Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-01-26

nave set him down as one awake to the poSSlbnl-
ty of some coming peril, perhaps afraid of the re-
turn of some bold and successful rival.
And who was that rival! Who was that happy
or unhappy man, who owned as Lord de facto
though Adrian owned as Lord de jure, the true
heart of Blanche of Nerestan?
Who had not heard in those DAYS of Raoul de
Vertado, the winner of that title when all were
forward and all gallant, of being still in every
/ fight,
The foremost of the foremost the the brave"
of Raoul de Veatado, who when boy of fourteen
years, fighting as page beneath his fathers BAN
ner in that combat of giants, as old Thasecal
Trioulso well styled Marignano, had killed three
Switzers with his own hand, relieved and remount-
ed the heroic king himself, when unhorsed, and at
the mercy of the two-handed broad swords of the
fierce mountaineers-of Raoul de Vertado, who
was dubbed knight at once from page, upon that
field of blood, by the victorious blade of Francis
f-of Raoul de Vertado, voluntary prisoner with
the king at red Payia; and now the best lance in
Lautre's magnificent army, which had lately dellv-
cred the Holy Father of the Church from his i'm
perial enemies.
Such was the name to whom Blanche of Neres-
tan's heart was given, when her hand was to be
given to another. Such was the man, to antici-
pate whose return the day of the betrothals had
been anticipated, for they who knew the youthful
hero, knew that to win her hand when free. had
he but known that freedom menaced, he would
have asserted space no obstacle, and death itself
no loss. -
And well might Roche en- Regnier tremble
even now in the certainty of success in the plen-
titude of his advantage over his absent rival; for
strange things were accustomed things in those
days, and to stay husband to liberate widow
would have been as much in harmony with the
spirit of the age, as to take bloody vengeance for
a real wrong would have beenin keeping with the
character of Raoul de Vertado.
But where was the lady Blanche, while friends
and kinsmen, bridegroom and father, guests and
votaries, laymen and priests awaited her in the
hall; and only half beguiled the time by dallying
with the rich meats, and draining mighty cups of
the generous wines which loaded the abundant
sideboards.s
Alone, alone-gazing out sadly and wistfully
from high window of her turret chamber upon
grove of dark pines and larches with here and
there a grassy glade among the ever verdant
branches which feathered all the lawn, swept
down to the northward of the cattle to its very
walls
She was extremely lovely; and the magnif-
of her attire, the beautiful attire of the most
splendid age the world has ever witnessed, ifpos-
L I. A
of purple velvet adorned with rich embroidery of
gold covered the crown of her head, and fell down
on either side below her ears, allowing only a
broad braid of superb black hair; almost as mas
sve as the strands of a cable, to appear in front
and beneath it, and being low down in the nape
of the neck a solid plate of redundant 1uxuriance
and rare lustre Her dress of purple silk, all
wrought arbesques of gold, came high upon her
throat, where it was fastened by a splendid sap
phire, but so closely was it fitted to her form that
the whole contour or her broad falling shoulders,
the whole modelling of her exqusitely shaped
arms, the smallest outlines of her full developed
breast and symmetrical waist were revealed to the
admring eye, as clearly as if no garment had con-
cealed their youptuous charms; below her waist,
interrupted by no welt, or seam, girdle, it SEEM
ed to expand spontaneously and fall down to her
small feet and shapeless ankles in rich mass of
gorgeous draperies. Her features were as beauti-
full as they should be to mate with such form;
pure low forehead, penciled with equal arches of
fine ebony, large, lustrous, langud eyes, nose
chiseled on Phidias' finest model, mouth fash
ioned as it would seem only for smiles and kisses,
=. 81 !. =
warm, rich complexion the gift of the sunny
south-f these make beauty-when combined
with the fire of intellect and lightning of the soul
which belongs to beings only of the highest or
ganization--then Blanche of Nerestan was beau
tiful-ye gods how beautiful.
But her warm complexion was not wan and pale
as a November's moonshine; and her large lus-
trous eye was yelled and dim though fearless;
and the curl of her lovely lip was subdued with
sadness. Her chin was propped on one hand the
elbow resting on the stone window sill, with the
other arm down listlessly by her side-listlessly,
vet its fingers grasped the hilt of richly jeWeled
pognard, and grasped it tightly as if they wo'd
have embedded themselves in the chaste gold
work of the Cellini
"Great Godr' she cried. "Great God! must it
indeed be, and has it come to this, that must
break my plighted faith, charge my soul with un-
utterable falsehood, become myself long lie, or
die-die by my own hand, outcast and accursed !?
But will die. I will die fifty times ere become
the bride of so base thing that souless puppet;
that man without manhood, knight without chiyal-
nv, noble without nobilty-that coward Roche en-
Reginier. But where, Holy Maria, wherefore
tarries he? The falcon was his gift, the feetest
wing that ever cut the blue sky which bore my
letter, and less surely he said would the needle
find the pole, than the true hawk find his lord,