"The arts used to discover the mystery and make me unmask were

innumerable and almost incredible; but I baffled them all, and began,

after a time, rather to enjoy the sensation I created than otherwise.

"There was one, in particular, possessed of even more devouring

curiosity than the rest, a certain young countess of miraculous beauty,

whom I need not describe, since you have her very image in Leoline.

The Marquis de Montmorenci, of a somewhat inflammable nature, loved her

almost as much as he had done my mother, and she accepted him, and they

were married. She may have loved him (I see no reason why she should

not), but still to this day I think it was more to discover the secret

of La Masque than from any other cause. I loved my beautiful new mother

too well to let her find it out; although from the day she entered our

house as a bride, until that on which she lay on her deathbed, her whole

aim, day and night, was its discovery. There seemed to be a fatality

about my father's wives; for the beautiful Honorine lived scarcely

longer than her predecessor, and she died, leaving three children--all

born at one time--you know them well, and one of them you love. To my

care she intrusted them on her deathbed, and she could have scarcely

intrusted them to worse; for, though I liked her, I most decidedly

disliked them. They were lovely children--their lovely mother's image;

and they were named Hubert, Leoline, and Honorine, or, as you knew her,

Miranda. Even my father did not seem to care for them much, not even

as much as he cared for me; and when he lay on his deathbed, one year

later, I was left, young as I was, their sole guardian, and trustee of

all his wealth. That wealth was not fairly divided--one-half being left

to me and the other half to be shared equally between them; but, in my

wicked ambition, I was not satisfied even with that. Some of my father's

fierce and cruel nature I inherited; and I resolved to be clear of these

three stumbling-blocks, and recompense myself for my other misfortunes

by every indulgence boundless riches could bestow. So, secretly, and in

the night, I left my home, with an old and trusty servant, known to you

as Prudence, and my unfortunate, little brother and sisters. Strange

to say, Prudence was attached to one of them, and to neither of the

rest--that one was Leoline, whom she resolved to keep and care for, and

neither she nor I minded what became of the other two."

"From Paris we went to Dijon, where we dropped Hubert into the turn at

the convent door, with his name attached, and left him where he would

be well taken care of, and no questions asked. With the other two we

started for Calais, en route for England; and there Prudence got rid

of Honorine in a singular manner. A packet was about starting for the

island of our destination, and she saw a strange-looking little man

carrying his luggage from the wharf into a boat. She had the infant in

her arms, having carried it out for the identical purpose of getting rid

of it; and, without more ado, she laid it down, unseen, among boxes and

bundles, and, like Hagar, stood afar off to see what became of it. That

ugly little man was the dwarf; and his amazement on finding it among

his goods and chattels you may imagine; but he kept it, notwithstanding,

though why, is best known to himself. A few weeks after that we, too,

came over, and Prudence took up her residence in a quiet village a long

way from London. Thus you see, Sir Norman, how it comes about that we

are so related, and the wrong I have done them all."




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