The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-26

VISITOR Oh the previous CNGuthA LUIS ctlAId-
wing on examination he found had been tax
en- out of enc of the handsome ANIMALS
which had been in vogue many years before
II think from one of Heath's Book of
Beauty 1t was a prrait of young lady
of rank celebrated for her beauty, the
daughter of an English Earl, who many
years before The time of which ] am now
speaking had been married to Hungarian
nobleman of great wealth and of historic
name. 1t was quite impossible TO suppose
any connection between the original of this |
portrait and Mr.. Heaphy's strange visitor
beyond the fortuitous resemblance which
impressed him so strongly. Calling up the |
porter Mr. Heaphy asked him by whom this |
roll of paper had been left. TIL porter took |
it, examined it, turned it over, and then |
said
81 have no idea. never saw it before |
"'Did you not bring it with the last mall9' |
said Mr.. Heaphy.
"'No, sir said the porter, 1T didn't come |
with the last mall
Nov, there was no lAtter-slit in the door |
of the studio. The studio itself had been |
locked and the key in the porter's possession |
during the whole night and morning, The |
man protested solemny that he had Only |
come into the room to bring up the mail, |
that the roll of paper was not carried up by
him and that to the best of his recollection,
tive, no such roll of paper had been on the
desk when he left the letters there. Mr..
Heaphy finally took the paper away with
him and put it into his despatch-box, mar
yelling not little in his mind as to the
meaning of these inexplicable performances.
Gradually, however, the whole matter pass.
ed out of his mind, until some weeks after
wards while staying with a friend in one of
the midland countries, he took the engrav-
ing up aud--he could not exactly say why
felt suddenly moved to make a sketch from
memory of the lady whose face il recalled to
him so wildly. He prepared his materials,
went 10 work, found the picture growing
rapidly and satisfactorily under his hand
and grew so interested in the occupation
that before he laid his brushes down he had
made what seemed to himself very good
and striking sketch which might well serve
as the basis for a finished portrait. Other
matters coming up, he put this sketch with
the engraving back into his despatch-book,
and again the subject passed out Of his
mind.
Two or three weeks passed by. Visit
ing another friend-in Yorkshire, think,
near the Derbyshre line-M. Heaphy
found himself seated at dinner next 20 a
gentleman of an old family and of a good es-
tate i'll DerDyshire, who had entered into a
correspondence with him some years before
with an eye to inducing him to come down
into Derbyshire and paint portrait there of
an invalid Guild of his to whom he was very
much attached and who could not conyen-
iently be carried up to London. Finding MIR.
| Heaphy near his residence this gentleman
entreated him TO come over at the end OF his
Yorkshire visit, pass two or three days with
him and paint this portrait 1t vas very
convent. ut for Mr.. Heaphy To do this, bur
such was the urgency of the Derbyshire man
that he finally gave way, TO the great delight
of the latter
~ shall be going home myself in day
or two said the Derhyshire man, who was
visiting neighhor of Mr.. Heaphy's host in
Yorkshire, and will have every thing ready
for you. You will take the train at such a
station manning III, change carriages at
such a junction and in twenty minutes after
that you will tnd yourself at little way
station, where my carriage will be IN waiting
for you and bring you to my house..
1T was gray, rainy morning when Mr..
Heaphy took the train to make his trip into
DerbYshire. A ready guard found an empty
first-class carriage for him, put his shawls
and bags into it and closed the door. Put
ting on his travelling cap and taking out
novel from his travelling-ba,, Mr. Heaphy
settled himself back into a corner of the
carriage for a comfortable, quiet hour in the
train. Long before the mishaps of Colonel
Valentine Baker startled and scandalized
Vic 0OAiA TIC piOtcclcu kcludic nai iUdut
herself terror to sedate aud solitary male
travellers on the English railways Great,
therefore, was the disgust of Mr.. Heaphy
when, just before the train was to start,
another guard came up, opened the carriage
door and handed in q lady, with the usual
paraphernalia Of umbrellas, bags and
shawls. The train moved off aud Mr.
Heaphy, after while glancing around from
his corner, became a ware that this lady was
looking at him fxedly through brown veil
which obscuIed and blurred the outlines of
her countenanee. 1t is unpleasant TO be
fixed in this way from behind veil, and Mr.
Heaphy felt unusually and unaccountably
restless under the iLhiction. His uneasi-
ness was soon removed, however, only TO be
converted into CONSERVATION, for the lady,
| throwing her veil aside, revealed to him the
| face Of his mysterious visilant of the sum-
| mer. She seemed not in the least surprised
| at finding him in the carriage but very
| quietly asked him wheather he was going 10
such place manning the residence OF the
gentleman whom be was about to visit and
expressed her satisfaction at meeting him as
composedly as if they were ordinary ac-
guaintances who had parted in ordinary cir
cumstances week or so before. This cool
demeanor aided Mr.. Heaphhy In regaiDing
his composure and he met her in the same
spirit as manfully as be could.
g You have made the sketch Of me, have
you not Mr.. Heaphy ? she said suddenly.
80 Good heavens, yes; but how did you
know that 2?
Deigning no reply. she went on:
Why didn't you finish it You had
nothing to do the next day at such place,
naming the country seat at which he had
really made the sselch
!" Dir. Heaphy stammered out some ex-
cuse, which was cut short by her asking
him whether the engraving had not helped
him as she had told him it would.
- Very much," he said; but-but
never quite knew how you sen. that to me.
No, l suppose not, she said; and,
changing the subject, began to apeak OF
some book which she held in her hand.
The converse ion went on until the
train reached the point at which Mr.. Heap
by was 10 leave it. The lady apparently
meant to continue her journey IN tn direct
Ion OF London, for she made no offer TO get
out, bade Mr.. Heaphy good morning very
e0mp0sedly, and as be got out of the carri-
age said to him:
Now, you will go on with the sketch
and will try and let you see me again.
am very anxious IL should be done.
Without quite owring it TO himself. Mr..
Heaphy was greatly pleased 10 find himself
in different carriage going In a different
direction, for it was impossible to resist a
singular a uncomfortable impression that
AC NoS hVdHthE WIN u Wycbtl-
ious it not with an unearthly parsonage,
and yet, in he face Of the everyday carriage
and demeanor Of the lady and Of all the ex-
ternal circumstances of the affair, it appear
ed to Mr.. Heaphy quite absurd 10 indulge
these impression. lie found his hosts
carriage waiting for him and was driven to
the house aud ushered to his room in time
to dress for dinner
THE house aas large, ancient, hand.
some country-gentleRan's home, In nowise
baronial, but dating back two or three CEN
turtles, with broad passages and stairways;
dark, rich wainscotings of carved wood; old
family pictures, tapestry hangings and all
the details which go to make up one Of the
thousand and one stately homes Of England
throughout that pleasant land. Mr.. Heap
by found himself alone when he entered
the great drawing room. He walked about
looking at the pictures upon the walls and
so passed into second smaller drawing
room, whittier he was attracted by he
sound Of the cracking of wood fire. There
staggering blow aa aited him. Standing
before a tall, ancient maniel, with one foot
set upon the heavy brass fender in the light
of great wood fire which sparkled and