The Lost Lady of Lone

muel Levison returned to London on affairs connect

She suffered from this enforced solitude. She had seen all the splendors of the interior of Lone, and there was nothing new to discover-except-yes, there was Malcom's T

the rest of the castle, but had n

e morning in exploring the ol

eper to her presence, an

ike, left there by the auld duke; but there'll be an unco' foine view frae the top on a braw day like this," said

t in the thickness of the outer wall, which was perforated on the inner side by doorways on each landing, leading into the strong

winding steps and opened the door of

left by the auld duke until such time a

o the room and suddenly

gloom, the form of a young man

this was only a full-length li

riveted on the g

d, deep-chested, with a well-turned, stately head, a Grecian profile, a fair, open brow, dark, deep blue eye

t fascinated the gaze of the girl. It was the ai

n the solid wall, fell directly upon the fine

the Lord! But it expresses more of power! It is the face of Michael rather, when he put the hosts of hell to flight! Oh!

ddy? Ay it weel deserves your regards! It

es?" inquired Salome, in a low ton

g princes ance, on an unco' ill day for Lone! And I dinna care if I never see a

somewhat of the rapt devotion with which she had been wont to gaze on

y laddie? Our young Markis o' Arondelle? Oh, waes the day he ever

, catching her breath, and gazing with ev

for a moment was withdrawn by the setting sun, a

eated Salome in a low reverent

wae worth the day he went awa'!" s

suddenly to th

n a low, hesitating voice, and then she

e verra truth, ye suld do so frae mysel. But come noo, leddy. It is too dark to see onything mair in this room. We'll

steep flight of stairs, cut in the solid wall, and lea

t upon a mag

Northern latitudes still hung lumin

azed upon it D

or eight centuries the land of the Lairds of Lone. And noo! a' hae gane frae them, an

wreck," said Salome, with

t, leddy, and m

horizon away to the north, just fading in the twilight?" inqu

in the season he was wont to spend weeks thegither wi' his kinsman, Johnnie Scott, for the young laird was unco' fond of deer stalking,

r slight frame. "I think we will go down now, Mrs. Ross. And if you will be so good as to come to me after tea, this

all drawing room appropriated to her own u

ress, Girzie Ross opened her mouth and told the true story

, in order to give peace and prosperity to his father's declining days," murmured Sa

ike the noble soul, he

act of renunciation in m

ng leddy, that it was a' in

now?" inquired the young

red Girzie Ross, with a deep sigh, which

er young mistress's indulgence, aro

hat hour she had something else to thin

her thoughts. That night she dreamed of the self-exiled heir, a beautiful, v

sk Mrs. Girzie Ross a simple question. And she wondered

rait in the tower very m

sae bonny because it canna move, or smile, or speak. Ye should

tower, and spent a dreamy, delicious hour in sitting

ended her at tea, she took courage to m

delle engaged

ned away her head the momen

th-plighted do you

n a very

or no thought of it," a

be well if he were not, that is all,"

bed, she looked at herself in the glass

by the broad, smooth forehead, shaped round by bands of dark brown hair, and lighted by the large, tender, though

," she said to herself, as if uttering the

ep sigh she r

herself was the first to

fule stories anent his hardship, having a sweetheart at Ben Lone. There's nae truth in sic tales, me leddy. No that I'm denying she's a

f the sort," said Salome

l, then, its nae mat

the heiress. And then she instantly perceived the indiscr

laird sae often to Ben Lone; but just Rab Cameron's handsome lass, Rose, and she is a handsome quean as I said before; but nae

ned to change

o affair of mine. I have nothing at all to do with it! I wonder if I shall ever meet him. I wonder if he would think me very ugly? Nonsense, what if he should? He is nothing to me. I-I do wonder if a young man so noble in character, so handsome in person as he is, ever could like

Ros

each hear

the youth

ed to

ice, after all," she said-"the nob

alian virgin. She, too, would retire to God. That is, she would enter

this abnormal way, the natural human love that now glowed

all day, and dreamed of him all night-the more intensely as well as

was an abs

to Lone-on business of more importanc

one phase of public lif

omptings of his own late ambition, Sir Lemuel Levison consented to stand for the borough of Lone. In the absence

ing daughter and went up to London to take his seat

istant relative, Lady Belgrave, the childless widow of a baronet, to come and p

-haired, healthy, good-humored, and well-dressed-altogether as commonpl

ever heard of her before the day o

ith courtesy and kindness,

t, met her young kinswoma

se than all, she seems to know it. And she can only grow pretty by believing that she is so. A girl with such a pair of eyes as he

dear!" she said with effusion, a

r this was the first time in all her life tha

s partly right a

never be pretty, never be handsome, but, wit

attracted the attention, only as the daughter of Sir Lemuel Levison, the new Radical

d into fashionable society. And society received the young expectant

gave unlimited pocket-money in form of bank-cheques, to be filled up at her own discretion. For she was his only daughter, and he wished to get her in love wit

her. Salome would not make a sensation, for all her father's wealth and her own expectations. She remained quiet, shy, silent, dreamy, even in the gayest society, as in the Highland solitudes, with

ness of her dreams, was almost unapproachable, the banker was not inaccessible. And it was through her father that Salome, in the course of the season

her father's great disapp

surviving child! If she will not accept an earl or a baronet, why cannot her perversity take the form of any other girl's perversity? Why can she not fall in love with some penniless younger son, or some dissipated captain in a marching regiment? I am sure even under such circumstan

of the convent. She thought n

n personal preference. It was possible, then, that she might be loved. If other men preferred her, so also might he on whom she had fixed. And now it had come to this with the dreaming girl-she resolved to think no more of retiring to a convent, but to live in the world that contained her

untries and cities. And Salome was interested and instructed, of course. Yet the greatest value her travels had for her was in the possibility of their bringing her to a meeting with the missing

living here, and

s' sojourn on the Continent, Sir Lemuel Levison brought his daug

was left-only two more seasons in L

n. Again the young heiress was followed, flattered, feted as much as if she had been a beauty as well.

with them at Lone, thinking that, after all, more matches were made in the close dai

offers of marriage, she politely declined them all, and stole away

rone was

as she refused, do you know, L

n knowledge," angril

ne you know nothing about

convent, as she is sure to do when she is of age. I would let her marry any one

who is Joh

anger-on of the young Marquis of Arondelle; he u

he is t

It will be her last season. If she does not fall in love or marry before May, when she will be t

ended unsatisfa

ent up to London for her third season. They established themselves again in the sumptuo

that Sir Lemuel and Miss Levison received in

to be entertained certain ministers, members of Pa

ay they rendered themselves at the Premier's house, where they were

e present, and while Sir Lemuel and Miss Levison were conversing with

heart gave a great bou

oted son, the self-exiled heir, the idol of her pure wo

ore her eyes, the Premier bo

n Scott of the National Liberator. Mr. Scott,

ohn S