Year: 1879

nent sarcasm SO that, on separating fo


the night her mind was filled with this


idea, and after her nightly prayer, hi!


name was last upon her lips


1t was midnight. The heavens shont


with thousand sparkling stars, and 1


dark light settled itself on the old abbey


which stood solitary and alone among its


ruins.


/ ]eIEA A window OF the palace opened and d
shadow passed slowly along the balcony
and staircase, crossed along the court and
reached the outer monastery. sf~fr
! 1t would be difficult to say how this
figure had left the palace and penetrated
so far; but she must have been we'll ac-
lquainted with all the turnings, for in a
short time she crossed the long avenue
and, arriving at one end of the galleries
Of the chapel, she found herself, without


looking around her, Immediately in front
of his easel 's5z zs5a ee


Oh, surprise! Oh, joy! this being, SC
calm, so beautiful, is Lucy! The de.
spending artist who had been unable tc
retrace her features on canvas now beheld
a living model before his eyes. " hat could
have induced her to come? What idea
could have given her the courage and
resolution? He threw himself on his knees
before her, but Lucy, motioning him to
rise, pointed to his pencil Her look
penetrated him with flame so pure that
he forgot the reality of his vision-his
astonishment seemed to him want of
faith. Transported by his Imagination
to an ethereal sphere, he seemed above
the earth and in the midst of the sublime
| concerts of angels; he behcld Mary
environedS by divine rays. lie was no
longer the powerless artist who had Just
thrown at his feet his unsuccessful pencil
the artist replaced the man. Mute and
breathless, inspired by mysterious
strength, he seized his palette. His colors
gave the form and his soul the life--in a
few hours he created the most beautiful
and the most pure of virgins


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 p -ss - - I f. - --~-


Van Dyck, with wondering eyes, and
oppressed breathing made not the slight
est effort to detain her In his eyes she
was no longer mortal, and in her depart
ure he thought he saw the Madonna re-
turning to her native skies. Enchanted
by his execution and excitement he fell
asleep in his armchair On awakening,
his first thought was to examine the, can
vas. Transported with joy at his success,
he thanked, on his kness, the angel or
woman who had sofavored him In vain
he endeavored again to impart the ideali-
ty which existed in his imagination. He
had so combined the thoughts of the
Madonna and Of Lucy that he determined
to discover the truth, and wrote the fol-
lowing billet to the young girl:


''Tell me if you are indeed an angel; if
you do not wish to deprive of his senses
the poor artist to whom you have con-
descended to appear this night, tell me if
you are the Virgin or moltalr'


1t was part Of the duty Of the dowager
duchess to open the billets addressed to
the young ladies cofded to her charge
What was her astonishment at reading
this epistle! sas@sa 81


"Horror!' cried She "a child of high
family to violate her duty in seeking a
painter at.midnight" a4H


She rang and sent for the guilty one,
but her rage redoubled when Lucy. with
her customary gcntleness, denied all
knowledge of the cause of her rcproachcs
The duchess, who expected to- witness in
her great confusion ora, 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 ,t--


Her prayers were of no avail: IL single
night of respite was alone accorded to
her, and she was compelled to. sleep in
the apartment Of the duchess to avoid
further scandal. sEs& &its


At midnight, Lucy rose as before; the
duchess was reused from her unquiet
sleep, and called all the ladies to witness
the confirmation of her suspicious. With
a lighted t1ambauX, the duchess, attended
by numerous suite, followed Lucy, who
traversed again the long hall and numer-
GUS passages and arrived at the door of
the monastery. Her culpability could no
longer be doubted; but they followed her
even to the painting room, where she was
already seated before the easel. The noise
around her and the brilliancy of the lights
awoke her in fright. She was SOM
nambulist.


Thus unconsciously had she served as a
model the artist, who fully repaid in love
what she had given him in renown. He
obtained the prize and was loaded down
at the court with honors and riches.


A few days afterward, there was cele-
brated at st. Paul's the union of Van
Dyck and Lucy, the daughter Of the noble
Count Ruthven.-Neao York Graphic.