The herald., 1897-09-19
AN ECHO OF A TRAGEDY
STORY OF A PORTRAIT AND THE
MAN WHO STOOD UNDER IT
The Man Belonged to Noble French
Family and Was an Exile-The
Cause Of the Family's Ruin


The family had rented a house in the
mountains not far from New York. The
region had been settled as early as any in
the country, hereabouts, and the houses
were as fine specimens Of old colonial
residences as any available for summer
occupancy. So the New York family set
tied themselves there with satisfaction.
The house had been for a great many
years the home of family well known
in the history Of the United States. One
of the members was famous financier.
two were illustrious journalists and the
fourth had renown as a clergyman. 1t
was to the last that the houss belonged.
The usual decorations of(the house
were not disturbed by the summer ten
ants. The family portraits hung about
the walls, and over the mantel in one
room was the picture of a woman. Just
who she was the summer occupants of
the house took no trouble to learn, but
before long the revelation of her iden-
tity was brought about in a curious way
There came to this old country town a
young foreigner who had an American
wife. He was cultivated refined, polite,
everything that a man of an old title and
a good position should be. But there
were some qualifications for his place in
the world that he did not possess. He
was poor, desperately poor with threat
ening burden of debt. His wife was
charming, accomplished and-poor. 1t
was out Of the question for the young
man to work. He knew nothing about
working and there was nothing he could
do, even If the idea of employment had
ever suggested itself to him as pos
tsible way out of his troubles. His wife
had nothing beyond her beauty and her
devotion to him. This capital was not
enough for life in Paris when one has an
old title to bear. There might not be
wealth here, but there was at least
chance. So the Frenchman and his wife,
came to her country. 1t was late in the
autumn when they arrived and the first
Of their visits to the country brought
them to this old village. They knew
the New Yorkers living in the old house
and an invitation brought them to the
place.
Pure accident led the young nobleman
to stand after dinner with his elbow on
the mantle under the portrait of the
woman. The room was large and shad-
owy and the lights were low. Prob
ably he never saw the face. Possibly
he would not have recognized it. But
it had, nevertheless, exercised large
influence upon his fortunes 1t was to
the influence of the woman whose por-
trait hung in the living room Of the old
New England house that this young man
was an exile from his own land because
he had not the fortune to live there, and
this although she had died before he
was born.
One of the guests at dinner that night
knew the original of the portrait and her
history. He knew the young man, too,
and when he saw him and the portrait
so close together the long arm of CO.
incidence seemed to have reached as far
as it could stretch. The host and host
ess learned the history of the picture in
these words:
"The young man who was standing to-
night under that woman's portrait" the
guest said, "might have carried one of
the most exalted titles in Europe today
and might have had one of the largest
private fortunes had it not been for that
woman She was perhaps, the innocent
cause Of this young mans i'll fortune,
just as she was supposed to have borne
no part in the evil that brought famous
tragedy on his ancestors. She was an
English governess in the family Of
French duke. He was rich and his fam
lily ranked with the Oldest His wife, was
as proud as he was, and when there came
into her mind distrust of the English
woman's honesty and the dukes infidel-
ity it was not a matter which she would
allow to pass with the lightness which
people are accustomed to associate
with matters of this kind in French So
ciety. She demanded that the girl be
driven from the house, hurredly and
gnominiously, with no chance for ques'
ton or justification The duke defend
ded her and himself from his wife's
charges and said that the woman could
teave the house under circumstances
in which she could carry her reputation
with her But he refused toturn her out
at his wife's command Then the duch-
ess went, so long as the English woman
was allowed to remain
after a while the duchess returned to
her home. 1t was understoo that the
English governess was to leave, now
that her departure would not reflect on
her good name. The night on which
the duchess came back found her hus-
band preparing to take his children
out to an evening entertainment. They
remained away late. When they re-
turned he asked the first footman he saw
at the door:
"Is Nine. la Duchesse at home?'
" She is, sir
" And where is she now?' the duke
asked.
She went to her room early the man
answered, and her maid just told NE
that she was sleeping
THE duke passed into the house and
the children went to their rooms. 1t was
known that the duchess was passonately
in love with her husband and her alb
sence from the house had caused talk
among the servants. The duke had
every reason to love her. as a great for
tune had come into the family through
her. He went that night directly to his
own rooms. His presence in the duchess
apartments during the whole of the
afternoon had attracted the attention of
the servants, although none of them had
been admitted while he was there. After
he had gone to his rooms the house was
closed for the night
'Early in the morning the entire house
hold WAS aroused bV the ShrielsS of q