Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-24
A COURT BEAUTY.
story Of a Remarkable Woman Of the
Last Century.


Last Century.
In all the brilliant pageant Of courts
no figure has moved with more queen
ly beauty and more captivating grace
than Virginie, Countess Castiglione,
who for a few years in the middle OF
the last century dazzled the world by
her charms and conquered hearts by
glance, and few have drunk more
deeply of life's delights and its bitter
ness.
A romantic story tells US that the
peerless woman was Graded In a
farmhouse and spent her early years
in rustic environment Of cows and
hens, but in fact her origin was much
more exalted and less romantic. Vir-
ginie first opened her beautiful eyes In
a Florentine palace, the daughter OF
the Marquis Oldoini, an Italian diplo-
mat, and his marchioness, one Of the
most graceful and charming women
of her day. Beauty and rank were
thus her heritage and seldom has wo-
man turned them to better account.
AS child she exhibited rare
promise Of loveliness and Of that IN
descrlpable gift Of fascination which
in later years made her supreme
among her sex. She was born to In
spire the passion and devotion Of men,
and before she had emerged from
short frocks she was besieged by WOO
ers. At twelve her beauty was the
talk of Florence. When she accom-
panied her mother to the theatre, her
tall, graceful figure, her brilliant eyes
and her exquisite complexion, fresh
and fragrant as half-opened rose,
attracted all eyes to her and when she
Wake, abroad she was followed by an
embarrassing retinue Of admirers. She
was, even at this early age, by univer-
sal assent the most beautiful girl In
Italy.
One day in 1854, so the story Is told
by Frederick Lollee, the youthful
Count Castiglione was present In Lon
don at a reception given by the duch-
ess of Iverness, and as he gazed at the
galaxies of the beautiful women
around him he said to his friend
Count Walewski, II suppose you do
not know what has brought me to
London? l have come in search OF
wife" MY dear Castiglione," the
count answered. "if that Is so you
have made a great mistake In leaving
Italy. Go back, get an Introduction to
the Marchioness Oldoini and win her
daughter. You will then have the
most beautiful wife in Europe"
The count followed this friendly ad-
vice; fell hopelessly in love with the
fair Virginie the moment he set eyes
on her radiant young charms, and af-
ter a brief wooing won her consent to
be his wife. But the girls heart was
far from accompanying her hand. L
will marry you," she said. because
my mother wishes it. But remember
I do not love you. I shall never love
YOU. In fact 1 shall always be indif-
ferent to you.
It was under such unpromising con-
ditions that Virginie was led to the al
tar, an unwilling and unhappy BRIDE
by the Count de Castiglione-young'
handsome and rich, but Of weak char
acter and dissipated habits. Such a
husband could never inspire respect.
much less affection, in the proud
ng-willed young beauty. She owed
him no allegiance, and she never gave
it, Even before the honeymoon had
waned she set the count at defiance.
In vain he implored her to pay the
bridal visit, prescribed by custom, to
his mother. She refused point blank.
Seeing that appeals and commands
were alike useless he determined
conquer by artifice. One day he invit-
ed his wife to accompany him on
drive, secretly bidding the coachman
to take them to his mothers house.
Virginie showed no sign Of suspicion