Year: 1869

iM In April, 1860, while the young and
e lovely daughter of the Earl of D--was
e enjoying her usual afternoon airing along


the "Lady's Mile" "her fan dropped from
Y her hand over the side of the carriage,


and she ordered her coachman to stop and


recover it. Coachy curbed his high-step-


pers to halt as quickly as possible; but
3p before he could descend from his perch,
sa gentleman of resplendent black whiskers
s"ii and immaculate costume appeared at the
~ side OF the vehicle, and with courtly


bow, presented the fan. A blushing
: 10 "thank you, sir" rewarded the act, and the


coachman was directed to head his horses
for Belgrave Square; but the 'Earl's daugh-
at.A ter carried home in her bosom a vivid
:, mental photograph Of the knight of the


fan, and could not help fancying that a
something in the expression OF the fine
"- black eyes had silently pleaded for a
further acquaintance To employ the term
q best understood by her sex, she was, in


fact, "struck" with his distinguished ap-


pearance, and couldn't get him out of her
~ head. 1t was one of those cases of in
r.. stantaneous infatuation which are quite as
.. common with the gentler as with the
Z, sterner sex. The young lady drove in the
~ park, at the same hour on every succeed


ing afternoon of the week, for the par


tlcular purpose of catching another glimpse
OF the elegant stranger. All her efforts
to that end, however, proved vain until


one evening at the Royal Italian Opera,
tg' where she accidentally dropped her
lorgnette from her box. Upon that ex-
3. citing occasion several white cravated


gentlemen sprang to pick up the pearl and
Z gold bijou; but there was quicker


one before them all, and the lorgnette was


presented by the whiskered unknown of
4, Hyde Park. Our susceptible heroine


blushed celestial rosy-red as she received
f.. it, and the dark-eyed cavalier gave her
y such look of homage in the act, that her


own eyes dropped prettily under the
i, ardent glance. Bowing gracefully, the un-a
known retired to station at the back Of
e." the box, and there worshiped with his look
" until the performance was over. For a


month after this se-eral silent interviews
'H- OF the kind took place, until at length the


peers daughter felt her right hand slight


ly grasped one evening, as she was STEP
ping into a carriage from the opera house,
and, on recovering from her alarm, found


q sealed note in the hand thus abased. In


amoment she had guessed who the writer


was, and had scarcely patience to gain the


privacy OF her own room before ascertain
ing its contents The missive was written
o ina fine Italian hand, and the writer
avowed his honorable passion in the ex-
T. " aggerated style natural to fellow coun-
!. tryman of the Cencis. He called her his
idol, the light of his soul, the star to be
p worshiped from afar by the idolatrous
.d wretch who dared not to draw nearer.


The English of the wording was lust ex-


ecrably bad enough to highten the TO-


nance and suggest anglicized marbled


villas beside the Pc. He should skill


HIMSELF said the knight, if miladi did not


conceal "leetle nota' 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 be-


gan a secret correspondence which


ended in her promise to elope with the


man. She had repeatedly endeavored to


gain some information respecting his rank:


though not until it was too late to save


herself, and when he assured her that pc


culiar, but not dishonorable, circum-


stances rendered san open courtship i'm


possible" she could only give him his own


way. Another month passed on, and,


upon a certain afternoon, the young lady's
carriage returned to Belgravia without


her. For better or for worse, she had Joined


her adorer at a railway station, and had
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 captive into swoon.


Sinking upon his knees in the inn of the


village to which they had come, he con-


feSsed that he was a hirer-out of hand
organs to the more needy of his country


men about London In horrible English


he abused himself unstintedly for daring


to pretend to so fair and noble hand, and


offered to escort his victim back to Lon


don, II she desired; and then cast himself


headlong from the top of the monument


in Trafalgar square. The Earls daughter


was shocked, but had gone too far to re-


cant; so she gave him absolution from his


sins against her, and went with him to q


clergyman. Next day there was a sensa
c--A ton in fashionable circles because the


Earl of D---'s daughter "had run off


with an Italian count. whose member


ship in the Roman Catholic Church had


made him distasteful to her noble parents"


Such was the Court Journals neat way


of putting the case. After writing a


friendly account of her mesalliance to


her family, the young wife made hasty sail


with her doting husband to Italy. She


found that her new relatives there were


not all partricians, by any means; but
they receives her with great respect and,


as the ex-organizer was the tenderest of
liege lords, she managed to pass Joyous


honeymoon. Before SETTLING down for
good however, she wrote another letter


IN her father for forpiveness aod tberebv