The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-09-04

wealth. only. In1S is SIMPLY to make
ones self an agent of the public expend-
iture; the personal element sinks out of
sight. But let him build a palace in a
night, like Aladdin; drink q priceless
pearl, like Cleopatra; throw a bridge of
gold across the Hellespont give feast
where fountains shall run precious
wines, the dishes be set with diamonds,
the guests be seated on chairs of gold
and ivory, and every breath they draw
be freighted with the value of priceless
treasures. The magical, the impossible
are what we demand of boundless riches,
and we are continually disguised, be-
cause, after all, nothing very much out
of the common seems to take place.
Count de Lisle, however, was still an
unknown quantity; lie had not shown
what he could do, and he might there
fore still do anything. His fancy of Il
great free school and museum of art,
which a few persons were cognizant of,
looked well enough for side issue, but
for him it could hardly be more than
that. 1t was known that he had pur-
chased a tract of land several miles in
extent on Long Island, and was having
it laid out and improved, with q view,
apparently, of making a private or semi
private park of it, and no doubt the
site of the school would be there. He had
houses at Newport and Saratoga, and pal
aces, it was said, in various European
countries; he had, since coming to New
e. 1Nr1Sl e
steam yacht which was expected to COM
bine the best qualities Of Cleopatra's
barge and an Atlantic greyhound. AS to
the Trent house, as it was still called, no
one knew exactly what he was doing with
that; he had already taken up his quarters
there, but it was understood that altera-
tons of some kind We're still going on.
After all known facts were allowed for,
it was felt that the real nucleus of the
matter had scarcely been touched, and
that the sensation was yet to come.
Then, where had the counts money
come from? So gigantic a fortune could
not have been long in existence, or it
would have been heard of. Was its
source in the mines Of Mexico? Ii was
from Mexico that the count had come to
New York; and, according to his own
account, he was the son Of a single
French gentleman, and had received his
title of nobility from Napoleon-a COM
plimeutary gift merely, unaccompanied
by revenue. Perhaps he had found the
key to open the long closed treasure
house of the Montezunas. Perhaps he
had stumbled upon a hoard laid up at
the period of Maximilian's accession,
when France anticipated gaining per
manent foothold in the country. Per
haps he had discovered diamond mine
on his own account richer than those of
Golconda. Or possibly he had only come
suddenly into II number Of great inner
itances, to which circumstances had
given a multiplied value. The founda-
ton of the wealth of the R3thschilds
had been laid by speculation on the re-
suits of war There had lately been q
great war in Europe, but it was difficult
to see how it could have put so much
gold into any one mans pts-Ze5. Be-
sides, the present accommodations OF the
Rothschilds were the gradual increase Of
several generations; whereas D. Lisle's
fortune had, so to say, sprung up in q
night.
In the course of the season the count
was seen at the principal houses IN town;
but he never remained at any place
more than fifteen or twenty minutes,
and always aroused more interest than
he satisfied. Without seeming to be SO,
he was careful in his selection of &C
quaintances; only the select circle could
say they knew him. 1t was evident,
therefore, that the count did not intend
to use any of his power in the amuse-
ment of defying society-as of course he
might easily have done. He was going
to be conventional, like ordinary men
always with the difference that he was
the richest man in the world. But that
fact actually rendered his convention
ality eccentric.
Febrr"ry came, and people were say
ing that the season was over, when all at
once invitations were issued to q dinner
and reception at Count de Lisle's. Here
was sensation at last! Every one who
was invited had diff rent idea of what
it would be IKE T. e were two hun
dred and fifty invitations all told-a good
sized dinner party, but still by no means
a larger amount of guests than New
York's highest circle could easily have
furnished. In fact, the number could
not well have been smaller; but then
they were the choicest of the choice. The
most beautiful girls, the most aristo-
cratic ladies, the most distinguished
gentlemen. It would be a brilliant oc-
casion; no one had a right to complain,
although, of course, those who were not
among the elect might be expected to
feel disappointed.
There was one point about this affair
that excited good deal of curious spec
ulation. The count was bachelor, and,
as number of unmarried women were
to be of the party, it was natural that he
should ask some lady to assist him in re-
ceiving his guests. Who should this
lady be? 1t was assumed that she would
be some recognized leader of society;
somebody who would be recognized at
once as the right person in the right
place. But when it became known Gas
happened a few days before the date of
the dinner) who she really was, there
was a general stir of surprise.
Sallie Matchin-or Mrs. Harry Trent,
as she should be called-was to stand be-