Chapter XXIII: Conclusion

Our tale is finished. We have seen the curse, pronounced long ages ago, fulfilled on a whole race! Each in the flower of her age, each in the pride of his strength, has been remorselessly cut down by Death.

First the accomplished Edith, burned on the night of the wedding-ball of her brother; next the fair-haired Florence, broken-hearted at her young lover's death; then Frank, on the field of glory; then the terrible death of the Captain shocked us, and the self-wrought doom of the unhappy Edward L'Estrange, the hero of the book,--the unhappy, ill-starred man, who should have lived and died, as his happier brother the Earl lived and died. Our heroine, Ellen, faithful to death, fulfilled her promise, Ruth-like, to go where her husband went; to lodge where he lodged; his people became her people, and her God his! When he died she died, and nought parted them--not even death! We cannot dismiss our favourite without a few passing words on her character.

In early youth, too much tinged with romance, she committed a great fault, for we must not shut our eyes to the fact,--she most decidedly jilted her first lover for the young Earl. Our readers may excuse her if they like. We might excuse her,--but she never excused herself! True she really loved him not, and the Earl was her first true love; but she learned a bitter lesson, how wrong it was to encourage what she could not reciprocate; how wrong to lead on a lover to distraction! Ah! hearts are brittle ware, and easily broken! Ellen then committed _one_ great fault!--but her whole life suffered for it; never was sin more bitterly visited. Our readers, however indulgently they may view her error, must mark the fatal consequences one swerve from TRUTH entailed on herself and all connected with her.

And now we need only add that the Earl and Countess were laid side by side, followed to the tomb by the whole surrounding neighbourhood--high and low, rich and poor; no eye unwet; no voice but praised the dead, and sympathized with the poor little orphan Countess.

Another orphan sympathized and wept with Augusta,--Caroline Lennox, who had safely returned home.

We now leave the story to our readers' acceptance, and conclude with the best wish--that from these incidents the young may learn to follow the good, and to forsake the wrong. That it is better to live, and die, like the Earl and his Countess, than like Captain de Vere, or the unhappy Edward L'Estrange!

ENDNOTES:

[A] See Note I. _The Funeral._

[B] A fact.

[C] See Note K. _Val di Bovino._

[D] See Note L. _The Vardarelli._

[E] The costumes of Leonora and this bandit are true to life.

[F] See Note M. _The Mysterious Guide._

[G] Scuffle, or shindy.

[H] N.B.--Having dropped Bill Stacy's lingo, we shall not reintroduce it.--_J.S._

[I] See Note N. _Deaths of Earl and Countess._