The Lady of the Isle

“’Tis strange, but true; for truth is always strange, Stranger than fiction. If it could be told, How much would fiction gain by the exchange! How differently the world would men behold!”—BYRON.

“With caution judge of probability, Things deemed unlikely, e’en impossible, Experience oft hath proven to be true.”—SHAKSPEARE.

PHILADELPHIA: T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS; 306 CHESTNUT STREET.

A WORD TO THE READER.

In offering you this, the most singular romance that I have ever written, I feel constrained to say, that the most remarkable characters and incidents here exhibited, are drawn from well-known persons and events of real life. These circumstances are here presented with only such judicious change of times, places, and proper names, as is dictated by the prudence and delicacy which also withholds me from pointing out more definitely the sources whence they were derived.

E. D. E. N. S.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER. PAGE I. An Interrupted Wedding, 29 II. The Arrested Bride, 72 III. The World, 89 IV. Estelle, 102 V. The Assizes, 123 VI. The Arraignment, 134 VII. The Flight of Estelle, 156 VIII. The Forsaken, 166 IX. Shipwreck, 179 X. Recognition of the Dead Body, 196 XI. His Majesty the King of the Isle, 203 XII. The Skipper’s Daughter, 228 XIII. The Island Princess, 238 XIV. Barbara Brande, 248 XV. The Girl-Captain, 264 XVI. Pursuit, 279 XVII. Captain Barbara’s First Voyage, 285 XVIII. The Recluse, 298 XIX. The Grave-Yard Ghost, 314 XX. Lord Montressor’s Arrival, 327 XXI. The Last Struggle, 334 XXII. Julius Luxmore, 348 XXIII. Etoile L’Orient, 354 XXIV. Barbara’s Voyage, 375 XXV. Glorious Uncertainty of the Law, 383 XXVI. Christmas in the Village, 397 XXVII. Christmas in the Desolate House, 402 XXVIII. The Evening Feast, 410 XXIX. Captain Barbara may be a Baroness, 420 XXX. Captain Barbara’s Second Voyage, 428 XXXI. The Dreary Headland, 439 XXXII. The Flight from the Headland, 451 XXXIII. The Passage of Years, 456 XXXIV. The Heiress of the Isle, 460 XXXV. Euthanasy, 465 XXXVI. Etoile comes into her Estate, 469 XXXVII. Etoile Left Alone, 474 XXXVIII. The Solitary Maiden, 479 XXXIX. Estelle’s Home, 486 XL. Meeting with an Old Friend, 507 XLI. A Waiting Bride, 515 XLII. What the Sea gave to Etoile, 529 XLIII. Love, 538 XLIV. The Attempted Flight of Etoile, 546 XLV. The Rivals, 557 XLVI. Plots and Counter Plots, 569 XLVII. The Re-union, 593

THE

LADY OF THE ISLE.

CHAPTER I. AN INTERRUPTED WEDDING.

All! then and there was hurrying to and fro, And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress, And cheeks all pale, that but an hour before Blushed at the praise of their own loveliness! And there were sudden partings, such as press The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs, Which ne’er might be repeated; who could guess If ever more should meet those mutual eyes, Since upon night so sweet, such awful morn could rise!—Byron.

It was the first of May, the marriage day of the Viscount Montressor, of Montressor Castle, Dorsetshire, and Estelle, only daughter and heiress of Sir Parke Morelle, Hyde Hall, Devonshire.

A glorious morning! the cloudless, blue sky smiled down upon the green hills and dewy dales and deep woods of Devon; and the park around the Hall was all alive and musical with the joyous songs of birds, and the merry laughter of young men and maidens gathering to celebrate their May-day festival, and to do honor to the marriage of their landlord’s daughter.