The Lost Lady of Lone

Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

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• Publié par: anyi
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 19
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lost Lady of Lone, by E.D.E.N. Southworth This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Lost Lady of Lone Author: E.D.E.N. Southworth Release Date: June 11, 2005 [EBook #16039] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LOST LADY OF LONE *** Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE LOST LADY OF LONE By MRS. E.D.E.N. SOUTHWORTH, Author of "Nearest and Dearest," "The Hidden Hand," "Unknown," "Only a Girl's Heart," "For Woman's Love," etc. 1876 PUBLISHERS' NOTICE. "THE LOST LADY OF LONE " is different from any of Mrs. Southworth's other novels. The plot, which is unusually provocative of conjecture and interest, is founded on thrilling and tragic events which occurred in the domestic history of one of the most distinguished families in the Highlands of Scotland. The materials which these interesting and tragic annals place at the disposal of Mrs. Southworth give full scope to her unrivalled skill in depicting character and developing a plot, and she has made the most of her opportunity and her subject. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I.--The bride of Lone CHAPTER II.--An ideal love CHAPTER III.--The ruined heir CHAPTER IV.--Salome's choice CHAPTER V.--Arondelle's consolation CHAPTER VI.--A horrible mystery on the wedding-day CHAPTER VII.--The morning's discovery CHAPTER VIII.--A horrible discovery CHAPTER IX.--After the discovery CHAPTER X.--The letter and its effect CHAPTER XI.--The vailed passenger CHAPTER XII.--The house on Westminster Road CHAPTER XIII.--A surprise for Mrs. Scott CHAPTER XIV.--The second bridal morn CHAPTER XV.--The cloud falls CHAPTER XVI.--Vanished CHAPTER XVII.--The lost Lady of Lone CHAPTER XVIII.--The flight of the duchess CHAPTER XIX.--Salome's refuge CHAPTER XX.--Salome's protectress CHAPTER XXI.--The bridegroom CHAPTER XXII.--At Lone CHAPTER XXIII.--A startling charge CHAPTER XXIV.--The vindication CHAPTER XXV.--Who was found? CHAPTER XXVI.--Off the track CHAPTER XXVII.--In the convent CHAPTER XXVIII.--The soul's struggle CHAPTER XXIX.--The stranger in the chapel CHAPTER XXX.--The haunter CHAPTER XXXI.--The abbess' story CHAPTER XXXII.--The duke's double CHAPTER XXXIII.--After the earthquake CHAPTER XXXIV.--Risen from the grave CHAPTER XXXV.--Face to face CHAPTER XXXVI.--A gathering storm CHAPTER XXXVII.--A sentence of banishment CHAPTER XXXVIII.--The storm bursts CHAPTER XXXIX.--The rivals CHAPTER XL.--After the storm CHAPTER XLI.--Father and son CHAPTER XLII.--Her son CHAPTER XLIII.--The duke's ward CHAPTER XLIV.--Retribution CHAPTER XLV.--After the revelation CHAPTER XLVI.--Retribution CHAPTER XLVII.--The end of a lost life CHAPTER XLVIII.--Husband and wife THE LOST LADY OF LONE. CHAPTER I. THE BRIDE OF LONE. "Eh, Meester McRath? Sae grand doings I hae na seen sin the day o' the queen's visit to Lone. That wad be in the auld duke's time. And a waefu' day it wa'." "Dinna ye gae back to that day, Girzie Ross. It gars my blood boil only to think o' it!" "Na, Sandy, mon, sure the ill that was dune that day is weel compensate on this. Sooth, if only marriages be made in heaven, as they say, sure this is one. The laird will get his ain again, and the bonnyest leddy in a' the land to boot." "She is a bonny lass, but na too gude for him, although her fair hand does gie him back his lands." "It's only a' just as it sud be." "Na, it's no all as it sud be. Look at they fules trying to pit up yon triumphal arch! The loons hae actually gotten the motto 'HAPPINESS' set upside down, sae that a' the blooming red roses are falling out o' it. An ill omen that if onything be an ill omen. I maun rin and set it right." The speakers in this short colloquy were Mrs. Girzie Ross, housekeeper, and Mr. Alexander McRath, house-steward of Castle Lone. The locality was in the Highlands of Scotland. The season was early summer. The hour was near sunset. The scene was one of great beauty and sublimity. The occasion one of high festivity and rejoicing. The preparations were being completed for a grand event. For on the morning of the next day a deep wrong was to be made right by the marriage of the young and beautiful Lady of Lone to the chosen lord of her heart. Lone Castle was a home of almost ideal grandeur and loveliness, situated in one of the wildest and most picturesque regions of the Highlands, yet brought to the utmost perfection of fertility by skillful cultivation. The castle was originally the stronghold of a race of powerful and warlike Scottish chieftains, ancestors of the illustrious ducal line of Scott-Hereward. It was strongly built, on a rocky island, that arose from The midst of a deep clear lake, surrounded by lofty mountains. For generations past, the castle had been but a picturesque ruin, and the island a barren desert, tenanted only by some old retainer of the ancient family, who found shelter within its huge walls, and picked up a scanty living by showing the famous ruins to artists and tourists. But some years previous to the commencement of our story, when ArchibaldAlexander-John Scott succeeded his father, as seventh Duke of Hereward, he conceived the magnificent, but most extravagant idea of transforming that grim, old Highland fortress, perched upon its rocky island, surrounded by water and walled in by mountains—into a mansion of Paradise and a garden of Eden. When he first spoke of his plan, he was called visionary and extravagant; and when he persisted in carrying it into execution, he was called mad. The most skillful engineers and architects in Europe were consulted and their plans examined, and a selection of designs and contractors made from the best among them. And then the restoration, or rather the transfiguration, of the place was the labor of many years, at the cost of much money. Fabulous sums were lavished upon Lone. But the Duke's enthusiasm grew as the work grew and the cost increased. All his unentailed estates in England were first heavily mortgaged and afterwards sold, and the proceeds swallowed up in the creation of Lone. The duchess, inspired by her husband, was as enthusiastic as the duke. When his resources were at an end and Lone unfinished she gave up her marriage settlements, including her dower house, which was sold that the proceeds might go to the completion of Lone. But all this did not suffice to pay the stupendous cost. Then the duke did the maddest act of his life. He raised the needed money from usurers by giving them a mortgage on his own life estate in Lone itself. The work drew near to its completion. In the meantime the duke's agents were ransacking the chief cities in Europe in search of rare paintings, statues, vases, and other works of art or articles of virtu to decorate the halls and chambers of Lone; for which also the most famous manufacturers in France and Germany were elaborating suitable designs in upholstery. Every man directing every department of the works at Lone, whether as engineer, architect, decorator, or furnisher, every man was an artist in his own speciality. The work within and without was to be a perfect work at whatever cost of time, money, and labor. At length, at the end of ten years from its commencement, the work was completed. And for the sublimity of its scenery, the beauty of its grounds, the almost tropical luxuriance of its gardens, the magnificence of its buildings, the splendor of its decorations, and the luxury of its appointments, Lone was unequalled. What if the mad duke had nearly ruined himself in raising it? Lone was henceforth the pride of engineers, the model of architects, the subject of artists, the theme of poets, the Mecca of pilgrims, the eighth wonder of the world. Lone was opened for the first time a few weeks after its completion, on the occasion of the coming of age of the duke's eldest son and heir, the young Marquis of Arondelle, which fell upon the first of June. A grand festival was held at Lone, and a great crowd assembled to do honor to the anniversary. A noble and gentle company filled the halls and chambers of the castle, and nearly all the Clan Scott assembled on the grounds. The festival was a grand triumph. Among the thousands present were certain artists and reporters of the press, and so it followed that the next issue of the London News contained full-page pictures of Castle Lone and Inch Lone, with their terraces, parterres, arches, arbors and groves; Loch Lone, with its elegant piers, bridges and boats; and the surrounding mountains, with their caves, grottoes, falls and fountains. Yes, the birthday festival was a perfect triumph, and the fame of Lone went forth to the uttermost ends of the earth. The English Colonists at Australia, Cape of Good Hope, and New Zealand, read all about it in copies of the London News, sent out to them by thoughtful London friends. We remember the day, some years since, when we, sitting by our cottage fire, read all about it in an illustrated paper, and pondered over the happy fate of those who could live in paradise while still on earth. Five years later, we would not have changed places with the Duke of Hereward. But this is a digression. The duke was in his earthly heaven; but was the duke happy, or even content? Ah! no. He was overwhelmed with debt. Even Lone was mortgaged as deeply as it could be—that is, as to the extent of the duke's own life interests in the estate. Beyond that he could not burden the estate, which was entailed upon his heirs male. Besides his financial embarrassments, the duke was afflicted with another evil—he was consumed with a fever too common with prince and with peasant, as well as with peer—the fever of a land