the moonlight, and was married on the following morning.  This story, which has been gracefully told by Eliza Meteyard under the title of “The Love Steps of Dorothy Vernon,” has always been regarded as one of the most romantic and pleasant episodes in the history of Haddon Hall.  Through Dorothy’s marriage, the estate of Haddon passed from the family of Vernon to that of Manners, and a branch of the house of Rutland was transferred to the county of Derby.”

[Illustration:  DOROTHY VERNON AND THE WOODMAN.]

But love has always been an inducement, in one form or another for disguise, and a romantic story is told of Sir John Bolle, of Thorpe Hall, in Lincolnshire, who distinguished himself at Cadiz, in the year 1596.  Among the prisoners taken at this memorable seige, was “a fair captive of great beauty, high rank, and immense wealth,” and who was the peculiar charge of Sir John Bolle.  She soon became deeply enamoured of her gallant captor, and “in his courteous company was all her joy,” her infatuation being so great that she entreated him to allow her to accompany him to England disguised as his page.  But Sir John had a wife at home, and replied—­to quote the version of the story given in Dr. Percy’s “Relics of Ancient English Poetry":—­

“Courteous lady, leave this fancy,
Here comes all that breeds the strife;
I in England have already
A sweet woman to my wife. 
I will not falsify my vow for gold or gain,
Nor yet for all the fairest dames that live in Spain.”

Thereupon the fair lady determined to retire to a convent, admiring the gallant soldier all the more for his faithful devotion to his wife.

“O happy is that woman
That enjoys so true a friend! 
Many happy days God send her! 
Of my suit I make an end,
On my knees I pardon crave for my offence,
Which did from love and true affection first commence.

“I will spend my days in prayer,
Love and all her laws defy;
In a nunnery will I shroud me,
Far from any company. 
But ere my prayers have an end be sure of this,
To pray for thee and for thy love I will not miss.”

But, before forsaking the world, she transmitted to her unconscious rival in England her jewels and valuable knicknacks, including her own portrait drawn in green—­a circumstance which obtained for the original the designation of the “Green Lady,” and Thorpe Hall has long been said to be haunted by the lady in green, who has been in the habit of appearing beneath a particular tree close to the mansion.

A story, which has been gracefully told in one of Moore’s Irish Melodies, relates to Henry Cecil, Earl of Exeter, who early in life fell in love with the rich heiress of the Vernons of Hanbury.  A marriage was eventually arranged, but this union proved a complete failure, and terminated in a divorce.  Thereupon young Cecil, distrustful of the conventionalities of society, and to prevent any one of the fair sex marrying him on account of his position, resolved “on laying aside the artificial attractions of his rank, and seeking some country maiden who would wed him from disinterested motives of affection.”