The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1842-12-09

to play the lovet;' and with awkward ten
derness ne began 10 wreathe his fingers a.
mong the clustering and golden locks which
waved over the shoulders of The maiden
whose banched cheek, quivering lip, and
restless eye, might have convinced him, had
ne marked them, that she would prove no
placid victim.
And now 10 seal our compact on your
sweet liPs;' he pursued, and was about to
clasp her, when by a sudden effort she
wrenched his dagger from its sheath, and
bounding across the floor stood firmly and
defyingly before him. Move but one step
towards me' she cried passionately; but
one, and will bury this weapon in my heart
| swear 1t by our Lady of Agony la fearful
VOW which none may break, and live
You dare not1 gasped out the Knight;
'the blade is poisoned.'
i thank you for the news said Hcdwig.
with flashing eyes and crinisoned cheek; i
shall the sooner and more surely be at rest.
Now, coward, will you be my murderer?'
Throw down the dagger, and swear to
leave you in peace;' replied Sir Ralph;
That is no weapon for wowan's hand
| Castit from you, and listen to me-
Speak said the lady; 4 must listen, for
| have no alternative; but | will not put a.
side my only hope Of safety
4 swear - commenced the Knight.
! 'Blaspheme mott broke in Hedwig inn
patiently; or swear by the powers of evil
whom you serve, for the saints would reject
your oath. If, however, you are about to
bid nc put faith in you, tell you that all
the vows your fertile spirit may invent will
never shake my purpose. | will not trust
you.'
|; 'Woman! fercely exclaimed the Knight,
as he rushed from the apartment; you shall
yet rue this hour. Fiend! you shall yet pay
i me every instant Of this torture BY a tear OF
} blood
Nor was the thteat an idle one; for SiI
Ralph of Podmanin no sooner left the pre.
sence of his victim, and flung off the spell
1 of her beauty, than the words which he had
! uttered in his passion became prophetic o.
his purpose; and no vowed-o deep and foaF-
full vow, that if he himself could not possess
the maiden, his brother never could call he's
wife.
There was an easy means of preventing
this, and as ready an agent; and the Knight
CRASHED his teeth till the blood burst from
bis lips, as he muttered TO himself: Az, so
i shall it be-poiSon-and her old waiting
woman shall quench her last thirst with the
deadly draught-she at least will not dare to
: resist my WILL
His helIish resolution once taken, the
+ false noble became impatient to put it into
effect; the very idea that his brother might
: return from Budethin while Hedwig still
lived, and triumph over him by her posses.
] sion. He knew that not moment must be
I lost; and if at intervals the memory of heI
b lovelinesss, or the strength of his passion
3 swept across his spirit and pleaded for mer-
o cy, he instantly remembered that aimed as
+ she was with his own dagger, and resolute
as he felt her to be in her purpose, she wa:
:, lost to him for ever; and consequently these
. passing weaknesses, as he taught himself t
\ deem them, only hardened his heart the
:. more, wheh he put them from him.
81 He hesitated for a moment whether hs
should not again force himself into her pre-
3sence, and by peFsisting in his suit, drive he
: to the deed which she had threatened, am
= thus clear himself of her blood; but this so
! phistry was too shallow to deceive even him
- evil as he was, while he instantly felt tina
!. should his brother return and discover III,
: manner Of her death, the fact of her posses
= sing a weapon, and that weapon proving +
be his own dagger, would suffice to renel
. the feud between them; while, should sh
e die in her bed by poison, he could. assert
70 and If necessary, force her attendant /
T swear, that she had swallowed it to escap
:; the threatened marriage.
= Satisfied, therefore, that his original do
81 sign was the safest. and consequently ID
most judfcious, the cold hearted Sir Ralp
: prepared TO putt into practice; and havin
= summoned the old woman 70 his presenc,
1. and explained to her his purpose, he place
y ia her hand small phial containing liqui
IS. - alike colorless and tasteless; one Of thos
81 lfriehtluI and mysterious compounds The
~ frequently 10 use; with orders that At 81
- - set on the morrow i should be administe
ed 10 the unhappy Hedwig,
Z, Expostulation would have been not %
- idle But dangerous. for these were. not ia
~ lin which passal dared 10 question The II
& az his lord, Be II what il might; and accol
iii linriy The aged attendant took Che deal
= dealing beverage from her master, and
Al paated The oath Of obedience which he I
acted from her
Taa Tbs fulflment Of her task was easy;
.oU after The evening meal tie lady waa ace
gav Toned to swallow 4 da0eht Of clear q
,ow water, which vas. daily served 10 her By /