Year: 1873

merry monarch were at the greatest
height, one of the ladies who attracted
some favorable notice was Serena Curtis.
That she did so, is sufficient guarantee
for her possession of personal charms of
no mean order, and also a considerable
share of what was then called irit; but,
besides these two necessary qualifications
for a court-life, Miss Curtis was al
so possessed of fair amount of discre-
ton and good sense-qualities which,
in those days and in that place, were
by no means so common as they should
have been.


She lived under the protection of the
Duchess of York, whose maid-of-honor
it was believed she might have been
had she so pleased; but her brother, her
only relative, who filed some slight
Office in the dukes household, had never
suffered her to entertain the idea. In
those DAYS, when laxity in religion
amounted to license, Ralph Curtis,
though no ascetic, passed almost for
Puritan. He was indeed stanch Pro-
testant, retaining even some of the modes
of thought and expression now gone out
of fashion with those who had introduc-
ed them; and the stern morality implan-
ted in his boyhood by the preachers of
the Commonwealth could not we'll toler-
ate the manners and customs of the Re
storation; and, though he himself was
devoted adherent of the Stuart cause,
and faithful servant of the king, he
had not the least desire that his sister
should, in that respect, follow his exam
pie.


So Serena Curtis lived, in general,
rather a retired life; and, seldom mixing
in the gayeties of the court, perhaps for
that very reason attracted the more ad-
miration when she appeared there. Sui
tors might have been more plentiful but
for one serious disadvantage. Ralph
Curtis and his sister were very poor, for
their father had spent his wealth, as we'll
as his life, in the Stuart cause. Had
their lands been only confscated, it
would have cost the king little to re-
store them from the present to the
| former owner; but they had been


lawfully sold, and the money lavished
as freely as the blood on those who were


never very conspicuous for gratitude;
and what had been bestowed on the first
| Charles had never been returned by the


second. The brothers place at court


and the small pension on which the sis,


ter lived, were all they had to depend
on, and it was therefore impossible that


Miss Curtis could give a fortune with
her hand.


But youth, when love comes, seldom
| pauses to consider ways and means, OF
to reflect whether an alliance be desira-


bic in practical point of view. Miss
Curtis found no exception to the rule
and, before any one was aware of it, she
had attracted and accepted u heart, anc


given her own iu exchange, in entirely


the worng place.


/ When this came to Ralph's knowledge


he was very indignant, and at once de
/ clared that the marriage should never


be permitted. In the first place, thu


young man, though professedly Pro


testant, was obviously of no religion a
all; he was known to be of especially


loose life even among those with whom


dueling, cheating at play, and shame


less gallantry, were things of every-da.


occurrence; and Though this last objec


ton could have been easily remedied


he had no fortune but his sword. Hal
the match been a suitable one, or agreea
BILE to his own wishes, Ralph possessed
sufficient interest to have forwarded th
| fortunes of his sisters lover; the duke


favor once bespoken, place at court, o


a regiment, would have afforded provi
sion for young couple with whom mu


tual affection might be supposed to sup


ply the place of ampler means; but, a


it was, Ralph chose to exert his powe
in the other direction. He enlisted tn
, sympathies of his own patron in his ia
vor, and through him represented to tn
king how much it was to be regrette


that the daughter of his old and faithful
servant, young lady of SO much beaut


and merit, and so we'll deserving of


better lot, should be thrown away on
needy adventurer The suit was lister
ed to; the obnoxious lover was offered
command in regiment on foreign sci
! vice, and ordered at once to accept


and depart; he knew that the order
: came from a quarter where resistanc
L was impossible, and bowed to the fate
e could not control-with what sentiment
of passion, hate, and ferocity, the sequ,
showed.


!, Serena never thought of resistanc
To marry against the consent of her n;


tual guardian; to bring to her HUSBAND


as dowry, penury, disgrace, and the di
: pleasure of the king, seemed SO complet
:. ly out of the question that, though HI
r lover asked and lin spite of her brother
II precautions) she contrived to grant a la
;, interview, it appears to have been wit
no expectation on her side that it WI
p for any other purpose than to exchans
5, an eternal farewell. Lovers, howeve
X are sometimes of "a different opinion fro
e their mistresses in such matters as thes
le and, much to her surprise, hers entrea
y ed her to fly with him, alleging that
q could so arrange matters that their unic
le and departure should never be suspe
rs ted until too late to prevent it, represer
IS ing that events, however disagreeable
m prospect, are often submitted to with
le good grace when past remedy, and e
"a deavoring to persuade her that it wou


be much more for her happiness to trr
10 herself to the care of faithful and {
e; voted lover, even in an African desc
s. than to remain at home with an often
W ed brother, and the object of pity to t
as whole court. He, no doubt, urged


suit with all the eloquence of which
ty was master, and probably had little ft
h of receiving other than favorable !