The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-06-28
Now said he, keep good watch, and

be on your guard
Then approaching the wall and clinging
hold of the iron bars, which according to
the Spanish custom guard the g1ound-hoor
windows, he cautiously raised himself
upon level with the balcony, and seizing
the imprudent hand, hastily Imprinted
kiss upon it. The hand was quickly
withdrawn, but in the movemnt ring
glided into the grasp of the young noble
man, which he instantly placed lpon his
finger. At the same moment, theAead of
a young female, her countenance r,ndered
even more lovely by the palenes and
alright which agitated it, bent ofer the
easement of the window, but almostmme-
diately disappeared, and the windov its
elf was suddenly closed.
The marquis leaped lightly upol the
ground, regained his sword, and edpre-
cipitately. covering with kisses thepre-
cious gage which he had won in this. s.sin-
gular adventure. As soon as he re-erer-
ed the palace he examined it carefuly,
hoping to discover the name of the beati-
ful unknown, but in vain.
Raymond said he, to his valet, TO-
morrow, at my rising, wish to know he
name OF this LADY,
On the morrow, at his aking, the mT-
quis beheld Raymond standing upright t
the foot of his bed, waiting his pleasure.
We'll. exclaimed he,' the valet shoe
his head, significant of bad news.
'Monseigneur,' said he, 'the street ii
| which we stopped last night is, .la rue de
la conception the house, at the window
of which you climbed, is the palace of the
Duke of Santa-Cruz, and the lady, whose
hand you saluted, is his wife-the Duchess
of Santa-Cruz! But, alas! no one ever
enters the building, and when Madame la
Duchess goes out, which she never does
except to attend church, she is always ac-
companied by an old duenna, and followed
! by spies, devoted to her husband
! The Duke of Santa-Cruz was, in fact, q
SpaniarG of the old stamp, imbued with
all the prejudices and suspicious common
| to his nation. After having discharged the
| highest functions of state under the reign
of the house of Austria, he beheld with eX-
treme repugnance, the scepre of Spain
pass into the hands of French Prince;
he resigned all his honors and employment>
and buried in the depths of his palace
avoided all communication with the outer
world. Another motive added strength te
his resolution OF absolute retirement: not
withstanding his years, a short time prio
to the accession of Philip, he had espouseC
a young Spanish lady, born of one of the
noblist families of Catalonia, and his jeal
ousy, extreme, like that of all Castillians
had naturally increased, when the court be
came peopled with strangers, whose feat:
of gallantry occasioned a well-foundet
terror among all husbands. Innumerablt
domestics, acting either under the influence
of his salaries, or the fear of severe punish
ment, kept Incessant watch over Isabella
this was the name of the Duchess, and fol
lowed her to church, the only place sht
was permitted to visit Torn thus rudely
from all the enj njoyments of youth, and th
pleasures, of which she had had partia
glimpse in the court of Charles H.: con
fined IN the flower of her age In gloomy
palace, which, despite its magnifcence
inspired her with horror and disgust, Isa
bella visibly pined away under the combi
ned influence of languor and ennui. Th
evening upon which the Marquis de Vile
blanche had seen her, she had come &C
cordlng to her usual custom to inhale tn
freshness of the air at the window, and cas-
a wishful glance through its barred case
ments, upon that gay world, which ha
closed upon her SO early. There after
sad contemplation of her fate, she had falle
into melancholy reverie, and had throw
her beautiful hand without the balcony, a
if to seize that air and liberty from whicl
she was debarred. 1t was at this momer
that the marquis had scaled the wall an
caught her hand Thus suddenly startle
from her meditation by his kiss, the youn
girl was seized with fright, and the sigh
of the young French nobleman increase
her terror. But returning almost imme
diately to sense of duty, or perhaps feal
full of the danger which the rash youn
man encountered, who had thus dared t
brave the jealousy of the duke, she instant
Iy closed the window and retreated to he
apartment.
The disappearance of her ring increase
her fears: trusting, however, that this ad
venture was but the needless exploit of
hair-brained young man, the poor girl 500
gave the matter no further thought, an
became more than ever-even, absorbed il
her accustomed dream of sorrow.
The information furnished by Raymon
confirmed the marquis in his first deter
mination: other details too, collected from
different sources, inspires him with Dol
der resolution, that of relieving the duch
ess from the tyranny of her husband.
dangerous enterprise like this, needed tn
aid and consent OF Isabella for its success