The Columbian fountain., 1846-03-21
WASHINGTON.
ROGER DUTTON; N;OR, THE TRUE
PROP HECY.

"A lad I" cried Edith, awhy he's full
forty, my dear father.o
"Tut cried the Earl, ethat's lad to
me, you saucy wench. Pm right glad your
mother is not here, Madam Edith-she
would be in fine fright. But you have a
stout heart"
"Not so stout but you'll have to cut the
string Of my bodice,p said Edith, elf YOU
make such a terrible noise as there was up-
on the walls just now"
"Wel well, 60 to-" cried the Earl. I
have not time to gossip more with you, |
must go and see what they are about. But
take heart, take heart, there is no danger
they never can get in--they have no ladders
or machines Of any kind. Out upon it we
will throw the walls down upon them first
Ills but by starvation they can take us.
Ho, Barnaby! without there! look ito the
provisions and see there be no waste What
have ye got man !"
| "Ihere are two cows and bullock"
said the man, "three pigs and an old sow,
besides the fowls that the Lady Edith feeds
IN the morning, then we have bread enough
for one day, and corn enough for another.
The beer cellar is half full, and there are
three barrels of sack and pipe of fMalvoise.
We can last well nigh for week, my
lord, without touching the horses"
"That'll do-that'll do! /" cried the Earl,
"long ere that we shall have helps" and
away he went to the battlements, where,
somewhat to his surprise, he found no fur
ther show of immediate attack, the Welsh
men still surrounding the castle on every
side, but keeping carefully beyond the ordi-
nary reach of an arrow
"Why, what are they about - said the
Earl to one of his old knights.
"Pon my life, | don't know, my lord,"
replied the other, "they seem tired of it, and
are drawing off for the night.'
"Pooh nonsese !" cried the Earl, cit is
not near nightfall."
"Within an hour, my Lord,n replied one
of those who stood near, "'tis we'll nigh
eight"
"How quick the time goes when ones
busy observed the Earl; but who has
got the sharpest eye here let him run up
to the top of the tower, and see what they
the hill.5
"The Lady Edith has the sharpest eyes,"
said young gentleman near, who was
never sorry to put himself in any sort of
communication with his lords daughter
don't you recollect she saw the heron
when none of US could see it 7"
"Well, call her call her!" cried the
Earl - as they are not shooting any longer,
there is no danger" '."..,
Away ran the youth, and in few min
utes more Edith and Mary and the whole
host Of maids crept out upon the battle
ments, with faces somewhat pale and wan,
indeed, notwithstanding all the assurances
of the young gentleman who had been
sent to fetch them, that there was no risk
of any kind.
"Come hither, Edith, come hilher," ex-
claimed Earl Ranul phi; /" run up to the top
of the tower, and see what your sharp
eyes will do. Do you see those white
shirted Welshmen on the hill just under
the wood-fve or six hundred of them,
all gathered together Go and see if you
can find out what they are about-make
your eyes of use TO some one" n
Edith turned to obey, while the young
gentleman who stood by said something
about compensation, and eyes, and piercing
hearts, and other things of the same kind,
which made the lady give him scornlul
look, and made the old Earl himself laugh
heartily.
"These young foolsp he cried" well
a-day! get thee gone, Edith! get thee
gone! Why, how now, young Cholmon-
deley, you are not going tooS Stay here,
every one but Edith Mary, you may 60
if you will but that's enough"
| Ladies are tond of hunting in couples,
and Mary accompanied her cousin up the
numerous steps Of the watch-tower, taking
that opportunity of reading her own heart
sad homly upon all the consequences OF
her jealous passion, and asking herself how
far the punishment would be carried. 1t
was indeed an edifyng and instructive les
son which she gave herself, and one which
might also be not without its effect upon
the reader, if we would relate all the re-
proaches which she addressed to herself,
step by step, as she went up the stairs.
But, dear reader, we have not time, and as
those stairs were long, we must lift her and
Edith TO the top of the tower at once; and
there they stood gazing around them over