Daily Republican., 1879-09-05

the prize you shall see me again, ma
dam; il not. l leave England.
He took immediate possession Of his
apartments, where he could at the
same time paint his Madonna and copy
the trescoes for the chapel. With his
mind full of the celestial face he had
just seen, he seized his pencil and en-
deavorsd to trace her lineaments. But
the extreme sensibility so useful to
art, when time has claimed 1t, was
now his chief obstacle. He felt too
deeply to succeed in expressing the
idea which filed his soul. The day
passed in fruitless attempt, and the
night passed him, dissatisfied and de-
spondent.
In the meantime Lucy had suffered
severely for the preference shown her
by Van Dyck. The envy and Jealousy
Of her companions found vent in imper-
tinent sarcasm; so that on separating
for the night, her mind was filed with
his idea, and, after her nightly prayer,
his name was the last on her lips.
1t was midnight. The heavens shone
with a thousand sparkling stars, and 9
dark light spread itself on the old ab,
boy, which stood SOLITARY and alone
among its ruins.
A window of the palace opened, and
a shadow passed slowly along the bal
cony and staircase, crossed along the
court and reached the monastery.
It would be difficult to say how this
figure had left the palace and penetra-
ted so far; but she must have been &C
quaintsd with all the turnings, for in a
short time she crossed the long avenue,
and, arriving at one end Of the galleries
Of the chapel, she found herself in the
painters workroom, and passing lightly
on, seated herself, without looking
around her, Immediately in front Of his
easel.
Oh, surprise! Oh, joy! this being 80
calm, so beautiful is Lucy! The de-
spending artist, who had been unable
to trace her features on his canvas, now
beheld living model before his eyes.
What could have induced her to GOMEZ
What idea could have given her tho
courage and resolution! He threw him
self on his knees before her, but Lucy
motioning him to rise, pointed to his
pencil. Her look penetrated him with
q flame so pure that he forgot the real
ity of his visions-his astonishmsnt
seemed to him . want of faith. Trans
ported by his imagination to an ethe-
real sphere, he seemed above the earth
and in the midst of the sublime con-
certs of angels; he beheld Mary envi-
roned by divine rays. He was no long
or the powerless artist who had just
thrown at his feet his unsuccessful
pencil-the artist replaced the man.
Mute and breathless inspired by mys-
terious strength, he seized his palette.
His oolors gave the form and his soul
the life-in few hours he created the
most beautiful and most pure of vir-
gins.
When the young girl saw that after
tracing her features he was occupied in
imparting to his picture thesoul which
animated him, she rose silently, and
with a calm and assured step left the
the monastery by the same road she
had come.
Van Dyck, with wondering eyes and
oppressed breathing, made not the
slightest effort to detain her. In his
eyes she was no longer mortal, and in
her departure he thought he. saw the
Madonna returning to her native skies.
Enchanted by his execution and excite
ment, he fell asleep in his armchair.
On awakening his first thought was to
examine the canvass. Transported
with Joy at his success, he thanked on
his knees the angel or woman who had
30 favored him. In vain he endeavor-
ed again to impart the identity which
existed in his imagination. He had SO
combined the thoughts Of the Madonna
and of Lucy that he determined to
discover the truth, and wrote the fol.
lowing billet to the young girl.
"Tell me If you are indeed an angel;
if you do not wish to deprive OF his
senses the poor artist to whom you have
condescended to appear this night, tell
me If you are the Virgin or a mortal !"
1t was part of the duty Of the Dowa-
ager Duchess to open the billets ad-
dressed to tha young ladies confined to
her charge. What was her astonish-
ment at reading this epistle
"Horror I" cried she. "a child Of
high family to violate her duty in seek.
ing painter at midnight"
She rang and sent for the guilty one,
but her rage redoubled when Lucy,
with her customary gentleness, denied
all knowledge of the cause Of her re.
preachers. The Duchess, who expected
to witness her in great confusion or a
candid avowal, would listen to nothing:
The alarm was given in the palace ana
it was decided that Lucy, disgraced,
should be sent home to her father.
Her prayers were Of no avail, single
night Of respite was alone accorded her,
and she was compelled to sleep in the
apartment OF the Duchess to avoid iur'
ther scandal. =,
At midnight, Lucy rose as BEFORE the
Duchess was aroused from her unqufet
sleep and called all the ladies to wit
ness this confrma tion Of her sus'
pioions. With lighted fambeaux,
the Duchess, attended by a numerous
suite, followed Lucy, who traverssd
again the long hall and numerous pas
sapes and arrived at the door OF the
monastery. Her culpability could no
longer be- doubted but they followed
her even to the painting room, wbe.e
she was already seated tsfore the easel.
The noise around her and the briliian-
cy of the lights awoke her in . fright.
She was a somnambulist.
Thus unconsciously had she served
AZ a model to the artist, who fully re-
maid in love what she had given him in
renewal, He obtained the prize and
Jo-o NJ thu GOnrk with