapestry, gobets of Benvenu-
to, old china, and bric-a-brac enough TO
break the heart of collector.
1t was full of everything but human beings,
and ready for them: young husband could
have brought the most exigeant bride there
any moment, and banquet would have risen
from the ground for them. Several servants
in livery, with nothing to do, stood around or
moved away with the rapidity and silence Of
lizards. I thought of calling it the palace
OF the Sleeping Beauty" in my note book,
but on writing that down it looked as if the
thing had been said before, and rubbed it out
as unworthy.
The grounds, reaching to the lake, were
enchanting, filled with every fragrant flower,
every Respondent, poisoning tree; long
'speached alleys" like that down which
"Beatrice, like lapwing, ran,"
offered their shade and beauty.to my already
intoxicated senses. Some person of the most
refined, subtlely refined, taste had planned
this paradise, had built and furnished it.
ga poet on a throne had realized his Dreams"
as Disraeli beautifully said of Louis of Bava-
ria. What pity that he was so unworthy
the saying! Then what blight had come
across it, what ennui, what disappointment
had driven the owner awayg It seemed to t,
me to be the only privilege l would ask of
Fate, to be allowed to stay there, to live al
ways with such surrounding; to look on
the lake by morning light, by starlight, and
byl moonlight to breathe ever the air loaded
with the sweet scent of the Ola fragans,
most delicate of perfumes.
had permission from a great parsonage
connected with the owner Of the villa to copy
the Correggio. and the old steward told me
Wilton in the gardens which he had right to
let. / could take them for a month. The
princess who owned the villa had not been
near it for several years; he did not know if
she voald ever come again, but his orders
were imperative-he was to keep the house
all ready for her.
So took up my comfortable quarters in the
gio. The room in which it hung looked out
on a secluded part of the garden, far away
from the noble front entrance. The people
who came TO see the villa often passed
through the grand state apartments, nor no.
ticed the modest wing where was at work.
This pleased me; it helped the illusion which
l was carefully creating in my own mind that
owned the villa and should continue to
work and live there, forgotten by the world,
unintruded upon by the real owners, perhaps
for the whole summer.
This charm was rudely broken in upon by
most silvcry voice, one morning. wo-
mans voice. heard her parleying with the
cd steward.
Il want to see the Correggio! Ny friend
the princess says am to see the CorreggioW
said the voice.
eyes, excellenza," said the old Italian,
"but there is young man painting in that
room. Let me ask him to retire first, and
then your ladyship shall enter"
l was about to jump out of the window
when heard the voice again.
"No! want to see the artist. have
letter from the princess in my baud. Go in
and give this card to him, his name is his
name is-Thornton," said the voice hesitat-
ingiy.
eyes," said masculine voice responding,
which had not heard before, voice scarcely
less sweet than that of the woman.
l recognized English voices, English ac
cent, English speech, and the old steward put
into my hands the cards of
LADY DIANA EsTcoURT.
MIR. ALFRED CoURTNAY.
was somewhat embarrassed by this un-
expected attention from such lofty-sound-
ing lady, but had little time to think of my
self before Lady Diana, evidently person
not apt to be refused, followed Ter card.
A tall, superb figure in white dress, and
wearing sort of Reubens hat with long
feather swept into the room.
had only time to observe that / stood
before beauty, an English beauty, a young
and fresh woman, not more than twenty
years of age-perhaps not so old and that
With her was tall, dark young man in the
irreproachable morning toilet OF London
man, when she addressed me with sweet
English accent:
Excuse me, Mr.. Thornton," she said,
''for intruding on your working hours, but
have pocket full of letters to you. In
the first place, here is one from Holman
Hunt, another from Ruskin, another from
Millais. They all tell me you have the secrets
of the water-color brush, and that you will
perhaps give me few lessons. Then here
is one from your uncle the ex-mniste to Lon
don, one Of my intimate friends, assure you
Then here is another to you from your IN
leave to take up my residence here, and to
paint as many views of the lake as please
Now let me introduce my friend, Mr.. Alfred
Courtney, who will in turn introduce me,
and assure you that am Diana Estcourt, a
woman of many caprices, and not apt to be
foiled in anything she undertakes"
felt as sort of male Danae may have
felt when. Jupiter descended in an upeX-
pected shower of gold. 1 had lived many
in T oil q
had an uncle who was an ex-minister;
had influence enough, here and there to
reach my princess, and obtain permission to
copy her Correggio; but was wthal very
modest parsonage, nor had 1 catalogued my
own greatness or merits quite SO rapidly as
had Lady Diana Estcourt. Therefore l was
considerably abashed; was modern Endy-
mion in painters jacket, and wonderfully
beautiful and unexpected Diana had descen-
ded from her radient sphere to oVerwkelm
me with her light.
dare say l was very awkward and very
much embarrassed, but I knew enough TO
say yes, and TO express my willingness to
place my poor talent at the disposition OF
Lady Diana. She told me that she was stay
ing with her mother at Caddennabia, and
should the next day be glad to come and be-
gin the water-color lessons. In fact, so chat
ty, agreeable, even confidential became Lady
Diana Estcourt, that felt on good terms at
once, and accompanied her and Mr.. Court.
nay to the shore of the lake, where she and
he seated themselves in a little row-boat,
where, with one oarsman between them, they
themselves each taking an oar, were soon re-
ceding from my view toward Caddennubia. 1
noticed that Lady Diana pulled very good
oar. She was muscular Christian" was
destined TO find out-of fine, healthy. pow
erful organization. There were good muscles
in those wel-shaped arms and hands; there
was health andlvigor behind that delicate skin.
haze often noticed that very hanpsome peo-
pie are apt to be healthy. / suppose they are
as well made within as without. When
came back to my Correggio it struck me that
his Madonna was not so fair as l had thought
her, nor his fesh-tints so irreproachable.
The beauty OF Lady Diana was unbecomirg
TO even Correggio, the sweetest and most be-
coming of the painters of women and chill
dren.
Lady Estcourt, her daughter, and troop
of maids and serving-men, came down by the
steamer the next morning, and took up their
residence in one of the handsomest suites of