Year: 1879




prayer, his name was the last on her
lips.


It was midnight. The heavens shone
with thousand sparkling stars, and q
dark light spread itself on the old abbey,
which stood solitary and alone among
its ruins.


A window of the palace opened, and
shadow passed slowly along the bal
cony and staircase, crossed along the
court and reached the monastery.


It would be difficult to say how this
figure had left the palace and pene-
trated so far; but she must have been
well acquainted with all the turnings,
for in short time she crossed the long
avenue, and, arriving at one end of the
galleries of the chapel, she found her
self in the painters work-room, and,
passing lightly on. seated herself, with
out looking around her, Immediately IN
front of his easel.


Oh, surprised Oh, ioyl this being
so calm, SO beautiful, is Lueyl The de-
spending artist who had been unable to
retrace her features on his canvas now
beheld living model before his eyes.
What could have induced her to come I?
What idea could have given her the
courage and resolution? He threw him
self on his knees before her, but Lucy,
motioning him to rise, pointed to his
pencil. Her look penetrated him with
a fame so pure that he forgot the real
ity of his vision his astgnishment
seemed to him a want of faith. Trans
ported by his imagination to an ethe-
real sphere, he seemed above the earth
; and in the midst OF the sublime con-
certs of angels; he beheld Mary en-
vironed by divine rays. He was no
longer the powetless artist who had Just
thrown at his feet his unsuccessful
pencil the artist replaced the man.
Mute and bteathless, inspired by mys-
terious strength, ne seized his palette.
His colors gave the form and his soul
the Ife-in few hours he created the
most beautiful and most pure Of vir-
gins.


When the young girl saw that after
tracing her features he was occupied in
imparting to his picture the soul which
animated him, she rose silently, and,
with a calm and assured step, left the
monastery by the same road she had
come.


Van Dyck, with wondering eyes and
oppressed breathing, made not the
slightest effort to detain her. In his
eyes she was no longer mortal, and in
her departure he thought he saw the
Madonna returning to her native skies.
Enchanted by his execution and excite
ment, he fell asleep in his arm chair.
On awakening, hi5 first thought was to
examine the canvas. Transported with
Joy at his success, he thanked on his
knees the angel or woman who had so
favored him. In vain he endeavOred
again to impart the ideality which ex
listed in his imagination. He had so
ana OF Lucy that he determined TO dls-
cover the truth, and wrote the following
billet to the young girl:


"TeQ me if you are indeed All angel;
if ycN DO not wish to deprive of his
senses the poor artist to whom you have
to appear this night, tell
me if you are the Virgin or a mortal"


It was a part of the duty of the dow
ager Duchess to open the billets adj
drnesed To the voung ladies confded to
nCr charge. WnaL Was ner asTonlsn~
ment at reading this epistle!


"Horror" cried she. GA child of high
family to violate her duty in seeking a
painter at midnight"


She rang and sent for the guilty one,
but her rage redoubled when Lncy,
with her customary gentleness, denied
all knowledge of the cause of her re-
proaches. The Duchess, who expected
to witness in her great confusion or
candid avowal, would listen to nothing.
The alarm was given in the palace and
it was decided that Lucy, disgraced,
should be sent home to her father.


Her prayers were of no avail; single
night of respite was alone accorded her,
and she was compelled to sleep in the
apartment of the Duchess to avoid fur
ther scandal.


At midnight, Lucy rose as before; the
Duchess was aroused from her unquiet
sleep, and called all the ladies to wit
ness the confirmation of her suspicious.
With lighted fambeaux, the Duchess,
attended by a numerous suite, followed
Lucy, who traversed again the long hall
and numerous passages and arrived at
the door of the monastery. Her culpa-
bility could no longer be doubted, but
they followed her even to the painting
room, where she was already seated be-
fore the easel. The noise around her
and the brilliancy of the lights awoke
her in fright. She was a somnambu-
list.


Thus unconsciously had she served
as a model to the artist, who fully re-
paid in love what she had given him in
renown. He obtained the prize and
was loaded down at the court with hon
ors and riches.


A few days afterward there was cele-
brated at ST. PauIs the union of Van
Dyck and Lucy, the daughter of the
noble Count Ruthven de CORY.