Year: 1869

II LOUe Romance and 0n Usslcjssd
Father.


I In April, 1860, while the young and lovely


daughter of the Earl of D. was enjoying hel


usual afternoon airing along the HLady's Mile, y


her fan dropped from her hand over the side o


the carriage, and she ordered her coachman te


stop and recover it. Coachy curbed high-step'


pers to halt as quickly as possible, but before


DE could descend from his perch gentleman o


resplendent black whiskers and immaculate cos


tune appeared at the side of the vehicle, and


with courtly bow presented the fan. A bushed
thank you, SIR" rewarded the act, and the


coachman was directed to head his horses for


Begravia Square but the Earl's daughter car.


ried home in her bosom vivid mental photo


graph of the knight of the fan, and could moi


help fancying that something in the expires.
sion of the fine black eyes had silently pleaded


for further acquaintance. To employ the term


best understood by her sex, she was, in fact,


'struck with his dintinguished appearance, "
and conldn't get him out OF her head 1t was
one of those cases of instantaneous infatuation


which are quite as common with the gentler as


with the sterner sex. The young lady drove in
the park at the same hour on every succeeding
afternoon of the week for the particular purpose
of catching another glimpse OF the elegant siran-
ger All her efforts TO that end, however, proved
vain until one evening, at the Royal Italian
Opera, where she accidentally dropped her
lorgnette from her box. Upon that exciting oc-
casion several whtc-cravatted gentlemen sprang
TO pick up the pearl-and-gol bijou but there
was quicker one before then all, and the lorg-
nette was presented by the whisktred unknown
of Hyde Park. Our susceptible heroine tlushed
celestial rosy red as she received it, aud the lark


eyed cavalier gave her such look OF homage in
the act that her own eyes dropped pre,ti!y under
the ardent glance. Bowing gracefully, the un-
known retired to a station at the lack OF the
box, and there worshippcd with his look until
the performance was over. For "a month after
this several silent interviews Of The kind took
place, until at length the peers daughter tel, her
right hand slightly claped one evening as she
was stepping into a carriage from the opera house,
and on recovering from her alarm found q sealed
note in the hand thus abased. In moment she
had guessed who the writer was, and had scarcely
patience 10 gain the privacy of her own room
before ascertaining its contents. The missive
was written in a fine Italian hand and the
writer avowed his honorable passion in the ex-
aggerated style natural to fellow counlryman
of the Cencis. He called her his idol, the light
of his soul, the star TO be worshipped from atar
by the idolatrous wretch who dared not to draw
near


The English of the wording was just execrably
bad enough to heighten the romance and suggest
angelicized marble villas beside the murmuring
Po He should skill himself, " said the knight,
if "miladi" did moi conceal 'leeile nota' for
him in the folds Of her fan, on a certain night,
and manage to drop it for him as she entered her
box at the opera She did so and thus began
secret correspondence which ended in her
promising 10 elope with the man. She had re-
peatedly endeavored to gain some information
respecting his rank, though not until it was too
late TO save herself and when he assured her
that peculiar but not dishonorabe circumstances
rendered ian open conrtship impossible" she
could only give him his own way. Another
month past on, and upon a certain afternoon the
young lady's carriage returned to Belgravia
without her. For better, for worse, she had
joined her adorer at a railway station, and gone
with him to the nearest Gretna Green. They
knew each other very intimately in sentiment,
but now the fond foreigner had such hard facts
to disclose as came near throwing his lovely cap
tive into swoon. Sinking upon his knees in
the inn of the village to which they had come,
he confessed that he was hirer-out of hand or
gems to the more needy of his countrymen about
London In horrible English he abused himself
unsintedly for daring to pretend to so fair and
noble hand, and offered to escort his victim
back to London, if she desired, and then cast
himself headlong from the top of the monument
in Trafalgar Square. The Earrs daughter was
shocked, but had gone too far to recant so she
gave him absolution from his sins against her,
and went with him to clergyman.


Next day there was a sensation in fashionable
circles-because the Earl of D-'s daughter
had run off with An Italian Count whose MEM
bership in the Roman Catholic church had made
him distasteful to her "noble parents" Such
IF fIa
case. After writing friendly account of her
mis-aliance to her family, the young wife made
hasty sail with her doting husband to Italy. She
found that her new relatives there were not pa
tricans, by any means but they received her
with greatrespect and as the ex-organiZer was
the tenderest of leige-lords she managed to pass
Joyous honeymoon. Before 'set.ling down for
good" however, she wrote another letter to her
father for forgiveness, and thereby threw that
noble lord into fresh paroxyms of wrath. He
sent crushing answer, refusing to longer re-
upon her and her Italian. Like a sensible
English GIRL our heroine took this all very
philosophically, and sang merrily ira, la, la, to
the music of guitar until the peculiar purity
and freshness of her voice attracted the critical
attention of her husband. He called in a cele-
brated maestro to hear her sing, and was rejoiced
TO learn that his wife had a voice worth for
tune to her. A good master was at once secured
for the lively lady she studied the Italian Ian
guage and artistic method with avidity, and, at
the request of her lord, consented to sing in
public. AS result, the whole city went wild in
enthusiasm over new diva, and she received an
invitation 10 become second chafteus at La Ccala.
Accepting, she gained such a series of triumphs
that her husband was frantic with mingled pride
and ioy. On the occasion of her benefit he
evnced this spirit by giving grand supper 10
the Hlettanti OF Milan, retired to bed in an ex-
alted state of intoxication, and died of apoplexy
before morning. His lady buried him with sim
cere sorrow, and was hardly conscious Of what
would be her next step, when she received an
offer of an engagement at the English Royal
Italian Opera. With subdued joy she took ad-
vantage of the opportunity to see once more her
native land, and under her fanciful Italian stage
name was soon captivating the music Londoners
by her glorious voice. When her English fame
was at its heigth, the Earl of D., hearing par
ticularly of her beauty, went TO the opera to OBJ
serve for himself He recognized his ungrateful
daughter, and even swelled with paternal pride
when showers of bouqets and whirlwinds of ap-
plause greeted her at the termination Of each act
of the "Figlia." surprising magnanimity took
possession of his noble breast. He would reclaim
the organ-grinder's widow he would raise her
to his own sphere again he would restore his
fathery favor to the idol of art and the haut ton
and would finally marry her off to some titled
poole. Filled with these generous intentions, he
deputed friend to bear his card to the dressing
room of the prima donna, and was much aston


shed by her refusal to see him. "She fears my
reproaches," said he, after due consideration,
and on the morrow caused the same friend as
before to bear his offer of parental recognition to
the goddess of song. The friend was readily ad-
mtted to an audience, and became therefrom as
tonished for the remainder of his life. The lady
said My father cast me off for marrying the
gentleman of my choice. He refused 10 recognize
me in my days of poverty and obscurity. Now
that am rich and famous, refuse to recognize
him. Let US be strangers TO each other" All
further advances were unavailing, and my lord
and his daughter remains strangers to this day.