The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-05-07

of n dreamer, and musical as were her tones, it
was difficult TO comprehend her meaning Aware
of this, her husband rarely addressed her in the
presence of his domeslics, and few of them had
ever heard her voice. TO one who could have
beheld her moving gracefully through the stately
apartments, or presiding in perfect silence and de-
corum at the solitary board, to which guests were
never invited, she would have seemed the very
perfection of womanly loneliness. But when she
raised her usually downcast lids, there was a wild
melancholy in her full black eyes that seemed al
mos, startling and this look together with the pc
cuIiar accents in which she spoke, had excited in
the minds of the household strange and mystic
lerops dread of her whom they styled "the Dark
Ladye of Oxenham."
But the quiet of home could not long satisfy the
,otary Of excitement. Oxenham became weary of
ZilIah's childish caresses her ignorance Disguised
him, her hopeless mbeciy shocked him, and, at
length, confdng the care of his wife TO the old and
confidential nurse, who had early learned the pain
full secret, he determined to return TO court But
first he took the precauon of exactng from Xillah
a promise never to wander beyond the bounds Of
his own domain, and relying upon this, together
with the wuchfulness Of old WinGred, he once
more sought the scenes of dissipation. AT first, the
hapIess ZiIIah pined for the accustomed face and
voice of her husband. Like forward child, she
wepl and refused to be comfor,ed, until her infan-
tine mind had lost remembrance Of her grief in its
very excess. Wlnifred attended her as she would
have done helpless babe; studying every wish,
and yielding 10 every within, until the image of her
husband faded from her vague fancy, and she re-
gained her wonled quiet manner.
In the meantime the Lord Of OxcnhNm was
punging anew into the excuses of II cort, then
the most ceuiouS in Europe, and wasting, in riot
Gus liz inv the god winch had been the dowry of his
inbecilr bride Many were The jpers & srur>y tests
which h. was coupe led to endure on account Of
his marriage, and the seclusion in which he had
kept his beautiful wife, Thinking that they had
fully OWNED his motives, his loose companions vi
tered many u taunt aud sheer against The euro with
which he sought to preserve her from contanlna-
,ion of evil, AT length, III moment OF excitement,
when heated with wine, OAenham WAS goadcd by
The pcrlnucious teasing of the merry monarch INTO
measure at once degrading to himself and unjus,
to his he pess wife be- King offered to stake his
ROYAL Gcolge against a sgn,, ring, that If Oxen
ham would hu, give him one days advance Of him,
he would ran access to the imprisoned beauty, and
bring bach some inlallhle token Of her favor. OK
enham accepted the wager, and agreed 10 remain
in London one day after the King should have de-
parted, before following him TO OXenham, only
STIMULATING that the King should make no use OF his
royal preloga,No in obtaining entrance into Oxen
ham Hall. ~ Fear mo not" said the King, :"
will take no unfair advantage of thee, good John
va, will see inv pre,,y wife. and bring thee Cai,
token from the cneed bird;n then turning to Buck
inyh,m. he whispered, 81 would not ride into De.
yonshire for all the gentle danes in England i.
a -erion of perpetual weeping. ! mind me well Of
the weary DAYS | spent at Tiverton, in the time
when old Noi ruled the state; wheresover else tn,
sun NAV shine il aluaus rains in Derohshire."
/ Will your ma esty then lose your wager Tor q
cloudy sky /" asked Buckingham.
"Not so, my lord, care less to see the lad,
than to plague the proud knight of Oxenham; ano
it will go hard with me, but VIII ind means &c
win Jewel without going myself to seek IT,"
Some few DAYS afterwards, as the Lady ZiIlaf
was seo,ed with her faithful old attendant, in a re-
,ircd mari of the grounds, still known BY the nanl'
If the ady's Rover. she was accosed BY an ole
fynsy- woman. apparently bending under the weigh
If wars and infrmities, who importuned her t.
listen 70 her predicion. Naturally timid, and in
clned IN superslilion, MS the weak-mnded usual,
arc Zillnh's Gancies had been nourshed by ole
| Winifred. who was n firm believer in supernatnra
e,en,s. and who had found the most ellicaciou
mo,bod or nersundinp Zihh TO obey her directions
was hv The narration of wild and wonderful tales il
which she delighted. The sight of the gypsy, there
FIRE excited Iillah's childish fancy, and in DESPITE
If nil Nnirred's Inconsistencies, she listened in
trance Of wonder TO the jarron of the pretende,
prophetess. She even offered her hand, small
dark and lined with the soflest rosetint to the Gu
rious caze of the sybil. who seemed to decy phe
the future fortune of the lady, while she peere,
into the ewes much more frequently than into tn
, palm before her. At length Wnfred's threat
preyni,.d. and the rpsy rrtreated, bu, the chdis
, Elijah. delighted with her brish, predictions, wa
wild with excitement. It was moi until Winfrc
, vns di.robnr her for the night, that she missed
curou. bracelc, which she always wore, and learn
cd At how dear price she had purchased the gip
sy's shilI in paln,is,ry. Terrified lest her nas,e
shopld bc angry n, her curelc.sEess in allowing on
If the pro.crhsd race to approach the Lad, Zillsh
old Winfield framed n tale for his ear, should h
inoure for the bracelet, and taught it 10 2ilah 10,
. "a one would ,,pcb a lesson to child. She WI
soon called 10 M, in reouison all her skill in d.
snnl,,cn far in less thsn twenty -rcnr hours ultC