The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-02-14

Ii YOU nave power, give m0
against that daring man."
81 will not be far from thee, fairest and
brightest" replied the stranger, ''but have
| not said, that am without power in the
land. What this hand can do shall be
done i'll your defence, and if it be needful
to pour out the last drop of my hearts
blood, it shall be staked as freely as a
gamblers ducat. A few faithful servants,
too, will not finch from their poor master
in the hour of need; and if you are saved
from hazard, my guerdon shall be one kiss
Of that fair hand. Shall it not be so!''
"Oh, you might claim far better boon
than that!'' cried Mary, eagerly.
'.Well, then it shall be so," he said;
'sone kiss of those sweet lips! But now,
bethink you, lady, how you will meet
your uncle! If, as sure l am he will, he
offers, contrary to Gods law, to make his
brothers. child his wife, be wise, and drive
not his passionate mind to frenzy. He
has wife still living: but the bonds be-
! tween them the church is now about to
| sever. Be cautious; show no harsh re-
| pugnance. Tell him that you can hear
no such words so long as he is priest, un-
| Gle, husband, to another; that all those
bonds must be loosened by the church,
ere you can even let his words rest in
your ear. But, 10! they seek you, mi
away! Contrive some short delay, that |
may reach the point of danger first. To-
morrow, at this hour, if you have return
ed, | will seek YOU here
! Thus saying, the stranger turned and
left her, and the servants sought her, say
ing that the carriage was ready. The di-
| rections of the stranger she followed i'm
plicitly, trusting with the confidence of
unchastised, youth. She detained the
carriage for a few minutes, and then Or
dered the coachman to drive as she had
I been instructed. The Italian looked at
her in sulky silence, and went on as if
! intending TO obey; but when the vehicle
reached the turning of the road, he was
evidently ab0ut to pursue the way which
had been forbidden. Mary Of Man
tau, however, stopped the carriage,
and trying to raise her gentle voice into
the sharp tone of displeasure, asked how
! he dared to disobey.
The man replied surlily, ''because it is
the best road!" and he would certainly
have drove on, had not the old servant
who attended upon her interfered to en-
force his mistress command. Even his
but while with true Italian carelessness of
time, loud words and exaggerated gesture,
the two were arguing, there came sound
of horses and gallopping. 1t was what
he driver wished and expected, and look
ing up the road, he saw body of some
ten or twelve mounted men coming at full
! speed. Mary saw them too, and terror
and anguish took possession of her heart.
As they came on, however, there sudden
ly appeared other figures in the road be-
tween ner and them. From amongst the
trees and vineyards, poured out little
band on foot and horseback, and at their
| head, managing his fiery horse with ease
and grace, he whom she had seen at the
convent not an hour before. OF her now
| he took no notice; but standing firm in The
way, formed with his band a barrier be-
| tween her and the coming horsemen. The
driver still paused, though she besougbt
/ him to 60 on, and she could behold swords
crossed and pistols fired, and one or two
horsemen fly up the road again. She saw
not well which party had the advantage,
but the driver judged more clearly, and
smacking his whip, drove down the road
he had been ordered to take.
New agitation now fell upon Mary of
Mantua, as she approached the abode of
her unclei as drawbridge after drawbridge
gate after gate were passed, she prayed
to heaven for strength and prudence to
save herself from the dark horror of his
love.
She had not seen the Duke Vicenzo for
many years, and had long forgotten him,
SO that Imagination drew her own sketch
from the rumors and stories of the day.
II was not twilight, and she was ushered |
up the long flight of marble stairs-after-
wards destroyed in the cruel sacking of the |
city-and then into cabinet, where she !
remembered having played in the days of
her childhood, when her father was living
and Duke of Mantua. 1t now seemed small |
ler and more gloomy, though it was well
lighted, and on the opposite side sat one
whose appearance at once marked out the
prince. He rose and advanced towards
her as different being as it was possible
to conceive, from all that she had previ-
ously fancied. Tall, graceful, handsome,
though in his decline, and though sickness
..vice-had worn all the rosy
lines of youth away, and left nothing but
the shadow of beauty behind, his appear
ance was certainly far more prepossessing
then Mary of Mantua had expected. New
there was something in the ex-