In Modern Anglo-Saxon Aristocracy: An English Decadent.
Within a year or so, the bankruptcy of an enormously wealthy young British nobleman and peer drew new attention to his eccentricities. Of a degenerately æsthetic kind, they long had been in popular comment. This young man, the wearer of several high titles, owed (at last accounts) nearly six hundred thousand pounds, although his yearly income had been continously about a hundred thousand pounds! His life as a boy was effeminate enough to justify rumours as to his homosexualism, further bruited through his own love of notoriety. His passion for art, for the theater, for dressing in female clothing, for the most expensive costumes, (including those feminine) his almost unparallelled extravagance as to rare jewels—all made him famous. His health was at no time robust, and curious tales were therewith linked. To the amazement of his acquaintance presently he abruptly married. A young relative, of suitable wealth was his bride. Naturally the marriage was not felicitous; but nobody was prepared to find the bridegroom soon bringing suit for the annullment of the marriage, on the claim that he was physically unable to fulfil his marital duties. A Court accepted the medical verdict to this interesting effect; and the marriage was declared void. Six months later, the divorced young gentleman, demanded a second medical examination, so that he could remarry the same lady. Medical inspection having again justified the noble lord, he became for a second time this young relative's spouse, apparently with her hearty consent and satisfaction. A fanatic on all theatrical entertainments, this young peer organized a traveling and residential theater-troupe, and rambled about England with it; or else he acted in his own magnificent private theater, playing almost exclusively female roles. His jewels were valued at half a million pounds, the rubies, cats-eyes, alexandrites, emeralds and diamonds vying with those of any princess or opera-queen. He was the victim of a huge robbery, by a highly confidential companion, of such jewel-
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