The Starucca Viaduct [pp. 457-458]

1872.] THEfSTAR (JCCA VIADUCR 457
brocade curtains, and its high rickety tester,
that looked as if it were going to topple down
on your head when you slept in it-another
shape of the Damocles sword which hangs
over the heads of kings. There was the sil ver toilet-service, the very dish in which his
most sacred majesty was shaved, and in
which, if he pleased, Lord Pennyroyal might
have been shaved by his barber, if he had one,
at a vast expense of lather and soap-which
he would not have grudged, as it belonged to
some one else, though he might have groaned
at such waste as a bad example.
There was the queen's room, with its silver
sconces fixed into the wall, and its straight backed chairs, covered with embroidery rep resenting various passages out of the life of
Reynard the Fox. Here was Reynard's base
piece of flattery to the crow, whereby he got
the cheese-which ought to have reminded
Sir Timothy Tyrrell of the way in which the
king had coaxed him out of his money-and
here was his famous declaration that the
grapes were sour, because he could not get
them. Here was the fox dining with the
crane, and the crane dining with the fox.
Here was the bear frozen in by the tail into
the ice by the tricks of the fox; and the wolf
deluded by Reynard to go into the priest's
hen-house, only to be nearly flayed alive.
Here was Reynard about to be hanged, and
pardoned while standing on the ladder under
the gallows because he had told that noble
king, the lion, where a vast treasure was hid den, which no one could find but Reynard
himself. Here was Reynard going on a pil grimage to Rome for his sins; and here was
the throttling of the rabbit, his guide, and his
return to court, and final triumph over his
enemies. The whole story of Reynard the
Fox was worked on those uncomfortable
chairs and couches; and poor Catherine, in
her withdrawing-room, might have felt that,
even for queens, the grapes of this world are
often sour.
Then there was tapestry, and very good
tapestry, hung on the walls of both rooms..
Here a noble Italian plaisance, with gardens,
and groves, and fountains, and water-fall, and
terraces. In the foreground, on a balcony,
were ladies looking down on cavaliers going
out to hunt; and on the terrace were statues
of gods and heroes; and in one corner, in a
cool, shady pool, were wood-nymphs bathing,
and rude rustics-not, alas! doomed to be
punished like Actieon-peeping at them between the trees. ~
In another a mighty battle was ragingcannons firing, horsemen charging, pikemen
flying, swords crossed, saddles emptied, limbs
lopped off, ghastly wounds, everywhere confusion, fire, and slaughter. As one gazed on
it, one heard the roar of battle, and the eyes
were sated with blood and death. What
battle it was no one could tell. To find out
was a puzzle always set to visitors at High
Beech; but the guest was yet to come who
could say what battle it was. It was, and remained, a great battle, and nothing more.
So the tapestry went on, covering thee four
sides of these two great square rooms. They
were beautiful pieces of Italian work, older
far than the house. No doubt Sir Timothy
Tyrrell bought them, like the chairs with the
fox and the grapes on them, to do honor to
their most sacred majesties; and now Lord
and Lady Pennyroyal had the benefit of them.
Though the colors were a little gone, and the
silk in the faces of the figures had turned
black, making them all look like blackamoors,
they were noble works of art, and if put up
to auction at Christie's would have brought
a mint of money from some gentleman with
not a twentieth part of the means, but a
thousand times more taste than the Right
Hon. the Earl Pennyroyal.
"I don't like tapestry," said Lord Penny royal, just before he retired to rest in King
Charles's bed. "If I had all this I should
sell it, and have the walls papered."
"I should keep it," said Lady Pennyroyal.
"It would be a desecration to strip it from
the walls which it has so long covered."
So they went to bed.
As for the rest, Florry and Alice were
very happy; but they could not help think ing that Lady Sweetapple's "exhibition," as
Florry called it, had created a sensation in
the minds of both their lovers.
"I thought even your lamb seemed half
inclined to break his string, dear," said
Florry.
"And what do you think of yours?" said
Alice.
"I am not quite sure," said Florry. "But
it is a great comfort to think. that her name
was Smith, and that she was a doctor's
daughter. I am so happy to think, too, that
after dinner, while I was talking to Mr. Son derling, she and Harry had a quarrel."
"How do you know that?" asked Alice.
"Because I saw her face so flushed after
they parted," said Florry; "and more, because
Harry told me so," added Florry, with an air
of intense satisfaction.
"What a strange creature that Mr. Sonderling is!" said Alice. "You heard mamma ask him to come to luncheon to-morrow,
and what Lady Sweetapple said to him?"
"I only heard what he said- that he
would have the highest pleasure. What did
she say?"
"All she said," said Alice, "was:'Mind
you do come, Mr. Sonderling; I want to
speak to you."'
"She's so vain - she flirts with every
man; and, more than that, with ever so many
at once. She'd flirt with Lord Pennyroyal if
she could."
"Ah," said Alice, smartly, "but you know
he couldn't afford it."
"And-now," said Florry, "let us go to
bed and sleep soundly, if we can. It has not
been such a bad day, after all."
As for Amicia, she was not so happy.
When Mrs. Crump wanted to gossip, she
would not let her. She had heard quite
enough of high life below-stairs, she said.
She was tired; she wanted to go to bed.
"There, Ctump, you may go," she said,
when that assiduous maid had only half discharged her nightly duties.
"Oh, my lady! Go to bed, and you only
half.undressed? I never!"
"Never or not, go!" said Amicia, actually
stamping her tiny foot.
"To find him here," she said, as she flung
herself into that easy-chair which is now her
confessional to us-" to find him here, of all
the places in the world! How true of Ander son, when he said that one never knows one's
old love after the lapse of years! Yet it is I
that am changed. Not at all," as she stood
up for a moment to look in the glass. "It
isn't that; only — only circumstances are
changed. I am sure he told her every thing.
I saw them talking at dinner and afterward.
Yet what harm can he do me? One's not
bound to marry one's first love. How ridicu lous it seems at this distance! He is much
altered, too- much more than I am. I
thought women altered more than men-in
looks,, I mean, and in heart too. I wonder if
he will be faithful to me? He always had a
generous heart. We shall see to-morrow.
And that Miss Price? How boldly Harry
defied me! There is some mystery about
that young lady; and if, if"-she said "if"
two or three times, and then went on-" if I
can't have my way, others shall hear of Miss
Edith Price besides myself. And now to bed.
How heart-breaking doubt is!"
Of course the smokers had gone to the
smoking-room. However late the ladies might
be, Count Pantouffies said there was always
time for a cigarette.
"That was a very fine performance-don't
you think so, Colonel Barker?" asked the
count, behind a cloud of his own raising.
"I've seen things very like it on the
stage," said Colonel Barker. "To me it
sounded like rant. I hate declamation in
ladies!"
"It was very fine," said Harry. "To me
it sounded like real poetry."
"And real music," said Edward Vernon.
"I thought so too," backing up Harry, like a
stanch pointer.
Soon after the smoking came to an end;
and as they crawled up to bed-for even
Harry Fortescue and Edward Vernon were
tired-Edward turned to Harry on the landing, and asked:
"I say, Harry, did you write to Edith?"
"Of course I did," said Harry; "and sent
her a check."
"That's all right," said Edward. "You
know the money was due on the first of the
month."
"I know all about it," said Harry; "and
I meant to have sent it before I left town;
but this visit made me put it off till to-day
But it went to-night; and she'll get it to-morrow morning."
"That's all right," said Edward again.
And then the two friends turned each into
his own room, and were soon fast asleep.
[To BE coNTIxNvD.]
THE STARUCCA VIADUCT.
See ILLUSTRATION, page 464.
HE Starucca Viaduct, on the Erie Rail way, is one of the imposing structures
that characterize that road, and forms an ef.
fective feature in a landscape of singular
beauty. It is situated near the town of Sus.
quehanna, nearly two hundred miles distant
from New-York City, and carries the road
across the Starucca, one of the numerous
charming valleys that abound in this portion
1872.]
TtIrE S TARBCCA VIA-DUCT
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