Part 71 (1/2)

Salome sat down on the foot of the cot, and the abbess drew the stool and placed herself near.

Then Salome saw the lady-superior was even paler and graver than usual; and anxious as the young lady felt to hear the abbess' story, she thought she would give her more time to recover, and even a.s.sist her in doing so, by diverting her thoughts to the new incident of the ring, which she produced and laid upon the mother's lap, saying:

”That was found by me in the bosom of little Marie Perdue's dress. It was donated to the house, for the benefit of the child. Here is the sc.r.a.p of writing in which it was rolled.”

The abbess silently took up the ring and the paper, and examined the first and read the last, saying:

”Such mysterious donations to the children are not uncommon, and are generally supposed to be offered by the unknown parents. This, however, is by far the most valuable present that has ever been made by any one to the inst.i.tution, and must be worth at least a thousand Napoleons. It was made by the visitors of this morning, I suppose?”

”Yes, madam, it was.”

”I see, I understand. Take charge of it, my daughter, until we can deliver it to the sister-treasurer,” directed the lady-superior, as she replaced the ring in its wrapper and returned both to Salome.

”But, mother, I wish myself to become the purchaser of this ring. I have a thousand pounds with me. I will give them for the ring.”

”My daughter!” exclaimed the abbess in surprise. ”Why should you wish to possess this bauble? It can be of no use to you in the life you are about to enter, even if the rules of our order would permit you to retain it, which you know they would not.”

”Mother! it was my father's ring! It was a part of the property stolen from him on the night of his murder,” solemnly answered Salome.

”Holy saints! can that be true?” exclaimed the abbess.

”As true as truth. I know the ring well. He always wore it on his finger.

Inside the setting is his monogram, 'L.L.,' and his crest, a falcon,”

answered Salome, once more unwrapping the ring and offering it to the inspection of the lady-superior.

”I see! I see! It is so. Ah, Holy Virgin! that it should have been offered by Count Waldemar, or by him whom you overheard conspiring with his female companion under the windows on the night of your father's murder!” cried the abbess, covering her face with a fold of her black vail.

”Count Waldemar, or the duke of Hereward, I know not which, I know not whom. Oh! mother, this mystery grows deeper, this confusion more confounded.”

”Take back your ring, my child, and keep it without price. It was your father's, and it is yours. We cannot receive stolen goods even as alms offered to our orphans,” said the abbess, dropping her vail and returning the jewel.

”I will take it and keep it because it was my dear father's; but I will give a full equivalent for its value. No one could object to that,” said Salome, as she replaced the ring in her bosom. ”And now, Mother Genevieve, will you tell me the promised story? It may possibly throw some light even upon this dark mystery.”

The pale abbess bowed a.s.sent, and immediately began the narrative, which, for the Sake of convenience, we prefer to render in our own words.

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

THE DUKE'S DOUBLE.

First it is necessary to revert to the history of the Scotts of Lone, Dukes of Hereward.

He who married Salome Levison was the eighth of his princely line. Any one turning to Burke's Peerage of the preceding year, might have read this record of the late duke:

”Hereward, Duke of, (Archibald-Alexander-John Scott) Marquis of Arondelle and Avondale in the Peerage of England, Earl of Lone and Baron Scott in the Peerage of Scotland; born, 1st of Jan., 1800; succeeded his father as seventh duke, 1st Feb., 1840; married, first, March 15th, 1843, Valerie, only daughter of Constantine, Baron de la Motte; divorced, Nov, 1st, 1844; married, secondly, July 15th, 1845, Lady Katherine-Augusta, eldest daughter of the Earl of Banff, and has a son--Archibald-Alexander-John, Marquis of Arondelle, born 1st of May, 1846.”

A whole domestic tragedy is comprised in one line of this record:

”Married, first, March 15th, 1843, Valerie, only daughter of Constantine, Baron de la Motte; divorced, Nov. 1st, 1844.”