The Trinity times., 1855-05-26

Gu ny the darkness rom all discovery;
traveller well Observation-Disclosures -ladel
with money bags, and bearing likewise tn,
burden of excessive fear.
1t was sudden thought-acted upon a.
suddenly. Resistance was not dreamed of
Mowbray made off with his booty, considera
BILE enough to repair his exhausted finances
and to pay HE most pressing creditors. L
was literally robbing Peter to pay Paul. And
SO by night, under shelter of its darkness, did
the ruined gentleman become the highway
man. People who knew his circumstances
whispered their surprise when it became
known that Richard Mowbray had paid hi:
| debts, and that he himself had made more
! than his customary appearance.
Now his fine person was ever clad in the
newest braveries of the day, and in his dou.
BILE character many a conquest did he make
for he disburthened ladies' of their Jewels and
purses with SO fine manner, that the de-
irauded fair ones forgot their losses in admi-
ration OF the charming despoiler; and Rich
ard, in both his phases, drank deep draughts
OF pleasure, till he drained the Circean cup
to It's verest dregs. Just as even pleasure
became wearisome, when festive and high
bred delights palled on his sated passions, and
the lower extremes of licentiousness and hard
drinking, ruffiing and fighting, diversified by
the keen excitement and threats of danger
which distinguished his predatory existence
began to satiate, new light broke on the
feverish atmosphere Of his life. He loved
Yes Richard Mowbray, the ruined patrician,
DE Montmorency, the gallant highwayman,
who had hitherto resisted every good or evil
influence which love, pure or earth stained,
offers to his votares-succumed to the sim
pie charms of young, unlearned, unambi-
tous grl-so youthful, that even her tastes
and habits, childish as they were, could be
scarcely more so than suited her years. Fla
via Hardcourt had just attained her sixteenth
year-had never been to a boarding school,
and loved nothing so much-even her birds
and pet rabbts-as her dear old father, an
honest country gentleman, and worthy
magistrate. Flavia had never been even to
London, for Mr.. Hardcourt resided at Ave
ling, a retired village, about twenty miles
from the metropolis.
Barring fox hunting and hard drinking, the
old gentleman, on his side, took pleasure only
in the pretty, gentle girl, who, from the hour
of her birth, which terminated her mothers
existence, had made her his constant play
mate and companion. And it was to this
simple wild flower that the gay man Of plea
sure, naughty, reckless, unprincipled, impro-
vldent, irreligous and rash, presumed to lift
his eyes, to elevate his heart and, oh, stran-
ger still, to this being, the moral antpodes of
her pure self, did Flayia Uardcourt surrender
her youthful, modest inestimabe love. 1t
must have been her very childishness and
purity that attracted the desperate robber-
the hardened libertine, now about to commit
his worst and most inexcusable crime. lie
had accidentally met MIR. Hardcourt at
country hunt-had, with Others of his COM
panions, been invited by that homes. gentle
man to rustic fete, in honor of little tlayia's
natal day-a day, he was wont to observe TO
him, remarkable for commemmorating his
greatest misfortune and his ntensest happi-
ness; and then and there the highwayman
vowed to win and wear that pure bud of nno-
cent freshness and rare fragrance, or TO per-
ish in the attempt. Master Richard Now
bray! unscrupulous De Montmorency! | will
relate how you kept your VOW.
He haunted Avelng Grange till the chaste
young heart, the old fathers beloved darling,
surrendered itself into the highwayman's
keeping. Perhaps Mr.. Hardcourt was not
altogether best pleased at Flavia's choice; but
then sho was his life-hs hope-and ho
even when he gave her to a hus-
band, that her love and doating affection
would still be his own, Besides, Mowbray
was well nected-boasted Of his wealth;
whereas very moderate portion would be
hers. lie was received into modish circles,
into when the good magistrate could never
pretend to penetrate; and, in short, what with
his high bearing, his handsome person and
insinuatlng tongue, Mr.. Hardcourt h ad ire
vocably promised to bestow his treasure into
the keeping Of the profgate, who numbered
himself almost years enough TO have been the
father of the girl, whom he testified the ut
most impatience to call wife.
1t was during the time that Mr.. Mowbray
was paying his court at Aveling, that the
began to be alarmed by a Sc
ries of highway robberies, which men said
could have been perpetrated but by that cee
brated knight Of the road-Captain de Mont
No one could stir after nightfall
without an attack in which numbers certain
ly were not wanting.
'Cudgel me, but wen have him yet, said
old Mr.. IIardcourt. 4 should glory myself
in going to Tyburn to see the fellow turned
off. Ay, and | would take my little Flavia
to see him go by in the cart, with parson
and nosegay-eh! my little girl .
'Oh, no, faIher,' said Flavia, ] could not
abide it, though he is such daring, wicked
man, whose name makes me shrink with fear
and terror whenever hear it. could ne
yer bear to see such a dreadful sight
would haunt me till my death.
Does tho gift Of prophecy, involuntary
though it be, lurk within us yeti Does the
soul dimly shadow out its own fate, or rather
that Of its frai or perishable habitation p
Sweet Flayia. unsuspectng, innocent girl
your lips then pronounced your own doom as
irrevocably as though you had been some
stern Sybil, delivering inscrutbe, unques-
tionable oracles, not a fair child in your girl
ish frock and sash, your hair curling straight
down your glossy shoulders, your soft eyes
shining through your bushes.
The betrothed pair were together to visit
London.
But shall not dare,' said the girl, as
walking together in the old fashioned Dutch
garden, she leant her young sinloss head on
her guilty lovers breast-I shall not dare 10