Lost Lady of Lone

Nevitte Southworth Emma Dorothy Eliza

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pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. 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.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819911562
• Langue: English

Extrait

CHAPTER I.
THE BRIDE OF LONE. "Eh, Meester McRath? Sae granddoings I hae na seen sin the day o' the queen's visit to Lone. Thatwad be in the auld duke's time. And a waefu' day it wa'." "Dinna yegae back to that day, Girzie Ross. It gars my blood boil only tothink o' it!" "Na, Sandy, mon, sure the ill that was dune that dayis weel compensate on this. Sooth, if only marriages be made inheaven, as they say, sure this is one. The laird will get his ainagain, and the bonnyest leddy in a' the land to boot." "She is a bonny lass, but na too gude for him, although her fairhand does gie him back his lands." "It's only a' just as it sudbe." "Na, it's no all as it sud be. Look at they fules trying topit up yon triumphal arch! The loons hae actually gotten the motto'HAPPINESS' set upside down, sae that a' the blooming red roses arefalling out o' it. An ill omen that if onything be an ill omen. Imaun rin and set it right."
The speakers in this short colloquy were Mrs. GirzieRoss, housekeeper, and Mr. Alexander McRath, house-steward ofCastle Lone.
The locality was in the Highlands of Scotland. Theseason was early summer. The hour was near sunset. The scene wasone of great beauty and sublimity. The occasion one of highfestivity and rejoicing.
The preparations were being completed for a grandevent. For on the morning of the next day a deep wrong was to bemade right by the marriage of the young and beautiful Lady of Loneto the chosen lord of her heart.
Lone Castle was a home of almost ideal grandeur andloveliness, situated in one of the wildest and most picturesqueregions of the Highlands, yet brought to the utmost perfection offertility by skillful cultivation.
The castle was originally the stronghold of a raceof powerful and warlike Scottish chieftains, ancestors of theillustrious ducal line of Scott-Hereward. It was strongly built, ona rocky island, that arose from The midst of a deep clear lake,surrounded by lofty mountains.
For generations past, the castle had been but apicturesque ruin, and the island a barren desert, tenanted only bysome old retainer of the ancient family, who found shelter withinits huge walls, and picked up a scanty living by showing the famousruins to artists and tourists.
But some years previous to the commencement of ourstory, when Archibald-Alexander-John Scott succeeded his father, asseventh Duke of Hereward, he conceived the magnificent, but mostextravagant idea of transforming that grim, old Highland fortress,perched upon its rocky island, surrounded by water and walled in bymountains – into a mansion of Paradise and a garden of Eden.
When he first spoke of his plan, he was calledvisionary and extravagant; and when he persisted in carrying itinto execution, he was called mad.
The most skillful engineers and architects in Europewere consulted and their plans examined, and a selection of designsand contractors made from the best among them. And then therestoration, or rather the transfiguration, of the place was thelabor of many years, at the cost of much money.
Fabulous sums were lavished upon Lone. But theDuke's enthusiasm grew as the work grew and the cost increased. Allhis unentailed estates in England were first heavily mortgaged andafterwards sold, and the proceeds swallowed up in the creation ofLone.
The duchess, inspired by her husband, was asenthusiastic as the duke. When his resources were at an end andLone unfinished she gave up her marriage settlements, including herdower house, which was sold that the proceeds might go to thecompletion of Lone.
But all this did not suffice to pay the stupendouscost.
Then the duke did the maddest act of his life. Heraised the needed money from usurers by giving them a mortgage onhis own life estate in Lone itself.
The work drew near to its completion.
In the meantime the duke's agents were ransackingthe chief cities in Europe in search of rare paintings, statues,vases, and other works of art or articles of virtu to decorate thehalls and chambers of Lone; for which also the most famousmanufacturers in France and Germany were elaborating suitabledesigns in upholstery.
Every man directing every department of the works atLone, whether as engineer, architect, decorator, or furnisher,every man was an artist in his own speciality. The work within andwithout was to be a perfect work at whatever cost of time, money,and labor.
At length, at the end of ten years from itscommencement, the work was completed.
And for the sublimity of its scenery, the beauty ofits grounds, the almost tropical luxuriance of its gardens, themagnificence of its buildings, the splendor of its decorations, andthe luxury of its appointments, Lone was unequalled.
What if the mad duke had nearly ruined himself inraising it?
Lone was henceforth the pride of engineers, themodel 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 afterits completion, on the occasion of the coming of age of the duke'seldest son and heir, the young Marquis of Arondelle, which fellupon the first of June.
A grand festival was held at Lone, and a great crowdassembled to do honor to the anniversary. A noble and gentlecompany filled the halls and chambers of the castle, and nearly allthe Clan Scott assembled on the grounds.
The festival was a grand triumph.
Among the thousands present were certain artists andreporters of the press, and so it followed that the next issue ofthe London News contained full-page pictures of Castle Loneand Inch Lone, with their terraces, parterres, arches, arbors andgroves; Loch Lone, with its elegant piers, bridges and boats; andthe surrounding mountains, with their caves, grottoes, falls andfountains.
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 NewZealand, 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 allabout it in an illustrated paper, and pondered over the happy fateof those who could live in paradise while still on earth. Fiveyears later, we would not have changed places with the Duke ofHereward.
But this is a digression.
The duke was in his earthly heaven; but was the dukehappy, or even content?
Ah! no. He was overwhelmed with debt. Even Lone wasmortgaged as deeply as it could be – that is, as to the extent ofthe duke's own life interests in the estate. Beyond that he couldnot burden the estate, which was entailed upon his heirs male.Besides his financial embarrassments, the duke was afflicted withanother evil – he was consumed with a fever too common with princeand with peasant, as well as with peer – the fever of a landhunger.
The prince desires to add province to province; thepeer to add manor to manor; the peasant to own a little home of hisown, and then to add acre to acre.
The Lord of Lone glorying in his earthly paradise,wished to see it enlarged, wished to add one estate to anotheruntil he should become the largest land-owner in Scotland, or havehis land-hunger appeased. He bought up all the land adjoining Lone,that could be purchased at any price, paying a little cash down,and giving notes for the balance on each purchase. Thus, in thecourse of three years, Lone was nearly doubled in territorialextent.
But the older creditors became clamorous. Bond, andmortgage holders threatened foreclosure, and the financial affairsof the "mad duke," outwardly and apparently so prosperous, werereally very desperate. The family were seriously in danger ofexpulsion from Lone.
It was at this crisis that the devoted son came tothe help of his father – not wisely, as many people thought then –not fortunately, as it turned out. To prevent his father from beingcompelled to leave Lone, and to protect him from the persecution ofcreditors, the young Marquis of Arondelle performed an act ofself-sacrifice and filial devotion seldom equalled in the world'shistory. He renounced all his own entailed rights, and sold all hisprospective life interest in Lone. His was a young, strong life,good for fifty or sixty years longer. His interest brought a sumlarge enough to pay off the mortgage on Lone and to settle allothers of his father's outstanding debts.
Thus peaceable possession of Lone might have beensecured to the family during the natural life of the duke. At thedemise of the duke, instead of descending to his son and heir, itwould pass into the possession of other parties, with whom it wouldremain as long the heir should live.
Thus, I say, by the sacrifice of the son the peaceof the father might have been secured – for a time. And all mighthave gone well at Lone but for one unlucky event which finally setthe seal on the ruin of the ducal family.
And yet that event was intended as an honor, andconsidered as an honor.
In a word the Queen, the Prince Consort, and theroyal family, were coming to the Highlands. And the Duke ofHereward received an intimation that her majesty would stop on herroyal progress and honor Lone with a visit of two days. This was adistinction in no wise to be slighted by any subject under anycircumstances, and certainly not by the duke of Hereward.
The Queen's visit would form the crowning glory ofLone. The chambers occupied by majesty would henceforth be holyground, and would be pointed out with reverence to the stranger inall succeeding generations.
In anticipation of this honor the "mad" Duke ofHereward launched out into his maddest extravagances.
He had but ten days in which to prepare for theroyal visit, but he made the best use of his time.
The guest chambers at Lone, already fitted up inprincely magnificence, had new splendors added to them. The castleand the grounds were adorned and decorated with lavish expenditure.The lake was a