THE YOUNG HUSBAND. BY MRS. GREY, AUTHOR OF “THE GAMBLER'S WIFE," "MARY SEAHAM,” "Such was the youth to whom a love For grace and beauty far above Their due deserts, betrayed a heart, Which might have else performed a prouder part." PHILIP VON ARTEVELD. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1854. 249. V. 510. THE YOUNG HUSBAND. CHAPTER I. Two years had been the period Mrs. FitzHenry had assigned as requisite for the course of severe study, which was to prepare her daughter for the stage; but we find that not one year has passed, and Stella has made her most successful and triumphant debut. The fact was, that with the innate genius she possessed, combined with the most efficient artistical instructions received from her VOL. 1. B earliest years, far less time than could have been supposed possible was required to qualify her for that important and difficult vocation. The manager of the Milan theatre, at that period one of the most distinguished in Italy, visited the academy at Florence, heard, saw her, and was delighted; astonished as much with the dramatic talent displayed by the young English girl, as with her wonderful singing. Her youthful grace and loveliness heightened her value in his eyes; in short, experienced perception showed him at once that, English woman though she was, she would prove in every respect a star, a treasure, as the prima soprano of the Theatre della Scala, in the place of one of whose services he had been unexpectedly deprived. The manager lost no time in gaining an introduction to Mrs. Fitz-Henry, and in making overtures for her daughter. They were at first decidedly rejected; Mrs. Fitz-Henry did not think that it would be doing justice to her daughter's future prospects, to allow her thus prematurely to bring her powers into action. The director strenuously combated the idea. He argued that this was the very juncture when the young lady's voice, in its full freshness and strength, might most advantageously be called into exercise; that it would be wasting those powers to employ them further in the drudgery of instruction, which it was easy to discern previous tuition of a scarce less able and efficient nature had almost rendered unnecessary. Flattered and gratified alike as were the mother and the artist in Mrs. Fitz-Henry, by this implied compliment, she was still wavering, when Stella herself joined the conclave. On being enlightened as to the object of the signor's visit, the young cantatrice's countenance immediately lighted up with excitement and delight at the suggestion. With the usual restlessness of genius, her spirit had already begun to struggle impatiently beneath the constraint and drudgery of instruction, and |