MAJOR LORD STUART-ROYAL'S TWO MARRIAGES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 161, 13 October 1883, Page 10

MAJOR LORD STUART-ROYAL'S TWO MARRIAGES.

By We, Author of " Why Sir Talbot & Estrange % Bid Not Marry."

(Continued from last tucij

"We had not met for four years. When he had left England to go to India with his regiment, ■ the 20th King's Own Lancers, he was the senior I captain — now he was the Colonel, and a more cheery-hearted, genial fellow you would not meet in "a day's march. I had not the remotest notion that he was in Paris, so it was a very pleasant surprise when Everton so unexpectedly announced turn. Though he was twelve years my senior, we fcad always been great friends. j " ' Well, old fellow, this is a pleasant surprise,' I said. ' Where on earth have you turned up from? -I am glad to see you;' and we shook hands -with a hearty British grip, as men do who have not met for years. "' * I have got a year's home leave from India,' lie aaid, ' and hearing at G-ibraltar that you were quartered here, I determined to leave the ship and come on overland, knowing that you would always be good enough to give me a hearty welcome. So I hear that you have become a TBe'ne~difet, old fellow, 'and that your wife is the acknowledged belle .of Paris. I confess I am anxious to see my fair cousin ; I wish you joy, and all that kind of thing, old boy. Some clay, I suppose, I must follow your example, and give Xeicester Abbey a .mistress.' *" Thanks', Launcelot, for your good wishes.' I did not say how miserable and unhappy I was, for I "was too proud to let the world know what an awful mistake my marriage had been. " We amolced and chatted on every conceivable subject, for it wa9 four years since we had met, and we had many varied subjects of mutual interest to discuss. It was nearly four o'clock. Soon Florenze would be in from her gaieties. Of course, I had told Launcelot to put up at my plapepfor as long as he liked. The clock struck ionm Launcelot started up with a 'By Jove! How the time has passed. To think we have t>een talking for five hours right off., Then -euddenlv his notice was attracted by a photograph of my wife, which was upon the mantelpiece. - " ' Ah ! Macgregor, my boy, what would your wife aay if she knew that you had that photo- J graph on your mantelpiece ? To think of seeing the photograph of that woman here of all places in the 'world! What is ahe to you ?, " ' What on earth do you mean, Launcelot ?' I said, • that photogroph there' is a photograph of ' mg wife: • j "'jpieavens, man, you don't mean it; surely, Mac,' you are only humbugging when you say 1 that.' . .' ".' Ho. Lance;- old fellow, I was never more in earnest in my Hfethan lam now. . That photo- j graph is a representation of my wife.' " I ; was rather alarmed seeing how pale he had grown, and began to be afraid that there was something wrong. " 'Dear old fellow,' said lie, very tenderly, ' I should not be doing right if I kept back from jroji. what. I know about the original of that photograph.' ♦• 'For Heaven's sake tell me quickly what jou know— be quick.' " '1 am more sorry than I can express, Macgregor, to be the one to tell you this. You believe aae w,henT say this,! know.' "* Two years ago, when I was quartered at Simla, with, :tlie regiment, the woman represented in* that • photograph was the wife of Roger Tejinpleton, one of the captains in my regiment. He was as' good a fellow as ever trod the ground, but was poor. Mrs Templeton was, to say the least, Tackety, and very extravagant, and it was evident to all around she cared .not a pin 'for her husband. "'Templeton ; had been travelling in Russia two years back, when he first saw the woman wlio became his wife. , " ' She . was an Englishwoman by birth, the enild 6f poor labouring people in Kent. Much to their sorrow, when she was seventeen, and quite 'aware of- her own beauty, she obtained an -engagement for. three years at.this Russian theatre. Somehow, she made no sensation in St. Petersburg, -though, Heaven knows, she has made enough everywhere since, and her engagement was just up when Templeton fell in love with her and married her. , , "'Beautiful she doubtless; Was, and she had managed to acquire a certain amount of education, «o she did not disgrace Templeton on that score. *' ' His lfeave w£s%just up, so he sailed with his wife for India. iPoraunately no.one recognised her as the Kentish village girl or' the Russian actress. Her maiden name was Jane Snooks. Aristocratic, I certainly ! . '" ~ *"I was the only fellow Janis the station who ltnew r the story of her early life! ■*' Templeton was the greatest flirt in the station^ and a thoroughly heartless woman. .Extravagance seemed her ruling passion. Four juonths after their arrival at Simla, a rich parvenu iellpw,, named Price, who was travelling and trying his best to spend his colossal fortune, came to Simla for a short visit. He was what we euould call a thorough ' cad,', but was received with open arms by Simla Society on account of his riches, I suppose.' * ' He was very. friendly with the Templetons ; or,. rather, with Mrs Templeton. It was easy to Bed 'that he was immensely taken with^th" c beautiful, brilliant woman, and sill was 5 far ; fro ni indifferent to ; his attentions and wealth. Perhaps ahe took td him as being nearer her own station iv life ! Soon Mrs Templeton's name was coupled with Price's, and one morning,, the station awoke to the ? fact that she .had e^opfidi jvith Price and ti|, ; ,tb,q\ißapdß.» ' Poor' ,Tei»pleion ;was. ; awfully 'c.ut'ujj^-for'Ue-was one op ;Jbho3e-follgwß who, m cpiteof 'their ,wive ; s' ( jtidiff ;eretfcQ,anS^ntybrtldnea9, , love. tj4m/ " But ; , we^Qo^pa'^. >|.at' li"is .iH.p^.^asj; *%tsße'd,. ! ahat.h^^^ iierirr* Well; flie.^got Jiis djvore"e^4ndflie v «ffer l e4 to 5 find her a home, where she woiltH''bSVeircare < d i •fotf, but she declined his generous offer, saying * c that 'she was quite able to take care of herself, , and wished to have nothing more to do with and .so we lost,.Bigh,t..of her. . "JHoweyer, Miss Snooks* »8 I suppose she now ".-' ■■ .-' •■ -. "■ ' ". j 's '••'• .<•"

■was, had no compunction in accepting the allow- : ance of £200 per annum, which Templeton allowed her out of his slender income of £500, and which was paid to her quarterly by his solicitors. Last year we heard that Price had not married her, and upon my honour, as an officer and a gentleman, bearing tbe good old name of De L'lsle, that is all I. know of the woman who is now your wife. How the ci-devant Mrs Templeton metamorphosed herself into Florenze Castellani, Signora Marcus's cousin, E know not, but this I assure you on my honour that the woman who is now your wife is the divorced wife of Captain Roger Templeton, of my regiment. To think that such a woman should have entered your old and noble family,' aaid Lance, bitterly. " Now that I knew all this I told my , cousin how unhappy my life had been with her, to think that a woman of such low origin should be my wife. Whatever would my aristocratic old father say if he knew all ! The disgrace would nearly kill him, poor old fellow. 'She will never enter Stuart-Royal now,' I thought gl&dly. It was five o'clock. Just then the carriage rolled up ; there was a loud knock and ring at the front door, and the next moment my wife, Lady Follyne, the Due de Sainte Claire, and the other men were coming up the stairs. My wife's voice sounded above all the others ; she and the Due were laughing loudly at some smart sally. I thought, Ah, my lady, your hour has come now ; you will not be the Queen of Paris muoh longer now. I said to Lance, ' Aiter what you have told me, I must see her in your presence. Of course, after i this I cannot live with her..' . . " ' No, Macgregor, you cannot. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to be the one to have told you this story, but I could not keep it back.' " I rang the bell, and told Lavvaon, my valet, to tell Allen, Mrs De L'lsle's maid, ' that I wished to see her mistress in the library.' Lawson looked astonished, for he, in common with all the servants, knew I had no control over my wife ; but of course he did as I told him. In a few minutes he appeared. ■' Mrs De L'lsle was engaged, and could not come.' Again I sent him j this time, in answer to my message, she came. " I shall never forget that scene to the end of my life. The sweet early May sunshine was shining over Paris, and flooding my room with its glorious rays, as my wife entered my room. She burst in, in a perfect fury, for she had a vile temper, exclaiming loudly, 'What on earth do you mean by sending for me in this way ?' Then, catching sight of Colonel De L'lsle, she calmed down. " ' Allow me,' I said, in an icy voice, 'to introduce you to my cousin, Colonel De L'lsle, of the 20ch King's Own Lancers. I think you and he have met before.' " I saw that she paled imder h^r rougo and powder, but she answered with sang froid, ' No, I have not had the pleasure of meeting Colouel De L'lsle before ; it is one of your stupid mistakes Macgregor dear' (she was always very sweet to me before other people.) " ' Pardon me, Mrs De L'lsle, you are mistaken, we have met before,' said Launcelot ; ' but, when I had the honour of knowing you at Simla, you were Mrs Roger Templeton, wife of Templeton of " ours," and little enough in those days did I think that you would ever be my cousin ! Perhaps you do not remember me, but I have not forgotten you, Mrs De L'lsle.' " ' No, Colonel De L'lsle,' said Florenze, doggedly ; 'I do not know you ; I have never seen you before.' " ' Florenze,' I said sternly, you lie, and- you Jcnow that you lie. You have duped and fooled me long enough. My cousin, who has just come from India on leave, through the mere accident of seeing your photograph on my mantel- piece, found out that Mrs Macgivgor De L'lsle and Mrs Roger Templeton were one and the same person. The game is played out, Madam !' ' " She saw that the game was up, and said in a brazen voice, ' Yes I was Roger Templeton'a wife ; but I am your lawful wife, Macgregor De L'lsle, and you cannot deny that.' " ' Unfortunately, it is too true. But listen to what I have now to say to you; Colonel De L'lsle is witness. , After this, I shall not live with you ; you will never enter Stuart-Royal or Scarth. As long as you live. abroad, and do not attempt to see Lord Stuart- Royal, I am willing to allow you £3000 per' annum — that is, half of my present income — to be paid to you quarterly through my lawyers, if you keep to the conditions I lay down with it. In the event of Lord Stuart-Royal's death, you will become Lady Stuart-Royal — nothing can alter that — and I shall increase your income to £6000 per annum. But, if you ever attempt to hold any communication with me .oxcept through Simcox, my lawyer, I give you fair notice, your income will be stopped. You have most grossly deceive d me, that you cannot deny. If you had even told me your, history since you have been mj wife, I might have forgiven you fully. I, .in common with all my race, have' a deadly hatred 'of anything approaching a lie or deceit. It has been our boast for centuries, that all "our sons were brave, and all our daughters Tirtuous." I shall leave the Life Q-uards, and shall exchange into a Cavalry Regiment stationed in India. To-morrow, we both leave this house. The world will soon know that lam ordered abroad on foreign service. England does not suit Mrs De L'lsle's health— so she lives abroad. I would -suggest that for the first few weeks you take up your residence in Rome with the Marcuses — you can afford to pay them handsoraely with the income I shall allow you. In. Justice to Captain Templeton and his small income, I shall let him know that you ai-e another man's wife, and that, being amply provided for, you have no further need pi the income he has so generously, allowed you.. You understand,, the whole affair will be keptquiet— -our ancient name' shall not be dragged through the mire. There is jiist one point I would like cleared up j how did you come to pass a.s Signora Marcus's cousin ? .„ [ .. " ' I? you must know, I was staying in Florence J when I met hpi\ I gauged her'iri a minute, and' •b'new thaVsnV'wW the 'kind of woman whom it suit '; \ne ..to . live.- : witl^. „ 1 . . tpjd^ r her, my history, ana offered, to pay ner £is0 > yea,rly if she would pa9s me off as her cousin. -For the rest I knew that my beauty would increase her popularity as much as anything. But the .income you propose, to allow .me i% frightfully small, quite inadequate for my waats.'

" ' Inadequate or not, I shall not for the present allow you more than the sum I have named. Probably a few years ago you would have considered £3000 per annum a magnificent income.'

" This ended our interview. In the afternoon we parted, and I have never seen her since. Pai'is was surprised at our sudden departure — perhaps it did not believe our stated reasons for leaving. I saw that Florenze went to Marcuses. I now pass bj thirteen years. I had exchanged from the GJ-uarda to my present regiment, and spent all those thirteen years in India, as you know. I felt that I was better away from ruy relatives and friends in England. At the end of those long years I received a telegram from our old family doctor, saying 'that my father was dangerously ill, and begging me to come home at once.' After some difficulty I obtained aix months' leave. I arrived at Stuart-Royal, the home to which I had been so long a stranger, three dixys before my dear father's death. His death was a gre*t blow to me, for we h<id always had a deep affection for each other. Of course, I had told him of my wretched marriage ao rashly made in the past. I learnt from my lawyer, that the income I hod allowed my wife had been paid regularly to her— they informed me that she was constantly applying to them for more cash. Simcox, the head of the firm, told me that she was travelling abroad, and that her favourite haunt was Baden-Baden. Of course, now, by my father's death, she was Lady StuartRoyal, and, in accordance with my promise, herincome. was: doubled. Five months of nay leave was spent at Stuart-Royal and Scarth. I had promised Mrs Neville, of Neville Court, near York, that I would spend the last month of my leave at Neville Court. She was my godmother, and both she and her husband were very old friend 3of my father. They were both very anxious to see me before I returned to India. Perhaps you may wonder that I decided to go back to my military life in burning India, but I felt it best while my wife lived. The first night that I was at Nerille's they had a grand ball on. This was the first bull I had been present afc since Colonel De L'lsle had told me the story which had broken up* my home, such as it was. I had entered no society, as you know, during the time I had been in India, and the scene was quite a novel one to me. This was really my first public appearance as Lord Stuart-Royal. I was thankful to find that no one seemed to know that I and Captain De L'lsle, husband of a once notorious fashionable beauty, were one and the same. Mrs Neville, at the beginning of the ball, presented me, to use her own words, to her most particular friend, Noel Cecil, daughter of the Rev. Baird Cecil, Vicar of Nevillestone. Directly I saw her I knew it was a case of ' love at first sight ' on my part. I danced with her five times dm*ing the evening. We were soon on intimate terms ; she was such a pure fresh young girl, so charming in all her youthful beauty. What a contrast she was to the Indian garrison ' hacks ' I had so lately left ! She lold me, in her sweet and gentle winning way, that it was her first ball, and how she was, enjoying, the dancing. Her face attracted me in a way that no other had had the power of doing since I had arrived at years of discretion. By the end of the evening I was hoplessly in love with her, though she was just nineteen years my junior, and I flattered myself that she was not quite indifferent to me. Next morning I went out shooting with my host, and he began to speak to me of Noel Cecil. He told me that she was the old Vicar's only child. Her mother had died when she was a year old, her father was completely wrapped up in his books, ; and did not take much thought or care for his sweet, winsome, little daughter, and she would have had a dull time of it if Mrs Neville had not taken her about. " ' Macgregor, if you want to stand well with my lady,' as he always called her, 'mind you always sympathise with her when she speaks of Noel, and always pay her a due amount of attention, for she is my wife's weak point. You see,' said my cheery host, ' having no children of her own, she lavishes all her love on Noel.' " ' Heavens !' thought I, 'I am too far gone already to need to be told to pay Noel enough attention. The difficulty will be to restrain from paying her too much.' " I saw Noel almost every day during the three weeks. The love which I felt for her was a totally different passion than that which I had once entertained for Florenze Castellani. It was a pui'e ennobling love, which made me feel a better man in Jier presence. I felt certain from different signs that I noticed that she. was not indifferent to my love. " ' Heavens !' thought I, ' what ; a wretch lam — I, a married man, I have no right, to. breathe a word of love to any woman while my wife lives — least of all to sweet ptire Noel Cecil.' (To he concluded in our ne.tt.)