The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-03-29
THE DEPARTURE.

With the evening star in the sky, the young
Prince stood at the fountain in the garden
Floretta glided by. When he announced tt
her the approaching separation, she was al
most dissolved with grief. Who could pain
her dispair; or describe what Henry suffered
In close embrace, they wept,mourned and con
soled each other.
"You are leaving me now, Henryl' she
said, sobbing. "You will not forget me. | am
alone on the earth. You, my sweet life, are
flying away, nothing sweeter than death is left
me-"
'But," said he, 81 fly not forever. l return
again. Towhom do l belong, i'll belong not 10
thee? | am no more my own, for am now
and forever thine. What should remember,
if could forget thee You are the soul Of my
happiest recollections. When forget thee,
have forgotten existence"
( "Ol Henry, you will not again return and
should you again return, you will know Flor
eta no more. shall fade away, like flow
er without the dew. You are my son, how
shall thrive, when you have disappeared -
"No, Fioretta, you are happier thanI. The
scene of our blessedness remains with thee
with thee, this fountain, this garden. | live
in all these flowers for thee. But in the NOR
ming. when have lost thee, am in another
world, in desert. solitary among thousands.
Therefore will my longing the more warmly
turn back to thee. All only one flower that
has boomed at the foot of this fountain would
entertain me when far away. If the compa-
ny around me hate or fear me, thine will love
the.
Oh how lovely thou art Who would not
love thee7 Others will idolize thee, others
will meet thee, will adore thee all you will
find others more worthy of thy love-"
Thus they conversed for long time. Tears,
VOWS, caresses, new doubts, new consultations
followed each other until the castle clock call
ed away the Prince, and warned both 10 re
tire.
Then Floretta passionately seized the hand
of Henry, pressed it to her heart, and said
"Seest thou this fountain of Gagenne There,
ever there will YOU find me always and ever,
as to-day; and Henry, see, as this fountain
sends forth its inexhaustible life, so my unfai-
ing love. Henry, | may cease to live, but
never TO love thee; you will find me again ev
er as to-day. The ever, ever there ~
She fled away. The young Prince stagger-
ed through the garden of the castle, sobbing
and wretched.
THE FINDING AGAIN.
The diversions of travel restored his spirits.
He o'ercame his grief. The first fifteen months,
which succeeded the last moment at the foun-
tain of Garenne, filled his mind with other
cares. In the strife of parties, which at that
time rent France asundcr, all the fulness Of his
heroic spirit, which afterwards won for him an
undying name, developed itself upon the bat
tle-feld. Even already, the young hero was
the wonder of the brave, and the noble ladies
of the court of Chatharine de Medicis, consol-
ed him more than was necessary for the loss Of
Floretta.
The lovely Floretta heard the fame of her
lover, and how all the world praised him. He
was no more the gardener, who planted flow
ers BY her side; he was the warrior, rowing
abroad TO reap laurels. She had loved only
Henry, never the Prince of Bearn. His bril-
liant metamorphosis excited less her admira-
ton than her sorrow. For she also learned
how the beauties Of the court ensnared him,
and how he, all too tickle, now listened to one,
now TO another.
Floretta had known and loved in the world,
only one man this was Henry. She now
lost in her faith in him, her faith in human
nature. Her heart broke. What had come
and must come, her reason had foreseen in
vain.
In his marches, he came at Leaf once again
to Nerac. There she saw the Prince of Bearn
once walking with the beautiful lady ofAyel-
lie, in the garden and through the shrubbery.-
She could not restrain the desire to meet them
on their walk.
The sight of Floretta, who, although pale
and sad, was even in her sadness still more
lovely, than for early in brilliancy of her Joy,
suddenly excited in the young prince, all the
recollections of first love. The lady by his
side, the nearness of tine courtiers, prevented
him from Welding to his wishes. But the fol-
lowing morning, when he saw old Lucas in the
garden, he went to the cottage. He found
Floretta alone. The too sudden return of her
father prevented him from conversing long
with her. He begged only for an hour at the
fountain of Garenne. She answered without
raising her eyes from her work, sat eight o.
clock this evening will be there"
He hastened away. He was again as in
former days. His whole soul burned for Flor
eta. He could hardly wait for the hour.
1t was dark it had struck eight. Through
private gate of the castle, he went, in order
to meet no one, by a footpath which he well
knew, through the shrubbery. He came to
the fountain. His heart beat violentlv.-
Floretta had not yet appeared. He waited
several minutes. The rustling of the leaves
by the evening breeze, frequently startled him
with Joy. Already he extended his arms, to
fly towards her, and clasp her to his heart But
it was not her. He walked up and down i'm
patiently. Then he observed not far from the
fountain, in the darkness, something white.like
part of her dress. He FASTENED thither. 1t
was piece of paper, the arrow and the pierced
rose The paper was written. The darkness
L. IL i.- Ill., Il