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of mid…day。
The block was laid forththe hideous minister of vengeance； masked
and in black； with the flaming glaive in his hand； was ready。 The
baron tried the edge of the blade with his finger； and asked the
dreadful swordsman if his hand was sure？ A nod was the reply of
the man of blood。 The weeping garrison and domestics shuddered and
shrank from him。 There was not one there but loved and pitied the
gentle lady。
Pale； pale as a stone； she was brought from her dungeon。 To all
her lord's savage interrogatories； her reply had been； 〃I am
innocent。〃 To his threats of death； her answer was； 〃You are my
lord； my life is in your hands； to take or to give。〃 How few are
the wives； in our day； who show such angelic meekness！ It touched
all hearts around her； save that of the implacable Barbazure！ Even
the Lady Blanche； （Fatima's cousin）； whom he had promised to marry
upon his faithless wife's demise； besought for her kinswoman's
life； and a divorce； but Barbazure had vowed her death。
〃Is there no pity； sir？〃 asked the chaplain who had attended her。
〃No pity？〃 echoed the weeping serving…maid。
〃Did I not aye say I would die for my lord？〃 said the gentle lady；
and placed herself at the block。
Sir Raoul de Barbazure seized up the long ringlets of her raven
hair。 〃Now！〃 shouted he to the executioner； with a stamp of his
foot〃Now strike！〃
The man （who knew his trade） advanced at once； and poised himself
to deliver his blow： and making his flashing sword sing in the air；
with one irresistible； rapid stroke； it sheared clean off the head
of the furious； the bloodthirsty； the implacable Baron de Barbazure！
Thus he fell a victim to his own jealousy： and the agitation of the
Lady Fatima may be imagined； when the executioner； flinging off his
mask； knelt gracefully at her feet； and revealed to her the well…
known features of Romane de Clos…Vougeot。
LORDS AND LIVERIES。
BY THE AUTHORESS OF 〃DUKES AND DEJEUNERS；〃 〃HEARTS AND DIAMONDS；〃
〃MARCHIONESSES AND MILLINERS；〃 ETC。 ETC。
I。
〃CORBLEU！ What a lovely creature that was in the Fitzbattleaxe box
to…night；〃 said one of a group of young dandies who were leaning
over the velvet…cushioned balconies of the 〃Coventry Club；〃 smoking
their full…flavored Cubas （from Hudson's） after the opera。
Everybody stared at such an exclamation of enthusiasm from the lips
of the young Earl of Bagnigge； who was never heard to admire
anything except a coulis de dindonneau a la St。 Menehould； or a
supreme de cochon en torticolis a la Piffarde； such as Champollion；
the chef of the 〃Traveller's；〃 only knows how to dress； or the
bouquet of a flask of Medoc； of Carbonell's best quality； or a
goutte of Marasquin； from the cellars of Briggs and Hobson。
Alured de Pentonville； eighteenth Earl of Bagnigge； Viscount Paon
of Islington； Baron Pancras； Kingscross； and a Baronet； was； like
too many of our young men of ton； utterly blase； although only in
his twenty…fourth year。 Blest； luckily； with a mother of excellent
principles （who had imbued his young mind with that Morality which
is so superior to all the vain pomps of the world！） it had not been
always the young earl's lot to wear the coronet for which he now in
sooth cared so little。 His father； a captain of Britain's navy；
struck down by the side of the gallant Collingwood in the Bay of
Fundy； left little but his sword and spotless name to his young；
lovely； and inconsolable widow； who passed the first years of her
mourning in educating her child in an elegant though small cottage
in one of the romantic marine villages of beautiful Devonshire。
Her child！ What a gush of consolation filled the widow's heart as
she pressed him to it！ How faithfully did she instil into his
young bosom those principles which had been the pole…star of the
existence of his gallant father！
In this secluded retreat； rank and wealth almost boundless found
the widow and her boy。 The seventeenth Earlgallant and ardent；
and in the prime of youthwent forth one day from the Eternal City
to a steeple…chase in the Campagna。 A mutilated corpse was brought
back to his hotel in the Piazza di Spagna。 Death； alas！ is no
respecter of the Nobility。 That shattered form was all that
remained of the fiery； the haughty； the wild； but the generous
Altamont de Pentonville！ Such； such is fate！
The admirable Emily de Pentonville trembled with all a mother's
solicitude at the distinctions and honors which thus suddenly
descended on her boy。 She engaged an excellent clergyman of the
Church of England to superintend his studies； to accompany him on
foreign travel when the proper season arrived； to ward from him
those dangers which dissipation always throws in the way of the
noble； the idle； and the wealthy。 But the Reverend Cyril Delaval
died of the measles at Naples； and henceforth the young Earl of
Bagnigge was without a guardian。
What was the consequence？ That； at three…and…twenty； he was a
cynic and an epicure。 He had drained the cup of pleasure till it
had palled in his unnerved hand。 He had looked at the Pyramids
without awe； at the Alps without reverence。 He was unmoved by the
sandy solitudes of the Desert as by the placid depths of
Mediterranean's sea of blue。 Bitter； bitter tears did Emily de
Pentonville weep； when； on Alured's return from the Continent； she
beheld the awful change that dissipation had wrought in her
beautiful； her blue…eyed； her perverted； her still beloved boy！
〃Corpo di Bacco；〃 he said； pitching the end of his cigar on to the
red nose of the Countess of Delawaddymore's coachmanwho； having
deposited her fat ladyship at No。 236 Piccadilly； was driving the
carriage to the stables； before commencing his evening at the
〃Fortune of War〃 public…house〃what a lovely creature that was！
What eyes！ what hair！ Who knows her？ Do you； mon cher prince？〃
〃E bellissima； certamente；〃 said the Duca de Montepulciano； and
stroked down his jetty moustache。
〃Ein gar schones Madchen；〃 said the Hereditary Grand Duke of
Eulenschreckenstein； and turned up his carroty one。
〃Elle n'est pas mal； ma foi！〃 said the Prince de Borodino； with a
scowl on his darkling brows。 〃Mon Dieu； que ces cigarres sont
mauvais！〃 he added as he too cast away his Cuba。
〃Try one of my Pickwicks；〃 said Franklin Fox； with a sneer；
offering his gold etui to the young Frenchman； 〃they are some of
Pontet's best； Prince。 What； do you bear malice？ Come； let us be
friends；〃 said the gay and careless young patrician； but a scowl on
the part of the Frenchman was the only reply。
〃Want to know who she is？ Borodino knows who she is； Bagnigge；〃
the wag went on。
Everybody crowded around Monsieur de Borodino thus apostrophized。
The Marquis of Alicompayne； young De Boots of the Lifeguards； Tom
Protocol of the Foreign Office； the gay young Peers； Farintosh；
Poldoody； and the rest； and Bagnigge； for a wonder； not less eager
than any one present。
〃No； he will tell you nothing about her。 Don't you see he has gone
off in a fury！〃 Franklin Fox continued。 〃He has his reasons； ce
cher prince： he will tell you nothing； but I will。 You know that I
am au mieux with the dear old duchess。〃
〃They say Frank and she are engaged after the duke's death；〃 cried
Poldoody。
〃I always thought Fwank was the duke's illicit gweatgwandson；〃
drawled out De Boots。
〃I heard that he doctored her Blenheim； and used to bring her wigs
from Paris；〃 cried that malicious Tom Protocol； whose mots are
known in every diplomatic salon from Petersburg to Palermo。
〃Burn her wigs and hang her poodle！〃 said Bagnigge。 〃Tell me about
this girl； Franklin Fox。〃
〃In the first place； she has five hundred thousand acres； in a ring
fence in Norfolk； a county in Scotland； a castle in Wales； a villa
at Richmond； a corner house in Belgrave Square； and eighty thousand
a year in the three…per…cents。〃
〃Apres？〃 said Bagnigge； still yawning。
〃Secondly； Borodino lui fait la cour。 They are cousins； her mother
was an Armagnac of the emigration； the old Marshal； his father；
married another sister。 I believe he was footman in the family；
before Napoleon princified him。〃
〃No； no； he was second coachman；〃 Tom Protocol good…naturedly
interposed〃a cavalry officer； Frank； not an infantry man。〃
〃'Faith you should have seen his fury （the young one's； I mean）
when he found me in the duchess's room this evening； tete…a…tete
with the heiress； who deigned to receive a bouquet from this hand。〃
〃It cost me three guineas；〃 poor Frank said； with a shrug and a
sigh； 〃and that Covent Garden scoundrel gives no credit： but she
took the flowers；eh； Bagnigge？〃
〃And flung them to Alboni；〃 the Peer replied； with a haughty sneer。
And poor little Franklin Fox was compelled to own that she had。
The maitre d'hotel here announced that suppe