Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-09-11

awakened my sympathes. ltmay be considered
efieminate to weep, but |, in whose heart there
was no response for the miseries of the Saracen
widows, widowed by my sword for the cries of
the orphan left atherless by my spear, or the
tears of the maiden whose lover had tramped
beneath the hoofs of my charger, even l could
not refrain from tears at the sight of SO lovely a
shrine in its desolate ruins.
endeayored to restore the tangled web of her
wandering thoughts to at least a momentary
calm, but in vain | besought her to seek COM
posure in some sheltering retreat; but my words
were as oil to the lame-her reason had depart
ed-her paroxysms became wilder, but this could
not last.
The widest tempest will, at length, find it's
sublime elevation; then the war of the elements
must subside. The swiiest shaft will sink to
earth, when the force that impeed it is suspen-
ded or exhausted. Blanche grew calm; the
lightning flashes of her dark eyes, came in less
rapid succession, until at length their own mel
ancholy light burned with steady lustre.
Blanche is unhappy" said the bewildercd
maiden, as if offering excuse for the miseries of
her situation. The dark fends seize upon her
brain with their glowing fingers, until it turns
to flame beneath their touch; and they change
her heart to ball of fire. which they toss to and
fro But Blanche will not always be alone in
Iher misery, though she would avert the evil from
the pathway of another Ernest, thy happiness,
like the sword of the Sicilian, hangs by single
hair: let that but break and thy glorious dreams
of hope will be forever dissipaed. Tomorrow's
sunset will CLEAN on the bridal of your cherished
Irene and your kindred's foemon, Fitzherbert--
Reports have reached us that they had fallen in
the wars of Palestine; and years of mourning have
passed YEARLY over the sorrowing Irene. Fitz-
herbert, glorying in secret triumph at the reno
val of so great an obstacle, as successful rival,
gradually won on the credulity of her father, and
she is to be led unwiIIngly to the nuphal altar.
The Abbey ofSt Geneveve will record the whs-
perings of loveless VOW ere tomorrows sun shall
have tinged the forest leaves with the hues of his
parting splendor,'
, listened in silent agony to the painful nara
,, tive of Blanchc her words like glowing lava
drops, sunk burning in my soul; fln would be-
leye her still writing under the paroxysm of her
: delirum; but, nc-her words were uttered in a
= moment when her reason was uncIouded. Her
dark eyes beamed in the melancholy light known
only to her rational intervals it told that the wild
waves of her troubled spirit, all their curbIcss fu.
: ry exhausted, had sank to rest for while.
A distraction scarcely less wild than that which
took possession of the ruined shrine Of the ma.
: MACS reason seized on my wandering senses
Could Irene have forgotten the love Of her
! earlier years! Could she have believed the tale'
! so darIly invented and so sedulousy scattered
I by the assembling Fitzherbert! were question!
that Immediately forced themselves on my OWL
: Imagination. TO fly to the dwelling of Fitzher
. bert, and eXtingulsh the last spark Of persona
u anmosity and hereditary eud in a villains death
at first suggested itself before the purity Of Irene
, with my hands imbUed in the liie-bood Of 81
u base wretch, was question not so readily soly
3D. determined on milder method of pun
ishment as better suited to my purpose re
" solved on permitting him to live in the pleasing
~ anticipation of happiness until the moment wheI
y he thought the possession released, and then
It would snatch the last stay of his gded hopes a
, way and plunge him into the depths Of despair
d Tantalus-likc he should behold the viands ap
y .proach within rcach but grasp at a fleeing de
H. fusion.
IL 1t was evening; the bell on the tower of ST
u Gcnevicyc pealed forth its SUMMONS while tn
~ light breeze bore its deep swelling tones far owe
y hill and dale. Groups of peasantry, dressed il
their holiday garb were scattered in various part
of the grove in the centre of which the able
TO was situated, congersng on the different topic
of the day. At length the SPLENDID train {
y, Fitzhcrbert approached, arrayed in all the pom
A. his vast income enabled him to display, Iii
~ retinue was gorgeousIy appareled in uniforms {
= blue and gold with black plumcs waving owe
- their brazen helmets, and all mounted On snow
~ white charges almost weighed down by the
" SPLENDID trappings, They moved on toward I'll
abbey amid the murmured establishment of tn
~ multitude who had never before behed so gorge
w Gus spectacle.
What draft was drawn on futurty that da
~ =, by the naughty Fi!zherbcrtl What visions
happiness did he not reyel in? What gIorior
dreams did hope present to his wondering sen
a. es, through which he Aoated in transport uni
'e recalled by the dark realities of his situation!
40 Blanche had prepared Irene for the measure
" y: had adopted She told her Of my intendt
p" rescue of her from the snare of Fitzherbert;
g. the time and manner in which 7 would mo
:" her. She approved of all; she consented to n
vi scheme
IT, 10, had stationed myself in thcket near II
~ castle Of her father with trusIy band Of retail
y ers, who had experienced all kinds of danger
u" flood and field, and were not unprepared for
w =. undertaking like the present,
" The bridal train Of Irene approached my hi
l.. ing-pace; her lovely face wore an expression
"s' triumphant joy; her long, white vail was bloy
ave- back by the wind, and the pale orange-aowt
' mnging with the waves of her dark hair, add
nu soft lustre to her pale, but beautiful brow.