The Lost Lady of Lone | Page 3

mortgaged as
deeply as it could be--that is, as to the extent of the duke's own life
interests in the estate. Beyond that he could not burden the estate,
which was entailed upon his heirs male. Besides his financial
embarrassments, the duke was afflicted with another evil--he was
consumed with a fever too common with prince and with peasant, as
well as with peer--the fever of a land hunger.
The prince desires to add province to province; the peer to add manor
to manor; the peasant to own a little home of his own, and then to add
acre to acre.
The Lord of Lone glorying in his earthly paradise, wished to see it
enlarged, wished to add one estate to another until he should become
the largest land-owner in Scotland, or have his land-hunger appeased.
He bought up all the land adjoining Lone, that could be purchased at
any price, paying a little cash down, and giving notes for the balance on
each purchase. Thus, in the course of three years, Lone was nearly
doubled in territorial extent.
But the older creditors became clamorous. Bond, and mortgage holders
threatened foreclosure, and the financial affairs of the "mad duke,"
outwardly and apparently so prosperous, were really very desperate.

The family were seriously in danger of expulsion from Lone.
It was at this crisis that the devoted son came to the help of his
father--not wisely, as many people thought then--not fortunately, as it
turned out. To prevent his father from being compelled to leave Lone,
and to protect him from the persecution of creditors, the young Marquis
of Arondelle performed an act of self-sacrifice and filial devotion
seldom equalled in the world's history. He renounced all his own
entailed rights, and sold all his prospective life interest in Lone. His
was a young, strong life, good for fifty or sixty years longer. His
interest brought a sum large enough to pay off the mortgage on Lone
and to settle all others of his father's outstanding debts.
Thus peaceable possession of Lone might have been secured to the
family during the natural life of the duke. At the demise of the duke,
instead of descending to his son and heir, it would pass into the
possession of other parties, with whom it would remain as long the heir
should live.
Thus, I say, by the sacrifice of the son the peace of the father might
have been secured--for a time. And all might have gone well at Lone
but for one unlucky event which finally set the seal on the ruin of the
ducal family.
And yet that event was intended as an honor, and considered as an
honor.
In a word the Queen, the Prince Consort, and the royal family, were
coming to the Highlands. And the Duke of Hereward received an
intimation that her majesty would stop on her royal progress and honor
Lone with a visit of two days. This was a distinction in no wise to be
slighted by any subject under any circumstances, and certainly not by
the duke of Hereward.
The Queen's visit would form the crowning glory of Lone. The
chambers occupied by majesty would henceforth be holy ground, and
would be pointed out with reverence to the stranger in all succeeding
generations.

In anticipation of this honor the "mad" Duke of Hereward launched out
into his maddest extravagances.
He had but ten days in which to prepare for the royal visit, but he made
the best use of his time.
The guest chambers at Lone, already fitted up in princely magnificence,
had new splendors added to them. The castle and the grounds were
adorned and decorated with lavish expenditure. The lake was alive with
gayly-rigged boats. Triumphal arches were erected at stated intervals of
the drive leading from the public road, across the bridge connecting the
shore with the island, and--maddest extravagance of all--the ground
was laid out and fitted up for a grand tournament after the style of the
time of Richard Coeur de Lion, to be held there during the queen's
visit--that fatal visit spoken of in the early part of this chapter.
Yes, fatal!--for a hundred thousand pounds sterling, won by the son's
self-sacrifice, which should have gone to satisfy the clamorous
creditors of the duke, was squandered in extravagant preparations to
royally entertain England's expensive royal family.
A second time Lone was the scene of unparalleled display, festivity,
and rejoicing. Once more all the country round about was assembled
there; again the artists and reporters of the London press were among
the crowd; and again full-page pictures of the ceremonies attending the
queen's reception and entertainment were published in the illustrated
papers, and the fame of that royal visit went out to the uttermost parts
of the earth.
But mark this: