< ; S' THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY THE WILMER COLLECTION OF CIVIL WAR NOVELS PRESENTED BY RICHARD H. WILMER, JR. WBSsmm^^sk ^Yi (l ■^i- .■•■'A ,■"- , ^^^,5:^-H^JH~"-:>- " t;%, '^.'•^'^''^\ \.^?t.:'^. -..y,. :Vy.. ,. . «. .s ,.'-% V - . • '»/ ^' ' < '^ '^'^ ' J'V' ' }'\ ', " ' ', /. ' .•:?Vi' /•'t^w^ L- ■■ •if^' i-"Vr i:.:-c. <*> •". V:.'^-: .'it./ . _ c . \ -v*.". ^^^1 ^- • > .;" hP^ ■ T '''" ' ^^^^^B._^ ' . , . ' • ' ^^^^S' ^ ^_ ,< . , < '. IrT^lV V S)', U-?*' - . THE Earl of Mayfield. A. isr O "V^ E L FORTIS ET FIDELIS. The opening scenes in " The Earl of Mayfield" are laid in Louisiana during tht early days of the Rebellion, the hero is a rich planter, and the heroine is a lovely example of pure womanhood. The old English home is very likely a correct photograph of an ideal house, as many similar ones exist in that identical locality. It has the advantage of having but few characters, with good descriptions, excellent dialogues, well sustained interest, and contains all the elements of a successful novel, the whole being well told, within the limits of probability, and ought to be a success. — CRITIC. PHILADELPHIA: T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS; 306 CHESTNUT STREET. copyright: 1879. CONTENTS. ♦ ♦ » Chapter Page I. HASTY RETREAT 21 n. HARD ROWING 26 m. THROUGH FIRE UNTO DEATH 42 IV. FRIENDS OR LOVERS ? 51 V. HOME AGAIN 63 VI. MASTER AND SLAVES 73 Vn. A SPECULATION THAT PAYS 84 Vni. A SLIGHTED HOST 100 IX. PEACE AND WAR 109 X. BLACK AND WHITE 122 XI. DINER EN FAMILLE 135 XII. FREE AS AIR 145 Xrn. AN HOUR WITH LINCOLN 154 XIV. FOR LACK OF HAPPINESS 168 XV. LIFE AT COURT LODGE 178 XVI. A COISIPROMISE 188 XVn. AN EXCURSION 197 XVni. NEWS FROM ABROAD 211 XIX. A NEW EARL 224 (19) 603134 20 CONTENTS. Cliapter Page XX. THE PARTING 234 XXI. INCIDENTS ON SHIPBOARD 242 XXn. NEAYS FROM HOME 253 XXin. SOLICITOR AND CLIENT 264 XXIY. LONDON BRIDGE 277 XXV. THE ANCESTRAL HOME , . . . 287 XXVI. THE NEW EARL 305 XXVII. OLD FRIENDS AND OLD PLACES : . 319 XXVIII. REMINISCENCES 331 XXIX. A PLEASANT SURPRISE 342 XXX. MAIDENLY RESERVE 358 XXXI. " JE COMPRENDS — BON SOIR." 375 XXXII. UNDER FALSE PRETENCES 391 XXXIII. HIS OWN TRUE LOVE 404 XXXIV. A SPARKLING INTRUSION 414 XXXV. THE WHITE CLIFFS OF ENGLAND 424 THE EARL OE MAYEIELD. CHAPTER I. A HASTY RETREAT. THE period is the year 1862, and in the early spring — just after the battle of Shiloh, where Grant dealt the first of a series of tremendous blows to the yet powerful Confederacy. In the rebel camp, on the outskirts of the village of Corinth in Mississippi, sat a young and handsome man, who, though in the first bloom of manhood — not exceeding* twenty years — already wore the impress of care and weariness ; his expressive and frank, but sad, blue eyes were lit up by the last rays of the glowing southern sun, just dropping behind the neighboring hills. He was clad in the faded uniform of a private soldier in the Confederate cavalry, his heavy sabre lay on the ground beside him, being too weighty for his exhausted frame to bear. Around on every side rose the confused murmurs of a large camp; the neighing of horses, shoutings of men, rolling of ambulances bringing in the wounded from the recent disastrous, and not distant (21) 22 THE EARL OF MATFIELD. battle field. Now and then the suppressed cry of a wounded soldier would strike the ear, as the wasrons moved slowly and heavily on to the hospital. It was truly a sad and depressing scene, and one not calcu- lated to cheer the gloomy spirits of our hero, for such he was. His name was Thomas Carew, a wealthy planter from Louisiana, of English descent, as was abundantly testified by his blonde hair and complexion — his fea- tures were of the purest and highest type of the Arj^an race — acquiline, frank and open — a face not easily forgotten by those who once gazed upon it, or who had heard the sweet but strong tones of his rich and pure English. But,, to return, he was one of a large num- ber of the sugar planters who were opposed to seces- sion ; but unlike him, however, most of them had succumbed to the pressure of circumstances, and finally cast their fortunes with the southern cause. Carew had, however, remained firm, and steadfastly adhering to his principles, refused to join the rebel army, except under the pressure of a rigorous conscrip- tion ; hence his presence on this occasion, and in the uniform of a humble private in the ranks; though owing to his large wealth and social position, added to the advantages of a military education, he had been offered the command of a regiment. In order to ex- plain such sentiments in a born southerner, it will be necessary to digress a little. The parents of our hero died while he was a mere boy, and his education was left to his maternal grand- father — a stern and uncompromising abolitionist — who e'n God speed. 15 242 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. CHAPTER XXI. INCIDENTS ON SHIP-BOARD. ARRIVED in New York, Carew stopped at the Brevoort, his favorite house. He had to remain there for nearly three weeks, attending to matters of business ; he also paid a short visit to his country house, leaving Brandon in New York and instructing him to engage their passages on the first Cunarder sailing nearest to the day on which they could get ready. This steamer proved to be the " Russia," but when the day for sailing came around it was made known that, owing to some trouble with the machinery, this vessel could not sail until several days after the appointed time. Carew now became exceedingly impatient, and determined upon taking the first steamer ready to depart for England. They found a small, but handsome and well-appointed ste9,mer, called the " State of Indiana," which was to leave that day for Glasgow, via Larne. On this ship they therefore went immediately, and were provided with excellent rooms — there being but few passengers gave them an ample choice. We give here extracts from the log of the steamer ^' State of Indiana," sailing from New York, Oct. 14th, 18—: " Left Pier 36, North River, Wednesday, at 3 P. M., and at noon on Thursdav, 15th, had made 217 miles. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. To noon on Friday, 16th, had made 295 i To Saturday, 17th, u " 310 To Sunday, 18th, ii 305 To Monday, 19th, u " 250 To Tuesday, 20th, ii " 280 To Wednesday, 21st, u " 278 To Thursday, 22d, u 273 To Friday, 23d, u 298 To Saturday, 24th, (( 296 Sunday and Monday, 25th and 26th, " 398 243 Total distance from New York to Glasgow, 3200 miles. Arrived at Glasgow on Monday, October 26th, 18 — , at six in the morning. The weather was fine up to the 18th, when it stormed heavily from the northeast, causing heavy head seas, and compelling us to run the vessel on slow bells. Monday, 19th. — One of the steerage passengers died this morning, of pneumonia, and was buried at 3 P. M. He had but two shillings in his pocket, and was returning home to Belfast. The captain read the service over him. The ship was stopped and the body heaved over. Wednesda}", 21st. — Weather very cold, but fine and favorable during the last few hours. Passed a fleet of ' Portuguese men-of- war' — the Nautilus. — Thursday, 22d. — Large. icebergs five miles to the north ; sea full of sharks around the ship." Brandon, who had never been at sea before, made these extracts, and we insert them here in the hope of interesting those who may never have made the voyage across the Atlantic. 244 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. Nothing further occurred worth mentioning beyond the fact of Sebastian's terror when he found there was a dead body on board, and that it was to be com- mitted to the deep. The poor fellow had been des- perately ill, and, not being aware that sea-sickness, though distressing enough, is not dangerous, he was completely cast down already, when the above news reached him. Curiosity, however, brought him on deck, for the first time since leaving harbor, and he saw the remains of the unfortunate man brought to the after gang- way, in a slow and solemn procession, by the sailors. It was enveloped in canvas, sewed up tightly, and fol- lowing the outlines of the body so closely as to form a hideous caricature, most ghastly to behold. A large lump of coal was firmly tied between the feet, to insure an erect position as it was slung over the side of the ship. It lay on a broad plank, the feet projecting out- wards, and resting on the edge of the gangway, which had been opened for that purpose. The captain then came forward, his officers stood next him, the sailors and passengers ranging themselves in a semicircle around the corpse ; the ship's bell was tolled, during which time the captain read the church of Eng- land burial service, with uncovered head. As he ceased, the vessel was stopped ; two sailors cut loose and removed the English Union Jack which had enveloped the body ; and, at a signal from the captain, raised the head of the body until it slid off, shooting several yards from the ship's side in an inclined position; the weight at the feet caused it to gradually assume an erect THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 245 posture, when it struck the water, feet first, and slowly aisajipeared from mortal vision. Poor Sebastian gazed with fixed eyes on this solemn ZT, V ;"7«d by an uncontrollable impulse, he vent to the bulwark, and leaning over, watched the body as oug as he could see it, settling down, down, into the limpid waters of mid-ocean ! _ He forgot his sea-sickness, and sought his master immediately after the funeral, and, with face of an ashy from homeT ^™ ^^'^ ^^"^ '"'"^'^ '°°° ^'* ^^'^ '''''' "Oh, nonsense," said Carew, rather impatiently, peope die everyday, Sebastian, and they are quite as liable to be taken off at sea as elsewhere ' " " That is true, master ; but I had such awful dreams folks!'^ "° '"'* °°®"'' "^"'^ '^^' ^'^'l ^'^^ "Well," interposed Brandon, "you were feeling bad y from sea sickness, and you knew this man was likely to die, therefore you very naturally had such dreams as you describe." But Sebastian had made up his mind to hear evil ^ tidings from home, and would not be comforted Vis- ions of poor Sallie, his young wife, floated through his unsettled mind. He asked how long it would tfke to get news from home after they reached land ? Brandon informed him that another vessel might arrive with le^tters within a day or two after they reached Glas- "But;' he continued, "there is the telegraph, you l^now, Sebastian; if anything important has gone 246 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. wrong, Mr. Randolph would send the news over at once ! " " Do you think, sir," said the boy, " that he would take de trouble to telegrab if Sallie was dead? " " Certainly he would," answered Carew, breaking in at this point in the conversation. " Now make your mind easy, my boy, aiid think no more about it." Sebastian went off somewhat comforted, but still feeling an assurance that they would soon get bad news of some kind from home. ' In due course of time the good ship arrived in sight of Tory Island, off the North of Ireland, and then fol- lowed a varied panorama of most lovely views, as the coast of Ireland on the right, and the isles of the Western Hebrides — made so famously interesting in A Princess of Tlmle — outlined by the Mull of Cantire, and the Props of Jura on the left, came gradually in sight. They sailed within a cable's length, to use a nautical phrase, of the Giant's Causeway, its wonderful columns of basalt being plainly visible ; then came an " Irish blessing," in the shape of a light shower, followed by a charming succession of alternate gleams of sunlight and flashes of prismatic colors, dancing low on the waters around the ship. " Verily," cried Brandon, enchanted, '' this is fairy land ! we have nothing like it in America ; see what a lovely prospect ! the sheep and cattle grazing on the deep green hillsides I what a charming contrast of the different shades of colors are presented by the various crops, spread like a gigantic picture before our eyes ! '* THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 247 " It is, indeed, beautiful," said Carew ; " I have always contended that Ireland is the most lovely country in the world! With thrift and good government, its hardy people, splendid soil and vigorous climate, would soon make it the most prosperous of countries I " " Do you think such a day will ever come ? " "I do," answered Carew. '^England is already beginning to see the mistake she has made in misgov- erning Ireland for so many centuries, and if she gives Mr. Gladstone full powers, the island will soon begin to recuperate, and become not only prosperous but great." "So you consider Gladstone a great man?" queried Brandon, curious to get the views of Carew on English topics, as it was very probable that he would himself soon have a seat in the House of Lords. "I am- not so sure of his being a great man," an- swered Carew ; " these are large words and mean much; I think him, however, the best statesman Eng- land has. There is one serious defect in his character, which will be likely to bring him into trouble, and that is, his liberality; he confounds this quality with free- dom. " Now, I do not believe in too much of either quality ! In some things one cannot be liberal ! Truth, for instance, is immutable, and therefore, truth is intoler- ant ; thus I can readily understand the logical sequence of the dogma of infallibility in the Catholic church, now being so seriously agitated. The Catholics believe their church to be Truth, itself, therefore it must be infallible, and, to a certain extent, intolerant. 248 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. "Gladstone is too liberal; he Tvants every man to think and act as he likes. This idea, fully carried out to its legitimate consequences, would result in chaos ! " His ideas of liberty in the subject are entirely too latitudinarian. Man should not be free to do exactly what he likes ! There are laws of God which cannot be transgressed with impunity ; there are also the laws of human governments, and they must be wisely and strongly enforced, else society soon lapses into anarchy ! " I am in hopes," continued Carew, " that I will have the honor of obtaining an interview with Mr. Gladstone before leaving England ! " The ship's lines were now being cast on the dock in the harbor of the little village of Larne. Here she lay for several hours, during which time the friends strolled on the shore, admiring alike the beauties of the land- scaj)e — and the land. These latter were the bonnie lassies of old Ireland, who, with crimson cheeks, flashing eyes and pearly teeth, came flocking down to inspect the ship and her passengers from " Ameriky." Late in the evening the good ship left the Irish coast and steered through the tortuous waters of Scotland, all aglow with the phosphorescence of the gloomy and m3'sterious northern sea. Their course was for the mouth of the Clyde, which they reached in the night, proceeding as far as Greenock, where they drojjped anchor and waited for daylight before ascending the river to Glasgow. THE EAEL OP MATFIELD. 249 The two gentlemen were up with the early dawn desu-ous of seeing all the beauties of fair Scotland sTl ' '" ""^"' ^ P""'"^^^' ^^^ -g'-' enthu: Any want of appreciation on his part, however was idst L""'^ 7 '' ^^^"^°"' -^° -"Id -I'S vhlt h. ^'t' ^"' ««*°ni«l^«ent and admiration at what he saw. He scarcely knew which to praise most, table will and energy of the people who had converted the puny stream on which they floated into a maanifi- thfwoJldV'^'^"^ "' — ''^""g the commerce of casUe of some great noble, with its extensive park to he It ""' "^t'^^^' ^'°P'"°" -^-^ g--f«% to the water s edge. Turning about, he faced the noble of Scotland while over the castle situated on its sum- ri^ng sr.' '"^ ^°''^ '" ^'^^ ^^'^^ ^^^-"^ °f the clreds of iron monsters on the stocks, of every size and ' Chla'o of r ; '''' '''"'' "' ""'^'SO^^' the wea thy and more wonderful in the marvellous rapidity of Its growth han the blatant town of America. "^ Brandon, although a well-read man, had perhaps 250 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. naturally, imbibed a good many of the crude ideas so prevalent in the United States, and believed everything in Europe to be slow and effete, while America, on the other hand, represented all that exists in our day of true civilization and*progress. We must not anticipate, but will rather let the reader see the gradual progress of Brandon's mind as he con- templated Europe, its peoples, its governments, and its institutions. The ship arrived at the dock after undergoing the usual examination at the Custom House. Our hero and his party went to their quarters in the best hotel of the town, near George's Square. Carew was much amazed at the wonderful progress of Glasgow, which had, within a century, become the second cit}^ of Great Britain, and the commercial metropolis of Scotland. He and Brandon had many discussions, as they w^alked about, over the extraordinary progress of England and Scotland. This unexampled prosperit}^ proved to the world that the old land still possessed the vigor of youth, added to the mature experience of old age. But such questions belong more properly to the com- mercial, prosaic world of every day life, rather than to the pages of our story, we will therefore return to our subject. In the afternoon they procured a carriage and drove to Kelvin Grove, and thence to the Cathedral, at seeing which Sebastian was thunderstruck — Carew had per- mitted him to occupy a seat by the driver. " Gollj^ ! Master Carew, is dat big house a church ? Why, they might put 'mos all de churches in Orleans inside of it ! " THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 251 On being assured that it was not only a church, but was several hundred years old into the bargain, his amazement knew no bounds ; he seemed incapable, though an intelligent negro, of understanding how a building could be constructed in such a manner as to last for so many ages. We will not enter into a description of this world- renowned minster. It has been reproduced in so many pen pictures that we shrink from the infliction of our feeble efforts upon the patient and gentle reader. Carew and Brandon left Sebastian outside, and en- tered the old kirk. They examined the beautiful Gothic tracery, the stained glass, the ancient monu- ments with their inscriptions, recalling to the minds of the travellers from the new world many stories of early times connected with the names now before them. With a peculiar feeling of awe and surprise, mingled in strange confusion, did Brandon reflect that the mortal remains of many of these persons who had rendered themselves famous, and some of them infa- mous as well, lay mouldering under his feet ! They might easily lie under his feet, for so close were the graves that, in many mstances the stone, with its inscription covering one, touched that over an adjoin- ing tomb. After walking a number of times around, Carew said: " Let us now visit the vaults beneath. I wish also to show you St. Mungo's well." After seeing this and relating to his secretary a legend of the saint, they entered the vaults — formerly 252 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. used as a cemetery — but now occupied only by rats, darkness and the damp. Carew stepped behind one of the huge columns which, in great numbers, support the ceiling and building above, saying : '' I like to imagine myself to be " Rob Roy," and fancy this is the identical column from which he warned young Osbaldistone of his danger, and at the same time made an appointment with him : to use his own words — " 'Meet me to-night on the Brigg, at twelve precisely — keep at home 'till the gloaming, and avoid observa- tion.' " Dear, delightful, immortal Sir Walter ! " cried Brandon, by way of reply, "how gratefid Scotland ought to be, and I hope is, to his memory, for he has done more to make her famous and interesting, than all of her kings and nobles put together I " " You may indeed say so," said our hero, coming out from behind the column. " I am told that they have erected a fine monument to him in this city. It is in George's Square ; let us go and look at it on our way back to the hotel." Thus speaking, the friends went to examine the statue, then Carew ordered the carriage to stop at the telegraph office, where he sent a dispatch to his bankers in London requesting that his mails be forwarded to Edinburgh, for which city they left on the next day. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 253 CHAPTER XXII. .NEWS FROM HOME. ON entering the hotel at Edinburgh, Carew's first care was an inquiry for letters; but none had arrived. The friends, after breakfast, walked to Caltor Hill, stopping on the way to admire the noble monu- ment to Sir Walter Scott, on Princes Street. After sitting for some time on the base of Nelson's monu- ment, gazing at the varied prospect and historical- buildings which crowded on the eye, Brandon glanced at his watch and remarking that it was yet early, proposed to walk further. Carew assented, and they continued. On descending from Caltor Hill, they walked in a southerly direction for several hundred yards, through a narroAv street which presently termi- nated in a spacious, well-paved thoroughfare — crowded with vehicles and foot passengers. "This," said Carew, "is the famous High Street, or Canongate, and which leads in a direct line from the Castle to Holyrood. We are not far from the palace ; indeed, the ruins you see are those of the Chapel Royal. Let us visit them. We will not have time to go over Holyrood itself before dinner." Brandon gladly consenting, the}^ pressed rapidly forward and soon reached the open space around the palace, which gave them a fine view of the venerable structure — so celebrated in history and in song. 254 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " Ah ! " cried Brandon, after some moments, " it is impossible to realize that I am now standing " — they were within the open and crumbling walls of the Chapel Royal — "on a spot consecrated by the bones of countless kings. Poor, unfortunate, beautiful, and I grieve to have to say it, perhaps guilty, Mary. How indelibly is this spot and these scenes associated with her memory." Carew replied: "It is impossible, as you say, to realize, on the first or even the second visit to Europe, the full importance of places and things. The mind is confused by the crowding of numberless images upon the eye. It refuses from sheer inability to perform its functions. The result is, that most Americans return home less wise — because more conceited — than when they left." " How then," said Brandon, " would you have an American make the tour of Europe?" " That is just the point. I would not have him make the tour of Europe at all on his first visit, but would have him take it by installments. You remember the adage, 'beware of the man with one book;' which simply means it is better to know a little and know it thoroughly, than to spread over much and have only a confused set of ideas floating in your brain, which are of no practical value and can never be utilized. " We Americans are too superficial ; we imagine that, because we can run over two or three thousand miles of ground at home and get a pretty fair idea of what has passed before us — if I may use the phrase — we imagine, I repeat, that we can do the same in Europe, where THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 255 the monuments, the history unci the actions of countless millions of people, ranging through many centuries, are crowded within a comparatively narrow area, being too much to be taken in and digested at once." "Your plan," remarked Brandon, "would be an excellent one for those who have both leisure and means enough to enable them to make repeated trips to Europe ; but the great majority of our people who cross the Atlantic can do so but once, and then, natu- rally enough, they desire to see as much as is possible in the limited time." "In answer to you," replied Carew, "I can only repeat what I said before, 'tis better to see a little and see it properly. The very class of Americans you allude to, have made us the laughing stock of Europe by their absurd antics. Foreigners look upon us with surprise, it is true, but the surprise is largely mingled with pity and contempt for our ignorance and folly. While in this connection, I will relate a conversation which I overheard some years ago on the Rhine steamer, from Cologne to Mayence, between a German and a young American. "It transpired that the American had landed at Queenstown only about two weeks previous to that time ; since when he had ' done ' the British isles, France, Belgium, was then in Germany, on his way to Italy, and would proceed thence to Switzerland, and then back to England through France. He expected to accomplish all this in two months. The German heard all with profound attention, and then inquired whether the gentleman had ever visited Europe before. On a 256 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. negative response being given, he threw up his eyes and ejaculated this simple remark : " ' And so you expect to absorb all of these countries and peoples in two months ! ' "Volumes, my dear fellow ! " continued Carew, " could not have said more. This steady -going, intelligent German, I found out afterwards, was intending to spend tliree months in exploring the historic and fabled Rhine." They now returned to the hotel, and after an excel- lent dinner, Brandon proposed that they get a carriage and drive to the Castle. Carew consented, for he had only stopped in Scotland to give his friend an opportu- nity of catching a glimpse of the country; he was himself anxious to push up to London. To the castle they went. Brandon was charmed with everything. He saw all : " ]\Ions ^leg," the room James was born in, the window from which he was let down when an infant, the crown jewels, and all the lions, including the building itself. He scarcel}' knew which to admire most — the strong castle, erected so judiciously on its rocky fastness ; or the superb scenery, visible from its walls for many miles in everj^ direction, and bounded on the east by the North sea. " No wonder is it," cried he, " that Scott T;^Tote such delightful stories; there is a flavor of romance in the very air of Scotland." "No wonder, indeed," echoed our hero, as they re-entered the carriage. After driving about the city a bit, to view other curiosities, including a hasty run through the spacious THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 257 halls and apartments of Holyroocl, at the other end of the town, they returned to the hotel. ■ Here Sebastian met them and opened the carriage door to let them out. His eyes were dilated to their greatest diameter. "Master," said he, "deres injuns in this country. I's scared. They 's mighty wild lookin' and carries big swords and axes." This was a portion of a Highland regiment, strolling about the streets, off duty, whom the boy had met. As he was himself something of a curiosity in Scotland, the soldiers had stared at and made remarks about him, much to his consternation. Nor was a full explanation of their costume and profession fully satisfactory to him. He was evidently uneasy, and announced his determination to either keep within doors for the future, or to go out only with his master or Brandon. As the gentlemen passed through the hall on the way to their rooms, a package of letters was put into Carew's hands, with the statement that it had arrived from London within the hour. Brandon ran ahead and by the time Carew reached his room, he had a light burning. The latter sat down and began to look over the letters and papers, assisted by his secretary. " Here," said the latter, " is a telegram from some- where." " Let me read that first," answered Carew, quickly. "It is a cable dispatch," continued he, opening it. " And, gracious heavens ! what news ! " exclaimed he, dropping the paper and grasping the table with such violence as to nearly overthrow it. 16 258 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " What can be tlie matter ? " cried his friend, anx- iously, picking up tlie paper as he spoke and extending it again to Carew. " No, no ! I cannot read it again ; look for yourself." Brandon read the following words, signed by Ran- dolph, and dated from New Orleans: " Xovember 1st, 18 — "Boiseau died yesterday, suddenly, and of heart disease." Sebastian had entered, anxious too, to hear from home, knowing that letters had arrived. Carew would neither speak to nor notice any one. He sat motionless, his face buried in his hands. The poor boy divined at once that something terrible had happened. He ad- dressed himself with imploring eyes to Brandon, who briefly informed him of Boiseau's death. Sebastian broke immediately into a most doleful howl, sobbing and crying alternately : " Poor master Joe ! poor master Joe ! I knew we was to git bad news. I'se most sure of it." And he went on wringing his hands in a distressing manner. Brandon saw that Carew was beginning to move uneasily in his chair, and apprehending a reprimand to the poor boy for his sincere but ill-timed display, beckoned him to go into the adjoining room, when he closed the door and returned to Carew. Brandon was much perplexed, not knowing whether it was best to keep silence, out of respect for the grief of Carew, or whether to speak. Meanwhile he anx- iously paced the room, glancing at every turn at his THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 259 friend, and watching for a favorable moment in which to express his sympathy. Carew at last broke silence in these words : " Did ever man lose a more faithful friend ? No ! I can answer myself without hesitation. Poor, poor, dear Joseph ; and yet why should I say poor Joseph, as though in pity ? He is not to be pitied ; I am the loser — the poor wretch left behind, with no rock to cling to as he had. "He had not his pure faith in the great hereafter tarnished, as mine is, by a single doubt. He had his pure, amiable, simple, manly life to place before his Maker as an unimpeachable record of his life here below, and which would and has, before this, entitled his sinless soul to enter the pearly gates. " No ! 'tis not Joseph Boiseau, but Thomas Carew who is to be pitied. " Who knows ? May not his pure essence be now in this room, gazing with tender and loving vision on his poor friend ? " Carew rose as he uttered these words in an awe- stricken voice, and looked beseechingly around. His eye lit on Brandon, of whose presence he had been apparently unaware. Smiling sadly but kindly, he held out his hand, which was eagerly grasped, and said in his natural tone and manner: " Old fellow, you here ? I am glad of it, for I was rapidly giving way to sickly fancies, which are, you know, not wholesome for either mind or body." " I am so glad to see you come once more to your- self," exclaimed Brandon, simply, fearing to say mora lest his friend should relapse into his former state. 260 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. "Thanks, dear Brandon," said he, "I know you appreciate my feelings fully. Let us go into the open air; it will do me good. Where is my overcoat? And now come, but before we go, tell me what has become of Sebastian?" Brandon informed him that the poor fellow was in the next room, refusing to be comforted on seeing the grief of his master. " This will not do," said Carew, stepping into the room. " See, Sebastian, I am all right ; now go to bed like a good fellow, for it is late." The affectionate and obedient servant at once obeyed ; and went sorrowfully to his own room, in another part of the hotel. Carew and his friend then went out, and on reaching Princes street, turned into and followed it in silence, until they came to one of the bridges spanning the beautiful ravine which divides the city in two. To this they directed their steps, and on getting about midway, halted to view the scene. It was a beautiful, clear, moonlight night, serene and cold. The stars twinkled with unblinking rays through the frosty air. The old castle stood frowning in the distance, clearly outlined against the sk}^ and standing, as it were, over the sleeping town like a gigantic senti- nel at his post. Beneath, through the foliage with which the ravine had been beautified, glimmered the lamps of the engines on the railways, which entered at this spot, moving slowly to and fro, like so many glow- worms. " How peaceful is this scene," exclaimed our hero, THE EAKL OF MAYFIELD. 261 after a long silence. " To look around on this quiet cit}', one might easily be led to believe that no cares, no anxieties for the morrow, no sickness and death ever entered this charmed spot — so calm and serene is the hour." " It is indeed difficult to realize," answered Brandon, " that this fair city has been, or ever can be again filled with strife ; yet so it has been and so it will, doubtless, be again, for man is a contentious being. At certain periods, nothing short of blood will satisfy or quench liis fierce passions." "Doubtless," said Carew, "these fair islands will again be drenched in blood; for history- but repeats itself, and human nature is ever the same. There is a superficial gloss over our so-called modern civilization, but it is only a thin veneer; the tiger's claws are beneath, and liable to break through at any moment, to rend the earth as savagely as in the olden days. " I hope however, that it will not be in my day that England Avill suffer. I like to think there is one peace- ful spot in the world where one can retire to meditation and repose, secure from all contentions and mundane troubles." " Ah, Carew," exclaimed the other, " there is but one way of obtaining what you desire. That peace which passeth all understanding is to be found in this world it is true, but that it is to be found in one place only, is true also." ' "You speak in riddles; what do you mean?" "I mean, my dear friend, Avhat I say," answered Brandon. " What you seek is to be found only in the 262 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. bosom of the true church — that pure and holy one, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing." " What ? " cried Carew, suddenly grasping the soli- tary arm of Brandon. " Is it possible you can mean the Catholic church ? Are you a Catholic ? " " I am indeed an unworthy member of that holy communion," answered Brandon gravely. " I am astounded," muttered Carew, half aloud. "Why are you astounded?" asked Brandon. "Does it surprise you to learn that a church which counts witliin its folds two hundred millions of souls, should embrace a poor sinner, who is also your friend?" " You are altogether wrong," answered Carew. " I was struck by the remarkable coincidence of two of my nearest and dearest friends being Catholics. Poor Boiseau was also a member of your church, and strange to sa}', he expressed one day a most fervent wish that I should also become a member. I have sometimes heard that every Catholic is a missionary. Is this the case?" "No," answered Brandon, "it is not true. We do not seek proselytes ; but on the other hand, neither do we neglect any opportunity of placing the Truth before our hearers. If the seed thus sown falls upon good ground and produces fair fruit, well and good ; we are thankful." " Bravely answered, and to the point ; but tell me, Brandon, how came you to be a Catholic ? I always thought you rather lax in your religious ideas." " So I was, until I was wounded, taken to a hospital, my arm amputated, and I was nursed hj a sister of charity. Sh*e and other angels in human form like her, THE EAILL OF MAYFIELD. 263 converted me. I then began to consider the subject, and to think that the church which could bring forth such beings, to do and to suffer for good and the right, not only to the exclusion of self, bat to complete immo- lation, must have something to recommend it. " The rest was easy ; for an}^ calm, unprejudiced mind to examine the church, is to embrace it. This follows as a logical sequence, and is a mere matter of time, aided of course, by the grace of God." '' This is all very fine," replied Carew, " but it is not argument. Facts are stubborn things, Brandon. How did you get over modern miracles, image worship, Mari- olatry and the Confessional?" " By simple faith," answered Brandon. " ' Unless you become as one of these little children ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven ; ' but a truce to this discus- sion, Carew, for the present. You know the old adage, of a man persuaded against his will being of the same opinion still. Well, to apply this to you, do not take offence at what I am about to say, for you know how I love and esteem you ; but I must say that you are not now in the proper mood to investigate or discuss so serious a subject as religion ; let us therefore adjourn it." Carew was silent for some minutes, and then said : " I think I understand yon. You mean that just at this moment, my heart is sore and somewhat rebellious against fate ; that I f6el myself hardly dealt with, and am not resigned, as a Christian should be ? " " You have expressed my idea exactly," said Brandon. " Then you are right. Let us go home, it is late," replied our hero. 264 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. CHAPTER XXIII. SOLICITOR AND CLIENT. CI ARE W and liis secretary spent nearly the whole ' of the da}^ following the events recorded in our last chapter, in writing letters home ; among these was one to Boiseau's widow, offering all the sympathy which could possibly be expressed for her loss, and this was not much after all, for time only can assuage such a wound. Randolph was written to, and a letter was also dis- patched to Whitefield, appointing him as agent to fill Boiseau's place with relation to Carew's affairs. Late in the afternoon the two friends found time to drive to the foot of Salisbury crags, they made the ascent from thence to Arthui^'s seat, and there at an elevation of eight hundred feet, had a most superb view of the Scottish capital, bathed in the golden beams of a clear, frosty, sunset. So pure was the atmosphere, that they could catch a glimpse of the isle of M^y, lying some miles distant, at the entrance to the Frith of Forth. " I am agreeably disappointed," remarked Brandon, after gazing around for a while. " In the climate of Scotland, I expected to find nothing but cold and mist." " That is the popular idea entertained in America as to the British climate, but it is erroneous," answered his friend. "Later in the season there is, of course, THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 265 much bad weather, and when it is bad, to use a poor but expressive phrase, it is very bad. '^Even the rains in these islands, especially in Ire- land, are mild and sometimes almost tepid, tempered as they are by the benign influences of our own Gulf Stream. Maury says, that pieces of drift wood from the Mississippi river are frequently found on the western shores of Ireland, thus showing that a steady current sets in this direction from America." " But, to return to our present locality," continued Carew. " Tliis vicinity is most interesting from the circumstance of its being the chosen haunt of the youths and maidens of Edinburg. Here many a true love knot has been tied, and also is it even more inter- esting on account of having been a favorite resort of Sir Walter Scott. ''Yonder lies the cottage once said to have been occupied by Jeanie Deans, and on these crags, her unfortunate sister met her lover. Though I suppose you are aware that the whole story is a fiction. No such persons as the Deans ever existed." "No, I Avasnot aware of it," replied Brandon, much surprised. "I thought it was an historical fact." "But look at the Castle!" cried he suddenly, and forgetting Jeanie Deans, as his eyes caught the grand picture presented in the west, as the departing lumi- nary shot forth and concentrated, as it were, the whole of his remaining beams upon the huge pile, outlining Its turrets and battlements in a sea of golden fire. At this instant the evening gun was fired from the walls, and the faint smoke rising like a veil, enveloped the 266 THE EAPwL OF MAY FIELD, blood-red ensign of England, which slowly descended in graceful folds, as if obeying the last behest of the God of day. The enchanting twilight of these northern latitudes now began to hold its reign, and in the witching gloam- ing, the friends slowly descended the hill and went home, silent, touched and softened under the influence of the hour. They soon parted, with the understanding that they would take an early breakfast, and then, hie them up to famous London town. Our hero, with his followers, accordingly took the express for the metropolis, where they arrived in the evening, having noticed nothing particularly worthy of record on the wa}', except the superior cultivation of England, with its peculiar air of calm, peaceful, civiliza- tion, evidenced in a thousand small matters, not the least among which was the softened beauty of the w^omen, and the absence of the harsh Scotch accent in the men. His secretary having expressed a particular desire to thoroughly explore Westminster Abbe}^ Carew selected the Westminster Palace Hotel for their abode while in London, it being but a stone's throw from that venerable monument of antiquity. Here they spent the evening in doors, examining and arranging the family papers and records, necessary to establish Carew's identity, and which he proposed to lay before the solicitor in the morning. Our hero, therefore, deposited himself in a cab and proceeded, after a somewhat late breakfast, to No. 13 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. 267 Leadenhall street, the office of Mr. Goldsmith. It was a long drive of nearly three miles down the Strand under Temple Bar, past St. Paul's, then came the Bank,' and shortly after the lumbering vehicle halted and the driver was dismissed, humbly touching his cap in acknowledgment of the double fare tendered by his passenger. Carew paused before entering the passage, to look for the name of the solicitor, then finding, among a dozen or more inscriptions, the sign indicating that Mr. Goldsmith's apartments were on the second floor, he ascended two flights of narrow, dark and dingy stairs, the appearance of which by no means impressed him with an idea of worldly prosperity on the part of his correspondent. He was oppressed by a peculiar feeling of doubt and uncertainty as he arrived breathless, at the landing, ' opposite to which was a dirty glass door with the name "Robert Goldsmith," painted on the pane in large black letters. He felt for a moment like returning and abandoning the enterprise; a sense of isolation in a strange land almost overpowered him, accompanied by an intense longing for his distant liome in Louisiana, and a hearty regret for having left it. "What," muttered he, "will all these titles be worth to me. Should I be successful, I will have to • take up my abode here, among people foreign to my M'hole habits of thought and life. My ambition may be gratified, but at the loss of friends who can never be replaced." Just then the door opened, and a man stepped out of the room. 268 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " Too late," thought our hero. " The die is cast, 1 must cross this Rubicon," addressing the stranger, he asked for Mr. Goldsmith. " I am Mr. Goldsmith," replied the person shortly. To this Carew responded with equal brevity. " And I am Thomas Carew." An instant change came over the man, who had pre- viously seemed rude, but now dropped his voice into a mild and almost obsequious tone as he said hurriedly : " Mr. Thomas Carew, from America ! Is it possible ? " Without waiting to hear the reply, he pushed the door open again and, bowing low, invited his visitor to enter, himself following and carefully securing the door against intrusion. " Sir," said he, " have the kindness to be seated. I am indeed highly honored by this prompt attention to my letter." Our hero took the proffered chair ; Mr. Goldsmith having also seated himself, continued : " You have come to England upon a most important mission, Mr. Carew; or, my lord, as I hope will soon be your address." " There is time enough for that formality Mr. Gold- smith, Avhen I have secured the right to it ; and now, let us proceed at once to business. In response to 3-our letter, I am here. I have brought with me a number of documents, setting forth my claim to be the grand- son of Charles Carew, who w^as the last Earl of ^lay- field. Here they are," continued he, handing a good sized package to the solicitor ; " among these papers you will find certificates of my father's marriage, of THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 269 his death, and also a certificate of my birth ; added to which, you will find several depositions of prominent citizens of Louisiana, taken before the proper officers, showing myself to be the sole heir of my father." The solicitor bowed and begging a short interval, during which he might examine these papers, drew his chair to the window, put on his glasses and, without more ado, proceeded to look over the package. " He is evidently a shrewd man of business, dingy as is his office," thought Carew, pleased at the promptitude with which the solicitor had set to work. Meanwhile he looked curiously at Mr. Goldsmith, as he pored over the papers. He was a strongly-built, dark man of more than fifty years certainly, but beyond this point his visitor could not venture in guessing at his age ; fifty he was beyond a doubt, and as the novelists say, he might have been sixty. At all events he was a clean, wholesome-looking Englishman, who did not at all resemble an impostor ; his face too, though careworn, had a kindly expression most pleasant to look upon. He was neatly dressed in a dark tweed suit, albeit it was somewhat threadbare, and on a pin stuck in the wall, hung his silk hat, carefully brushed, showing him to be methodical in his habits. Our hero now directed his attention to the apart- ment, which was quite large, light and cheerful, not- withstanding its general air of dinginess ; there was a cheerful fire in the capacious grate, throwing a ruddy, comfortable glow on the shelves, covering every vacant space between the doors and crowded with books, reaching more than half way to the ceiling; under these 270 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. were a number of large tin boxes, almost as large as small trunks, each with a brass padlock, and apparently filled with papers ; in this conjecture Carew was soon confirmed, for Mr. Goldsmith soon rose and proceeding to one of them, unlocked and opened it, showing it to be nearly two-thirds full of old deeds, many of which were on vellum. " These papers, ^Ir. Carew," said the solicitor, point- ing to the box, "are all connected with your family and are both valuable and interesting ; but," continued he wdth a smile, "before I can show them to you, or pro- ceed farther in this matter, I must be satisfied that you are Thomas Carew, because — pardon me for saying so, but it is business, you know, and we must be cautious — because you may — " " I fully understand you sir," said our hero interrupt- ing him. " I will simply refer you to my bankers, the Messrs. Baring Brothers, if you will accompany me, we can take a cab and go there at once, you are quite right, I owe you an apology for not having thought of this before." " Do not mention it, Mr. Carew," replied the other. " I am fully satisfied that, in this instance, it is a mere matter of form, still it is necessary, and I will go with you immediately." While speaking he closed the tin box, returned to Carew his own package of papers, neatly tied up, and then opening a door which commu- nicated with an adjoining room, called to some one, saying he must look after the office as he would be absent for some time. Hearing this, Carew told him he had better say he THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 271 would be away until after dinner, as he meant to take him to the hotel, after they had called on his bankers. Mr. Goldsmith assented with a gratified smile and in- structing the unknown person accordingly, he followed our hero down stairs; they procured a cab and were driven to the offices of Baring Brothers, where Carew was at once identified to the satisfaction of Mr. Gold- smith, who was also, in his turn, certified to, by one of the members of the firm, who had known the solicitor for years and had had business relations with him ; all of which being settled, the two gentlemen then betook themselves to Carew's hotel, where Goldsmith was in- troduced to Brandon. After a pleasant dinner, and when they had retired to a quiet corner of the coffee room, Carew expressed a desire to learn how the solici- tor had become acquainted with, and interested in his family affairs. Mr. Goldsmith readily acquiescing in this reasonable wish, proceeded in the following words, to give the desired information. "You must know, gentlemen, that my uncle, long since deceased, was the legal adviser of the last Earl of Mayfield. I studied my profession in his office, and at his death, (the good man was childless) I succeeded to his business, thus falling heir to all of the books and papers you saw," addressing Carew, " in my office to- day. I also received a little property from the old gentleman, who was invariably kind and considerate to me, the only child of his dead brother, but these details possess no interest for you, gentlemen, pardon me for the digression ; to return, 272 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " My uncle had often spoken to me of the late earl, to whom he was warmly attached. He deeply lamented the slow, but sure decay which had attended the for- tunes of his noble friend. Lord Mayfield had inherited a fair patrimony, and with prudence could have main- tained his dignity, and have had a small surplus income every year. He was however, a very proud man and desired to make a display worthy of his ancient lineage ; he accordingly made the attempt, and was drawn beyond his depths, almost before he was aware of the inroads made upon his fortune, by expenditures beyond his income on the one hand, while on the other, his capital was being diminished by repeated sales of small parcels of land: thus he was consumed at both ends. He then unfortunately got into habits of dissipation, to drown care, as he would say to my uncle. This soon made an end of him. To be brief, he died at Mayfield, and was there interred by the side of his amiable wife who had died several years before. " There were several children, of whom little need be said, except with reference to your father, Mr. Carew ; he was the eldest, a lad of great promise. I remember him well, though then quite young myself. At that time he was very much disturbed at the course of affairs with his unhappy fatlier. He was a precocious boy, remark- ably steady, and very reticent; he rarely played with other children. He was very fond of my uncle, and let him into the secret of his intended departure (as I found out long after) for America, there to carve out new fortunes and to return home and assume his proper rank. In order not to wear}^ you with unnecessary details THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 273 at the present moment, I will confine myself to saying, that young Lord Carew disappeared, no one knew whither, except my uncle, and even he did not possess the young man's address, — for Carew did not yet know where he would settle in America, but promised to write as soon as he got over there ; this however he never did, for reasons best known to himself. "It is most likely that he was fearful lest the ancient friendship — now long since cooled — between the old earl and my uncle might be renewed, and his place of refuge be thus discovered. He was still a minor and might have been sought for by his father, who, when roused into action, was very vindictive, and he was much incensed against his son for his undutiful conduct. " The whole affair proved most unfortunate in its con- sequences ; the other son, Michael, soon after the depar- ture of Thomas, was killed by a fall from a horse. The next disaster was my uncle's sickness followed by his death. During that illness, he confided to me the secret motive of young Carew's departure, but could not give his address, for he had never heard a word from the young man since he parted from him at the station, whither he had gone to see him off. "Lord Mayfield lingered for two years after this, drinking deeply ; with the usual consequences of such a course of life, his mind became affected and he was rendered incapable of attending to business. While in this lamentable condition, his creditors seized the occa- sion to foreclose their mortgages, now past due with arrearages of interest, and were put in possession. They however allowed the old man to continue to occupy the 17 274 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. palace, with a few old domestics, to the day of his death, which occurred in 1820, on September the 20th. Thus did the noble line of this ancient house become extinct to all appearance, for young Carew had died out of men's minds, and was forgotten by all except myself. " I often thought with lingering regret of the bright boy who had frequently been my playmate. I could scarcely believe him dead, and at intervals of about a year each, would insert an advertisement, similar to that which finally caught your eye, sir." "Not my eye," interposed Carew, "but that of my friend Brandon, who kindly sent it to me." "I read it while at my father's house in South Caro- lina," said Brandon. " He is an Englishman, though resident for many years in America, and is still in the habit of receiving English papers ; thus I happened to see this notice, and thought it might prove of interest to Mr. Carew." " It has indeed been most fortunate," said Gold- smith. Brandon continued: "I cannot understand, Carew, why your father did not assume his titles, because he must have known of the old earl's death; you have that statement made in the copy of Debrett's Peerage, which we consulted, and which was among your father's books ! " Carew, after some reflection, replied: "I can only account for this failure to act on his part on the suppo- sition that he had only recently become possessed of this copy of the peerage. He probably sent for it in THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 275 order to ascertain whether his father was still alive, and afterwards, you will remember, he himself died very suddenly." " I cannot help believing," he continued, " that he must have written to either his father, the earl, or to your uncle, Mr. Goldsmith; it seems incredible that a man of his genial disposition would have thrown his early youth and associations entirely away ! " " He might, indeed, have written to the earl and not have received an answer, for in the old gentleman's condition it is quite likely he would not even have taken the trouble to open a letter," remarked the solic- itor, adding — " I do not think your father could have written to my uncle ; I should have either heard of it during my uncle's life, and if he had written at a later period I would have received it myself." Then ensued a pause of some duration, during which each gentleman was buried in his own reflections. Carew at last inquired as to the course Mr. Goldsmith proposed pursuing ? That gentleman replied to the effect that he had not yet determined upon the precise course, but thought he would lay the matter, in the first instance, before the Home Secretary, who was his personal friend; the latter would probably put it in the hands of the Pre- mier, by whom it would be referred to the House of Lords; this body would then appoint a committee to examine the subject, and as their report was favora- ble or unfavorable, so would the House be likely to decide. " And is there no appeal from their decision, should it pro ve adverse ? " asked Brandon. 276 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. "None whatever," replied the solicitor; "for, aside from being the highest court of justice in the empire, the House of Lords is also judge of the qualifications of its own members. Mr. Carew, you are aware, would become, in the event of success, a permanent member of that august body." It was now late, and after some desultory conversa- tion, not pertinent to our story, the solicitor took his departure, having first made an engagement to be at his rooms at noon of the next day to receive his new client. THE EAKL OF MAYFIELD. 277 CHAPTER XXIV. LONDON BRIDGE. OUR hero and his secretary arose betimes on the next morning, and after breakfast, found they still had two full hours to spare before calling upon Mr. Goldsmith. Carew looked out and seeing it was a fine, frosty day, proposed walking to the solicitor's office, as this would give them, at the same time, exercise, and a good view of the modern Babylon and its inhabitants. They therefore set out at once and came first to the Abbey and Houses of Parliament. They did not enter either. Brandon had, however, spent the time occupied on the previous day by Carew with Goldsmith, in exploring the former. The friends continued on their way, pass- ing Whitehall. Carew pointed out the oldest portion remarking that out of one of those windows, the unfor- tunate Charles stepped to the scaffold on the morning of his execution. " Every inch of London," said Brandon, " is rich in historical associations. I am lost in wonder and admira- tion." " To my mind," answered his friend, '^ London is, next to Rome, the most interesting city in the world, as it certainly is the greatest and most wealthy. Here is the seat of the government, whence the most power- ful of modern empires is ruled — an empire greater in 278 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. extent and more populous than was that of ancient Rome." " Doubtless it is more interesting to us, the descend- ants of the same race, than to other peoples," remarked Brandon. By this time the}^ had reached Charing Cross, on the right, and Trafalgar Square, on the left; pausing a short time to admire the curious and rich traceries of the former, and to examine Nelson's monument, with Landseer's lions, in the Square, they proceeded past the National Gallery. On seeing this latter, Brandon exclaimed : " Poor America will never be able to compete with Europe in its art galleries; the latter is too far in advance in the race, and has secured for its exclusive possession, all the famous masterpieces of ancient times." " Grieve not on this account," responded Carew ; ''each age has its hour and its uses. There will yet rise up a modern school of art, which will fully equal if not excel the old masters, and in these new produc- tions of the pencil and chisel, America will have its share." "I trust your prophecy may prove true, for our present position in this respect is humiliating," said Brandon. " But where are we now ? " "We are now on the Strand, one of the principal streets," replied Carew. "We are rapidly nearing Temple Bar, the ancient boundary of London. See where it crosses the way, apparently blocking our further progress. I fear very much lest the spirit of THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 279 modern commerce may require its demolition before long." By the time he had ceased speaking, they reached the venerable structure with its three arches ; but as it was getting late, they did not halt either to examine it or the Temple gardens, hard by. As they passed through one of the side arches, Brandon said : " Are we not now within the City, as it is called ? " " You are right," answered the other. " Every step we now take is hallowed by the countless number of great men — and women too, for that matter — who have gone before us ; beginning, I may say, with mighty Csesar ; following down the intervening centu- ries, I pass over thousands of great but lesser lights, until Shakespeare comes upon the scene. Then from sweet William's day — I will not pretend to name others — we come to our own time, where we may presume to mention in the long list of GOOD and there- fore great men, the name of George Peabody." " Yes ! " cried Brandon, highly pleased at this allu- sion, for he was ardently attached to his own country, "he was not only an American, but was too proud of his native country to give it up." " Such men as Peabody," continued Carew, unheed- ing the interruption, — " rare in any age, are ornaments to their native country. You need not fear for the men of America. The government may prove — I believe it will — a failure; it is already much weak- ened and corrupted, although scarcely a century old, but the ijeojyle are all right — their genius and enter- prise will carry them successfully forward, in spite of the, so-called, government." 280 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. "I am rejoiced to hear you say so, Carew," said Brandon, "for I have often thought that you looked upon everything American with ill-concealed contempt." "In common with others," replied our hero, "you are mistaken. It is not the people, but the institutions of America for which I feel contempt. I am a monarchist, and do not believe in the unqualified ' liberty,' as it is called, of the people. Liberty in America has degene- rated into license." "Well, well," said Brandon with, a sigh, evidently unwilling to pursue the subject, " you may be right. I have sometimes felt misgivings myself, as to the future of our country; but pardon me for changing the subject. You know how much I am interested in everything around us. Please inform me what that building is used for, it is such a peculiar structure," continued he, indicating with his finger the building in question. " That building," answered Carew, "is the Bank." " What ! the famous old lady of Threadneedle street?" " The very same," said Carew, looking at his watch. " We still have a few minutes to spare ; let us enter." Thus saj^ing, he led the way. After walking around the public portions of the Bank, they re-entered the street. Brandon said little, but seemed rather disappointed at the plain, even dingy, appearance of the interior, and also at the absence of the crowd and bustle he had expected to witness. Their time was now nearly exhausted, and they still had a short distance to go. Without stopping again, they walked briskly on and soon found themselves in Mr. Goldsmith's office. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 281 That gentleman was busily occupied with a person who appeared to be his clerk, in looking over and signing a number of legal -looking documents, which this functionary placed under his hand. Begging his visitors to be seated, he excused himself for a few moments and pursued his labors. " Now," said he after a time, " I am through, you can retire, James ; but stay — bring me the papers in the May field case." The clerk left the room, and soon returned with the papers. "Any thing else, sir?" "No, thanks, James, you can go to your room; I will call you if necessary," replied his master. " Gentlemen, I have prepared a petition in the case, which I propose to lay before the Home Secretary at once, provided, of course," continued he, addressing Carew, "it meets with your approval." "I am entirely in your hands, and shall be guided by your advice," answered our hero. The solicitor proceeded to read aloud the paper, which as it was an exceedingly^ long-winded one, we will not transcribe, lest we exhaust the patience of the reader. Suffice it to say, that the learned gentleman put in all the usual preambles and Avhereases necessary to enable the noble lords, who were to compose the committee of examination, to clearly comprehend the situation. When Mr. Goldsmith got through with the reading of this document, he stated that if Mr. Carew would entrust him with all the papers yet remaining in his possession, he would select those most essential, in 282 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. his own judgment, to the case, and annex them to the petition. " And then," said he, " my case will be fully made up. I am sanguine of success, and as Parlia- ment is now in session, they will act at once on so important a matter as the reinstatement of a Peer of the realm in his right. I hope, therefore, to have within a month, the honor of addressing a letter to my Lord of Mayfield ; " and the good old fellow bowed low to Carew. Our hero's face flushed and his eyes sparkled as he drew himself up with a feeling of pride and elation at this anticipated termination of his hopes, for it had ever been in his opinion, the height of felicity to be an English noble. He was lost for a few moments in deep schemes for the future, which were alread}^ rapidly revolving through his busy brain, when he caught the eye of Gold- smith looking earnestly at him, endeavoring to read his inmost thoughts. Remembering instantly and with a feeling of compunction, his selfishness — for were it not for the kind persistency of this man, he would in all human probability have lived and died a Louisiana planter — remembering all this, we repeat, he sprang from liis seat and warmly grasped the old solicitor by the hand, thanking him most gracefully and fervently for the assistance he had rendered, and vowing he would be his friend to his dying day. Mr. Goldsmith was both gratified and affected, and promised on his part to do everj'thing in his power to forward the interests of his present client, and future patron and friend. He then inquired whether Carew THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 283 had formed any plans with respect to Mayfield ; adding that he believed it could now be purchased at a reason- able figure, for it had been long in litigation between the contending creditors of the late earl, and in consequence, the palace had fallen into decay, and was now, he was told, almost in a state of ruin ; part of it having been destroyed by fire ; another portion was now occupied as a farm house, by parties who rented the adjoining land — which had formerly been the park — from the assignee, who had the estate in his hands until the litigation among the creditors was terminated. On Carew's inquiry as to the best course to be per- sued, the old man replied that he would first of all, recommend his client to go down quietl}^ and look at the place. After seeing it, he might not think it a desirable investment, even though it had been the seat of his ancesters for so many centuries. Our hero broke in rather indignantly, and assured Mr. Goldsmith that cost what it might, he must have Mayfield ; nay, he was anxious to rush ofP and purchase it at once, fearing lest some one might get ahead of him. " Softly, softly, sir," said the shrewd old felloAV. '' If these fellows get an inkling of what is in the wind, the place will be held at double its value. I hope," contin- ued he, a little anxiously, " you have been prudent in this matter, and have not been talking to many of your great prospects ? " On being assured to the contrary, he appeared much relieved, and went on, advising Carew to take Brandon with him to Mayfield for a visit. 284 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. In the meantime, he would himself see the parties in interest and get a refusal of the property in writing, so as to have it ready to submit to Carew for acceptance or rejection, on his return from the inspection. This being evidently the best course to be pursued, it was adopted. Soon after this, Carew and Brandon took their leave of Mr. Goldsmith, who was now anxious to be rid of them, in order that he might get to work immediatel}' ; he therefore declined an invitation to dinner, with thanks, promising to call at the hotel on the next day but one, w^hen they would have returned from their contemplated journey. As the two friends stepped into the street, our hero proposed walking to London Bridge, there to take a steamer to Westminster, whence, after a look through the Houses of Parliament, they could return to the hotel in ample time for dinner. This being agreed upon, they soon arrived at the pier, where, not seeing the boat in sight which they were to take, they went on London bridge ; from this coigne of vantage, they obtained a fine view of the noble river and its shipping. The Thames at this point, although not equal to many of the American rivers, is spacious enough and well worthy of the affectionate name given it by the English, of " King of Rivers." The noble old bridge, so rich in historical associa- tions, attracted the particular attention of the visitors. After spending a brief interval there, the steamer they were waiting for made its appearance. They descended hastily to the pier just in time to jump on board, for the fussy, dirty, spiteful little thing swung out into the THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 285 current almost immediately, and went clattering up, against the tide. They passed under a succession of splendid bridges. The river is lined on the Surrey side with numberless spacious and dingy warehouses, while on the opposite bank stands St. Paul's great dome, towering aloft until lost in the mist, looking like a gigantic balloon. Then come the graceful Temple gardens, followed by Somerset House, and finally, Westminster bridge. At this pier, the gentlemen disembarked and went at once to the Houses of Parlia- ment, passing through Westminster Hall. " Who knows," said Brandon with a laugh, as they passed through the latter space, " but the Earl of May- field may have to stand a trial for high treason on this spot, by his peers, at some future day ? " Carew smiled at the conceit of the idea, and echoed back Brandon's words : " Who knows ! " It was late when they entered the noble pile dedica- ted to the use of England's legislators. Many of the apartments were closed for the day, while they could not enter either of the splendid rooms appropriated for the use of the two houses, as they were then in session. " Never mind, Brandon," said Carew, " I will shortly be in a position to give you an open sesame, which will procure for you instant admission to at least one of these chambers." " Thanks, my noble lord," replied the other in the same vein, "and in the mean time, I think we had better get dinner, for I am hungry." Carew assenting, they emerged from the palace on the side facing the noble equestrian figure of the heroic 286 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. Co^uT de Lion, After stopping to admire this, the friends went home to dinner. This important business concluded, they determined upon making inquiries as to the distance and trains to Mayfield, intending to leave in the morning ; but they found the distance to be only fifty-five miles, fifty of which could be performed by rail that evening to Wadhurst station, arriving there at eight o'clock ; they would then onty have five miles to drive to Mayfield. This could be easily done in a carriage. They therefore departed that evening, and at nine o'clock, found themselves comfortably ensconced in the "Rose and Crown" inn, at Mayfield. Here they discussed a hot supper of various dishes and condi- ments, prepared by mine host, and rendered doubly acceptable b}^ the cold ride they had just taken. Carew endeavored to get some information from the landlord, as to the present condition of the Palace, but he was a young man and knew notliing about it. What little he could tell, however, tallied with Mr. Goldsmith's information — as to a portion of the build- ing having been destroyed by fire, so they abandoned the matter until morning, and went to bed. THE EAEL OF MAYFIELD. 287 CHAPTER XXV. THE ANCESTKAL HOME. OUR hero passed a restless night ! He got up with the first streak of dawn and went to his window m an apartment on the second floor, looking west He gazed earnestly and minutely on every object within easy range, then opening the lattice, in spite of the cold, and leaning out of the casement as far as possible, Carew saw, on the summit of a small hill, at about a quarter of a mile to his right, the dim outlines of a large building, for the sun had not yet risen. "And this," thought he, "must be the home of mv ancestors! This the spot where they lived and diedr In sorrow and in mirth this old ruin has witnessed the return to his native home of many a Carew from the wars, covered with glory, and surrounded in triumphal procession by a glittering band of retainers, panoplied in steel, and bearing aloft banners and pennons embla- zoned with the tiger's head, and inscribed with the proud motto of our race — Brave and Faithful ! "Alas! to look upon the other side of the picture! bee the noble castle in ruins; by its former owners abandoned ; and what is even worse, prostituted to the base uses of peasants ! " As he spoke these last words aloud, the first rays of the sun struck one of the eastern turrets of the old palace, and gradually descended, until the whole build- ing was bathed in a rosy glow. 288 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. He greedily seized upon this circumstance as a favor- able omen, ordinary and every day as it was ; but he felt as though it was his high duty to restore the fallen fortunes of his house. He dedicated himself then and there to this work, and invoked the blessing of God upon his undertaking. Filled with this spirit, he sank upon his knees, and thanked the Deity fervently for the blessings conferred this day upon him ; he faithfully promised to make this deserted and forlorn habitation his future home, and to look after the physical and moral welfare of his people, so long neglected. He remembered the divine injunction, "the poor ye have always," and repeated it aloud as being a part of his duty for the future. He rose and was somewhat surprised at the length of time he had remained at the w^indow, for, on looking at his watch, he found it was nearly eight o'clock. Bran- don now knocked at the door, but Carew, instead of admitting him as usual, simply said that he might order breakfast and he would join him in a few minutes. His mind was still filled with the glow of a noble enthusiasm ; we say noble enthusiasm, for talk as we will in these modern utilitarian days, when most men laugh at emotion of any kind, still there is a mysterious something which thrills, and causes the blood to flow through the veins in accelerated currents when we read of heroic deeds ! If this be the case, then how much greater must be the feeling which animates the soul of one descended from a long line of heroes and states- men ? Must not the recital of their deeds cause a proud THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 289 flush to rise on the cheek of their inheritor? Would he not be less than mean, and unworthy of his blood did he not feel the lofty spirit of emulation stir within, prompting him to preserve the blood of such a race in its pristine purity, and to at least maintain, if he cannot augment, the honor of the family, an honor sacredly entrusted to him, and of which he is merely the custo- dian in his time and generation. Is all this nothing? Are we to believe the man who will, with one breath, say that pedigrees and pride of blood are but worthless and childish toys, while with the next breath he will show with exultation the pedigree of his own race horse ? Happy is he who can point with honest pride to his forefathers, and, putting his finger upon the name and date, can say, this fought at Crecy, that sacrificed his life to save his friend, and another refused to sell his country for gold ! Happy also is the country in which such distinctions are honored and cherished; thrice happy and fortunate in the possession of such children, whose lives and sacred honors are indissolubly bound with its own destinies! Such a country and people must ever be great. It may meet with calamity, but in such dark times of trial, heroes will be forthcoming, as of old ; the pure untarnished blood of generations will come to the front, to rescue the fountain of honor from whence emanates their own dignities ! We will not apologize for this digression, for whether sympathizing or not, the gentle reader will respect these sentiments, which animated our hero, but which we have expressed as coming from ourselves. 18 290 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. Carew thought of one fair creature as he descended the stairs, whose vision constant!}^ occupied his mind. " I will search for her ; her pure brow will grace a coronet, should she deign to wear it I " Brandon now came to meet him with these words : " Methinks my lord is not very anxious to visit the tombs of his ancestors, for he is late this morning. Here have I — his poor secretary and henchman, Charles Brandon — been abroad these two hours, endeavoring to glean some information which might prove of advan- tage to his master's interests." " Thanks, good and gentle Brandon," replied Carew, in the same vein, " your zeal is well approved ; we shall have to raise you above the dignity of secretary, and constitute you our Squire." " Gramerc}^ my noble lord ; 3-ou do your poor servant too much honor." "Well, jesting aside," said Carew, "I hope our breakfast is read}^ for I am anxious to explore the Palace. I have already- caught a glimpse of what I conceive to be it from my window." Brandon replied: "Breakfast is waiting, come." As parew followed, he continued, " I have walked to the foot of the hill on which the old Castle, as they call it here, is situated. I did not enter the building, for fear lest you might be waiting for me ; it is no doubt the building 3-011 saw, for, with the exception of the church, it is the only extensive one here. It is not over a quar- ter of a mile from this inn." "How do you like the looks of the town and its surroundings ? " asked Carew. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 291 " Very much, indeed ; there is a quaint, sleepy air about everything which is perfectly delicious to one fresh from raw and bustling America. I should judge, however, that the place is not very prosperous ; nearly every building has a neglected look, and the populace are decidedly seedy in appearance. The hour was early, however, and perhaps the better portion of the citizens were not yet about." At this point the landlord entered, to see whether his guests needed anything; both answered in a breath that everything was perfectly comfortable and satisfac- tory; the beds were sweet and clean, and the food excellent, there being an abundance of fresh eggs, pure milk and broiled fowl, which with the bread, butter, delicious fresh cress and good tea, afforded an ample meal. " What is there worth seeing here, landlord? " asked Carew. ''Well, sir, there is not much; Mayfield is a very quiet, dull place, though they say it used to be busy enough in years gone by, howsomever, it be'nt so since I've been 'ere. There is the old Church of St. Dunstan, which many gents and ladies comes to see ; then there's the old castle, or palace, as some calls it — tho' I don't see much about it to signify why it got that name — then we have some springs here, which is, to my taste, just the same as them at Tunbridge, that people makes sich a fuss over." " This is a fair catalogue of curiosities for a simple hamlet," remarked Carew; "we are obliged to you, landlord, and will spend the day in looking around. 292 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. You can have dinner for us at — , but stay, we wish to return to London this evening. When must we leave to catch the last train ? " " The last train passes Wadhurst at eight, sir. If you leave at seven, or a quarter past, you'll be in good time, sir." " Good ! " said Carew, " have dinner then at five.'' " Yes, sir ! What would ye be pleased to have, sir ? We have fresh trout, mutton, beef, chicken, 'am and eggs, and — " " Stop, landlord ! " cried Carew, laughing, " half of the list will serve our turn, I will only stij^ulate for the trout — by the way, where do you get them? — and a bottle of good port, if you have it; the rest of the dinner you can arrange after your own fashion." " Very good, sir," said mine host, bowing, much gratified at the confidence reposed in him. " You wanted to know, sir, where the trout comes from. We get them from the river, sir — the Rother — about three miles h'off, sir ; and for the port, sir, you have just asked for the very article I takes most pride in I It's very old, nearly fifty year old, sir. It came from the sale of the old lord, who died here lang syne." The friends looked at each other, speechless. A tear glistened in Carew's eye, and he rose hastily from the table, going to the window to conceal his emotion. Brandon, to cover his retreat, said quickly, rising also, " Let us have a bottle by all means, and let the dinner be read}^ at sharp five." With a ready and pleased "yes, sir," the landlord retired. THE EARL OF HATFIELD. 293 "Come, Brandon," said Carew, abruptly, and seizing his hat, he walked with a rapid step through the short passage leading into the street. Brandon followed, and as Carew hesitated, not knowing the way, said: " This is the road leading to the Castle. I suppose you wish to see that first?" "No!" said the other, "I wish first to visit the Church of St. Dunstan, there to see and reverence the tombs of my ancestors ! They have been neglected- too long already. Their solitary descendant must, while he can, do them what honor he may ! " " The church," answered his friend, "is not far from the palace, a slight detour will take us to it while en route for the latter place." Thus saying, he led the way up the main street, or rather road, of the village There was now some little bustle in the town • the usual complement of children were playing in the way dogs barking at every real or imaginary grievance, with now and then a cat rushing across a by-street, fol- lowed by its natural enemy. There were a dozen or so of shops of various kinds, among others was displayed quite a handsome show- window which, on inspection, proved to be that of the village chemist, while on a side door of the same build- ing could be seen a small tin sign, with the words 'Henry Harland, Surgeon," painted on it. "Thus, you will perceive," said Brandon, pointing at these, "people do get sick even here, in one of the most salubrious counties of merrie England! " '; Ay," replied his friend, "and they die, too !" indi- cating in his turn the shop of George Richardson, who 294 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. united in his own person the triple professions of " Bricklayer, Sexton and Undertaker." " True," said Brandon, reading the sign, " but there is also ample cheer to be had in the good town of IMay- field, for besides our own hostelry of the '' Rose and Crown," there are the " New Inn," the " Royal Oak," and the " Star Inn," so that one need not starve at May field, even though he be not a lord of high degree ! " *' I am glad to see we do not attract much attention," remarked Carew, after they had Avalked some yards in silence ; " it is an evidence that they are in the habit of seeing strangers." " 'Tis lucky for you that you are as jet incog.^^' ejacu- lated his friend. " There is St. Dunstan's," continued he, as the tall square tower of the church came into full view, embowered by trees. Carew was silent; his thoughts were too deep for utter- ance, and he moved on with quickened pace and throb- bing heart, gazing earnestly at the venerable structure, as its huge bulk loomed up through the trees, commo- dious enough to seat many more than its present limited congregation. They at last entered a small iron gate, placed b}^ the side of two larger ones of the same mate- rial, but which were locked, being, in all likelihood, reserved for grand occasions, or when some one was taken to his or her last resting place. They were now within the graveyard, surrounded by the usual number of mounds and stones in old cemeteries, indicating — the stones at least — the names, ages, and dates of death of the occupants. THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 295 Our hero paused a moment, uncertain how to pro- ceed, and looked around, then, as if reflecting that persons of the prominence of those he was in quest of, would be interred within the sacred edifice itself, he pushed rapidly forward and entered the huge portal, Avhich stood open. He entered the building, followed closely by Brandon, and gazed silently around. The first object that met his eye was the curious old stone font, on approaching which he found the date of its erection to be 1666, cut in raised figures. Advancing up the broad nave, he was astonished at observing the unusual depth of the chancel, with its richly carved stone traceries. The exquisite pulpit of carved oak next attracted notice ; after another compre- hensive glance, which drank in the whole of the noble interior, with its arches, its carvings in stone and wood, and its stained glass, Carew bethought himself of the object of his visit, and began searching for the tombs of the Carews, and, more particularly, for that of the last lord, his grandfather. In this he was assisted by Brandon ; they did not stop to examine or admire the numerous tombs and tablets, which filled the interior and covered the walks and stone pavement, recording the names and titles of many families with quaint inscriptions in old English and in Latin. Not a single Carew, or Earl of Mayfield, did they find recorded, although they had now made the circuit of the aisles and examined all the tablets, as well as the more pretentious monuments. Both friends, much perplexed, were on the point of retarning to the yard outside, concluding that the tombs must be there ; 296 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. they accordingly moved down the nave towards the front entrance and when nearly there, were met by a feeble old man, who came tottering up and, in a firmer tone than could have been anticipated, proffered his services to the strangers, stating himself to be the sexton. "We wish to visit the tombs of the Earls of May- field," said Carew. " Well now, alack-a-day," said the old man, looking curiously at his visitors, " that is queer, to be sure." " What is queer, my friend ? " said Carew. " Is it not a natural wish, for strangers to see the burial place of what must have been in its day, the greatest family in these parts ? " " To be sure, sir ; to be sure," repeated the old man, " an' so they was sir, a great family in their day. I minded the time well, when the old lord lived in foine old style in the Palace, the Castle they ca's it now; but a's dead and gone ; dead and gone, these many a year. Ye are the first gents I see here, speerin' arter their graves, since — since; oh dear, oh dear; me mind's gone entirely," said he after a vain effort to remember, and lapsing into silence with a sigh. " Then you can show us their tombs," said Carew brightening. He slipped a half sovereign into the hand of the old sexton and said: "Now, move on, please, for our time is short." The man looked in amazement at the coin. " Gold," muttered he ; " ye be real quality, sure. Come, sirs, the old lords are by theyselves in the crypt below." And he led the wa}^ with tremulous steps as THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 297 hastily as he could up the nave, followed by the gentlemen. The old sexton paused a moment at the communion rail to open a portion of it, which formed a small gate. Entering first through this into the chancel, he held it open for the others, and then carefully closing the gate he led the way to the vestry. Here, after fumbling about for some minutes, he finally succeeded in produ- cing the object of his search, a large key, with which he opened a door in the wall on one side of the vestry, and disclosed a flight of stone steps leading to the crypt. These the party descended, and soon entered the spot so long searched for fruitlessly. The crypt was octagonal in form, about forty feet in diameter, and dimly lighted by seven windows of stained glass, which had been beautiful, but were now cracked and dingy with age and neglect. The space where should have been the eighth window, was reserved for the entrance. Around this subterranean chapel— for there were the remains of a marble altar on one side — were placed nearly, if not quite, two dozen tombs, with effigies on nearly all, in marble, stone, and one or two of brass, of life size, commemo- rating the dignities and worth of the departed lords of Mayfield. Escutcheons of various styles and work- manship abounded on all sides. The pavement, of colored marble, was wrought into numberless heraldic devices, all commemorative of the noble line of war- riors and sages here interred. The last of this long line stood in awe-struck silence, amazed as well at the impressive scene, as at the 298 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. magnificence of the mausoleum, which attested the greatness of its former lords, and present occupants. The old sexton was the first to break silence as he lit a candle he had brought, in order that the inscriptions might be more easily read. " Woe is me I but 'tis a pity the auld race has died out. There 's none left to take care on it now, and it 's goin' to ruin." Carew silently took the candle from his hand and held it to the first tomb within reach. " Here," said he, " lie the remains of William Carew, Seventh Baron of Gracedieu. He died September 11th, 1414. This nobleman was 'Lord High Treasurer of England. Temp. Henry IV.' " " Let us look at this tomb," said Brandon, taking the candle and holding it over a curious brass effigy of life size, representing a mail-clad warrior, with crossed legs. " This indicates," said Carew, alluding to the posi- tion of his legs, " that he was a crusader, or a pilgrim, to Palestine." "Yes," said Brandon, "here is the inscription in Norman Latin. I will translate it freely : ' Here lie the mortal remains of John Carew, Sixth Baron of Grace- dieu, who died at Paphos, on his way to the Holy Land.' " " Ere 's the auldest of 'em all, sir," said the old man, shoT\dng a stone hoary with age and much mutilated, which was let into the pavement, or what was more probable, had been left as it was when the mausoleum was built. The inscription was short and simple, being, "James, Fourth Baron Gracedieu. He was at Crecy." THE EARL OF MATFIELD. 299 " An' now, sirs, I '11 show ye the last lord of all." He led them to the opposite side of the crypt, and showed a plain marble stone, also let into the pavement, with the following inscription : " Sacred to the memory of Sir Charles Carew, IX. Earl of Mayfield; XX. Baron Carew, of Gracedieu, and a Baronet of Great Britain ; died Sept. 20th, 1820." " And this stone covers the last resting place of my grandfather," muttered Carew, handing the candle back with a trembling hand to the old man, who said : " An' now, sirs, we '11 gang up stairs, to see St. Dunstan's ralics." "Not to-day," replied Carew briefly ; "we must go." " Not see St. Dunstan's ralics : his h'anvil, sword and mallit ! " cried the sexton, scarcely believing his ears, and looking suspiciously at the gentlemen. " No ! I tell you no ! " said Carew pettishly. " Come," said Brandon, " I will go with you. Leave the candle, this gentleman has seen St. Dunstan's relics before ; he wishes to remain here a little longer to look at these old tombs." The sexton, mollified at this, went off with the secre- tary, chattering in his ear the legend of St. Dunstan. As soon as they were gone, Carew bowed his head in silent prayer, and vowed that his father's remains should be brought from Louisiana and placed with the others. " He shall also be styled Tenth Earl, and Twenty- first Baron. I will not usurp his honors." Thus muttering to himself, he extinguished the candle and ascended to the vestry, where he found Brandon aAvaiting him. 300 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. " Come, we must be moving. I am determined to return to London this night. We will hurry over the Palace, and then back to the tavern ; we have already seen the most important, in my mind, of the objects." They therefore parted from the old man, and hast- ened rapidly to the foot of the hill on which the castle, or palace, was situated. On all sides, ruin and neglect were apparent ; it was easy to see this had once been a lovely spot. An ample park had extended for several hundred acres around the Palace ; this was evidenced by the remains of a wall, with its entrance gates, which they passed on the way. Ascending the hill by a rather steep road, they arrived at the building on its most dilapidated side. Here nothing but the loose walls remained. Instead of entering, the friends thought it best to find some one in the inhabited portion, who might be able to give at least some information concerning the building. They soon met a serving man, who called several times for " Mr. Francis ; " in answer to these demands, a white haired farmer made his appearance from the door of a low, one-storied portion of what might have been one of the ancient offices of the Palace. Carew stepped forward and in a few words made known their desire of looking over the old Palace. " Certainly, sir," said the man, civilly. " Walk in, gentlemen, I '11 send my son wi' ye." Stepping out, he cried vigorousl}^ for "Jan, Jan," but without effect. Returning, he remarked that he would take the gentlemen around himself, saying as he led the way into the next room : THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 301 " This, gents, was the old dinin'-room ; it's pretty old too, as ye can see from the year on the mantel." '' It is 1663 ! " cried Brandon. " What do you use it for now ? " " For a hop stun," replied the farmer. " To such base uses have we come," said Brandon in a low voice. Carew was silent. The man continued to lead them from one room to another; some of these were beautifully ornamented with quaint oak carvings, others were panelled, others again were wainscoted; all were antique and unique. There was also much carving in stone, and the arms, crest and motto of the family appeared at frequent intervals, sometimes carved in wood and at others in stone. These heraldic devices were also quartered and blended with those of other noble families, thus show- ing the intermarriages. Among these were the bear and rugged staff of the famous Earls of Warwick, the royal escutcheon of Scotland, and the lion of the Howards of Norfolk, with tail extended ; statant gar- dant^ on its cap of estate. " Now, gentlemen, we comes to the part of the castle which was burnt about thirty year ago; it were the finest part; here was the old hall." This was a magnificent apartment, thirtv-nine feet wide and seventy feet long, as the old farmer testified, he having measured it. This space was roofless; the bare walls were exposed to the weather, and blackened by the flames which had gutted them. So substantially however, had it been constructed, that these superb gothic arches of stone, which had formerly supported 302 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. the roof, were still entire and in a perfect state of preservation ; so much so, that this hall could be rein- stated in its original splendor at a comparatively moderate cost. Carew's heart was too full for speech ; he could only look around in silent sorrow at the scene of ruin, which time, neglect and the flames had made. Brandon, seeing and appreciating his friend's condi- tion, exerted himself to keep the old farmer in a garru- lous condition, by throwing in a well-timed word here and there. This was not difficult of accomplishment, for the man was simple and good natured, as are most of his class. He however knew nothing of the family to whom the old building had belonged; he was from another county and did not trouble himself about former da3's and times. " Havin\" as he expressed it, " troubles enow of his own, without fashing liimself with those of ither folk." While thus speaking he led the way to the foot of one of the two turrets or towers, placed near the entrance to the hall. '' Here is a pretty good stun stair to the top, where ye can hev a fine view." They accordingly ascended this tower ; it was circu- lar in shape, about fifteen feet in diameter, and sur- rounded inside by a spiral stone staircase of excellent workmanship and in a fair condition, considering the fact, that this portion had also been gutted by the flames, and that it was open at the top and exposed to the full action of the elements ; it was evidently very old, perhaps, the most ancient portion of the entire structure. The walls were about four feet thick at the THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D . 303 base, diminishing to about two feet at the top; they were composed of large, roughly hewn, but well jointed stones, and were pierced at intervals of about two yards, with long, narrow, vertical slits, evidently intended for purposes of defence. This tower was at least one hundred and fifteen or twenty feet in height, and when to this was added the elevation of the hill on which the palace stood, it gave a fine view of the country. This was fully realized by the friends, as they balanced themselves as well as they could on the top- most steps and clung to the crumbling battlements, which here showed the effects of the fury of the ele- ments, so fully were they exposed. The prospect was varied in the extreme. Mayfield sits on the summit of a hill, and may be said to form the centre of an amphitheatre of other, and higher hills, which almost surround it on all sides, except to the south. There the gentle and lovely river Rother flows a silver thread as viewed from the tower — spread around are abundant crops of corn and hops, while here and there in the distance are groups of trees, showing that there sits the residence of some noble or gentleman, surrounded by its park. '' This has, indeed, been a lordly domain," said Carew with a sigh, as he drank in the prospect. "And will be again," answered his friend, encour- agingly, for he had remarked, since their entrance to the crypt, that Carew was very much depressed, and evidently somewhat appalled at the magnitude of his 304 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. contemplated enterprise, of restoring these hills and lands to their pristine glory ! They now descended, and, after thanking the farmer, rewarding him handsomely and drinking some of his excellent home-brewed ale, accompanied by a bit of cheese and breskd by way of luncheon, they bade him farewell and made the best of their way back to the *' Rose and Crown," having but little conversation by the way, for Carew was out of spirits. He, however, rallied, on partaking of the excellent dinner which was waiting for them, but as they were later than the hour fixed, it was necessary to hurry in order to catch the train. This was, however, accom- plished, and in due time the travellers were set down at the Victoria station, whence a cab speedily deposited them at their old quarters in the Westminster Palace Hotel, heartily tired, even though so much interested in the objects and scenes they had witnessed that day. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 305 CHAPTER XXVI. THE NEW EARL. ACCORDING to appointment, Mr. Goldsmith called at Carew's hotel. The latter was yet at breakfast, but requested that the visitor be shown in to the table, and, on his entrance, excused himself for being caught so late at the morning meal, on the score of excessive fatigue and emotion, undergone on the previous day. After a little conversation, referring to the trip to Mayfield, and Carew's impressions of the place, the solicitor remarked, that he had communicated with the agent in charge of the estate, with reference to its pur- chase, and expected to get a proposition from him in two or three days. " What progress have you made in the matter of the titles?" inquired his auditor. " I can only report progress thus far ; having simply laid the papers before my friend, the Home Secretary. This gentleman recommends that a petition be addressed directly to the Crown ; it will then, most probably, be referred to the Attorney General for examination ; if this be favorable, he will so endorse the petition and return it to the proper officer representing the Crown, who will then lay it before the House of Lords for final action. I have drawn the petition up, and have it with me, for you to peruse and sign," said Mr. Goldsmith, handing the paper to Carew, who read it carefully. 19 306 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. It was a simple document, setting forth the facts in terse language — ending by a prayer to be reinstated in all the honors and dignities formerly enjoyed by the ancestors of the petitioner. " I especially desire that my father be also recognized as my predecessor, you have omitted to ask this." " It is not necessary, the mere fact of your accession to the dignities, proves your father's right ; indeed you could not enjoy these honors except tlii'ough, and after your father." "I am rejoiced to learn this, it is just what I have ardently desired. How long do you think it will take to have the matter settled, one way or the other? " " It is difficult even to conjecture," replied Goldsmith, *■' they may act immediately, or it may take three or four months. We ought, however, to have an inkling of the progress of our petition in a few days, I think I will be able to ascertain something, particularly, if matters are looking well." Carew's countenance fell at this anticipated delay, he said : " I am desirous of going to Italy as soon as pos- sible, can I not go and leave this matter in your hands? " " Not at present, Mr. Carew, your testimony may be called for on almost any day after this paper is laid before the Attorney General; I would not leave London, even for a visit to Mayfield if I were in your place." " Well, I suppose I must have patience, but it is very tiresome, when one is so anxious to be off." " Doubtless," remarked Goldsmith. " But you should remember that peerages are not to be had for the simple asking ; you are playing for a great prize." THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 307 Brandon now entered, and the three gentlemen left the breakfast-room, and seated themselves in chairs in Carew's sitting-room, when the solicitor inquired as to what action should be taken with reference to acquiring the Mayfield estate ; " for," said he, " there is a possi- bility of failure, you know, with respect to getting the titles. In this event, would you still care about hold- ing landed property in England ? " Carew reflected for some time before he replied. " There can be no doubt this is my family, nor can '*t be doubted that I am the sole survivor, I therefore regard it as a duty to protect the graves of my fore- fathers. Yes, I will take the estate in any event. But, may there not be some trouble on the score of my being an alien ? Does not your English law say that none but a subject shall own land ? " " There is such a law, but it does not apply to your case ; every son of an Englishman, no matter where he may have been born, follows the nationality of his father." " This question being settled, you may secure May- field for me on the best possible terms. What do you think it is worth ? " "Land so near the metropolis," replied Goldsmith, " is usually valued at one hundred pounds per acre. There are about one thousand acres in the property; this would amount to one hundred thousand pounds; but — " At this point Brandon broke in. " One hundred thousand pounds ! half a million of our money, and in gold at that ! Gracious powers ! " 308 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. "Why, surely, Brandon," said Carew, laughing, "you do not propose to estimate the value of land in one of the oldest counties in England, by comparing it to a Louisiana swamp ? Still, I must say that I do not think Mayfield can be justly valued at this high price, for it is greatly depreciated by reason of its neglected condition; it will require a moderate fortune to put everything to rights." " I was going on to say," replied Goldsmith, " when interrupted by Mr. Brandon, that Mayfield, for the very reasons you have just given, cannot possibly be worth more than half the sum mentioned. I even think it can be had for less than half, for I have a strong sus- picion that there are some questions of entail which may arise against making a title to any one but yourself. Be this as it may, you can rely upon my best exertions in your interest, Mr. Carew, for I, in some sense, regard myself as being a retainer of your family." Carew expressed his acknowledgments for tliis ex- pression of good will on the part of the old gentleman, in fitting terms. Goldsmith continued : " There is one little matter which may be attended to now, and that is, to make an ai^plication to have 3'our arms registered at the Herald's College, for whether 3-0U get your titles or not, there can be no doubt as to your right to bear the arms of your ances- tors." " I do bear them. Why then is this step necessary?" "It is a formality which you will have to go tlirough with in order to enjoy the right in England. You will be liable to a fine, if you do not get them THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 309 registered as being in your right. In America you could, of course, dispense with this formality." " Very well, Mr. Goldsmith ; do as you think best. I should tliink however, it would be best to either wait a while, or have the arms registered simply in the name of Thomas Carew, else my pretensions to the Earldom might leak out and thus affect the opportunity of purchasing Mayfield at a reasonable price." Goldsmith appeared to be struck by this view, and after some reflection, replied to the effect that Carew was right and he would postpone action for the present. He then took his leave, for the purpose of presenting his client's petition that very morning. " Well, Brandon, here is a pretty mess ! " exclaimed our hero to the secretary, as they were left alone. "What is the matter; has something gone wrong?" "Did you not hear what Goldsmith said? — but no, you were not present at the time — he said I must not leave London, not even to spend a day at Mayfield; that my presence may be required at any time. Is it not vexatious ? " " You will have to make the best of it," answered Brandon. " I do not think it wdll take very long to get this affair settled satisfactorily; your case is per- fectl}" clear of difiiculties, and you have all the proofs at hand necessary to establish your pretensions." " Well, w^e will spend our time by first calling on Mr. Goldsmith every morning, and then devoting the remainder of the day to the exploration of London ; this will suit your tastes, Brandon. I shall not be surprised if we succeed at last in making a thorough Englishman of you." 310 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " The more I see of London," answered the other, *' the more am I lost in wonder and admiration. There is an air of solid majesty about it which is, to my mind, most impressive. The mere aggregation in so small a space of nearly four millions of human souls, is in itself a wonderful circumstance; it is difficult to con- ceive how so many beings can be fed, clothed, housed, and well-governed; yet it is done, and the city is not only a healthy one, but is the cheapest great city in the world. I have, all my life, echoed in my heart this aspiration of Justice Shallow's Davy — ' I hope to see London ere I die.' " " I may assume, therefore, that you are now ready to die?" said Carew, interrogatively. " Not just yet, for I cannot, up to tliis time, properly affirm that I have seen London." " There is much truth in your reply," said Carew, *' but for that matter, you may consider yourself as being practically immortal, because if you are not to die till you have seen the whole of London, your existence will only terminate when Macaulay's New Zealander makes his appearance on the ruins of London bridge. However, let us sally forth and see as much of this monster as we can to-day. " You are evidently anxious to shorten my immortal- ity, as you call it, by one day at least," said Brandon. Carew laughed. In such manner did the two fast friends spend the time for something more than a month, without anythii]g having developed in the mat- ter of the Earldom and otlier titles ; until one evening, when this space of time, as above stated, had elapsed. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 311 Goldsmith rushed into Carew's room, where he and Brandon were quietly conversing, in a breathless condi- tion, and excitedly thrust into the hand of his client a paper on which was written the following words : {" Copy of extract from the Attorney General's Report "). " I am of the opinion that the petitioner has shown sufficient evidence of his right to the dignities of Earl of May field, Baron Carew of Gracedieu, and a Baronet of Great Britain. ("Signed), "Maziere Brady." " Hip ! hip ! hurrah ! " cried Brandon enthusiastically, catching up and throwing his hat into the chandelier, where it stuck, much to his discomfiture and the amusement of the others. " Do you consider this action of the Attorney Gen- eral, decisive ? " queried Carew. " I do," answered the solicitor. " Within the week you will, I am sure, receive a summons to take your seat in the House of Lords." " From whom will it come ? " " From the Lord Chancellor, who will, in the pres- ence of the House, have read to you, a writ from the Sovereign; after which you will take, first, the oath of allegiance, and secondly, your seat as a peer of the realm." *' Meanwhile, there is nothing for me to do ? " "Nothing, my lor — I mean, Mr. Carew," said Mr. Goldsmith quickly, a little confused. " Come, come," said our hero, " there need be no 312 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. ceremony between us, Mr. Goldsmith ; to you I shall ever be plain Thomas Carew, and at your service." The old man bowed low at this compliment. Before he could reply, Carew continued : " We must maintain this happy occasion with some state. Brandon, ring the bell and order a bottle of the best wine in the house, for us to drink to the health and future prosperity of Mr. Goldsmith, for without his assistance, it is not at all likely that I should have ever become a peer of England." "You give me too much credit; the knowledge of your rights would have come to your ears, sooner or later," answered the solicitor, modestly. At this moment, the wine was brought in, and the three fi'iends discussed it right merrily, pledging anew their friendship and forming many plans for a new mode of life at May field. " Speaking of Mayfield, by the way," said Goldsmith, "I forgot to mention that I received a written offer on yesterday from the parties in interest, offering to sell the estate for forty thousand pounds ; fifteen thousand down, and the remainder to lie as a mortgage on the property, indefinitely. I thought it best to remind them in my reply, that there might be^ considerable difficult}' on their part in perfecting the titles, should a legitimate heir of the late earl aj)pear on the tapis. This shot has evidently alarmed them, for I was waited on by Mr. Johnson, this morning, and in response to my letter, he stated that though not be- lieving in the possibility of an heir to the late earl, or in his ability to give trouble even, should he appear, THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 313 still, that the parties in interest are sick of the pro- longed litigation now in progress for nearly half a century, and are anxious to sell. All things considered, therefore, I have offered them thirty thousand pounds for the property, ten thousand pounds to be paid in cash, and the remainder to be arranged after consulta- tion with my principal; meaning, of course, yourself. Do you approve of this, sir ? " " I do, with the exception of the payments you have stipulated for. I prefer to pa}^ the entire sum in cash. Perhaps you can get something of a reduction on these terms." Goldsmith opened his eyes at this and whistled. ''I see you are surprised at the magnitude of my resources. I am indeed worth a very much larger sum than this, and purpose putting Mayfield in perfect order at once. The old palace must be fully restored." "Well, sir, your commands shall be obeyed. I expect to be able to place the titles for the estate in your hands in a few days." " And, on my part, I am ready this instant to draw a check for the purchase-money," ansAvered Carew. It was now late, and the solicitor withdrew. Two days after the occurrence of this conversation, as Carewwas sitting in his rooms alone — for Brandon had gone out to make some purchases — a servant came to the door and was about to enter, when Sebastian inter- cepted, and took from him the salver and card which it held, saying : "See here now, no man waits on him but me. You 'so been comin' in here too free ob late, sir." 314 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. Then ensued some high words, followed by a slight scuffle between the men, during which they tumbled against the door, forcing it open. "What does this mean?" said Carew indignantly, and coming forward. The man, white with passion, said by way of apology : "'Twas the himperence of the nagur, sir, which made me 'it him." " What have you said to him, Sebastian ? " The boy related the cause of the trouble, and was severely reprimanded by his master for interfering with the servant of the hotel in the discharge of his duty. " Now," continued he, " as an evidence of your mis- behaviour, here is some one kept waiting below on your account. Hand me the card." The boy picked it up from the floor; as he gave it to his master, the hotel waiter remarked : "Ye '11 be mad enough, sur, when ye knows ye're a keepin' the Dook a waitin', sur." Carew read the card ; on it were engraved these words : " Good heavens ! " exclaimed he ; " the very head and front of the English aristocracy. Show his Grace up instantly, you scoundrel I Why did you not tell me before, who was in waiting ? " Muttering something about its " bein' the nagur's fault, sur," the man hastily withdrew, and returned in a few moments, followed by the Duke. Carew THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 315 concluded, after a hasty reflection, that 'twas best to say •nothing of the detention to which his Grace had been subjected, as the explanation might give more offence than had the delay. He therefore contented himself with giving his illustrious visitor the easy, frank greet- ing due from one gentleman to another. This Prince of England's nobles advanced with unaffected grace, and grasped Carew's proffered hand with quiet cordiality, saying: " Cousin Carew — for I claim to be your relative, in virtue of the intermarriage of one of your forefathers with a lady of my house. I repeat, therefore. Cousin, I have called to-day to make your acquaintance, and also, to inform you, in my official capacity as Earl Marshal, that you will shortly — in fact, on any day •after to-morrow which pleases yourself — be expected to take your seat in the Upper House, as the Earl of Mayfield." Thus saying, the Duke released Carew's hand and with easy grace took a chair, amusing himself at the same time with a nosegay taken from the table by his side ; he did this in order to avoid observing Carew's natural confusion and embarrassment, on hearing such an announcement for the first time. Our hero's cheek flushed crimson ; his breast heaved, and for some minutes he could not even attempt to speak. He took several turns about the room before he could trust himself; and even then, it was only with broken words that he could thank the Duke, both for being the bearer of welcome news as well as for the cordial grace with whicli he claimed alliance with him as a kinsman. 316 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. The Duke did not make a long call ; he could easily perceive that Carew would feel much better if left alone. After, therefore, having an understanding to the effect that he would call for him on the next day but one, at three in the afternoon, and present him to the Lord Chancellor, his Grace departed. Brandon and Goldsmith, soon after this visit entered together, having met in the street. The latter came to give his client the information which had already been communicated by the Duke. The good man was both astonished and delighted at the kindness of his Grace. " You are both from the same county, you see ; his Grace wishes to be polite to his future neighbor. You have, of course, often heard of his noble seat at Arundel?" Carew replied in the affirmative, and added that he had just received an invitation to spend Christmas week at the castle. " Which you of course accepted," cried both of his auditors in a breath. "No, I did not; the fact is, I must go to Italy as soon as I am free to leave England ; I could not allow any business of a merely social nature to interfere with an important mission which I have to fulfill in that country." His Grace of Norfolk was punctual to the minute, for the great clock in the tower of the Abbey sounded three, as his carriage stopped at the entrance to Carew's hotel, on the day appointed for the latter to go through the forms necessary to enable him to take his seat in the serene atmosphere of the Upper House. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 317 Without delay, for time was precious, both gentle- men entered the carriage and were rapidly driven over the short distance which intervened between the hotel and the peer's entrance to the House. Here they descended, the Duke rapidly leading the way; they ascended one flight of white marble stairs, with an elegant bronze rail, and went still forward; Carew's heart beat violently as he saw they were approaching the gorgeous chamber of the House of Lords. "Do we enter without preliminaries of any kind," said he in a low tone, for there were numbers of per- sons in the corridor, passing to and fro. "Yes," replied the Duke in a whisper, "the Lord Chancellor presides, you know, in the Upper House, and you must go before him. Now remember," contin- ued he, as they reached the entrance to the magnificent chamber, " that you are to bow to the throne, on the right, as we enter ; the rest is nothing." • Thus speaking, the Duke removed his hat, Carew did the same, and they walked, now arm in arm, to the wool-sack, placed about the middle of the room, where the Lord Chancellor was seated, as the House was in session. The Duke of Norfolk halted before this high offi- cial, and said : " I have the honor to present to your Lordship, my cousin, the Right Honorable Sir Thomas Carew, Earl of Mayfield ; Baron Carew, of Gracedieu, and a Baronet of Great Britain." The Lord Chancellor bowed, first to the Duke, then to Carew, and beckoned the clerk at his side to read the writ of summons, of which, as it was lengthy, we shall only copy the conclusion. 318 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. It was addressed to the " Right Honorable Thomas Carew, Earl of Maytield, etc.," and ended as follows : "We strictly enjoin you, under the faith and alle- giance you owe us, to take your place in person among the prelates and peers sitting in our Parliament at Westminster, to the end that you give us your advice, in all honor and conscience, upon the affairs of the kingdom and the church." This reading ended, the Lord Chancellor said: " Administer the oath of allegiance to his Lordship." This done, the Lord Chancellor then rose and said : " Sir Thomas Carew, Earl of Mayfield ; Baron Carew, of Gracedieu, and a Baronet of Great Britain, take your seat, and be welcomed among your peers, the lords spiritual and temporal of Great Britain." The Duke gently led the new peer to a bench covered with crimson velvet, on which he now took his seat as " Earl of Mayfleld." THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 319 CHAPTER XXVII. OLD FRIENDS AND OLD PLACES. LORD MAYFIELD, as we must now term our hero, was for some days after his reception into the peerage, made the recipient of numberless courtesies from his fellow-nobles in the shape of calls, followed by endless invitations to dinners in town, and to join in the approaching Christmas festivities at various country seats. Among other honors, he went through the form of presentation at Court. The Duke of Norfolk kindly presented him to the Queen, who was graciously pleased to honor the new peer with a few moments of conversation before permitting him to retire from her presence. His lordship had to return these calls before he could decently leave London to make the long-deferred trip to Italy ; he also had various pressing matters of busi- ness to transact with Mr. Goldsmith, whom he now formally appointed as his agent, with full powers to act during his absence. There was also the requisite visit to be made to the Herald's College, for the purpose of having his arms registered, this he, however, delegated to Goldsmith, to perform after his departure. Then there was the completion of the purchase of Mayfield, which was now consummated for the sum of twenty- eight thousand pounds, in cash — two thousand pounds 320 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. having been deducted from the first offer of thirty thousand — in consideration of the whole amount of the purchase being paid on the day of transfer of the property. Brandon, too, had his hands full, for he was dis- patched to Mayfield to take charge of the estate in the name of his employer; he was also commissioned to at once employ several able architects to draw plans for the immediate restoration of the old Palace, and to add such modern improvements as were compatible with its style of architecture. His lordship was peremptory in his orders, however, to have the old hall carefully restored to its ancient state. He wished this to be done the first thing, and, at the same time, directed that a suite of elegant sleeping apartments to be fitted up for occupancy at as early a day as possible, for he was determined to take up his residence at Mayfield, even before the con- templated improvements were completed. An area of five hundred acres around the Palace was to be re-erected into a park, as of old; such buildings as might be found in the way were ordered to be removed, or demolished ; the old park walls were to be immediately restored — this was not difficult or ex- pensive, as most of the walls still remained and only needed repairs — the old entrance gates were to be torn down and a stone barbacan constructed in their room, with towers at each angle, emblazoned on both fronts with the arms, crest and motto of the noble owner to be carved in stone, and the shield to be surmounted with an earl's coronet; this barbacan was to be so arranged THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 321 as to serve for the residence of the gate-keeper. The earl himself spent a couple of days at Mayfield, going over the ground and issuing many orders. " And now, Brandon," said he, as they took a hasty meal at their former quarters in the " Rose and Crown," previous to catching the train for London, " come with me, as I may have some further instructions for you before lea\dng for Itaty." "You are not going alone, are you?" " Yes, I will even leave Sebastian here with you ; he may be of some use. You are aware that I am exceed- ingly anxious to have a portion, at least, of the Palace in a habitable condition as soon as possible." " This extreme solicitude about apartments," re- marked the secretary, "indicates that you may not return alone ! " " I assuredly will not return alone if I can find a certain person, you wot of, and can induce her to come with me ! " "Ah! I thought so. Well, old fellow, I wish you success with all my heart. You might go a great deal farther and fare worse." " The happiest day of my life will be that on which I can hail Mary Stuart as Countess of Mayfield," an- swered the earl, " and now, my good friend, that you fully understand my anxiety, press on these repairs and improvements to some kind of completion. I hope your zeal will not slacken." " Of that you may rest assured," answered his faith- ful friend; "but it is high time we were off for the train." 20 322 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " Yes, sir, it is," said the landlord, who now entered. Bowing obsequiously to the earl, he continued: "My lord, your carriage is ready." The friends went to their former quarters in the metropolis, where, on descending from the cab, old Goldsmith came to the door to meet them, having been telegraphed to from Wadhurst of their expected arrival. He looked somewhat anxious as he greeted the gentle- men, and at once handed a cable message to the earl, who felt instinctively something was wrong, and did not have courage enough to read it until he got within the hotel, though trying to re-assure himself by the reflection that some friend in America had heard of his good fortune and cliose this method of congratulation. Lord Mayfield now opened the envelope, and read a message from Whitefield announcing the death of Ran- dolph, and requesting the immediate return of Carew, as he called the earl, not having yet heard of his eleva- tion to the peerage. Our hero sank into a chair, pale as death, and silently handed the telegram to Brandon, who hastily read and gave it to Goldsmith, informing him, in a few words, of Randolph's position as the manager of " Court Lodge," and also of the high estimation in which he had been held by his employer. " Thus it is with our frail humanity," said the earl, pi a low voice ; '' when we mount the crest of a pros- perous wave, and fortune sits smiling on our brows, we are but too apt to forget there is an intervening hollow between us and the next billow, and that we must inevitably sink before being carried up again ! THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. 323 " This misfortune, nay, 'tis more, this calamity, has overtaken me while apparently elevated above all possi- liility of reach from adversity. Truly does God dispose as He wills I we must submit ! " "My dear friend," said Brandon, "you bear this trial nobly ; you should also remember that Mr. Ran- dolph was an old man, in the due course of nature he could not have lived much longer. He has fought a good fight, and now has his reward ! " '■' You are right. I grieve not for him, but for his family, his friends, and for myself." Goldsmith was silent ; condolence was so difficult to offer in an acceptable shape, that he judged it best to let nature assert itself. After a long silejice, during which each was absorbed in his own painful reflections, the old man thought he might venture to break the current of bitter thought flowing through the mind of the earl; he therefore addressed him — " Should not an answer be sent to this telegram ? It is evidently considered of importance that you return at once to America." This produced the desired effect, for Carew — or Mayfield, rather — was a man of much energy and decision. He saw at once that action was important. He said: " You are right, Mr. Goldsmith, this telegram must be answered without loss of time ! Brandon, go at once and telegraph to Whitefield, sajdng that I will leave for New Orleans on the first steamer. I will go to Liverpool in the morning and will probably find a steamer sailing for New York to-morrow. 324 THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. " Mr. Goldsmith, I leave all my affairs here in your hands, 3^ou are already well apprised of my intentions and desires; Brandon shall go to Mayfield, and will be of great assistance to you. I will- take Sebastian with me ; it would be hardly fair to keep him from his wife, though I should much prefer leaving him here." Brandon departed on his errand after hearing these words. Goldsmith expressed a perfect willingness to undertake everytliing that was required of him, and then asked how long his lordship expected to be away from England. The latter replied that he would return as soon as possible, but he feared that he could not get back for two months, as the death of Randolph had occurred most inopportunely during the sugar making season, hence the anxiety of Whitefield to have himself present; he continued: ''I shall now carry out the design I had formed, of disposing of all my property in America, and of settling in Mayfield. Randolph had been desirous of retiring from the management of Court Lodge, to live with his family, from whom he was separated for so many years, poor fellow. I have now made up my mind, and shall only remain in Louis- iana long enough to put everything in Whitefield's hands, for sale." Goldsmith highly approved of this proposed action, for, as he well remarked, the earl's interests were now extensive in England. It was his natural home, and his political career, did he so choose, might soon become a brilliant one ; an interest of such magnitude as was the sugar estate, not to mention other property, sit- uated at such a distance, miglit cause much trouble and anxiety. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 325 " You may well say so," replied his auditor, " a sugar plantation is about as troublesome an investment as one can have, and such men as Randolph are not to be found every da;f . My mind is made up. I shall sell every dollar of property in the United States." As he was to take an early train in the morning for Liverpool, and it was late, Mr. Goldsmith, after sha- king his patron warmly by the hand, and wishing him a speedy and safe voyage, left for his own home. As may be easily imagined, Sebastian, though much shocked at the death of Randolph, was on the other hand, so delighted on being told they were to sail for home on the morrow, that it may be questioned as to whether the boy was not rather more pleased than grieved at the death of the poor old manager which, at any rate, blew a good wind for him. Brandon was up early to see his friend off, and even wished to accompany him as far as Liverpool, but as the earl had made an engagement for him to meet Goldsmith that morning, and thence to proceed at once to Mayfield and superintend operations there, this could not be done ; they therefore parted at the railway station, with many expressions of good will on both sides. We will not trouble the reader with the description of another sea voyage, but will transport the scene directly to Carew's (we must call him Carew again, while in the United States, he having determined to travel under the only name by which he was known there,) house in New Orleans, briefly stating, en passant^ that he stopped a day at Rochester, in New York, for the 326 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. purpose of offering his sympathy, and assistance also if needed, to Randolph's family. These good people while being of course much distressed at the death of the husband and father, did not feel the poignant grief usual on such occasions, because of the long separation which had existed for so many years. Carew therefore was glad to get away, and promised to send to the mother without delay, all the accumu- lated savings of Randolph, which were in his hands, and amounted to about twenty thousand dollars. We may as well state while in this connection, that our hero not only remitted the amount above men- tioned immediately after arriving in New Orleans, but added to it from his own pocket, the sum of ten thou- sand dollars. When Carew, accompanied by Sebastian, alighted at the door of his residence in New Orleans, he found Whitefield waiting to receive him, as he had a telegram that morning from Carew, stating at what hour he would reach home. After a hearty welcome, Whitefield said reproachfully, " Why has not the Earl of May field thought enough of an old and tried friend, to confide the wonderful story of his change of fortunes to him ? '' " Ah ! Whitefield ; you have found me out." " Yes ; no thanks to you, however ! You need not be so astonished at my possessing the news, for it has been in every newspaper in the land ; but you have omitted to let me know why I was not in your confidence ? " " That is easily explained, and I hope to your full TUE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 327 satisfaction. When I left for England, I really had little or nothing to communicate ; my information did not extend beyond the fact of knowing myself to be connected with the Carews of Mayfield; therefore, I thought it best to keep the whole matter secret, for if successful, it would, as it has been according to your own statement, be blazed to the world immediately ; but if a failure, I would have had mortification enough to endure without having to bear, in addition, the laughter of my friends, and the contempt of enemies. There was also another reason for keeping it from your knowledge, viz: You are such a fierce republican, Whitefield, that I was afraid, lest you might not esteem the Earl of Mayfield so highly as you did poor Thomas Carew." " Well, well ; republican I am, to the back bone, 'tis true ; but, nevertheless, human nature is weak, Carew — my lord, I mean; you must know, therefore, that in common with many other republicans — I dearly love a lord, especially when he is an old friend to boot." " I see that I am forgiven ; but do not, I entreat you, call me by any other name than Carew, for besides our ancient friendship, which entitles you to treat me with the familiarity of old, you must understand that I am travelling in this country as Mr. Carew only." "Well," said Whitefield with a sigh. ''You must have your way, I suppose ; but I was in hopes of hav- ing a real live lord to dinner ; Mrs. Whitefield, too, is particularly anxious to make some of her dear friends miserable." " I will come to dinner," said Carew laughing, " but 328 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. not as the earl. Now let us be serious : I wish to know all about my poor old friend Randolph. What did he die of? And what is the situation?" Whitefield proceeded to tell his friend of the circum stances under which he sent for him to return to Louis- iana. We will condense his statements for the benefit of the reader. Matters at Court Lodge had gone on smoothly until Randolph was taken sick : he contracted a severe cold during the sugar making season ; the weather had been unsually inclement and he neglected himself, until it was too late ; Whitefield did not even hear of his illness until all was over. To the query, as to the present state of affairs at Court Lodge, Whitefield replied, that he had returned from there on the preceding day, when everything was in good order and the work going on as usual. Bragdy, the assistant manager, who had been with Randolph for nearly ten years, was in charge ; he was a steady, efficient man. The crop was nearly all converted into sugar ; in fact, Bragdy informed him that another week would enable him to close the sugar house ; the crop was a good one and would show a handsome profit for the year. " This is all very satisfactory," said Carew. "lam infinitely obliged for the zeal you have exhibited in looking after my interests." He then informed his friend of his splendid prospects in England, narrating the whole history of his family, and winding up by announcing his determination of selling out his American interests and settling in England for life. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 329 Whitefield listened attentively, and while a feeling of sadness stole over him at the thought of losing this dear friend, yet he could not but acknowledge that Carew took the proper view of his true interests, and he could therefore interpose no objection. " 'Tis a pity though to give up Court Lodge, still, I do not believe you would be likely to have much of either comfort or profit from it, now that Randolph is gone, and you will be in Europe so frequently. This is an excellent time to sell, too, the crop is just con- cluded ; a purchaser could make all of his own arrange- ments and contracts for another year ; it is also a favor- able time to sell, because country property has risen in value in this State during the year, and a good many Northern and Western men, are looking about for desirable plantations. What shall we ask for the property?" "It pays a good interest on two hundred and fifty thousand dollars;" replied Carew, "get as near these figures as you can." "It is too much," said Whitefield. "I, myself, think the estate worth that sum, but others will not give it." " Well, what will they give ? It must be sold ! " " I think from one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred thousand dollars is all it will bring." "Then sell for the best price you can obtain; I give you carte blanche. I wish also to sell this house and other city real estate ; all this is easily arranged how- ever, for it can be sold at auction. There are various amounts in bonds, and also money at interest on mort- gages; sell the former and call in the latter, every 330 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. dollar — I will have no more investments in America, it is too far off." "Gracious! what a clean sweep," said poor White- field, with a woeful countenance. "Are you going to give us the go-by entirely ? What will become of me ? " " Oh ! that is easily managed. You can come to Mayfield every summer, and if you should take a fancy to old England, I have no doubt we can find some pleasant, and at the same time, profitable occupation for you." " No, no ; " said Whitefield, shaking his head. " I am too old to transplant ; but, I will coihe to Mayfield on a visit. Yes, that I will. When shall I come?" " As soon as you like, and to stay as long as you like, my dear friend. I would gladly say return with me, but you cannot do that, as you have my interests here in charge." "I will come next summer," said Whitefield, thump- ing the table with his fist to give force to the expres- sion. " Good ! it is a bargain, we will shake hands on it and clinch the argreement in a bottle of wine," said Carew, ringing the bell to order it. The wine was soon brought in, and after its discus- sion, with more pleasant conversation, the friends sepa- rated with the understanding that they would visit Court Lodge together on the next day. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 331 CHAPTER XXVIII. EEMINISCENCES. WHITEFIELD and Carew took a morning boat for Court Lodge, arriving there to dinner. It would be difficult to delineate the complicated feelings which agitated the breast of our hero on this return to the home of his boyhood; that home so endeared to him by a thousand recollections and asso- ciations of joy, and also of sorrow. The scenes of the past flitted across his disturbed fancies, like the move- ment of a varied panorama, as he paced up and down the vast hall, now dimly lighted by the declining sun. His father and mother ! Of both parents he had a dis- tinct recollection, though so young when they died. His grand-parents ! His childish sister, and brother — fairy phantoms — oh, that they were now here to share- his prosperity ! Boiseau ! Randolph ! All these forms passed before his mind's eye in solemn procession. And now, he was about, himself, to vanish from these scenes, so conse- crated in his memory — forevermore ! " Am I in the right ? " soliloquized he. " Does not duty require me to keep this place, if only for the sake of the past? Is it not a desecration to allow rude strangers, possessing no sympathies for me or mine, to be able to call this roof their own ? " A door opened at the farther end of the hall, with a 332 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. noise most startling in its effects on the strained nerves and imagination of Carew, but this feeling was imme- diately dispelled by Whitefield's cheerful voice. "You here, alone, and in the dark? "Why do you not go into the library? there is both light and comfort ! " I always thought this great hall — except on festive occasions, when it is crowded — a most cheerless place. Such habitations are not suited to our modern ideas of comfort ! " " It is endeared to me, cheerless as you think it, by countless recollections, and it warms my very heart to stand in it once more. " I was just thinking, as you entered, that I was, perhaps, about to wrong the past, in parting with Court Lodge." "Ah! Carew, you are too morbid and sensitive," replied his friend. " It is a great defect in your char- acter to be thus ever moping over the past ! " The past, my friend, is a phantom which cannot be resurrected ! It is the present with which you have to deal, and as you perform your duty to the living, so shall your conscience approve, or condemn, as you perform that duty well or ill ! " Now, if you were to have some misgivings as to the future, you might stand excused; for a reasonable — hark you — only a reasonable care for the future, is the bounden duty of every well constituted mind I " "I am my mother's child," answered Carew, "and have often been tempted to think myself somewhat imbued with the fancies and feelings which more THE EARL OF MAYFIELD 333 properly belong to what is called the weaker sex, though frequently this epithet is unjustly applied, for most women are more courageous in mental calamity than men. " But, to return to our subject. You think, then, that I am justified in selling this place ? " " I do, indeed ! Every sound argument points in this direction! You are so well aware of the business reasons that I will not rehearse them. These should suffice in themselves for any ordinary man ; but you are not an ordinary man, your mind is full of fancies about duty to the past, and all that sort of thing ! " Now, reduced to plain, sober English, this so-called duty to the past, means simply, a tender sympathy for the dead, nothing more. Well, for that matter, have you not also the dead in England to think of? » There are whole generations of your noble ances- tors, lying uncared for, except by you. " What a degenerate, recreant Carew would you be, did you neglect this sacred duty ! Even if you were so situated as to be compelled to elect between an abandonment of your duty to the past, in one or the other country, T think you would be fully justified m looking to England first. ^' But you are not placed in such a dilemma, for have you not^ announced your intention— nay, you have already given instructions, to have the remains of your relations in America transported to Mayfield, there to rest in the common sepulchre of your race ! "Lastlv — as you well know — it was your father's intention," which should be law to you, to return to England ! 334 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. "What lie left unperformed, becomes now youi sacred duty." Whitefield paused, breathless. "Enough! " cried Carew; "I see my error; you are right, my friend. I thank you fervently, for this sub- ject has haunted me of late. I will now dismiss it from my thoughts, and go manfully forward with what I have to do." Mr. Bragdy, the former assistant to Randolph, but promoted to the position of manager, now entered, to submit to his employer his accounts, and also to give him full information as to the present condition and prospects of the estate. As this person was an old employ^, and had been zealously seconded in his labors by Whitefield, everything was found to be in a most satisfactory condition. Carew then took Mr. Bragdy into his confidence, and gave him a brief history of the details — he had already heard of his employer's success in England, from both Whitefield and the press — connected with his elevation to the peerage, telling him, in addition, of the purchase of Mayfield, and of his final determination to dispose of Court Lodge. Bragdy was loth to lose his old employer and friend, but could not help acknowledging the expediency of the reasoning which had prompted the indicated line of conduct. He remarked that he did not think there would be the slightest difficulty in disposing of the estate ; he rehearsed most of the reasons alreadv g^iven b}' Whitefield for this opinion, and also remarked that, the property being well known for its beauty and THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 335 productive qualities, would cause bidders to appear the moment it was placed in the market. He said in con- clusion, that Mr. Treacle, a neighboring planter of wealth, was desirous of purchasing another estate for one of his sons, who was on the point of being mar- ried, and if agreeable to Mr. Carew, he would mention the matter to him. " Would Mr. Treacle be likely to retain you in the management, should he be the purchaser?" asked Carew. " Yes, sir ; I think, in fact I am quite sure he would, for he made an attempt, two or three years ago, to get me to take a situation under him, which I declined, having no desire to leave you." '' Thanks for your good opinion," responded Carew. " I have no objection to 3'our telling Mr. Treacle that the estate is for immediate sale. I shall be much pleased if he will retain you in your present position, in the event of becoming a purchaser. "I shall, however, leave all these matters in the hands of Mr. Whitefield, as I am exceedingly anxious to return to Europe." " When do you think of going, sir ? " asked Bragdy. *' The old slaves have an inkling of it alread}^ as well as of the contemplated sale of the place and are much disturbed in consequence ! " "• That scamp, Sebastian, has let the cat out of the bag," said Whitefield, rubbing his nose with an air of vexation. "It is annoying," said Carew: "I am desirous of getting off with as little noise as possible ; but after 336 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. all it would not be right to go without bidding them farewell. When can you give them a holiday, Mr Bragdy?" '' Well, sir, let me see ! We will be through cutting the cane to-day, and will finish, barring accidents, at the sugar house to-morrow night. I could give them the afternoon of the day after to-morrow, sir; ho-sy will that do ? " " It will have to do ! I had intended leaving to- morrow night, but will defer ni}- departure for twenty- four hours; let all those who wish, therefore, come to bid me adieu at the time you propose." " Very good, sir. Have you any further orders, as I must go to the sugar house ? " " None, Mr. Bragdy ! good night." " Good night, gentlemen ! " said the manager, leaving. " A good man that," remarked Whitefield. " I am glad you think so I I have always had a high opinion of his integrity and judgment. I sincerely hope you will be able to retain him in his present situation ; you must do what 3^ou can for him." " I will endeavor to persuade the new owner to keep him," answered Whitefield. '■'■ I do not anticipate much difficulty on that score, for I believe Treacle will buy the property." This ended the conversation, and the friends sepa- rated for the night. The whole of the ensuing day was spent in riding over the estate, examining accounts and superintending the men, two of whom were employed in making up an inventor}' of everything on the estate, which Whitefield wished Carew to have before his departure. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 337 In the evening our hero announced his intention of calling on the widow and young children of Boiseau. He was desirous of seeing with his own eyes her con- dition and prospects, intending to assist her if neces- sary. Much to his surprise, Whitefield told him that she had gone to Canada, to reside with her husband's mother, who had sent for her. " Why did you not tell me this before ? " " It escaped me for the moment, and, the fact is, she has not been long gone. " She said she could not endure to live in sight of a spot so full of memories of her husband, Randolph, and yourself; for she considered you as being practically dead to her, feeling sure you would never again reside at Court Lodge." " I would have given much to see her, painful as it must have been. You can, doubtless, give me her address. I will write this evening, offering my assist- ance, either now or hereafter, as she may need it." '' Her post office is simply, ' St. Catherine's,' in Canada ; but, as for assistance, I do not think she needs any. " Boiseau left a sniig little estate ; and besides, had insured his life in her favor for ten thousand dollars, w^hich I collected for her." " How much of it did you retain as a fee ? " " Not a penny," said Whitefield, indignantly, and then : " Ah ! stupid that I am. I might have known you were only quizzing my profession ; you are always hard on the lawyers, Carew." " I can quote scripture against them." 21 338 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. " Well, well ; the devil is not as black ^ he is painted, you know.'' " Indeed, I do know it, full well," said Carew, rising and grasping his friend significantly by the hand. " And now I must bid you good-night, for I wish to write this letter to Mrs. Boiseau." This he did, and at length, giving her, in conclusion, his address in Mayfield, with proffers of assistance in the future for herself or her children. We may as well remark here, that in due course, he received a letter at Mayfield, from the lady, gratefully acknowledging his kindness; stating that she was comfortably situated, and as happy as she could ever be in this world, and needing nothing; but, if in the future she should need assistance for her children, she would unhesitatingly apply to him. The day now arrived when our hero was to take his final departure from Court Lodge. He arose early, sad and depressed, and spent the forenoon in going listlessly about the mansion and grounds, looking with dull, uninterested eyes on the packing of books, pictures, statuary and furniture, which was now being pressed forward under the supervision of Whitefield. These articles w^ere to be immediately shipped to Mayfield, Carew having determined to preserve them as mementos of his life in Louisiana. When dinner v/as announced, he refused to partake of it at first, but finalh^ consented to sit at the table and drink a glass of wine with Bragdy, who was invited to share this last meal with his employer, though tho good fellow ate nothing. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 339 This ceremony — for 'twas nothing more — over, Carew ascended the staircase to the broad, flat roof of the mansion and took a Last look at the familiar scene, already so deeply imprinted in his heart and memory. Soon Whitefield made his appearance, not liking to leave his friend too much alone at this sad hour. Now the great bell tolled forth its summons for the hands to come and see their former master for the last time ! As the conviction burst upon Carew that he was never more to hear its deep' sweet tones, he gave way to his natural feelings and burst into a flood of bitter tears. Whitefield was also much affected, and applied his handkerchief to his eyes. This was also a solemn moment for him : he too had associated in his heart of hearts many a sweet recollection of by-gone days, delightfully spent on this spot — days now vanished, never to return, or be recalled under any possible com- bination of circumstances. The bell ceased; its clangor was followed by a deathlike silence — so oppressive, that Carew felt as though his heart would break. It was with a sense of positive relief, when White- field saw Bragdy approach and silently beckon him to draw near, whispering that the people were below, waiting. Whitefield motioned to the manager to retire, and after a moment's pause to collect himself for the effort, stepped to Carew's side, took him gently by the arm and uttered this single word : " Come." Carew understood; slowly, sadly and with downcast 340 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. eyes and faltering steps, he allowed himself to be led down stairs. As he descended, the people crowded anxiously into the great hall below, filling it almost to overflowing. As they caught sight of their beloved master, coming to meet them, and saw the powerful emotion which overcame him and to which he gave way without restraint, their sympathetic natures joined his in loud bursts of grief. They seized upon him at the bottom of the stairs, kneeling around his feet, kissing his hands, and even his garments. In the frenzy of the moment, they fell over each other, in the anxiety of each man, woman and child to touch the person of the beloved object. Whitefield, too, broke down and wept aloud, while tears coursed down the cheeks of the sturdy manager. As soon as he could summon resolution enough to perform his duty, Bragdy whispered Whitefield that the carriage in which he and Carew were to depart, was in readiness. Whitefield assented; he saw it was high time to get his friend away; these strong emotions might make him ill, if permitted to remain longer under their influence. Wiping his eyes, therefore, and requesting Bragdy to assist him, they together stepped among the crowd of negroes, pressed closely about their master, and gently removing some and pushing others out of the way, they reached Carew's side. " Now, my friend," said Whitefield, " we must go ; the carriage is Avaiting." Carew held back. THE EAKL OF MAYFIELD. 341 "Come," continued Whitefield, "yon must leave. Remember, you have other duties to perform. This is consummated." So saying, he nodded to Bragdy, and they jointly pulled him to the door. Carew resisted no longer, but suffered them to gently force the poor creatures away and to place him in the carriage, close by. Bragdy pressed his hand, and as Whitefield sprang in, closed the door and gave the order to move. As the carriage drove slowly off, the negroes crowded around and followed it, ]3iercing the air with lamentations; a few even sprang on the seat behind, for a last look and farewell. " This will never do," muttered Whitefield. Then he emptied his pockets of all the small change they con- tained and scattered it out of the carriage window, crying at the same time : " There, you wretches, take that, and let us go ! ' Driver," whip up the horses." " You beggars ! it is just what I expected. I do not believe the negro has a soul." This sally extorted a smile from Carew, despite his harrowed feelings, which highly gratified Whitefield, for he saw that his little diversion had accomplished its object, in breaking the current of his friend's sorrowful thoughts. 342 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD, CHAPTER XXIX. A PLEASANT SURPRISE. CAREW was in the (bad) habit of reading his morning's paper in bed. Sebastian had, on the morning after the return from Court Lodge, brought the journal in as usual to his master's bedside, and, after opening the blinds and performing other duties pertaining to his station, had withdrawn. These move- ments disturbed our hero; after several ineffectual attempts to again compose himself to slumber, he betook himself to reading the paper. First looking over the dispatches, particularly those from England, he turned to the editorials, where, lo ! the heading of the leading article was entitled and read as follows : "This nobleman has but recently arrived; or we might with perhaps more propriety have said, has returned to our city. He is one of our own leading citizens, and is, in addition, one of the largest and most wealthy of our sugar planters. The magnificent estate of Court Lodge, with its princely residence and ample grounds, has long been famous as one of the ''lions" of Louisiana. " Its noble owner has come over on a flying trip from his ancestral Palace, at Mayfield, in the county of Sussex, THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 343 England. The Palace, as it is called, is many centuries old^nd has always, with the exception of a brief period, during the early youth of the present earl, been in the possession of his lordship's family. '' The family of Carew is one of the most ancient in Europe, and their peerage dates back to the beginning of the twelfth century ; since which time they num- ber in their lengthy pedigree, warriors and sages with- out number; they also claim alliance with royalty itself, and the present Duke of Norfolk, the head of the princely house of Howard, calls the Earl of Mayfield, cousin. » Sir Thomas Carew, Earl of Mayfield ; Baron Carew, of Gracedieu, and a Baronet, was born in this country, and although both of his parents were English still, America can claim the distinguished honor of having given birth to the head of one of Britain's most noble families. " We grieve to have to say, that it is rumored his lordship has determined upon closing out his vast inter- ests in this country, and will hereafter apply himself to his duties as an hereditary legislator in the parliament of that empire, on which the sun never sets. "Be all this as it may, we are heartily glad to have the noble lord among us, and bespeak for him a cordial welcome from our oldest and best citizens during his stay with us, and if, at last, we must lose this distin- guished scion of Europe's proudest aristocracy, why, we will wish him God speed on his way back to merry England." Carew read every word of this precious article with 344 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. feelings of the most intense disgust, nor was he better pleased, when, on dressing and descending to break- fast, he found by his plate a number of visiting cards, and invitations to dinner and to parties, from various citizens ; among these were the names of several, with whom he had not been on speaking terms for years. At this juncture Whitefield entered ; Carew handed him several of the cards and the morning paper; his friend had however, read the latter, and, therefore, con- fined himself to looking over the former. He could not repress a smile at the disgusting snobbery thus exhibited by men who affected, as citizens of a free republic, to hold all hereditary titles of honor in contempt. ■ "What are you going to do about it?" asked the lawyer. " Do ! I am going to throw the cursed things into the fire. I have not changed my principles ; either these men were wrong in not calling upon me long before this, when I was plain Thomas Carew, or they are wi'ong in calling upon me now that I am the Earl of Mayfield. I will not countenance for a moment such disgusting flunk3-ism. Sebastian, throw all these papers into the fire."'^ " No, no, stop ! " cried Whitefield. " If you do not care about these papers, let me have them. I see the names of several persons who used, some years ago, to amuse themselves by abusing you. I would like to have it in my power to make these gentlemen eat their w^ords." " Ver}^ well, do as you like," remarked Carew, in a THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 345 tone of indifference. " I wish to leave New Orleans as soon as possible ; when can I go ?" '' You can leave on the day after to-niorrow if you like ; you must first sign a number of papers, which will not be ready at an earlier date ; but, do not forget that you are to dine with me to-day." "I have not forgotten, but hope there will be no snobs among the guests." "I hope not," replied Whitefield. "But you must not hold me personally responsible for the vagaries, should there be any, of people over whom I have no control." " Of course not, old fellow," replied Carew, who saw his friend looked rather anxious. " Come for me when you like, I am not going out to-day." Whitefield then departed with the understanding that he was to call for Carew with a carriage at six o'clock. Sebastian had his hands full with answering pulls at the bell; callers were one and all dismissed, with a polite not at home, Carew having fully made up his mind not to be preyed upon by the snobs of America. He employed himself busily in making all necessary arrangements for departure, never expecting to return to Louisiana except, perhaps, as a mere visiting stranger. It will be remembered that at an early place in this history, we stated that Carew had written to Father Jerome, the friend of Miss Stuart, in California ; the priest promised in reply, to send any information he might obtain to Carew, concerning her place of 346 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. residence. He now fulfilled that promise. To Carew's great joy, the good man wrote, sa^dng he had received a letter from Miss Stuart, dated about a month previously, from the Hotel Anglo- Americaiiie^ at Rome. She was in low spirits on account of the rapidly failing health of her father, who, she feared, could not last much longer. She did not mention the state of their circum- stances, but simply asked, and prayed, for spiritual assistance. Carew's anxiety to be off was now increased, and when Whitefield called for him at six o'clock, he was not ready, having in his excited state entirely forgotten the dinner engagement; he, however, with the assis- tance of his faithful valet, soon donned an evening' dress, and proceeded immediately with his host to the residence of the latter. Here were half a dozen or more carriages, some of which had already deposited their passengers and were in the act of making off, while others were awaiting their turn. Carew wished to dismount at the corner, as their car- riage was at the rear of the others, and it would require some minutes to enable it to move up to the entrance of the grounds. This Whitefield would not hear of. " Oh ! " cried Carew. " Then this is a state dinner after all ! " " Well, hem ! ha ! — Mrs. W., you know ! The fact is, my dear felldw, she was anxious to show an old friend as much respect as possible ! " replied poor Whitefield, in much confusion. "I see," said Carew, grimly. "So Mrs. Wliitefield THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 347 is at the bottom of it. I must make the best of it, I suppose. It is now too late to retreat ! " Whitefield was much relieved at this quiet resignation of his friend to the inevitable. He did not, however, feel entirely safe until the carriage door was opened and Carew descended in full view of several of the guests, who had also just arrived. " Why, Whitefield, what extravagance ! " This exclamation from Carew was caused by the dis- covery that the space of twenty or thirty yards leading from the street to the hall door was covered with a new and handsome carpet. Vases of flowers were placed on each side, with vines and evergreens interlacing over- head, so as to form an arcade of living green, inter- mixed with numbers of Chinese lanterns, which blended with the variegated hues of the flowers ; under this arch the guests approached the portico. Before Whitefield could reply, a band struck up the stirring strain of " Hail to the Chief! " It ceased play- ing as Carew, leaning on the arm of his friend, entered the door. Here their hats and Avrappings were received, and our hero had time to observe that the house was brilliantly illuminated and decorated with flowers in immense profusion, while over the rear end of the hand- some hall were intertwined the flags of England and America. Whitefield had left his guest immediately on entering, saying he would meet him in the drawing- room. " My incognito is at an end for this evening," thought our hero. "Whitefield's wife is determined to make the most of me. I must play my part as well as 348 THE EARL OF MATFIELD. possible. After all, for what else is a lord useful in this age ! " He now directed his steps to the drawing-room, the same in which he had spent many a delightful hour in by-gone days. The door w^as opened by an obsequious darkey, who bowed low to our hero, and roared, with a stentorian voice, " De Url of Meyfull I " As his lordship — for we must assume his titles, in common with the guests, for to-night — advanced into the large room, he perceived it to be quite well filled with ladies and gentlemen, some of w^hom he recognized as old friends. He did not, however, stop to speak to any one, but walked, with easy, unaffected grace, up the length of the room, to pay his respects to the fair hostess. Mrs. Whitefied was en grande tenue, as Moliere would say, and was much fluttered by the unwonted promi- nence into which she had allowed her conceit to push her ; for she was ordinarily a very simple, kind-hearted woman. But this unexpected chance, which offered her the opportunity of flaunting a real, live lord in the faces of her friends, was too great to be resisted. The earl saw her embarrassment and divined the cause. He had thought at first of attempting some method of revenge for the deception which had been practised upon him, but his good nature came to the rescue of poor Mrs. Whitefield, and, remembering what he owed to her for mam^ delightful hours in the past, he determined upon making her happy in return, for this evening, at whatever cost to himself. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 349 In pursuance of this amiable intention, he, as before remarked, first paid his respects to Mrs. Whitefield, and then, addressing her husband, said he would mix with the company for a few moments before dinner. He accordingly moved around the room, speaking cordially to old friends and requesting them to present others, with whom he was unacquainted. This simple pro- ceeding soon had the desired effect of putting all at their ease, and ceremony was thrown aside. By this time dinner was announced, and when the earl had taken the hostess in and seated himself on her right, the company was in a state of unmingled delight and admiration for itself, accompanied by a correspond- ing contempt for the every-day, vulgar, outside world, which was deprived of the supernal pleasure of dining with a lord. We will not waste words on the dinner, elegant though it was, nor will we transcribe the speeches made after"" the ladies had retired, brimful, as they were, of patriotism, and of— flunkyism. Suffice it to say, that the meal went off as such affairs usually do — with unmixed satisfaction to all concerned — and the party separated at a late hour, each individual composing it being fully satisfied with his or her share in the enter- tainment, and believing that he, or she, had attracted the especial and particular notice of the noble guest of the day. But time flies. We cannot linger longer in America, and must rest content with iiiforming the reader that Carew parted from Whitefield on the day succeeding this dinner. He left full instructions with his friend to 350 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. sell the entire property in the United States of which he was possessed. He had intended to stop at his farm near Saratoga and take the old couple living there back to May field, as his father had brought them from Eng- land, and he himself had a vivid remembrance of the interview with the woman, described in an early chapter, when she gave him the idea that he was nobly descended. His anxiety was now become overpowering to reach Rome. He, therefore, delegated this duty to Whitefield, who readily undertook it. The parting between the friends was most affec- tionate, and Whitefield promised to visit Mayfield on the very first opportunity which presented itself, binding himself, any way, to go over within twelve months from the date of parting. Then followed a touching scene, viz.: the separation between master and man ; for Carew had determined upon leaving Sebastian behind. The faithful fellow was willing and anxious to follow whithersoever his master might lead, but the latter knew he, of course, w^as much attached to liis wife, and as he had seen little of her since their marriage, it would have been selfish to take advantage of the affection of the faitliful boy and drag; him off ao^ain. Sebastian would not be comforted, nor would he consent to remain until he learned that Whitefield was to visit Mayfield in the course of a few months at farthest. With the understanding, then, that he was to accompany the lawyer, he sorrowfully parted with his master. Carew privately told Whitefield not to attempt to THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 351 influence or coerce the boy to go with him, but to leave it a matter of perfect free will, to be settled between Sebastian and his wife. We will now transport our readers to England, ^kipping over the Atlantic with more facility than did our hero. He stopped only a day in London to see and take Goldsmith with him to Mayfield. Brandon met them at Wadhurst, and the trio drove to the palace at a rapid gait. Once within view of the estate, a most complete metamorphosis struck the eye of the earl. Look in which direction he would and there was nothing but change. He had scarcely been absent two months, and already, like a fairy vision, arose the palace, sur- mounted, from its highest tower, with the broad ensign of England. Everything outside presented a complete appearance, and when the master entered under the broad arch of the newl^^-completed barbacan and drove up the spa- cious avenue to the palace, he was both astonished and delighted at the more than anticipation of his fondest wishes. ''I can see you are pleased," said Goldsmith, who had been narroAvly watching his friend and patron. " I am more than pleased. Such is the transforma- tion, which could have been effected only under the most diligent supervision of devoted friends, I am wholly unable to express my gratitude." "Perhaps yon will be better able to express yourself when you have had a glimpse of the bills," said Brandon. 352 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " I will not complain," answered Carew, with a smile. " I gave you carte hlanche^ jow know." " This has cost a good deal," remarked Goldsmith, "but, on the other hand, much has been done, and as it was pressed with such haste, it has necessarily cost more than would have been the case had more time been allowed." "Say no more," answered Carew; "I understand." The carriage had by this time arrived under a beautiful portico of stone, built in the Gothic style, to correspond with the old palace. This projected from the grand entrance, and was supported by massive pillars' and pointed arches, in such fashion that there was ample space for two carriages to deposit their passengers under shelter at the same moment. The gentlemen descended and entered the grand hall, which was square, about thirty feet each way, and extended upwards for two stories, the ceiling termi- nating in groined arches which met in the • centre, supporting a golden shield, bearing an earl's coronet. The entire side of the hall, opposite to the entrance from the portico, was occupied by a magnificent stair- case of white marble, with a gilt rail of bronzes on one side, and a marble wainscoting of various colors and patterns on the other. More than twenty lackeys, in a gorgeous livery of crimson and gold — the colors of the house from time immemorial — stood on the staircase, lining the way, and standing at a salute, in military fashion, as their lord passed up. The stairs debouched upon a noble room, thirty feet THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 353 long, by twenty-five in width ;^ its floor was covered with a superb Axminster carpet, with the arms of the Carews woven in the middle. This ante-room, for it was only the prelude to the grand drawing-room, was lighted by one immense window of stained glass, filled with the heraldic insignia of the Earls of Mayfield, and the great families with whom they claimed alliance. The opposite end of the room was almost filled with a superb mirror, fitted into the stone wall so as to dispense with the necessity for a frame, thus doubling the apparent length of the space in front of it. At a few feet distant, stood several figures of life size in complete armor. With the exception of numerous trophies of an antique and warlike pattern displayed on the walls, there was no furniture in this room. "This is exquisite," exclaimed his lordship, looking around with admiring glance; "but how do you pro- pose lighting this room, I see no fixtures for that purpose ? " " It is lighted, as is the whole palace, by electricity," replied Brandon. " There is an attachment behind the huge window, which when lighted at night, throws a light of sufficient power through the stained glass, to enable one to read with facility." " What a delightful idea ! " exclaimed the earl. " Let us now examine the ancient hall, which we have roofed in and converted into the state drawing- room," said Goldsmith. This was the next apartment, and separated from the ante-room by an immense and noble arch, nearly 22 364 THE EAKL OF MAYFIELD. thirty feet in width and almost as high. This arch wag filled by a heavy curtain of crimson satin, which now closed it ; but at a signal from Brandon, two lackeys, one on each side, drew it apart with golden cords, fitting it snugly within the arch, thus blending it with and forming a strong contrast to the wliite stone of the former. The gentlemen entered this superb room, thirty-nine feet wide by seventy in length; its walls, arches, ceiling and exquisite traceries being all wrought in stone. The floor was of highly polished woods of various kinds, forming beautiful and intricate patterns. " We did not dare to alter much here," said Bran- don, " knowing 3'our wish to have this room kept as nearly as possible in the antique style. I have also left the furnishings, to be completed under your own eye." " Thanks," replied the earl ; " but I think I w^ould have been satisfied with your taste in tliis matter as well as in the rest of the building, for you have shown a nice judgment, which I can scarcely hope to equal." '' If I might be allowed to express an opinion," said Goldsmith, " I think it would be a good idea to place the best pictures and statues, particularly those in marble, which are now on the way from America, in this apartment. It would be a blending of the old and the new — the Alpha and Omega, as it were, of the family." " A most excellent suggestion," cried the earl, " and you, Mr. Goldsmith, are hereby condemned to pay the penalty of your advice, by placing the articles in THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D . 355 position, for they will be here in a few days. Brandon must go with me to Rome ; we leave to-morrow." " O ! dear ! dear ! " said the old man ; " into what a mess have I got myself. However, since I must, I will ; therefore, my poor services are freely dedicated to the work. I suppose the sooner the furniture is in place after its arrival, the better you will be pleased." This was said with a merry twinkle in his eye. " Let those laugh who win," replied the earl with a smile, " but what have we here ? Is this also a stained glass window ? " " Yes," answered Brandon, with an air of conscious pride, " this was my own conception, and which Mr. Goldsmith was kind enough to approve of. " There are fourteen windows in this room ; seven on each side ; all are lighted at night by electricity, thus illuminating the room. I began on the right of the entrance arch as a starting point. " This first window presents the e^gy of Thomas, the first Baron, in full armor of the period, with the tiger crest issuing from his coroneted helmet. " The second window represents Peter, surnamed Furfun, the founder of this building in 1194. It was then called Hadlow castle. You will perceive at his feet a good picture of the building in ruins, as it was when you first saw it. " The third window contains the image of William, of ITadlotv, third Baron. He was an unsuccessful competitor for the crown of Scotland. The royal arms of that kingdom, surmounted by the imperial crown, are emblazoned by his side. 356 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " The fourth window is occupied by Jaivies, fourth Baron, who so gloriously fell at Crecy. He is lying on the field of battle, in full armor, with his sword broken in liis hand, his helmet by his side with the tiger crest, and he is supported in the arms of Edward, the Black Prince. "The fifth window represents William, seventh Baron, in his robes of office as Lord High Treasurer of England. " The sixth window has the figure of Thojias, thirteenth Baron, and first Earl of Mayfield, with the date of creation — June 18th, 1525. You will observe — the baron's coronet is now replaced on the shield by that of an earl, which takes precedence as the higher title. " The seventh and last window, on this side of the room, is Francis, fifth Earl and seventeenth Baron. Around and above him, are quartered the arms of the Howards of Norfolk, he having married the Lady Maria Howard. " We will now go to the other side, in continuation of our way around the room. This brings us to the eighth window, containing Sir Charles, ninth Earl, twentieth Baron, and second Baronet; hence the prefix of "Sir" to his name. You will observe the bloody hand of Ulster is now added to his shield, as the insignia of the Baronetcy. This lord was your grandfather. " The ninth window is Sir Tho^vias ; tenth Earl, twenty-first Baron, and third Baronet. You see, above his head, the arms of England and of the United THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 357 States. He is clad in his robes as a peer of the realm, with his earl's coronet on a table by his side. He was your father. '' The tenth window is at present blank. I designed it for yourself; but the glass is not yet ready. " The four remaining windows are also blank. I thought you might prefer to leave them for posterity to fill." And Brandon ceased from his lengthy de- scription. " You are quite right ; the other windows must be left for the future, and so also shall my figure be left out. I am not worthy to be placed on an equality with these noble ancestors. Gentlemen, I thank you both heartily and fervently for your exertions. I am fully and entirely satisfied with everything you have done." " There are two suites of apartments completed, which you have not yet seen," said Goldsmith, leading the way to them. These, however, we will not describe further than by stating that they were replete with everything which modern luxury could desire, and were ready for imme- diate occupation. After dinner, the gentlemen walked about the grounds. They however retired early, as the Earl mid his secretary were to leave in the morning for Italy. We will close this chapter by stating, that the same vessel which was freighted wdth furniture and pictures from Court Lodge, also bore the remains of the earl's parents, which were to be placed in the mausoleum of St. Dunstan's, by Goldsmith, as soon as they arrived. 358 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD CHAPTER XXX. MAIDENLY EESEKVE. THE earl and his faithful secretary were up early, in order to catch the tidal train for Dover, at Tun- bridge ; taking a hasty breakfast, they drove to Wad- hurst, and were in a short time thereafter deposited at Tunbridge, where they had to wait an hour to meet the connecting train on the South Eastern Railway. We will not follow the travellers, who proceeded directly lo Paris, stopping there only long enough to take the train for Turin, thence through Italy, via Florence, to Rome. Brandon was much disgusted at this rapid progress, for thej^ travelled night and day, which prevented him from catching more than a passing glimpse of Europe ; that famous land of old, which every American heart with the slightest pretensions to refinement or education so yearns to look upon. But, we must leave Brandon with his discontent, as it is our duty to wait upon sweet Mary Stuart, so long left out of our pages — not forgotten, however, fair lady, for 3-ou have ever dwelt in our mind. We will retrograde in time several months, and place our scene in the hotel Anglo-Americaine^ on the Via Frattina, in Rome, near the Piazza de Spagna. Here, in a small, plainly furnished room on the second floor, sat Mary Stuart. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 359 We must devote some space to her in retrospection ; we left the fair girl, now several years since, on the banks of the Mississippi, in Louisiana, waving her handkerchief to Carew, as he floated down the stream in the Wanderer. Alas ! what changes have both undergone since that day; he through many trials and struggles of a most mortifying character; but, to emerge, at last, into the exalted station he now occupied. She, sweet innocent, to endure, during the same interval of time, all the mortal agonies which can wring and torture a proud, noble spirit in this world of trouble. The loss of country, for such she deemed it, was the first blow which fell upon her hitherto sanguine young soul, for she could never bring herself to believe, until all was over, that the proud sons of her chivalrous South, would ever yield to the foe. But this was not all ; then speedily followed, in the very last days of the war, the sack and ruin of Wood- bourne, by a marauding party of Federal soldiers. Her father, the old Doctor, was in feeble health ; the shock caused by this visit and the rudeness of the vil- lains, almost killed the old man ; added to this was the horrible fear which tortured him, when he thought of the danger to Avhich his lovely daughter was exposed, surrounded as they were, and defenceless against a triumphant and lawless set of men. The whole coun- try was in a state of anarchy and chaos ; he, therefore, determined upon selling or abandoning Woodbourne. One of the many adventurers, who penetrated the South from all directions in search of opportunities to 360 THE EAEL OF MAYFIELD. make money, regardless of the dangers they incurred from both of the contendmg armies, — one of those men, we repeat, lieard of the old man's desire to leave the country and in it saw a favorable moment to make a good bargain ; he therefore called at Woodbourne, and after some preliminary conversation, offered Doctor Stuart a sum in cash wliich would have (before the ruin of the crops by the soldiery) approximated to, per- haps, one tenth of the value of the estate ; the fellow was prepared to give double this amount, but, with the caution and greed of his Massachusetts education, thought it best to begin with a low figure ; much to his surprise and delight, the Doctor closed with his first offer, and the transaction was consummated on the spot by preliminary writings to bind both parties. These papers the canny Yankee had brought with him, already partially drawn up and only needing to be filled out, signed and dated. The fellow anticipated a good bargain and wished to bind the old man before he could be better advised by friends, of the rashness of his action. In this respect, however, our adventm^er displayed needless caution, for adversity seldom has friends, par- ticularl}' in such stirring times as those, in which every man was absorbed in his own affairs. Miss Stuart, of course, had nothing to say; what her father" saw fit to do, was always right in her eyes. She was also glad to leave Woodbourne, their solitary life there, made yet more lonely by the bad health of her father, had produced a melancholy and depression of spirits, which she found most difficult to overcome j THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. ;6l when, therefore, the sale of Woodbourne was com- pleted, and the old man announced to his daughter the determination he had arrived at, of going to Europe, she heard him with delight, feeling sure his health would be benefited by the change of scene and climate ; and in addition to this, her cultivated and refined tastes saw much to be pleased with, m the anticipation of a lengthened sojourn in Europe. With a blithe heart she began at once to make all the neces- sary preparations for an immediate departure. Doctor Stuart was a Scotchman by birth, and natu- rally his first thoughts reverted to his native land, m the matter of selecting a residence abroad ; but when he reflected upon the severity of the climate, his own poor health and also the danger of exposing his deli- cate child, nurtured in the balmy air of the South, to the keen winds of Scotland, he hesitated, and finally concluded to go to the Continent, leaving the matter of a fixed home, to be settled after they crossed the Atlan- tic ; for the moment, however, he selected Pans, as a central point from which they might travel in any direc- tion, and in the mean time, while there, could regulate their expenses to correspond with their present moder- ate means; he made up his mind to invest their little all in British consols, which would give them an income of something more than one hundred pounds per annum, or reduced to French money it would amount to nearly three thousand francs; besides this, he had a sum sufiicient to enable them to travel to their destina- tion and establish themselves in a moderate way, without trenching upon the capital. 362 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. Their arrangements for departure were soon com- pleted; it only remained to select the route by which they would reach Europe; there were two ways — as the war was now over and the road clear — one by way of New Orleans, and the other by taking a steamer at their own door for some point on the Ohio river, and thence by rail to New York, where it would be easy to get a steamer to any portion of Europe. They decided upon the latter course, as it was not only the cheapest but most comfortable, albeit the slowest route. Time, however, was no object; whether they were a few days more or less in arriving at their destination was a matter of no consequence, whereas the difference in cost was a great object; besides this motive, both father and daughter had another, they did not wish to run the risk, in passing through New Orleans, of being seen by old friends who had known them in better days. Miss Stuart, in particular, was anxious to avoid meeting Carew, for he would be certain to oppose their departure from America under such circumstances, and would press her father with mone}^, which the old man might be induced to accept, for he looked uj)on Carew as a son, thus placing himself, and indirectly, herself also, under lasting and delicate obligations to him. Her pride revolted from such a position, for she loved Carew in spite of herself, in spite too of the course he had chosen in separating himself from his native South; she had vainly endeavored to tear liis image from her heart, therefore, it may readily be conceived, that she slirank from obligations to one whose political THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 363 principles she could not endure, and who was now, bitter thought, in the full flush of triumph over her fallen, lamented, much loved South ! Would he not think of her with contempt, did she accept alms from her coun- try's foe ? No ! it was not even to be thought of, much less to be endured ! These combined feelings and sentiments of father and child caused them to decide in favor of choosing the river route. They left within ten days after the sale of Woodbourne, the father without regrets, and the daughter with but one feeling of sorrow, and that was, the parting with Father Jerome, the parish priest, her confessor and friend. This good old man soothed her to the best of his ability, and broke, to some extent, the grief of parting, b}^ giving her the information that he was expecting an order to go to California; thus, within a brief period, they would in all probability be separated, even though the Stuarts had not left Wood- bourne. Doctor Stuart, with his lovely daughter, arrived safely in New York, and there embarked on a French steamer for Havre, proceeding tlience to Paris. Arrived in the gay capital, they obtained two small apartments in the line Rivoli^ near the lower end of the Champs Elysees^ and overlooking the Place de la Con- corde. This was in a rather expensive portion of the city, but they counterbalanced this by going to the fifth floor, which also gave them pure air and quiet. The doctor was now too feeble to walk, and it was essential to have a gay view from the window by way of compensation, and as for the young lady, it made 364 THE EAEL OF M A Y F 1 E L D. but little difference to her lithe limbs whether she ascended one or two flights of stairs more. The whole of Paris passed under their windows in a splendid pan- orama; the Tuileries, not yet destroyed, but in the full glow of im^^erial, and apparently solid splendor; the towers of Notre Dame loomed above and beyond the palace, in front was the silver Seine, with its beautiful quays, bridges, and snorting little steamers, mere toys to the eyes of Miss Stuart, accustomed as they were to the leviathans of the Mississippi. The brilliant Champs Elysees^ with its trees, its foun- tains, its caf^s, its never ceasing flow of people and vehicles, the glittering dome of the Invalides, on the other side of the river; the palace of the Legion of Honor, almost directl}' opposite ; while to the right, and in the distance, towered, from the summit of a gentle acclivity, the superb Arc de Triomphe^ erected by the Great Na^Doleon, in commemoration of the glories of France. This was, indeed, a change from the dullness and seclusion of Woodbourne; here also, they could dwell in peace and in safety.* Under these vivifying influences, the spirits of the daughter soon rallied; she seemed to undergo a com- plete transformation, and, lovely thongh she was before, she now became perfectly enchanting, her lithe and somewhat slender form dilated and rounded into the full bloom and maturity of womanhood. Her little French maid, Mignon, the daughter of the landlady, was lost in Avonder, admiration and love for "Za belle Americaine.'' She devoted herself to the TliE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 365 service of her young mistress with all the energy of her vivacious French nature. Extremely fortunate was Mary Stuart in winning the affections and smiles of this faithful, shrewd young Frenchwoman. Mignon was a year or two older than herself, but in the ways of the world, in the knowledge of Paris, and the tricks of its tradesmen, she was old enough to be the mother of her mistress. All this ability and experience was freely offered in the ser- vice which she tendered the old man and his daughter, at first for wages, and then for love as well. Mignon was not bad looking neither; indeed, her indulgent mistress would declare sometimes, after dress- ing her luxuriant black tresses and adorning them with a ribbon from her own scanty wardrobe, that she was really pretty, lighted up as her features would then be by an expression of gratified pride, mingled with modest confusion, as she gratefully accepted these kind and condescending attentions. Thus time passed pleasantly for all. Mistress and maid went on frequent little excursions about the city, but most generally these were made to one or another of the many superb churches with which Paris is adorned ; they were both devoted Catholics, and this unity of religious belief added a new link to their now firmly riveted chain of friendship. Tl'ie doctor's health had rallied at the first change of scene and chmate, added to which was the excitement of travel. All these effects combined to his advantage. This, however, did not last long. An interval of de- pression soon followed that of elation, and the old man 366 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. soon realized, though he kept it to himself, that he would probably ere long have to leave his beloved child alone in a strange land. This knowledge pressed upon him more and more, as time passed, until his daughter became so much alarmed at his growing debility that she insisted upon calling in medical aid. The physician perceived the case to be a hopeless one, but thought life might be prolonged by a move into a milder climate. Winter was approaching, and was likely to be too severe in Paris for the weakened frame of the invalid. He recommended Italy. The father acquiesced, willing to prolong life for his daughter's sake, and selected Rome for the winter, thinking it possible she might meet with some friend from America in this central city, who would be of use to her in the future, when he was gone, for he knew his disease to be one of merely a little more or less time. To Rome they went accordingly, and were accom panied by the faithful Mignon, who vowed she would never desert her dear young mistress in this sore hour of need. She went with the full consent of her good mother, who, aside from a sincere affection for Miss Stuart, was not insensible to the advantages which would accrue to her child from seeing the world, outside of Paris, in such good company. They travelled by easy stages only by day, and occu- pied about a week in completing the journey. In Rome the}' stopped at the hotel Anglo-Amerieaine^ attracted, in the first instance, by its name, and a reference to the guide book satisfying them it was a respectable alhergo^ decided the point. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 367 It had been their intention to remain here but a few days, it being too expensive a place for them, until they could find other quarters. The doctor, however, became rapidly worse from the day of their arrival. Thus weakened, it was deemed unsafe to remove him. The good old man felt it was time to part with his child, for he was likely to drop off at any moment. He now told her he had known his condition for some time and that he did not fear to die. He was a Presbyterian, and, although permitting his child the full and unre- strained exercise of the religion she had inherited from her mother, still he had adhered to the sturdy old Calvinistic ideas under which he had been reared in Scotland. The scene was a most sacred and touching one. We will not intrude on the privacy of such a death bed, nor attempt to portray the agonized feelings with which the poor girl realized that she was now to be alone — dreadful word ! — in the world, in an alien land — far from the scenes of her childhood. While her father still lived, however, she nerved her- self to the task of assumed cheerfulness, which she knew was necessary on his account, and when he told her, with feeble accents, to have him buried in the beautiful Protestant cemetery at Florence, she prom- ised, without a tear, to carry out his last behest. That night the noble old man went to his rest. As his child sat by the side of the bed, holding one of his hands in hers, she dropped her head on his pillow and for a few moments slept, overpowered by exhaustion and fatigue. Suddenly she awoke and saw her father 368 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. attempt to sit up, making at the same time, vain efforts to speak, but before she could move, he fell back — dead. We must draw the veil over what followed, and will open the scene where we found Mary Stuart near the beginning of this chapter — in the hotel — to which she and Mignon had that day returned from the sad duty of interring her father, in accordance with his request, at Florence. She scarcely knew wh}^ she returned to Rome or why she did not remain in Florence. In fact, she had but little to do with the matter, the energetic little maid having taken complete and entire charge of her. Now did the good qualities of Mignon beam forth and abundantly testify her worth. The shrewd little woman knew the}^ had left most of their effects in Rome, and it was but natural to return for them. Besides, she was more familiarized with that cit}^, and was sure they could live there more cheaply, on account of this acquired knowleds^e, than in Florence. Her mistress, too, was very delicate, and ought, in her opinion, to spend, at least, part of the winter in Italy, before returninor to France or America. In anv event, it would be absolutely necessary for her mistress to economize as much as possible, as the extra expenses entailed by her father's sickness and death had not only exhausted their income, but had caused them to incur some small debts. All things considered, Mignon de- termined upon a return to Rome. Miss Stuart was passively obedient to the advice of her maid. She offered no suggestions, made no comments, but did THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 369 what Mignon proposed. She sat looking, in a vague fashion, out of the window, and, almost for the first time since her father's death, prevailing upon her confused ideas to form some sort of shape — she began to think. A crowd of memories rushed in to overwhelm her at once. She went back in thought to her early childhood. Her dear mother, her father, her infant brother — dead ! — all gone ! Woodbourne ! The river — sunrise — a boat drifting slowly down the stream and containing two figures ; one waving his cap, as he drifted, drifted, slowly, but surely, round the distant point — out of sight! Had he, too, disappeared forever! "Was she never more to behold that manly form, those flashing eyes — the type of all that was chivalrous and heroic in her youthful fancy ! Was he, too, but mere dust — a phantom of the terrible past ! Oh ! God of mercies ! be gentle with me ! Temper the wind to the shorn lamb ! Lord ! hast thou, too, abandoned me ! What have I done ! Of what dreadful crime have I, or mine, been guilty, that I should be punished thus ! " The poor girl was overcome as she uttered these despairing words. She dropped her poor, sweet, wearied little head, with its luxuriant, disheveled locks, upon the window-sill, and gave way to a flood of bitter, blinding tears. At this moment the door opened and Mignon entered. The instant she saw the condition of her mistress, the girl rushed forward, dropping some packages she had in her apron, clasped the young lady in her arms, and showered tears and kisses alternately upon her head. 370 THE EAKL OF MAY FIELD. As they conversed habitually in French, we shall have to translate for the reader. "Oh I ma chere amie! jow must not give way thus. Remember what I told you yesterday ; my dream about the American gentleman, Monsieur Carew. He is com- ing to look for you, ma belle ! He will search the world till he finds his treasure — the sweetest young lady du monde!'' Mignon had extracted the secret from Miss Stuart, in the first bursts of grief after her father's death; her sense of total isolation and desertion had caused her, almost without knowing it, to call upon Carew for help. Mignon heard and her heart leapt with joy; the faithful creature felt that if he could be found, all would be well, and her sweet mistress would be happy once more ; hence she thought so much and so deeply about this lover, that she dreamt about liim — that he had at last arrived, in search of Miss Stuart — had married and carried her off to a grand home in a foreign land! In spite of herself, Mary Stuart felt a new-born hope rise within her, at these* cheering words of Mignon, absurd though her judgment told her they must be. "Ah I Mignon, dear, you are too hopeful! no one will ever look for poor me. I have no friends, dearest, but you, and your good mother." " O, yes you have, Mademoiselle, you have others; you love him^ you know, he will come, be sure of that; you have also le hon Pere Jerome, he will write again; I am sure you will get good news soon ! " THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. 371 "Well, dearest, you are right about good Father Jerome, he is a true friend. Yes, you give me comfort, Mignon. I ought to have a letter from him by this time ! " " Did you not say, ma chere^ that Father Jerome said in his last lettre^ that Monsieur, you know, had written to him in — where is that place — Calif ornie, about you?" " Yes, dear, he did say so," answered the young lady, her beautiful but sad features now brightening with a smile and a blush at the recollection. " And did he not say, also. Mademoiselle," persisted Mignon, as she" slid down to her mistress' feet, and toyed with and kissed her hands, " did he not say, le hon ptre^ that you should have written to Monsieur, who had always been a hon ami of yours and of your father?" " Yes, dear, he did say so." " Then, pardon^ ma chere^ but then, why have you not written ce lettre ? " "I should have done so before this, I admit," said the fair girl with embarrassipent. "I have tried several times to do so, but never had the courage." " Vous avez tort^ Mademoiselle. You are wrong." " I am, I am. I will write to him. It is a duty. But I do not know where to write now; he may have moved away, it is so long since I heard of him." "Have I not heard you say, ma belle, that he was very riche, with a fine house and great lands ? " " Yes, dear, he is very, very rich, and I am so poor." " Then a letter will be sure to find him, even if he is 372 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. away; le pere Jerome's letter can find him, and why not la votre^ as well ? " " Well, dearest, I will think about it ; but we will wait a little while, dear, aweet, little Mignon, and see whether your dream does not come true ; then, you know, it will not be necessary to write." " Ah ! Mademoiselle, you should not put it off." And then seeing her mistress was now restored to a more cheerful frame of mind than she had seen her in since they left Paris, the energetic little maid began to touch upon the state of their finances, for she was now treasurer of the little household, as well as maid of all work. She felt that retrenchment was absolutely necessary ; indeed, they could not leave Rome, even to return to Paris to live with her mother, until they had economized sufficiently to pay their little debts and provide, in addition, for the travelling expenses. Mignon, therefore, suggested that they move into cheaper quarters. She had found a nice room that morning, which had been recommended by their wash- erwoman, in the Trastevere quarter of the city. It was a small apartment in the sixth story, but that was nothing; it was decently furnished, and as that quarter was very cheap, they could live on almost nothing, and would soon save enough to leave Rome and go to Paris, where her sweet mistress could have a comfortable home as long as she liked, with Mignon's mother. The wisdom of this course was so apparent, that Miss Stuart at once gave her assent. They accordingly moved to their new quarters on the next day but one, THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 373 having previously left their address with the proprietor of the hotel, in order that he might forward their letters, as Mignon corresponded regularly with her mother, and Miss Stuart was^in daily expectation of a letter from Father Jerome. As we have stated, their new quarters were in the region across the Tiber, called the Trastevere. It is one of the most ancient quarters of Rome, though the least populous portion of the city. Living and house- rent were very cheap. Strangers were rarely seen there,' except when they came to visit .the basilica of St. Cecilia, just around the corner from Miss Stuart's apartment. To this church she went regularly ; besides attending Mass every morning, she went at least once a day, to pray before the beautiful white marble shrine of the martyred saint. We might write much in praise of this ancient church, built on the site of the house once belonging to the saint. The remains of the bath in which her execu- tioners vainly tried to suffocate her, are still shown to the curious, with its pipes, its marbles, and its mosaics, yet in a good state of preservation. But we are not antiquaries, and if we were, the reader would only be bored by the thousandth description of a place which he has either already seen, or often read of. Miss Stuart and her Mignon passed the time in each other's society. They were now getting along pretty well; the little income was once more in advance of their frugal wants, and they were in a fair way to liquidate their debts and return to Paris. Father Jerome's long expected letter now came. He 374 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. informed her that he had written to Mr. Carew, giving him her father's address in Rome, and he had no doubt they — Father Jerome did not know of the Doctor's death when he wrote — would soon hear from or see him. Meanwhile, he strongly advised her to write to Carew, or at all events, not to leave Rome until she could hear from him, as he was a true friend and should not be neglected. This letter filled her heart with hope, and with grati- tude to God for His goodness in thus putting her lover upon the track, for she was now sure he would either write, or if possible, look her up himself, since he evidently took much interest in learning where she was. She determined, with true maidenly reserve, not to write to him, but to await events. If he was still the Carew of old, her preux chevalier^ he would find her, but if altered and indifferent, it was better that she should not write. No, she would wait, but wait in hope and with faith. All this was confided to Mignon, who prudently counselled her mistress to write, but without effect. These events have brought us almost down to the time when Carew, or more properly, the earl, had been on the eve of departing, for the last time, from Amer- ica, when, it will be remembered, he received a letter from Father Jerome, giving Doctor Stuart's address in Rome. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 375 • CHAPTER XXXI. "JE CO MP RENDS— BON SOIR." WE must now meet the earl and Brandon at the hotel Anglo-Americaine^ whither they arrived at noon, thoroughly fatigued, and covered with the dust and cinders of the long journey from Mayfield. The earl left his secretary below to register theit names, and ascended the stairs without delay to his room, for the purpose of changing his clothing before calling upon Miss Stuart, \^hom he doubted not, he would be able to see immediately. While he was hastily undressing, the obsequious lackey, who had followed him into the room, was arranging and brushing a suit of clothes which he had just disinterred from one of the trunks: the earl inquired, first in English, — which the man did not under- stand, and then in French — "Where are situated the rooms of Doctor Stuart, an American gentleman? " " Le Docteur Stuart^ Monsieur," replied the fellow in astonishment, " il est mort^^ he is dead, sir ! " Heavenly powers ! dead, man ; Doctor Stuart dead I " " Si Signor^ he is dead these three months ; he died in numero twenty-three, the pauvre gentleman was very sick ven he come." "And Mademoiselle?" gasped his lordship, fearful to ask, lest he should get bad news, and yet most anxious to know something of her. 376 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " Mademoiselle is gone " — began the man. The earl's face grew pale, he leaned against the table for support — when Brandon rushed into the room, breathless and excited ; he cried, " Oh ! my dear friend ; I pity you, Doc — ," before he could complete the sentence he saw that the earl knew all ; he paused, uncertain what to do or say ! The earl sunk into a chair and buried his face in his hands, groaning aloud in the agony of his spirit. When the servant had said Miss Stuart was gone, the earl had not noticed that he was only beginning a sentence ; he instantly anticipated, and put the worst possible con- struction on the word "gone," and was confirmed in this opinion by Brandon's rushing in. The latter now questioned the man, as to the infor- mation he had imparted to his lordship, for although he was fully aware of his friend's sincere attachment to the venerable old man, still he could not understand why he should be so completely overcome by the intel- ligence of his death, especially when the object of his affections was in Rome ; having only, as the reader is aware, removed from this hotel to other quarters ; her address being now in his, Brandon's hands. The secre- tary soon elicited from the man, word by word, what he had told the gentleman; he then hastily told his friend what he knew about Miss Stuart, informing him she was well and in Rome, that she was attended by a faithful female who had come with her from Paris, and ended by handing him a slip of paper with the address, written in mongrel French and Italian, '-^ via di Jani- culo^ jjres de Ste. Cecilia; il Trastevere ; passe par il Ponte Motto. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 377 This information acted magically on the nerves of the earl ; he sprang up, and without more ado, tlirew his arms around his friend. "Oh, Monsieur! " cried the latter, "you should not have been so stupid as to take a thing for granted ; you are always taking a blue view of everything. Now get ready to go at once and see Miss Stuart, I will go down to order a carriage and will, in addition, send you a lunch to eat whilst dressing, as I know you will not take time to swallow anything, once you are down stairs." " You are a good fellow, Brandon ; do as you will in ordering the carriage, but I am not hungry, and want nothing." "You must eat; you have had nothing to-day; it will take half an hour to get a carriage, these lazzaroni will probably have to build one." So saying, Brandon de- scended and fulfilled his promise by sending up a cold collation with a bottle of Barolo ; the Italian claret, or vin ordinaire of the country. The earl was now ready: he took a hasty bite and drank some of the wine before descending ; hearing the wheels of the carriage approach, he at once went down to meet it, telling Brandon to stay at the hotel, or walk out as he saw fit, saying: " It is a long drive, and we have to cross the Tiber, you know." " No ; I don't know anything about it," replied Bran- don, — " except this. I shan't wait dinner for you, that is all." His friend smiled and waved his hand in adieu, as 378 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. the carriage rolled rapidly off; the driver turned the second corner into the Corso, down which he went in a straight line due South, until he reached the Torlonia palace ; here he diverged to the right, passing the church of San Marco and entering a number of narrow and squalid streets, which might more properly have been called lanes, having no sidewalks for pedestrians, they were almost filled by the carriage ; they soon however, emerged into an immense semi-circular space, where lay the ruins of the Theatre of Marcellus. They were now within one block of the Tiber, and turned into a somewhat broader street than those previously trav- ersed ; following, this for half a dozen squares, passing the Temple of Fortuna Virilis^ it brought them to the Ponte Motto, across which the carriage now moved at a slow pace, giving its occupant an opportunity to look at this ancient structure, a part only of which remains, it being eked out, as it were, and joined to the opposite shore by a suspension bridge ; through the interstices of tliis, the muddy, yellow river flowed below, plainly visible. They were now in the Trastevere; a short drive of eight or nine blocks brought them by the ancient Basi- lica of St. Cecilia, built in the year 230 by Pope Urban I. Its low, broad, quaint portico, supported by simple, and sturdy Ionic columns, jutted well out into the street, which was, however, spacious at this point. The car- riage turned the first corner beyond, to the west of the Basilica, and halted at the huge entrance arch of what had been a superb palace in its day, built of white marble, discolored by age and neglect, rising THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 379 six full stories, and looming above all other buildings in the vicinity. It is impossible to describe the feelings which agitated our hero during this long drive; joy was, of course, predominant, bu^ this was not unmixed with fear and anxiety, fear as to the reception he might meet with from Miss Stuart, for the fact of her long silence might be justly interpreted as evincing an indifferent, if not unfriendly feeling towards him. Indifference was almost as hard to bear as would be positive enmity, if so fair and gentle a creature could be supposed to har- bor for an instant the latter sentiment against any being. He also felt grave anxiety as to her health and cir- cumstances ; he had been in Rome before and knew, in a vague kind of fashion, that this portion of the city was considered undesirable as a residence. He was fully confirmed in this impression by the squalid char- acter of both houses and people as he passed along ; the farther the carriage advanced the more dilapidated became the surroundings and the more importunate were the beggars. After crossing the bridge these rascals became intolerable, following the vehicle and even climbing upon the seat behind; nor did they heed the lash, which the driver freely applied to their heads and shoulders, showering upon them, at the same time, most fearful imprecations — which the beggars were not slow to return — in mongrel Italian. The scamps knew from previous experience, that the carriage would not be likely to proceed much farther without stopping, then would come their, not golden, but silver, or copper opportunity, as the liberality of the traveller might elect. 380 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. In this instance, however, they had miscalculated; our hero was an experienced traveller, he sat in the carriage after it halted, until he learned from the driver — who, as it happened, had brought Miss Stuart here when she moved from the hotel — whe«e her apartments were located. He then dismissed him, with orders to return in two hours, as he did not wish to have a legion of lazzaroni collected in the street during the time he might be occupied within; ordering the driver, there- fore, to depart at once, he sprang suddenly from the vehicle and rushed within the entrance, followed by curses mthout number, as the wretches saw themselves cheated of, what they considered, legitimate prey. Arrived within the huge portal, our hero. paused for breath, and to look for the stairs, as it was somewhat obscure to his eyes, having entered so hastily from the bright glare without. He was met by an old woman who apparently was — at anj^ rate he took her for — the concierge^ and asked in French for Miss Stuart. She did not understand him, and as he could not speak Italian, he determined to lose no more time, proceeding at once to the stairs, now plainly visible. The old creature was not to be so easily satisfied, and persisted in attempting to stop the stranger, seizing his coat as she continued to babble unintelligible words in his ears. He threw her a piece of money, extricated his coat by a jerk, and jumped upon the stairs, repeating the name of Miss Stuart in French. The crone hastened after, first picking up the coin, and hobbling behind as fast as her feeble limbs per- mitted, wildly gesticulating, and pointing at intervals THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 381 back to the street. Conjecturing that she wished to oppose his entrance, the earl kept well in advance up the staircase, fully bent on finding his own way. The babel of sounds produced by the unwonted arrival of a carriage, joined to the shouts of the beggars as they moved off in search of more profitable victims, and the altercation between the earl and the old woman, must have disturbed some one above, for light steps could now be heard descending the stone staircase. Our hero's heart beat violently as he surmised it might be* she whom he was in quest of; this idea was soon dispelled by the appearance on the landing above him of a young female, who inquired in French, and with much asperity, the cause of all the noise. Before the earl could speak the old woman had said something in Italian which he could not understand, but it pro- duced a strong effect on the young woman. She sprang quickly to meet him, asking, anxiously, in French, what he wished with Mademoiselle ? He at once decided this to be her faithful maid, of whom he had heard at tlie hotel, he, therefore, with a frank smile, briefly replied in her own language that he was '' Mr. Carew, an old friend, from America, who had come to see Miss Stuart." The faithful Mignon, for it was she, burst into tears of joy; she almost embraced him, seizing his hands in both of hers and covering them with kisses, murmuring hysterically between sobs, in mingled French and broken English : " It is he I il est arrive ; U Monsieur has come at last. Ah ! Mademoiselle will be so glad to see Monsieur ! 382 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. Elle est desolSe pour vous voir! 0, del! le hon Dieu a nous protegees ! " These words were full of music to the hearer ; he saw at once that he would be welcome, na}^, more, that he was beloved. This was as clear as though he had been informed through the sweet lips of his mistress herself; the maid would never have uttered these expressions had she not been fully assured of the senti- ments of the young lady. "But, where is Mademoiselle?" said he, impatient to see her once more. " Do not be too hasty, you will alarm her. Mademoi- selle is out. I will call her ; come. Monsieur, sit down and wait a little while, said the girl, leading the way up stairs, murmuring to herself, " ah, my dream ! did I not say he would come ? and mademoiselle did not believe me ! " " Tell me where she is, before we go up stairs ! " " She is gone to the church, Monsieur ! " "What church?" " The basilica of St. Cecilia, Monsieur ! She goes there, pauvre ange^ every day to pray the blessed saint to intercede for her, and to send you quickly, sir; and you see her prayers have been answered ! Who could refuse anything to so sweet a saint?" "St. Cecilia!" cried our hero, delighted beyond measure at the words he had just heard. " Oui^ Monsieur^ it is just around the corner; I will go at once for her ! " " Stay ! I will go myself, wait you here. I will bring her back ; do not go, but let me ! " THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 383 Oui^ Monsieur, go quickly, you may meet her," replied the quick-witted girl, divining at once it would be better to let him go, as they would prefer to have no witnesses at their first meeting. The earl descended the stairs, two at a time, and passed the old woman without interruption. She now courtesied low, evidently satisfied that all was right, since she witnessed the scene between him and the maid. As our hero entered the street and turned towards the church, he looked eagerly about, thinking he might meet the dear form so anxiously sought, but not a soul was within sight; even the beggars had retired in disgust. He pressed forward with hasty, uneven steps, scarcely noticing where he walked. He had no eyes for the venerable remains of antiquity, scattered in profu- sion about this ancient quarter of the eternal city. His heart was in his throat, and his soul was filled with joyous, tumultuous thoughts ; he noAV felt assured as to the reception he would meet with, and was eager to clasp the dear one to his heart, to love and cherish henceforth: bright visions too of a happy home, graced by his fair bride who would be an honor to her future high station, flitted in glittering array, crowding each other, through his happy soul. He soon stepped under the ancient portico, pushing aside the heavy leathern curtains, common to Italian churches in place of doors, and entered the old basilica with a throbbing heart. The interior was dim with the dust of ages gathered in, and obstructing the light as it came through the 384 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. quaint old windows ; he glanced nervously around and for a moment could see no one. Advancing however a few steps, he beheld a black, female figure, kneeling before the high altar, beneath which was the superb reclining statute of Saint Cecilia, a thrill passed through his frame. "It is she!" He advanced slowly and with noiseless tread, fearing to disturb her devotions. " Sweet one," murmured he, surveying the supple elegant form, its chaste outlines dearly defined by the strong contrast between the black dress and the snow white marble of the statue and altar. "Perhaps she is even now thinking of and praying for my unworthy self." The kneeling girl remained motionless, absorbed; the death-like silence and the deserted church were most solemn and awe inspiring. " This is not the place to meet her in. for the first time," thought he. " I will wait outside." He accordingly retreated noiselessly as he had entered, and stood under the portico to await her com- ing, peeping within at short intervals to assure himself she was jet there. He had not long to wait ; in a few moments could be heard her light step on the mosaic pavement as she slowly approached ; he gently lifted the heavy curtain to make room for her, and stood, hat in hand, smiling — with the frank, cordial smile of the Thomas Carew of other days. She came out. He dropped the curtain and held out both arms. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 385 With a startled, joyful cry, sweet Mary Stuart rushed to the manly bosom, and was clasped in those strong, protecting arms, shedding tears of joy as she nestled closer and more closely, throwing aside all restraint, thus evincing at once the depth of her affec- tion, and the deep sense of isolation and despair she had experienced. For a few moments neither spoke, their hearts were too full for utterance ; both inwardly thanked the good God who had at last brought these two, so long sepa- rated, together. She was the first to move, attempting in confusion to gently extricate herself from the strong embrace in which she was enclosed. He exclaimed : " Not so, dear one ! We meet to part no more." She looked up into his affectionate, cordial eyes, bent to look into hers, and smiled, still silent. " Come ! " said he, drawing her to an obscure corner against the adjoining wall, which jutted beyond and at right angles to the portico. " Now you have not said one word yet. I have not heard your sweet voice in years ; let then the first sound be the sweetest music to my soul." " Here, on this sacred spot, consecrated by the dust of ages and by the footsteps of the early saints who now look down from heaven upon us — here plight your troth. Say you will be my wife ! " Without an instant of doubt or hesitation, in a clear, sweet voice, she answered : "If you will have me, dear Tom, I will be your wife!" 24 386 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. His answer was a shower of kisses upon her hair, her forehead, and then upon the dear lips, which had so simply and frankly expressed her undying love. " Now," said she, extricating herself with a blush, " come to my poor liome, this place is too public." He gave her liis arm. Upon it she leaned as they went along, with firm confidence, feeling that hence- forth she was not alone. Chattering together gayly, both speaking at once and scarcely knowing what they said, the affianced lovers came to the entrance of the lad3''s home. Here were most of the beggars again! It was evi- dent that they had left some one to watch and report the reappearance of their victim — for your Roman beggars have both energy and determination — with the intention of again making a combined assault on his purse. This time they were more fortunate, for what mortal with his promised bride upon his arm, could refuse largesse ? Our hero, therefore, emptied his pockets of small change and threw it with liberal hand among the scrambling wretches. The fair girl laughed gayly as they tumbled over each other and fought for the coins, clapping her hands meanwhile. Then they went up stairs and were met on the landing outside the door of Miss Stuart's room by the maid, who was all smiles and courtesies. '* This, Tom," said the young lady, taking the blush- ing maid by the hand and kissing her affectionately, " is my dear friend — I will not say servant, Mignon — THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 387 who has been so faithful, and but for whose care and affectionate solicitude, I do not believe, under heaven, you would have met me again." " Then Mignon must be my friend, too," cried he, seizing the girl before she could move, and kissing her. '^ She shall be richly rewarded ! " " You scamp ! is this the reward you propose, and before my face, too?" exclaimed the young lady, though with beaming eyes, showing how grateful she felt for his appreciation of the girl's services. ' His only reply was the infliction on her own lips of the same penalty to which the girl had been subjected. To cover her blushes. Miss Stuart proposed to enter the room, which they now did, hand in hand. Mignon meanwhile descended below, to gossip with the old woman over the wonderful event of the day. " Now, sweetheart," said our hero, after a glance around the poor but scrupulously neat room, an epitome in itself of her privations and troubles, " tell me all about yourself, from the day — Do you remember it, love? — when we parted on the river bank at Wood- bourne, to the present time ? " ^' Do I remember it, indeed," said she, casting an affectionate glance upon him, which was repaid by a caress. She then told her story; but as we have already acquainted the reader with what she related to her lover, it will not be needful to repeat it. As she con- cluded, he clasped her in his arms in a long embrace, fully and lovingly returned on her part. He poured soothing words of sympathy and love into her willing 388 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. ears, and drew bright pictures of the life they would have in his modest home in England. For when the earl discovered that she had heard nothing, read nothing — so isolated and sorrowful was her life — of his good fortune, he hastily deter- mined upon practicing a harmless deception upon her, by concealing his rank. He told her he was much reduced in fortune, and becoming disgusted with America, had settled in Mayfield, his father's birthplace in England,, and was now leading the quiet life of a country- gentleman. The lovel}' girl heard all with sympathy, and promised herself unbroken pleasure in leading such an existence, sa3'ing she had never been in England, but that the pictures she had seen and the accounts she had read of rural life in that country had always seemed to her the summit of earthly happiness. " Ah ! sweet one ! " said he, " the pictures jou have seen, and the books you have read, are principally descriptive of the lives led by the j^roud nobles of Eng- land. Poor Thomas Carew can offer nothing so fine to his wife. Had you not better reconsider the step you propose taking before it is irrevocable ? Poverty is a dreadful thing!" She sprang up and stood before him, with crimson cheeks, her beautiful eyes flashing, and bosom heaving with generous emotion, as she answered in the words of Ruth to Xaomi : " Withersoever thou shalt go I will go, and where thou shalt dwell I also will dwell. Thy people shall be mj- people, and thy God my God." There was no answer to be made to this; so be THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 389 clasped her in his arms, and his conscience smote him for the deception he was practising upon this true and loving heart. " But the spirit of unrest was strong within ;" he said, instead of avowing all as he should have done, " You promised much, my love, in those last words. I am not a Catholic, you know?" " Do we not however, worship the same God? You are a Christian, I have heard you say so." " Yes, sweet one, I am a Christian; but I belong to no denomination." " You will become a Catholic," said she with fond affection, caressing him, " When you know, as I do, what the soothing arms of Holy Mother church can do for you in times of trouble and affliction, you will become a Catholic. Ah, yes ! " " Well, well, dearest one," replied he gently, " we shall see. I am open to conviction, as should be every fair minded man." Thus did the}^ commune. Time had slipped by unheeded, until it was now dark. The carriage had returned long since and the horses could be heard clattering their hoofs on the pavement beneath. Miss Stuart had lighted a candle and on looking out, said regretfully : "You must go now, Tom; it is getting late and you have a long drive." " What ? do you wish to get rid of me so soon? " "No, you knoAv full well that I do not; but it is time to go," said slie, blushing, and thinking but i:iot saying, of how people might talk. 390 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " Well," said he, " I will go as soon as you have named the day, for I must get back to England, but not without my prize." She was of course, horrified at this, but he only wished to familiarize her with the idea, and did not press it further that night. He soon rose to depart, and she accompanied him part of the way down with the candle, to light the otherwise dark stairs. Mignon saw them coming, from below, and came up. The lover took the candle from his mistress and handed it to the maid, kissing the former good night at the same time. Mignon discreetly turned her back to them and descended a few steps, waiting to light the gentle- man to his carriage. Sweet Mary Stuart stood above in the dark, calling in her silvery voice to him to come early on the morrow, to which it may be imagined he gave a ready assent. On the last flight of the stairs, he halted for a moment and gave the faitliful girl a roll of Bank of England notes, to use in the service of her mistress, knowing that she must be in need and taking this method of supplying her wants, a« she most certainly would not have taken money from him. The quick-witted gii-1 understood, and thanked him with tears in her eyes, thus showing beyond a doubt how much her young mistress needed aid. '' Spend as much of it as you can to-night, Mignon, before she knows you have it. Good-night." " Oui^ Monsieur^ je comprends. Bon soir. THE EAKL OF MAYFIELD. 391 CHAPTER XXXII. UNDER FALSE PRETENCES. WHEN the earl got back to his hotel it was quite late. The table d/liote was over, and he was com- pelled to wait some time for dinner. It was, therefore, ordered to his rooms, when ready. In the meantime, he told Brandon of the meeting with Miss Stuart and of their intention to marry. The good fellow was delighted beyond expression at this successful issue of their journey, and vowed he would joyfully undergo twice the fatigue in such 'a cause. By this time dinner was brought in, and as the boy was clearing the centre-table, he threw a card on the floor. Brandon picked it up and handed it to his friend, remarking that he had forgotten to mention that Lord Loftus, the British Ambassador, had called. In much surprise, the earl said he could not imagine why so important a personage had put himself to the trouble of calling upon a private gentleman. Then it flashed across his mind that Brandon had possibly regis- tered his real rank, instead of simple Thomas Carew, as he had wished. In this he was confirmed by his secre- tary, who said he was tired of these perpetual disguises, and could see no earthly reason why he should not use his titles, the more especially that they thereby obtained much consideration on all sides when travelling. *' Brandon," said his lordship, with much irritation, 392 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " yoii are a snob ! The consideration you speak of is added to the bill and is a mere pretext for extortions. I am annoyed at this discovery." He then told him that Miss Stuart was not aware of his rank. She believed him to be in somewhat reduced circumstances, and that he had retired to live in Eng- land from motives of economy and chagrin at his ill- success in America. Now this discovery would not fail to reach her, and thus spoil all. The good fellow was much mortified on learning this. It had not occurred to him for a moment that Miss Stuart could have been ignorant of her lover's rank, for it had been the sensation of the day. The press of the civilized world had commented, in one way or another, on the affair. After some reflection, he in- quired whether it was not still possible to carry the matter out? The lady would not come to the hotel until after the wedding, and then for, perhaps, only a day or two. She would not be at all likely to get the news while in her present abode, for she had no visitors. It was true the servants at the hotel did an intolerable amount of " milording ; " but she would not be likely to notice this, as it was a common practice in Italy to call every Englishman ^'milord." Tlie earl at first caught eagerly at this jDroposition, but finally said : "I do not see how it can be managed. There is Lord Loftus in the way." " He will not see ]\Iis.s Stuart before you are married, and then his call will be a mere matter of form. In the natural confusion of the moment, she will not notice THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 393 his mode of address. There is no Lady Loftus, you know ; he is a bachelor." " You are mistaken in your premises. Lord Loftus will see Miss Stuart before the wedding, for the simple reason that we will be married at the Embassy, and he will be sure to congratulate her in unmistakable terms," replied the earl. " I thought the lady was a Catholic. I remember her well when a child. She certainly was one then." " If such is the case, you may rest assured that she will not be satisfied unless the ceremony is performed in her own church. Marriage is a sacrament wdth us," said Brandon, who was a Catholic himself. *' I am perfectly aware of that. She is a devoted Catholic and Avill, doubtless, wish to have the ceremony performed in her own church. I am quite willing it should be done, but this is not all. I am not a Catholic. You are aware, also, that my position will require every possible formality in so important a matter. I am not familiar with the laws on this subject, and have, there- fore, concluded to be on the safe side and have the ceremony performed, first at the church of her selection, and then at the Embassy, by the Episcopal minister, and in the presence of Lord Loftus." " I think you are quite right," replied Brandon ; " but, if such has been your intention, how could you have concealed your rank from Lord Loftus? It is just as well, after all, that he called upon you." " I intended to be married as Thomas Carew." "I do not think it Avould have been safe. Some questions might have arisen hereafter as to the validity 394 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. of the marriage. But I see no difficulty about the matter. Be married as Thomas Carew in the church, and when you come to the Embassy, be there married as the Earl of Mayfield. Take Lord Loftus into your confidence. He's a fine, genial old fellow. I had some conversation with him this morning — told him the whole story — and I warrant you he will manage the affair so well that Miss Stuart will suspect nothing." "You are right, after all, Brandon. It, perhaps, would not have answered to be married in both places as simple Thomas Carew. I think it can be managed in some way. I wdll call upon Lord Loftus to-morrow, after I have seen Miss Stuart. And now let us to bed, old fellow, for I am tired out." " Good night, my noble lord. May pleasant visions hover around your pillow," answered the secretary, as he entered his own room, adjoining, and closed the door. The first thoughts of our hero, as he awoke in the morning, were, as in duty bound, of his fair misti'ess and her parting injunction to call early. He sprang out of bed and found he had slept very late. He opened the door leading into Brandon's room and dis- covered that worthy fast asleep still. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have closed the door again and left his friend to enjoy his slumbers, but he was impatient, as all lovers are, at first, to be off. He, therefore, shook his secretary and told him to get up, and that he would, in the mean time, order break- fast to be ready as soon as they were dressed — not forgetting to send word to the office requesting that the THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 395 carriage he had used on the previous day be in readiness to take him to the same place. This energetic and systematic mode of proceeding brought the lover, within two hours from the time he had gotten out of his bed, into the presence of his fair young mistress, who had already been to church, as was her custom every morning, and had then taken her frugal breakfast and was waiting to receive him. Mignon, too, w*as there, but she was careful to be out of the room as Monsieur entered, and did not, there- fore, witness the salute imprinted on the fair cheek of her mistress. After some preliminary conversation and mutual in- quiries as to the health of each, he informed Miss Stuart that his carriage was below and he wished her to take a drive with him. She gladly consented, and, putting on her hat and gloves, was ready to go. She first, how- ever, gently rebuked him for giving the money to her maid on the previous evening, saying that there was time enough for such matters, and, perhaps, he might repent of his bargain in the meantime. His only reply was an affectionate embrace, returned by her with equal warmth ; but as they descended the broad stairs, arm in arm, she again expostulated with him. " So much money, too, as you gave Mignon ! Why, she had spent some of it, but showed me more than a hundred pounds ! What extravagance, in your circum- stances ! " " We do not get married every day, and there is some excuse, therefore, for this extravagance, as you call it. 396 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. But I am not so badly off as all that, sweet one. Therefore, give yourself no uneasmess. You shall have more for your wedding dress. My bride must look as braw as possible." As he said this, he handed her into the carriage, and, having ordered the driver to go to St. Peter's, seated himself by her side. " Tom," said she, blushing, and with tears in her lovely blue eyes, ''please do not talk just now of wed- dings and dressings, so soon after my dear father's death." He slipped his arm around her, and replied seriously : " Mary, my own I my own sweet love ! we have duties to perform to the living as well as to the dead. We are both peculiarl}^ placed, being both alone in the world, and, but for each other, almost friendless. I must return to England very soon. I came here solely to seek m}' treasure. She cannot be left to lead this lonel}' life. It would not be right ; and, besides, your health would soon suffer. Indeed, 3-ou are pale now, my dearest. Your dear father, for whom you know I had every possible love and veneration, would be the very first, under tlie circumstances, to sanction our immediate union. No, sweetheart ; all the arguments are against your position in this matter. You must return to England as ray own little wedded wife." This was unanswerable — she was silent. He pressed the little hand as it lay passively in his. She gently returned the caress and said, in a low voice : "And Mignon?" " Mignon is, of cour^se, to go with us and be my lady's maid." THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 397 '^ My lady's maid, indeed ! Have you forgotten, sir, that you told me last niglit you were in reduced circumstances ? " " I did not say exactly that, love. I meant I was in com]3aratively poor circumstances, for you will, perhaps, remember I was at one time very wealthy. I still have enough, however, to afford the small luxury of a maid, and such a maid, too, as Mignon, to my wife." They now entered within the colonnade of St. Peter's and drove past the obelisk, flanked on each side by its superb fountains, forming miniature rainbows as their pellucid waters intercepted the rays of the glorious Italian sun, whose warm beams reminded the lovers of their own native South. They then ascended under the grand portico and entered the temple. Passing around to the right, the lady dipped her ungloved finger in the marble font, supported by two gigantic cherubs, and, first crossing herself, extended the white hand to him, in order that he might moisten his finger from the contact and cross himself also. Instead of doing what she expected, he bent and quickly touched it with his lips. " You bad fellow," cried the lady, blushing deeply, "in this sacred place, too ! " " What have I done wrong ? Did you not wish me to kiss it?" " You know very ^tell what I Avanted you to do." "But I am not a Catholic, you know." " That is true. You are, however, familiar with Catliolic customs, and you know the proverb, 'When in Rome,' etc." 398 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " Well," said he, with an air of contrition, " I will be better next time." They continued their walk around the great basilica, conversing in an ordinary tone ; for so vast is St. Peter's that sounds of even moderate laughter do not disturb the devotions of those who assist at the services, which are continually in progress at some one or more of the numerous altars. The lovers went slowly around, lost in admiration of first one, and then another of the innumerable master- pieces of art scattered about in boundless profusion. As they passed the great bronze statue of St. Peter, sitting and holding the keys. Miss Stuart touched the well-worn projecting toe w^ith her hand and then carried it to her lips. Her lover gallantly kissed the toe thus honored, whereat the lady frowned. This, however, he pretended not to see. They passed under the great dome without stopping, both having visited St. Peter's before, and proceeded on their walk until they arrived at the end of the great nave. Here they halted before the gorgeous tribune of St. Peter. The lady knelt to pour out her thanks to God and to invoke his blessing on their future lives, for she looked upon their union as being now settled. She also pra3'ed earnestly for the conversion to the true church of the loved one. Her lover stood beside her for some moments, and then, as if moved by a sudden impulse, he, too, dropped on his knees and prayed long and earnestly. Who knows, on this earth, which of the two prayers was most acceptable in Heaven — that of the pure maiden, THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 399 firm in her belief of tlie pretensions of the one, true church, or that of the man, strong in his noble senti- ments of right and wrong, guided only by conscience, and fully convinced that, so long as he was actuated by the essential spirit of Christianity, it made no difference in Heaven as to the mere form of worship ? This is a question which can never be answered here below. We will not, therefore, attempt to solve it. As the earl rose, he found Miss Stuart already stand- ing. She looked at him with thankful eyes, moistened with tears. She had strong hopes of bringing him around in time. They now turned their steps in the direction of the entrance, and only stopped to admire the noble, pon- tifical altar, with its curious and massive twisted bronze columns, under the great dome. As they were again about to step on the porch, they came to the tomb of the royal Stuarts — the last of the race being in- terred here. The coincidence of the name with that of his affianced bride caught the earl's fancy, and he stopped to look at the inscription. "Do you know," said she, "that we claim alliance with the royal Stuarts ? " " I am aware," said he, " that many Scottish families of that name claim to be their descendants." "My poor father was very proud of his blood. I have his pedigree and will sh,ow it to you." " Thanks, love," replied he. " I am, however, satis- fied with you as you are, without the pedigree. Unless, indeed," continued he, stopping short, with affected humility, " the royal blood disdains to mix with that of plain Tliomas Carew." 400 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " Oh ! nonsense ! " cried she, tugging at his arm "Come, we must go." They re-entered the carriage and were rapidly driven through that squalid portion of Rome adjacent to the Vatican, and known as the Leonine City ; thence by the Castle of St. Angelo and over the bridge, at its base, of the same name. Turning sharply to the left, they came into the Via de Condotti^ which took them in a straight line to the Corso. Through this street they soon reached the Piazza del Popolo^ and drove up the beautiful slopes to the top of the Pincian. They did not get out of the vehicle, but sat for some time admi- ring the lovely and historic views in every direction, inhaling, meanwhile, deep draughts of the balmy air, soft as an English midsummer. The earl now ordered the driver to go to the Colosseum, nearly two miles directly south of their present position. At the famous Flavian ampitheatre the lovers de- scended for a stroll through the huge ruin. The earl sought the first opportunity to ■ draw his mistress into the sheltering recess of a crumbling arch and pressed her to name the day on which they should be united* divining that she by this time had reflected over their conversation during the beginning of the ride and would be prepared to give an answer. He was right. She hesitated a few moments, blushed, looked down and replied, in a low and tremulous voice, that she saw no alternative, paiuful as a union, even with him would be, following so soon on her father's death. She concluded b}^ saying it should be when he liked. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 401 " Brave girl ! " cried he, pressing her to his bosom. " Your answer is just what I expected. Let me name the day after to-morrow, love ? " " Oh ! that is too soon, Tom ! I must make some little preparation, you know." " No, I do not know. I am ready to take you just as you are ! " " In this shabby dress ! I do not object to the color," continued she, glancing at the deep black, "but it should at least be a new one." " Well, say a day later. I must get back to England as soon as possible." " Three days, love," pleaded she. " As you will, my bonnie lassie. That will be on Saturday. On Monday, then, we will hie for merry England," said he, kissing her. " Where shall it be, dearest. You know now that I am an Englishman and also a Protestant. We must be married at the Embassy ; but as 3'ou will doubtless also wish the ceremony performed in your church, it will be necessary for you to fix the place and hour." '' Then let it be first performed in the basilica of St. Cecilia," said she, blushing. " Where we met. Good. I thought so." This important matter arranged to- the mutual satis- faction of the lovers, they returned to the lady's lodgings, — passing under the arch of Titus. As the}^ ascended the stairs, the}^ met Mignon, and the earl at once broke the news to her of the intended ceremony on Saturday. " Man Dieu!'' cried she, throw^ing up her hands with 25 402 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. an expression of horror, ^'-mais cest impossible, it is impossible ; Mademoiselle has no dress." Miss Stuart explained, there would be time enough in which to get a plain dress like hers, made. " Like yours I " exclaimed Mignon. " Does Made- moiselle mean that she will be marrie in a black dress ? 0, del! 0, del!'' Remonstrances and explanations were alike thrown away on the faithful and affectionate creature. She would not hear of such an enormity. The -saints in heaven would frown upon the wedding ; it would be followed by misfortune. At this juncture, the old conderge and several of the lodgers — all Italians, and most of them were w^ves and daughters of respectable tradesmen — came on the scene, as all of this had been enacted on the staircase. These good people joined their voices to that of the maid, when they learned what was in the wind, and altogether made such an uproar that the lovers were fain to beat a hasty retreat to the lady's room. Here, after some debate, it was deemed best to defer to the wishes of the lodgers, to some of whom Miss Stuart was under obligations for kind attentions, as well as to conform to the customs of the country. It became necessary to put the wedding off a few days longer, in order that the fair bride might be becomingly attired. Thursday, therefore, of the following week was fixed upon. This delay was also the more readily acquiesced in, when they found it was the custom in the Catholic church to have the banns read out for three successive days before the ceremony. THE EARL OF MAYFIELB. 403 Mignon, who had followed them and was waiting outside, was now informed of the change in the pro- gramme. She 'shouted for joy, and clapping her hands, rushed off to communicate the good news to the other inmates of the old palace. Our hero now had to call upon the British Ambassa- dor, both to return his call and to make arrangements for the wedding. He first went to see one of the good priests of St. Cecilia's church and gave him the names of his affianced and his own. The good man knew the lady well, and had heard her sad story ; he was there- fore highly pleased to hear of her good fortune, even though she was about to marry a heretic. He informed the earl it would be necessary for the lady to get a dispensation, as the Church did not approve of marriages with Protestants. This he prom- ised to arrange however, so as to save trouble. The good man's zeal was doubtless also invigorated by a handsome donation for his church, which the earl handed him, and gave him a blessing in departing, which the other reverently accepted. " Ah," thought the good man, after his visitor had left, " it may be all for the best ; the signorina is beau- tiful and intelligent, and the signore is not hard hearted, but liberal. Holy Mother church may gain another soul by this match." 404 THE EARL OF MATFIELD. CHAPTER XXXIII. HIS OWN TRUE LOVE. WHEN the Earl of Mayfield called upon Lord Loftus, the British Ambassador, he found the character of this genial old man to be just what Bran- don predicted. His Lordship received our hero with the utmost cordiality, and heartily congratulated him on the good fortune he had met with, in obtaining the high rank due to his ancestry. The earl was not slow to respond in fitting terms, and, at the request of Lord Loftus, gave an abridged history of his life up to the period of his arrival at Rome. " It is more like a romance than real life," said the ambassador, as his visitor ceased speaking. " Yes ; it is only another verification of the adage, that truth, etc." " I feel much interest in one personage connected with your history, for although an old bachelor, I am very partial to the ladies. I mean Miss Stuart. There is, I presume, a sequel, which you have not yet related." This was just what our hero wanted. He had said enough to pique, without gratifying, the curiosity of the old lord ; he improved his advantage by saying : " I am now coming to the sequel, as you term this portion of my story. I am at this moment in Rome on Miss Stuart's account ! " THE E A K L OF M A Y F 1 E L D. 405 He then related the whole of the laclj^'s history — not omitting her trials and privations subsequent to the death of her father — he told of his successful suit, of the little deception he had been guilty of, in concealing his rank, and, in conclusion, begged the ambassador to assist him in carrying the affair through. All this was music to the ears of Lord Loftus ; he readily agreed to the proposition, and informed our hero that he would arrange matters with the minister who was to perform the ceremony at the embassy, in such manner as to preclude the possibility of suspicion on the part of the bride. " Now," continued the old gentleman, '' I must call upon Miss Stuart; I am most anxious to have the honor of being presented to this charming heroine, for such she is I " " I fear it may arouse her suspicion ! " " Oh, not in the least ! I will tell a little fib, you know; wdll say, I knew your father in early youth, went to school together, and all that sort of thing, you know ! Young ladies on the eve of marriage don't trouble their dear little brains with many thoughts other than those connected with the ceremony and their trousseau. I will call to-morrow morning," concluded his lordship, with a determination not to be resisted. The earl saw the futility of remonstrance, and there- fore gave it up, though he did not relish the idea of seeing his sweetheart subjected to the scrutiny of the old lord while in such humble circumstances. He stipulated for the hour, however, on which the important visitor was to call, and requested, in addition, 406 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. that Brandon be permitted to accompan}- him, in order that, as an old friend of Miss Stuart, he might assist in preventing all embarrassment to the lady. His lordship readily agreed to this, and the earl departed, having previously accepted an invitation to dine at the embassy on the next day. Miss Stuart was much occupied in making pre- parations for the wedding day, which had now been decided upon; in these she was ably seconded by her prime minister, Mignon ; at the suggestion of the latter they moved down to the second floor, thanks to her lover's generosity, of course, which she now did not scruple to accept. They were provided witli two spa- cious apartments, one comfortably fitted up as a sitting room, and the other being the bed-room occupied by both females, Miss Stuart not being willing to part with the faithful girl till the last moment. All these little changes had been made without the knowledge of the earl; when he called, therefore, on the next morning, he was proceeding np the long stair- case to his usual destination on the top floor, but was halted at the second landing by his mistress, who had been watcliing for him. She drew him smilingly by the arm into her new quarters, where everything already wore a cheerful, home-like look, so diligent had affec- tion been in providing a pleasant little surprise for tJie loved one. The earl's brow cleared instantly, for he had been quite annoyed at the prospect of being compelled to see his afiianced bride receive the British official in her bed-room. He seized upon the fair girl in his joy, and THE EAKL OF M A Y F I E L D. 407 waltzed her about the room until both were out of breath. " But, tell me, Tom, why are you so delighted ? Of course, I knew you would be pleased to see me more comfortably situated, yet I cannot conceive why your joy should be so exuberant ! " " Simply because, my love, the British Ambassador, accompanied by our mutual friend, Brandon, is coming to pay his respects to you. Come here, Mignon ! " cried he, " let me give you a kiss for your share in this matter ! " " OA, non^ monsieur,^' answered the agile maid, rush- ing into the adjoining room and partly closing the door, holding it tightly, while she peeped through the crack. ''Well, well; you despise me, do you, you little minx ? Here's something, however, that you will not treat with such contempt, by shutting the door in its face as you did in mine," cried he, throwing a sovereign through the opening. " Miss Stuart ! Will 3^ou deign to inform poor Thomas Carew as to the cause of your astonishment? I fear you will strain the lids of those sweet eyes by opening them so widely I Remember, that I now have a reversionary interest in them, and claim the right to see they are not injured." "I should think my astonishment quite natural, under the circumstances. Why should the British minister — and a lord at that — call upon an obscure gentleman from America, and who has only just settled in England ? " 0, del!'' interrupted Mignon, '■' c est un milord aussi ; one great lord; what shall we. do 2" 408 THE EAEL OF MAYFIELD. " Obscure gentleman, indeed ! " cried her lover, affecting indignation, to gain time to arrange his thoughts. " I wish you to understand, madam, that although we have no apocryphal pedigree claiming royal alliances, ^-et, the Carews of Mayfield are the equals of any peer of the realm, by reason of their antiquity ! " " Now, Tom," said she, soothingly, and fearing that perhaps his indignation was not altogether assumed, " do not be annoyed." His only repty was an embrace, followed by a sound which — under somewhat similar circumstances — has been likened by the immortal author of " Pickwick," to that produced by the drawing of a cork. Mignon, however, only partly understood this account of Carew's family, her knowledge of English being imperfect; she therefore jumped at the conclusion that he also was a lord, and with some awe exclaimed : " Mademoiselle will then be une Comtesse ! " "What has put this silly idea into your head?" answered she, laughing heartily. " But, if monsieur is a 'milord,' you will be 'milady,' " persisted Mignon. "Yes, Mignon; in that case I would be 'milady,' but Mr. Carew is not a lord." "I will be her lord, at all events, Mignon I " inter- posed our hero. The lady had begun to utter a rebellious denial of his right to sovereignty, but was interrupted by the sound of wheels below, followed by the tread of persons on the stairs. The lady and the gentleman had just time THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 409 to seat themselves — they had been standing — when there came a tap at the door; this was speedily opened by Mignon, Avhen Lord Loftus entered followed by Brandon. The nobleman was at once presented to Miss Stuart, who received him with graceful dignity, while to Brandon she extended a cordial hand, having known him from childhood. Lord Loftus proceeded, without loss of time, to make himself welcome, with all the ease and natural frank- ness of a fine English gentleman, than whom the world has no superior. " Miss Stuart, as an old friend of Mr. Carew's father, I claimed the privilege and honor of a presentation to you ! " " You are a lucky dog, Mayfield," said his lordship, sotto voce^ to the earl, " I envy you." " I am happy to learn, sir, that Mr. Carew still has some friends left in England," replied the lady, who thought she saw a full explanation of the reasons which had led to this call from Lord Loftus. The conversation then assumed a desultorj^ and general character, each member of the little party contributing his or her quota to the general fund. Miss Stuart was naturally gay. Her spirits, so long repressed, now broke forth in full force, stimulated as she was, not only by her present happiness, but also with the desire to do credit to the choice of her lover, and thereby enhance him in the estimation of her important visitor. Pure, unselfish maiden ! She cared nothing herself for the opinions of the world, but was most anxious to advance the interests of her future husband. 410 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. Our hero's character was very imperfect in respect of being over proud, and morbidly sensitive; he was therefore easily mortified. Miss Stuart was fully aware of this defect, and in consequence of this knowledge, took the utmost pains to avoid giving him the slightest pretext for feeling humiliation on her account. Her acute discernment assured her that once his wife, he would look upon her as part and parcel of his dignity, and consider himself as being personally responsible for any faux pas of hers. Hence her anxiety to impress liis friends with a favorable opinion of herself. Sweet girl, how would her anxiety have been in- creased, perhaps overwhelmingly, had she known the real rank of her lover. She needed however, to have had no anxiety. If her lover had been what she believed him to be, a simple private gentleman, her fears would have been fully justified; but as the Countess of Mayfield, she had nothing to tremble for. The earl's proud heart was fully imbued with the dignit}- of his order. He was a peer of the realm ; the sovereign called liim cousin. He remembered the maxmi, that the king can do no wrong. His countess, therefore, was elevated to and shared his own dignit}- in its fullest extent. To be conde- scending and affable to inferiors, and to be frank and simple with equals ; as to superiors, he acknowledged none; this was now liis — and therefore hers also — highest duty. The motto, noblesse oblige^ was ever present in his thoughts. Thus it will be perceived, that if high and fixed ranks THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 411 and grades of society have their cares and disadvanta- ges, yet there are on the other hand, compensating benefits. For instance, in the case personated in our history; charming Mary Stuart was much more likely to Avin and retain the respect and affection of her husband as Countess of Mayfield, than would probably have been the case had she been simply the wife of plain Thomas Carew. We must however, return from this long digression. The Ambassador stayed just the proper time. Had he remained longer he would have intruded on and shortened the few precious days left to the lovers; days which the shrewd old gentleman fully believed to be the most happy period in the lives of all lovers. Had he remained a shorter time, the lady might have felt slighted, and he would have been deficient in cour- tesy to the future Countess of Mayfield. Actuated by these considerations. Lord Loftus took his leave, accompanied by Brandon, whom he deposited at his hotel. He reminded " Mr. Carew," as he slily poked him in the ribs, on the landing outside the door of Miss Stuart's rooms, "of his engagement to dine with him on that day." Shaking the jovial old lord cordially by the hand, the earl smilingly promised to come, and then returned to his mistress. Mary Stuart stood in the middle of the apartment, on the spot where she had bidden her visitors good-by. Her attitude was expectant, yet somewhat anxious, as she leaned slightly forward, looking earnestly towards ■ the door through which she expected the re-entrance 412 THE EAKL OF MAYFIELD. of her lover after he had " done " the honors, in her stead, of seeing the gentlemen off. " Why, sweetheart, what is the matter ? " cried he, clasping her in his arms, as he remarked the peculiar expression of her countenance. With a sigh of relief, and a joyful glance up at him as she nestled on his shoulder, the poor child replied : '' It is such a relief. I was fearful, Tom, lest I might not have come up to your expectations and satisfy your great friend, the lord." "Nonsense, love. Is that all? Why, you would grace a coronet 3'ourself. I would I had one to place on this fair brow," exclaimed he, kissing it. " Ah, it is very kind of you to reassure me ; but my life has been a secluded one, you know. I had but few opportunities of learning the ways of the world. Have a little patience with me, love. I am proud of my future husband, and wish him to be proud of his little wife." " Sweet one. He must be proud of her whether he will or no, for she will be one with him. " But, never fear, dearest," continued he hastil}', seeing an apprehensive look on her face. " If Mrs. Carew bears herself as did Miss Stuart this day, there will be nothing to be desired. I shall be both proud and happy." " Thanks, dear Tom," murmured she. "And now,'' said he, gayly, "that we are rid of your noble visitor, I propose that we take a little enjoyment in our own plebeian fashion. Mary, dear love, put on youi hat and we will take a drive, and then get a lunch in the Corso, before I go to dinner with my lord." THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 413 His charming mistress gladly acqiiiescecl, and as she speedily rejoined him from the next room, accoutred for the carriage, he exclaimed : " You are more lovely than ever, to-day, queen of my heart. What have you been doing to her, Mignon, her attire is the same as usual ? " " Mademoiselle is hai3py because Monsieur is pleased with her," replied the girl simply. '' Yes, Mignon has a true woman's heart. She is right," said her mistress. Then turning to her lover with a childlike simplicity and frankness, most affecting to behold, she continued : " Only have faith in me, Tom, dear heart, and a little confidence, and I will make you a good wife." " You are over anxious, darling. This excessive feeling will make you morbidly sensitive, and thus destroy the very object for which you are striving. But come, let us throw dull care away and enjoy our- selves while we may." While thus speaking, he gently led his fair mistress to the carriage. 414 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD CHAPTER XXXIV. A SPARKLING INTRUSION. -• THE short period which separated the lovers from the day on which they were to be made one was occupied in driving about the famous old city. They made no visits to places of' amusement, for, happy though she was, the fair girl did not forget the respect due the memory of her father. Most of their little excursions were spent in the inspection of the won- derful works of art with which Rome is crowded. On the day previous to that fixed upon for the wedding, they ascended the dome of St. Peter's and took a last look at the glorious panorama there presented and in delibly imprinted on the memories of this loving pair for life. As they returned from the dome and passed the tomb of the Stuarts, the young lady said, timidly : "Dearest, will you be kind enough to have a simple marble tablet erected over my dear father's remains, with an inscription, recording his name, with the dates of bu'th and death ?" Her lover replied at once in the affirmative. Before parting for the night, he made her dictate to him the precise words which she wished to have cut on the stone. In addition to this, he wrote a paper, which she signed without reading, addressed to the proper officials in Florence, ordering them to allow Mr. Charles Brandon to exhume the remains of her father for THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 415 transportation to England — our hero having fully de- termined to prepare a surprise for his wife, by showing her the inscription of her own choice over the body of her father in the spendid mausoleum of his ancestors. When the earl returned to the hotel, he handed the document and the inscription to his secretary, with instructions to attend to the matter when on his way to Mayfield ; first, however, obtaining the good offices of Lord Loftus in the matter, in order that there might be no difficulties to be overcome. "When am I to leave for Mayfield?" asked the secretary. '' On the first train leaving after the wedding ; for you are to be my groomsman, and must also act as a witness." "What preparations am I to make at Mayfield for your reception, and when will you be there ? " " As to the preparations, I think it best to leave them to the discretion of Goldsmith. He understands fully what is necessary and usual on such occasions. I wish my bride to be welcomed to her future home with all the ceremony due to her rank. On second thoughts, I give you and Goldsmith joint authority to make what arrangements you think best suited to the occasion." "You have not informed me when you expect to arrive at Mayfield ? I must know definitely." " I cannot tell exactly. The Countess, that is to be, will control my actions. I think, however, that we will leave Rome on Saturday morning, and travel by easy stages. I will telegraph to you from Paris, fixing the exact, day of our arrival at Mayfield." 416 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. "Your uncertain movements will make it rather difficult to forward your mails so as to meet you," remarked the secretary. " I do not wish them forwarded. My bride would be sure to read them, or, at any rate, see the address, and thus discover ni}' rank, which I wish to conceal from her until we reach home." " There may be letters and dispatches of importance, however. What then?" inquired Brandon. " Open them," replied the earl. " If of importance, telegraph the contents to me. If not of importance, retain them at Mayfield. And, mark you, be careful that you address all communications to Thomas Carew. There will be a lady in the case, you know, after to-morrow." "All right," answered the secretary, smiling. "I"ll be careful. Any further instructions ? You had best think of everything to-night, for to-morrow will be a busy day." As Brandon spoke, he drew a slip of paper from the table beside him and began noting down his instructions. The earl reflected for some minutes and then said : "I can think of nothing else. Yet, stay. There are the old couple, Jake and Hannah, from the Saratoga farm, which has been sold. They are on the way over, and are, perhaps, alread}^ at Mayfield. I wish them to be placed in the lodge, called the barbacan, and which is now completed, at the entrance to the park. It will make a comfortable home for them, with but little to do. Besides, this arrangement will give these faithful THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 417 old servants the privilege of being the first to welcome the fair bride to her new home." I can never forget a conversation, held at the Saratoga farm, some years ago, with Hannah, in which she told me of the rank formerly held by my ancestors. See that she is well cared for, Brandon." The secretary also made a note of this, promising to obey all injunctions. He then remarked that "Whitefield was also expected from America shortly, with large sums, in bills of exchange, drawn to the order of the earl; these moneys being the proceeds derived from sales of real estate, including Court Lodge and other property in the United States. " I hope he will arrive in time to receive us when we reach Mayfield," remarked his lordship. "Whitefield thinks much of Miss Stuart. It will be a great pleasure to her, if he meets her at the door." " I am sure he will be there. Have you told her that he is expected ? " "No. I thought I would let it come in with the other surprises which await her ladyship." " Take care, my friend, that you do not overdo these surprises. The lady is delicate and too much emotion might cause illness," said Brandon. "Oh! I think not. Emotions of the kind she will experience can be borne even by the most delicate females," replied the earl. " Are 3^ou content with the amount of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, which Mr. Whitefield has procured for Court Lodge ? " " Well, yes," said his lordship, hesitatingly, " on the 26 418 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. whole I am satisfied, yet the property is worth more. Mr. Treacle, however, the purchaser, is a good man and Avill keep the old place up. Beside this, Bragdy has been retained as manager. He is a good man, and I am highly gratified to learn of his good fortune. I instructed Whitefield to do what he could for him. Ah I dear old Court Lodge I I never expect to see it again," concluded he, with a sigh. " I do not think you have much to sigh for," ex- claimed his secretary, somewhat indignantly. " Ha ! sighing ! Who talks of sighing? " cried Lord Loftus, entering the room. " My Lord of Mayfield was sighing," said Brandon. " Was he ? The ungrateful scamp ! Well, well, on second thoughts, I can't blame him much either. This marriage business is rather dangerous. I never had the courage to undertake it, although I went through the Crimean war." This provoked an indignant rejoinder from the in- tending bridegroom. While his ire was devoted for a moment to Lord Loftus, the secretary slipped out, knowing his turn would come for having given the old peer so good an opportunity to poke fun at the institu- tion of matrimony. After some sparring between the two peers, thus left to fight out the battle of words for and against marriage, a truce was called by the elder, who was also the aggressor. This being granted, the old fellow, after inquiries as to the health of Miss Stuart, declared his intention of being present at the first marriage to be performed at St. Cecilia's, and to give the bride away. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 419 The proposition was both unexpected and gratifying to our hero, as he had not invited any persons to be present at the basilica other than Brandon, Mignon and the old concierge ; while at the embassy, he had only expected to meet the officials connected with the office, besides the minister to perform the service. This delicate attention was, therefore, thankfully accepted, and it was understood that Lord Loftus would call punctually at ten in the morning at the lady's residence, escorting her thence to the church, where the bridegroom, with his groomsman, would be waiting to receive them. The ceremony performed, the entire party would then drive to the embassy, where the marriage would be solemnized according to the form prescribed by the Church of England. After this they were to breakfast with Lord Loftus. His lordship now departed. The earl moved rest- lessly about the room for some minutes ; then, glancing at his watch, saw it was not yet nine o'clock, and thought he would take a stroll on the Corso. As he walked listlessly along, looking in the shop windows, most of which were brilliantly lighted, he saw a superb diamond necklace, with a pendant cross of the same precious stones. He entered the shop, where he was known, having already made a number of handsome purchases there for his bride, and requested to see the necklace. The obsequious tradesman quickly obeyed. On a close examination, it proved to be even finer than it had appeared from the street. 420 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " What is the price ? " " The price, milord, is sixty thousand livres, and it is very cheap." "How do you estimate its value?" asked the earl. " You will see, milord. There are twenty stones in the necklace, worth two thousand livres each at a low calcu- lation. Then there is the cross, with eleven large and a number of small diamonds, which are cheap at twenty thousand livres," answered the proprietor, who spoke good English. " I will give you forty thousand livres." "It is impossible, milord. The stones are really cheap at the price set upon them. However, as your lordship is a good patron, we will split the difference and call it fifty thousand." " Very well ; I will take them." " Will your lordsliip take them with you, or shall I send them to the hotel?" " If you are willing to trust me for so large a sum until morning, I will take them.'' " Oh, certainly, milord," answered the man, smiling and rubbing his hands, after having handed the small package to the earl. " Would your lordship like to look at something else this evening? We have some lovely mosaics, made in Rome ? " " I have already purchased some of them." " Ah, yes, I remember. Pardon my want of memory. Good evening, milord," continued he, as the earl turned into the street. Our hero thought he would call at the lodgings of his mistress and o:ive her the stones that night, as he THE EAKL OF MAYFIELD. 421 would, possibly, not be able to see her in the morning, before they met at the church. He got a hack near by, and had some difficulty in making the driver compre- hend where he wished to go. Finally the fellow understood the words, " St. Cecilia in Trastevere," and they moved off. " That will do," muttered the earl to himself; " I will walk from the basilica, and if there is no light in her windows, I can return without disturbing her." He accordingly ordered the man to wait in front of the church, himself going with rapid step to the old palace.* As he turned the corner a faint light shone from the windows of Miss Stuart's sitting-room. " Good," thought he, going gently up the stairs and, without knocking, tried the door knob ; it obeyed his touch, and the door swung noiselessly open, discovering the lady seated, in dishabille, with a light caj)e around her shoulders, at a small table, covered with letters and papers. She was so intent on deciphering the contents of an old letter by the poor light of a solitary candle, that she did not observe the entrance of her lover, until he made a slight noise in closing the door behind him. She sprang up with a slight scream of terror, which soon changed into confusion, as she remembered the state of her toilet ; the fair girl made a rapid movement towards the next room, but was intercepted by her lover, who ran after and caught her in his arms before she could escape. '' Let me go ! " said she. " What business have you here so late ? " "For that matter, I might ask why you left your door open ? " 422 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. " I thought it fastened ; now, however, I remember that Mignon went out a few moments ago," answered she. " I came to bring you this little token, sweetheart, and to request that you will wear it to-morrow." While thus speaking, he drew the necklace from his pocket and advanced. She retreated, holding out her hand. This he seized and reached out, clasping the rich jewels about her neck in spite of her struggles; then drawing her to the mirror, he exclaimed ; " I wish my love to see for herself how becoming it is." As he uttered these words, the cape around her shoulders fell to the floor, showing a glowing, heaving bust, now crimson and then white as marble, in the alternations of shame and confusion. He could not resist the temptation, and imprinted a burning kiss on the lovely form. ''For shame, sir," cried the lady, indignantly. "Tom, forbear ! I implore, nay — command you I " At tliis instant, the candle fell out of its socket and the room was in total darkness. He had brought it from the table and placed it in front of the mirror, where it was thrown down in the confusion. He obeyed, releasing the sweet girl, who burst into hysterical sobs. He implored her to listen to him ; he had no intention of wounding her. She would not hear him and slipped into the next room. Mignon now entered, and was much surprised to find Monsieur there, and in the dark. The earl was at a loss what to say, or do ; but his fair mistress came to THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 423 the rescue with woman's tact. Calling to the maid, she bade her get a light, as Mr. Carew had just entered, and to say that she would see him in a few moments. This was done, and shortly after, Miss Stuart entered. Going directly to her lover, who stood much embar- rassed by the table, she said : " I am much obliged, Tom, dear, for the beautiful present you have taken the trouble to bring. Now, love, please say good-night and go, for it is late." She had thrown another dress on in the interval, and had clasped the diamonds about her neck, thus showing complete forgiveness and a desire to have nothing said as to what had occurred. As he moved towards the door in obedience to her request, she smiled, holding out a white hand, of which he speedily possessed himself, and with mutual em- braces they parted without another word for the night. 424 THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. CHAPTER XXXV. THE WHITE CLIFFS OF ENGLAND. r"pHE wedding day was clear and bright, with just JL enough of sharpness in the air to brace the S3's- tems of those who were to take part in the double ceremony to be performed, and to enable the two principal actors to sustain their roles. Miss Stuart went to early mass and received com- munion ; then as the wedding itself was to be as plain as possible, she returned to her lodgings and prepared to leave them with Lord Loftus. The old peer came punctually, and alone. He was dressed in evening costume, with a white rose in his button-hole. He brought a small bouquet of white camelias for the bride, and delivered a note to her at the same time, from the groom. The gentleman gallantly turned to the window, thus giving her an opportunity to read her lover's message. It was short, but sweet, to her at least, exhorting her to keep up her spirits and to go bravely through the trials of the day ; closing with the assurance that he would meet her at the basilica to be hers forevermore. It was now time to depart. As she descended the stairs, she found them, much to her surprise, strewed with wliite flowers ; and on reaching the pavement, leaning on the arm of Lord Loftus, they were met by all the lodgers in the old palace, dressed in their best attire, and waiting to bid her adieu. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 425 They walked to the basilica, accompanied by the faithful Migiion as bridesmaid, and were preceded by nearly a dozen little girls, the children of her humble friends and fellow -lodgers. These innocents were simply but neatly dressed in white, and bore baskets filled with flowers, which they scattered before the bride. " This is quite a delightful little surprise, upon my honor," said the old gentleman, highly pleased. " There was no evidence of these preparations as I entered. These are very kind hearted people." " They are indeed," murmui-ed the lovely, blushmg bride. . Miss Stuart was, indeed, beautiful. She was richly dressed in pure white satin, trimmed with the finest lace her lover could procure in Rome. Her lovely nut- brown hair was unadorned with wreath or veil, but instead, was intertwined with orange blossoms, not exceeding twenty in number. The slender, shapely left hand was bare, pm^e and white, in readiness to receive on its finger the simple golden circlet, the future badge of the wedded wife. Not a solitary ornament of any description was visible, save the rich necklace presented only the evening before by her lover. Lord Loftus was lost in admiration of this superb, queenly beauty, who, wrought up as she was, to the determination to fully justify the choice of her des- tined husband, stepped with a firm tread and elevated bearing by the side of her escort. The old noble thought, as he gazed upon this fair vision and felt the 426 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. firm confidence with which she leaned upon his arm, that she was fully worthy of the elevated rank to which she was so soon to be raised. "Ay," thought he, "if Mayfield could place an imperial diadem on that brow, instead of an earl's coronet, she would wear it in most queenly style." They entered the ancient basilica, still preceded by the little flower girls, who now emptied their baskets on the spot where Miss Stuart was to kneel, and rise, as the Countess of Mayfield. Her lover was already before the altar, attended by his faithful secretary, both in evening costume. The ceremony was at once performed, and without delay, the wedded couple walked arm in arm down the vener- able nave. They entered the carriage of the Ambassa- dor, and accompanied b}^ him, drove rapidly to the embassy, being followed in another carriage by Bran- don and Mignon : the latter, poor girl, was all smiles and tears, being, as she expressed it, at one moment, ravi^ and on the next, desolee.'' The ceremony was quickly gotten through with by the minister of the English church, at the embassy. Tills functionary claimed the privilege of kissing the bride, who blushingly and gracefully submitted to the penalty, which was likewise inflicted by Lord Loftus, followed by Brandon; these two gentlemen also gal- lantly insisted on kissing the solitary bridesmaid, herself as interestingly sweet as are most brides. Then came the signatures of the bride, the groom and the witnesses ; after which performance, the groom led his sweet wife to the breakfast room, where they sat on THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 427 the right of the Ambassador, she first, and her husband occupying the seat by her side. The meal being over, the twain, now made one, never more to part, drove to that hotel which the poor orphaned girl had left in almost destitute circum- stances, and without a friend, save her faithful maid. Now she returned as the happy bride of one of Eng- land's greatest nobles. The Countess of Mayfield, as we must now call the fair young wife, though she was herself not yet aware of her high rank, spent the remainder of the week with her husband in Rome. She did not fail to call once more at her old lodgings, to bid adieu to those humble but true friends, and to* distribute handsome gifts to all ; not forgetting the children who had so gracefully honored her wedding day. Lord Loftus also had to be parted with, as well as thanked for a number of rich presents, found by the bride in her new apartments, on her first entry therein. Brandon had departed immediately after the wed- ding on his way to Mayfield, stopping in Florence long enough to attend to the removal of Doctor Stuart's remains to the mausoleum of the lords of Mayfield, in St. Dunstan's church. On the Monday following the marriage, the happy couple set out for their future home. They travelled by easy stages, in order that the bride might not be fatigued, and also to give Brandon time to make preparations for a becoming reception at Mayfield. They passed through Pisa, stopping one day to visit the leaning tower, and the Campo Santo. The 428 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. next halt was at Turin, where two days were spent in recuperation, and in driving about the beautiful and thrifty capital of Piedmont; thence they proceeded without further delay through the great tunnel of Mont Cenis, and in twenty -four hours were in Paris. They stopped with Mignon's mother. The good woman was expecting them and had her best apart- ments in readiness. She was overjoyed to meet not only her daughter again, but the lovely girl, who had left her only a few short months previously under such sorrowful circumstances. The Countess, accompanied by Mignon, went at once, without resting an instant, to the room occupied by her father. It was just as he had left it, no new lodger having offered to take so humble an apartment. Here she was overwhelmed by a flood of bitter mem- ories, and went about the room in a distracted state, calling upon the dear, lost one, and repeatedly kissing and bedewing with tears the familiar objects, sacred to her and hallowed by his touch. Mignon became alarmed at the condition of her grief- stricken mistress, and, finding her own remonstrances unavailing, ran down stairs for Monsieur, who came up, and, after caressing and soothing his sweet wife, led her, unresisting, gently to their rooms below. The earl had sent a dispatch to Brandon, announcing that they would be in May field on the fifth day there- after. He speedily received an answer informing him that all was now in readiness for their reception, and that a carriage would be in waiting at Wadhurst to carry them home. This telegram was addressed to THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 429 " Thomas Carew, Esq.," etc., so he made no scruple about showing it to his wife. The sweet girl was delighted at the prospect of so soon having a home of her own. She asked her husband many questions about the home they were to inhabit and its surroundings. He evaded these questions by exhorting her to have patience and not to expect too much, lest she might be disappointed. This, however, she vowed could not be the case, be their home ever so humble. She also inquired as to the neighborhood — whether there were many nice people with whom she could associate ? He replied that there was the Earl of Mayfield, who was but recently married, and about to bring his wife home also. Here was a coincidence and one of a nature always interesting to the female mind, but the lady opined that such plain people as themselves could not expect to see much of the earl and his countess. To this her husband rejoined that he knew the earl well and had found him, as he thought, very affable. He supposed the countess would guide her conduct by that of her lord, unless, indeed, her head might be turned by this sudden elevation, as he believed she was of a good, but untitled, family. " Considering your short residence in England, Tom, dear, and your position as a plain, private gentleman, it seems to me you have been wonderfully successful in making so many acquaintances among the nobility." " Oh, these Englishmen are not half so stiff and haughty as they have the credit of being. Besides, my 430 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. own love, they look upon me as an Englishman also, you know." , " Oh, I do not know anything about it, dearest," answered she, with a smile, " but I will take your word for it and content myself in peace." "Like the sweet, obedient wife that you are," an- swered he, caressing her. With such conversations did the pair spend their time, varied by walks and drives about the lovely city. The lady, too, managed to do much in the way of shopping, for she soon found her husband to be exceed- ingly exacting in his ideas as to her attire. She thought him extravagant and was fearful of the strain on his supposed slender purse. Still, as she was an obedient spouse, she deemed it best to do as he liked, the more particularly that, in common with most of her sex, she was fond of making an elegant appearance. At last, the long wished for day arrived when the young couple were to leave gay Paris for their future home. Mignon was still to remain with her fair mistress. The affection subsisting between these two was no ordinary bond. The mother consented, feeling it was best for her child to have an assured home, under the protection of a mistress who treated her as a friend rather than as a servant. These three, then, found themselves, in due time, on the Dover steamer, sailing out of the port of Calais. The sky was overcast and it was blowing rather hard, but the trip across the channel was a short one, and as the fair young countess was a good sailor, she persisted THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 431 in remaiiung on deck with her husband. Poor Mignon, however, who had never been at sea before, was both sick and terrified. She lay helpless in her berth, not stirring until tlie steamer arrived at its destination. When a little more than half the passage was accom- plished, the Aveather had cleared. A strong wind blew the heavy clouds away and the sun now made its appearance at intervals. On one of these occasions, as the loving pair were promenading the deck, land ahead became visible. Our hero saw it, and, pointing, said " Behold, my wife ! the white cliffs of England, our future home ! See how brilliantly the heights of Dover are illuminated by the rays of the sun I I draw from this circumstance a happy augury of the warm welcome awaiting us at home." " Dear old England ! '' answered his wife ; " it greets me with a smile on my first sight of its shores. We will be happy, dearest love, I am sure." As soon as the boat landed and they could get through with the custom-house officials, our hero escorted his bride to the train. This speedily deposited them at Tun bridge, where they had to wait a few minutes for the connecting train for Wadhurst. This station, at which they were to take a carriage for home, was but a few miles distant. The countess was the first to see Brandon, who was in waiting to receive them. She waved her hand in recognition, to which he responded by lifting his hat. The train now drew up to the small station, and the secretary himself opened the door of the compartment to let them out. 432 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. "Now, sweetheart, we have but five miles to drive, and then, love, you shall have an old fashioned English welcome," said the husband, as he handed his young wife out of the train. " Not quite so fast," interposed Brandon. " The Earl of Mayfield is expected home with his bride to-day — in fact, I believe the}^ are on this train — and he especially desires that 3'ou both will meet himself and the countess at the Palace before going home." " This is vexatious ! " cried she. " It seems to me sometimes that I am never to get a glimpse of this long- sought home. Tom, dear, let us give this lord the slip. Send an excuse." " This is not easy to do, for he has ordered one of his carriages to be sent for you. There it is," said Brandon, beckoning to the man to drive up. It is needless to inform the reader that all this by- play had been previously arranged between the earl and his secretary. The fair lady was disposed to pout a little, but when her husband, with a smile, told her the detention would be but short and that his house was very near the Palace, she stepped gracefully into the carriage, without another word. The order was now given, after Brandon and Mignon had also entered, to drive as rapidly as possible to May- field. It was easy to see, as they neared the usually quiet hamlet, that it was a gala day. Everybody was out of doors. The houses were all opened. Several flags were flying, and, as they turned out of the upper end of the main street, leaving St. Dunstan's Church on THE EARL OF MAY FIELD. 433 the right, the Palace came into full view, while from Its highest tower floated the broad ensign of old England. "Oh! it is grand! What a beautiful sight!" cried the bride, clapping her hands. "And the old barbacan, too," she continued. "It is like a romance of the middle ages ! " As they drew up under the entrance arch to the park, an inscription hung across its top, on a white cloth, in large black letters, containing these words : " HAIL TO THE COUNTESS OF MAYFIELD ! " " What a happy woman she must be ! " cried the bride. " Do you not envy her ? " asked the husband. Her only reply was a little caress, despite the presence of Brandon. Our hero continued : " I forgot to tell you, love, that our old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Whitefield, are in May- field; they have just arrived, we shall meet them at the palace, the earl has been kind enough to invite them also." " How delightful ! Dear Mrs. Whitefield ! I think so much of her, what a happy coincidence," said she. At this moment, a band of music, concealed in the barbacan, struck up the well known strains of " See the conquering hero comes." "Who can that be meant for?" asked the lady. " The earl with his bride must be behind us," replied Brandon, looking out of the window ; he seemed sur- 27 434 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. prised wlien he did so, which caused our hero to look out also, and sure enough there was a carriage coming after them; it was now halted under the arch of the barbacan. The gentlemen exchanged looks, but Bran- don slightly shook his head as though intimating that he did not understand what this carriage might mean. A few moments more brouglit them to the main entrance of the palace, under the grand portico; here the veliicle stopped, the door was speedily opened by obsequious lackeys, and the bride and groom, now husband and wife, ascended the great stairs, which were lined with two rows, one on each side, of footmen, in their gorgeous livery of crimson and gold, standing like statues, at a military salute. " Come love," said the husband encouragingly, as he felt her cling, trembling a little, more closely to his jirm. '' It Avill soon be over, here are old friends to welcome you." As he uttered these words they entered the grand drawling room and Mr. Whitefield came for- ward with his wife to greet them ; old Goldsmith was 9,lso there. The fair young girl felt much relieved at this reprieve, for she dreaded being ushered after her long journey, directly into the presence of the earl and his bride, as she had expected would be the case. The party were just begining to settle themselves comfortably about the room, when a servant announced in a loud voice, ''Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk." Here was a bombshell, and a denouement with a vengeance. This was totally unexpected by all. THE EARL OF M A Y F I E L D. 435 The earl glanced at Goldsmith, and then at Brandon for an explanation, but each shook his head, neither knowing anything more about the matter than himself. There was no time to lose as the duke and duchess now entered the room, arm-in-arm. The earl therefore was compelled to hasten to receive and welcome them. The countess was the least surprised person in the party, for it seemed perfectly natural to her that the duke should come with his wife, to call upon the same couple, for whom she imagined herself to be in wait- ing. The earl said : " I am infinitely obliged for the honor of this visit, we have but just arrived ourselves." "I am aware of it," replied the duke, "we wished to give you a little surprise ! Cousin of Mayfield, allow me to present you to the Duchess." The duchess with great cordiality said : " I must also call you cousin ; the Hastings and the Carews have often intermarried in old times." "And now," said the duke, "it does not require much discernment to discover which of these ladies is the Countess of Mayfield," as he concluded, he bowed low to the bride. She grew pale at this, but was about to reply, when her husband came up with the duchess, and the duke again spoke ; saying to the earl, " Cousin of Mayfield, you must allow me the privi- lege of presenting your fair countess to my wife, as I wish them to — " He did not finish the sentence, as the countess, for the first, and only time in her life, had fainted in dead 436 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. earnest ; she would have fallen had not her husband sprang forward in time to catch her in his arms. All was now confusion ; the other ladies rushed to the assistance of the countess, carrying her out of the room ; the duke demanded an explanation ; this was given him in a few words by the earl, who said, in conclusion that he had intended breaking the whole to her that night, after they had retired, but the sudden and unexpected arrival of their Graces had upset his plans. It was now reported to the gentlemen that the countess was full}^ recovered ; this was confirmed by her return to the room, leaning on the arm of the duchess, and graciously acknowledging the congratula- tions of her friends. All's well that ends well. Emotions of the kind endured by the fair Countess of Mayfield on learning for the first time of the rank to which she had attained through her husband, are seldom injurious. She soon recovered, and bore her honors with becoming grace, and meekness. Our story draws to a close ; it will be only necessary to add, that Lord Ma3'field found not only old Jake and his wife Hannah at Mayfield, installed in their position as lodge keepers at the barbacan ; but, he also found, to his great gratification, that his old valet Sebastian, accompanied by his wife Sallie, had come over with Mr. and Mrs. Whitefield ; the faithful boy being determined to spend the remainder of his life with his old master. Sebastian Avas at once installed in his old position, and the sweet young Countess appointed Sallie to wait upon herself, being subordi- nate, of course, to the faithful Mignon. THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. 437 This latter, by-the-way, vowed she had always been sure that Monsieur was un 3Iilord ; she was delighted beyond expression at the good fortune of her dear mistress and friend, and never tired of addressing her by her full titles. The Duke with his Duchess, returned home on the second day after their arrival at Mayfield, and gave the Earl and his Countess a cordial invitation to spend a week at Arundel castle, when the}^ should find leisure to do so ; this act of courtesy was accepted in the same spirit in which it was offered. Whitefield, with his good wife, spent nearly three months at Mayfield, when business engagements at his far off home in Louisiana, compelled the good lawj^er to tear himself away; not, however, until he had promised to return to England on the following summer. Mr. Goldsmith reaped a full reward for his faithful services ; he was justly considered by the earl as being a true friend and most valuable adviser ; when he came to Mayfield, which was often, he was always an honored guest at the Palace. Mignon, the faithful and true, remained, a permanent portion of the establishment, and was, in the coui-se of a few years joined by her mother, whose eyesight had been failing latterly, and who concluded she had best go to England and join her daughter. Brandon, too, remained in his old position as secre- tary ; his father having recently died, he had no ties left in America, he was crippled and a bachelor, soon to be an old one, he said, and would, therefore, devote the 438 THE EARL OF MAYFIELD. remainder of his life to the service of his old friend and patron. And now, fair Countess of Ma^'iield ! SAveet Mary Stuart, that was, how shall we part from thee? Thou hast lingered in our memor}' like a fairy vision. What can we say of thee, more worthy to relate, than the fact, that thou wast true to thy marriage vows unto the end? True daughter, fair matron and faithful wife ! What more can be said ? Adieu ! THE END. CATALOGUE OF BOOKS PUBLISHED BY T. B. PETERSON and BROTHERS, PHILADELPHIA, PA., And for sale by alt Booksellers. Any of the books named in this Catalogue, will be sent by mall, to any one, to any place, at once, post-paid, on remitting the price of the ones wanted to T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS, Philadelphia, Fa. I Cheapest Book House in m ffoED Is at the Publishing and Bookselling Establishment of T. B. PETERSON &. BROTHERS, No. 306 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS, riuladelpliia, are the American publiehers of the popular and fast-selliHg books written by Mrs. Emma D. E. N. .^ovth worth, Mes. Aj«n S. Stephens, Mrs. Cakolixe Lee Hkntz, Miss Eliza A. Dupvy, Mrs. (J. A. Wakfikld, Mrs. Uk.xry Wood, Q. K. P. Doesticks, Emerson Be.vxett, T. S. Abthcr, George Lippakd, Hans Breitmann (Charles G. Leland), James A. Mait- lAND, Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, Charles Lever, Wilkie Collins, Mrs. C. J. Newby, Justus Liebig, W. II. Maxwell, Alexander Dvmas, Oeorgb W. M. Reynolds, S.vmuel Warken, Henry Cockton, Fredrika Bremer, T. Adolpuus Trollopk, Madajie George Sand, Eugene Sue, Miss Pardoe, Erawk Fairlegh, W. II. Ainswokth, Frank Forrester (Henry W. Herbert), Mi.ss Ellen Pickering, Captain Marryatt, Mrs. Gray, G. P. R. James, Henry Mor- roRD, Gustave Aimard, and liundreda of other authors ; a.s well a« of Pow's Patent Sermons. Humorous American Books, and Miss Leslie's, Miss Wipdifield's, The Young Wife's, Mrs. Go.?dfellow's, Mrs. Hale's, Petersons', The National, Jrancatellis, The Family Save-All, Queen of the Kitchen, and all the beet and popular Cook Books published. T. B. PETEllSON & BROTHERS tiike pleasure in calling the attention of the entire Reading Community, as well as of all their Customers, and everj' B- okseller. News Agent, and Book Buj'er, as well as of the entire Book Trade everywhere, to the fact that they are now publishing a large number of cloth and paper-covered Books, in very attractive style, including a series of 25 cent, 50 cent. 75 cent, $l.(Xi Jl.50, $1.75, and ^Z.W Books, in new style covers and bindings, making them large books fur the money, and bringing them before the Reading Public by liberal ad- Tertising. They are new boolis, and are cheap editions of the most p>opular and most Baleable bo"jks published, are written by the best American and English authors, and are presented in a very attractive style, printed fivm legible type, on good paper, and are especially adapted to suit all who love to read good books, as well as fur all General Reading, and they will be found for sale by all Booksellers, and at Hotel Stands, Railroad Stations and in the Cars. They are in fact the most popular series of works of liction ever published, retailing at I'o cents. 50 cents, 75 cents, Sl.Od, §1.50, 81.75, and S2.00 each, as they comprise the writings of the best and most popular authore in the world, all of which will bo sold by us to the trade at very low prices, Vid also at retail to everybody. Send for a Catalogue of theee books at once. >^^ Enclose a draft for five, ten, twenty, fifty, or one hundre.i dollars, or more, to OS in a letter, and write for what Iwoks you wish, and on receipt of the money, or a satisfactory reference, tlie books will be packed and i-ent to you at once, in any waj you may direct, with circulars and show-bills of the books to post up. J8S=" All Books named in Petersons' Catalogue will be found for sale by all Book- ■ellers, or copies of any one tK)ok, or more, or all of them, will be seni to any one, at once, to any place, per mail, post-paid, or free of freight, on remitting the retail price of the bo.iks wanted to T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS, Philadelphia. i^* WANTED.— A Bookseller, News Agent, or Canvasser, in every city, town or Tillage on this Continent, to engage in the sale of Petersons' New and Popular Tast Selling Books, on which large sales, and large profits can be made. >^=- Booksellers, Librarians. News Agents, Canvassers, Pedlers, and all other per- sons, wiio may want any of Petersons' Popular and Fast Selling Books, will pleas* •ddross their orders and letters, at once, to meet with immediate attention, to T. B. PETERSON & BKOTHEES, Ptblishers, 8 306 CHESTNUT Street, Philadelphia, Pa. T. B. PETERSON m BROTHERS' NEW BOOKS. Booksellers, News Agents, and all others in want of good and fast- selling books will please send in their orders at once. EMILE ZOLA'S GREAT WORKS. L'Assommoir. Bi/ Emite Z>>la. The Greatest Novel ever printed. Prico 75 cents in paper cover, or $1.00 in cloth, black and gold. The Rougon-Macquart Family ; or, La Fortune Des Bongon. Ay Emile Zola. Price 75 cents in paper cover, or $1.25 in cloth. The Abbe's Temptiition ; or. La Faiife De L'Ahhe Moitret. By Emile Zola. Price 75 cents in paper cnver, or $1.25 in cloth, black and gold. Helene, a Love Episode; or, Une Paije D' Amour. By Emile Zola. Price 75 cents in paper cover, or $1.25 in morocco cloth, black and gold. HENRY GREVILLE'S GREAT NOVELS. Dosia. A Buisian Story. By Henry GreciUe, author of " Markof." Philooicne's Marriages. "With Author's Preface. By Henry GreviUe. Pretty Little Countess Zina. By Henry GreviUe, author of "Dosia." Marrying Off a Daughter. A Love Story. By Henry GreviUe. Above are in paper cover, price 75 cents each, or in cloth, at $1.25 each. Saveli's Expiation. A Powerful Novel. By Henry GreviUe. Dournof. A Russian Story. By Henry GreviUe, jiuthor of " Dosia." Bonne-Marie. A Tale of Normandy and Paris. By Henry GreviUe. A Friend; or, " L'Ami." By Henry GreviUe, author of "Dosia." Soiiia. A Love Story. By Henry GreviUe, author of "Dosia." Gabrielle; or, The House of Maureze. By Henry GreviUe. Above are in paper cover, price 50 cents each, or in cloth, at $1.00 each. Markof, the Russian Violinist. A Russian Story. By Henry GreviUe, author of "Dosia." One volume, 12mo., morocco cloth. Price $1.50. MRS. BURNETT'S LOVE STORIES. Kathleen. A Love Story. By Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett. A Quiet Life. By Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of " Theo." Miss Crespigny. A Charming Love Story. By author of" Kathleen." Theo. A Love Story. By author of " Kathleen," " Miss Crespigny," etc. Pretty Polly Pemberton. By author of " Kathleen," " Theo," etc. Above are in paper cover, price 50 cents each, or in cloth, at $1.00 each. Jarl's Daughter and Other Tales. By Mrs. Burnett. Price 25 cents, Lindsay's Luck. By Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett. Price 25 cents. MRS. SOUTHWORTH'S LOVE STORIES. Syhil Brotherton. A Novel. By Mrs. Emma D. E. N. Southworth. The Red Hill Tragedy. By Mrs. Emma D. E. N. Southworth. Above are in paper cover, price 50 cents each, or in cloth, at $1.00 each. Above Books will be sent, postage paid, en receipt of Retail Prica, by T. B. Peterson & Brothers, Philadelphia, Pa. (A) T. B. PETERSON and BROTHERS' PUBLICATIONS. 1^* Orders solicited from Booksellers, Librarians, News AgentBi and all others in want of good and fast-selling books. .^1 MRS. EMMA D. E. N. SOUTHWORTH'S WORKS. complete in forty-three large d'mdecimo volumes, hound in morocco cloth, giU hatihf price. $1.75 eacli ; or $75.25 a set, eac/i set is jjut ujj in a neat box. The Phantom "Wedding; or, The Fall of the House of Flint, .^1 75 Self-Raised; From the Depths..$I 75 Ishmael; or, In the Depths,.... 1 75 TheMother-ia-Law, 1 75 The Fatal Secret, 1 75 How He Won Her, 1 75 Fair Play, 1 75 The Spectre Lover, 1 75 Victor's Triumph, 1 75 A Beautiful Fiend, 1 75 The Fatal Marriage, 1 75 The Deserted Wife, 1 75 The Fortune Seeker, 1 75 The Bridal Eve, 1 75 The Lost Heiress, 1 75 The Two Sisters, 1 75 Lady of the Isle, 1 75 Prince of Darkness, 1 75 The Three Beauties, 1 75 The Artist's Love, 1 75 Vivia; or the Secret of Power, 1 75 A Noble Lord, 1 75 Lost Heir of Linlithgow, 1 75 Tried for her Life, 1 75 Retribution, 1 75 Cruel as the Grave, 1 75 The Maiden Widow, 1 75 The Family Doom, 1 75 The Bride's Fate, 1 75 The Changed Brides, 1 75 Fallen Pride, 1 75 Tbe Widow's Son, 1 75 The Bride of Llewellyn, 1 75 Love's Labor Won, 1 75 The Gipsy's Prophecy, 1 75 The Christmas Guest, 1 75 Ifeiunted Homestead, 1 75 Wife's Victory, '. 1 76 AUworth Abbey, 1 75 India; Pearl of Pearl River,.. 1 75 Curse of Clifton, 1 75 Discarded Daughter, 1 75 The Mystery of Dark Hollow,.. 1 75 The Missing Bride; or, Miriam, the Avenger, 1 75 Above are each in cloth, or each one is in paper cover, at $1.50 each. MRS. CAROLINE LEE HENTZ'S WORKS. Oreen and Gold Edition. Complete in twelve volum.es, in green m,orocco cloth, price $1.75 mich ; or $21.00 a set, each set is put up in a neat box, Ernest Linwood, $1 75 | Love after Marriage, $1 7f The Planter's Northern Bride,.. 1 75 I Eoline; or Magnolia Vale, 1 75 Courtship and Marriage, 1 75 The Lost Daughter, 1 75 Rena; or, the Snow Bird, 1 75 The Banished Son, 1 75 Marcus Warland, 1 75 | Helen and Arthur, 1 75 Linda; or, the Young Pilot of the Belle Creole, 1 75 Robert Graham; the Sequel to " Linda; or Pilot of Belle Creole,"... 1 75 Above are each in cloth, or each one is in paper cover, at $1.50 each.