The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-15
CHAPTER III.
The knights Tyst.


The knights Tyst. s.
Bal. mistress, know yourself; down on your Knees
And thank Heaven, fasting for good maa's love-
II have ne, slept; for Ina, am 70 h'ane, ?
Philip vdn Arssc<lds
Constance went home to her hotel, and eat
I'd all the rest of the night in her dressing.
gown aud shawl, preparing herself" for the
morrow. very poor way, my dear little girl
ish readers, of preparing yourselves for any
thing, unless By and by, perhaps, in some crisis
of life, such as sometimes comes even to cres
lures as gentle as you, and not many years
older-in some great perplexity, or sorrow, or
Joy, which drives your sleep away-you pass the
hours Of darkness in thanksgiving, or prayer
for guidance and comfort, and in duteous con-
sultation of Gods word, after the manner of
holy men and women of old time. A vigil
may be very good or a very bad thing, &C.
er If you wish to judge Of the nature of Con-
stances, you shall have the benefit of some of
her meditations. They were plausible; but 80,
sometimes, are the suggestions of Satan.
At last, her early longings were fulfilled.
Her country did call upon her for sacrifice.
The sacrifice should be rendered, even to the
last drop of her hearts blood, if indeed her
heart could ever bleed for recreant and
traitor. Fit could, it would deserve to bleed,
and to be torn out and trampled upon by her
own hands and feet. { A rather difficult opera
ton for a person unskilled in anatomy, and an
awkward one for anybody to perform upon hinl-
SELF She would never disgrace her gallant
forefsthers (She did not know much about
them; but have been credbly informed, by
one who did, that she did them injustice; that
they were very sensible though somewhat pro-
sy and commonplace old planters, who would
probably, if they, had not labored under the
double disadvantage of being dead and being
unaware of the state of the case, have desired
her to say her prayers, and 90 to bed, like Q
good girl, and try to get up wiser. She was
glad that Herman had asked for an explana-
ton 1t should be such one as should show
bmsof what prize he had proved himself I'M.
worthy. But, might not she suffer afterwards
Hardly; and if she did, what was that in q
good cause? Her self-respect and proper
pride would come effeotuslly to her aid. She
had made mistake-that was all-in fancying
possible future resemblance between her
ideal man and Herman, and had only to re-
ioce that she had discovered it before it was
too late and to return to her old allegiance.
She would make up her mind before he came,
what to SAT-, and bow to say it in q few conciu-
sive words, which should open no door to dis
cussion. No willy Northern tongue should
cozen her out Of her principles. She would
have the matter over, and forget it. She
thought of Jephtha's daughter, and was sure
that she herself must be very much like her,
though she could not-for, in spite of anger and
the real regret and misgiving which she was
beginning to feel, though not to acknowledge,
she was growing exceedingly sleepy-at the
time remember precisely what it was that
Jephtha's daughter did.
In the mean while, she was becoming very
chilly. The wintry dawn was 80 long in com.
ing that che began to suspect a repetition of
the Dark Day, or an eclipse of the sun and,
when it came, she looked 80 pale and plain by
its murky gray light, and her eyes were 90
blood shot and swollen, that she was afraid
Herman would think she had been crying, and
she had not lat least not much, and it was
only because she was tired and out of spirits,
and had no mother nor family to care for her,
and felt sorry to Lose the friendship of Clara
Arden, who would of course be sure to take
Hermans side, right or wrong-sisters always
did so-snd she wished, for her part, she had
one too, poor grill So she threw herself on
her bad, under an eider-down quilt, and, when
her maid came, bsde her call her again at ten !;
slept three hours, rose, feeling if possible more
weary, irritable, and wretched, than before |;
drank cup cf strong coffee, which, as abe
could eat nothing with it, merely added sort
Of universal tremor of body and mind to her
previous discomfort had her thick, long, 6ns,
black hair exquisitely dressed, to the further
torment of her aching head, and in her ele.
CANT morning dress walked down stairs, sup.
porting herself by the banisters, to private
parlor, which she shared with her present
chaperOne, Mrs. Courtensy Van Rooselandt, of
New York. and which, as that lady was dress.
ing to make calls, she now had to herself. She
sat down and waited a quarter of an hour. Her
head throbbed more and more. The door-bell
rang.
Mr.. Arden -
Show him in"
de was in the room. She looked up and
rose. Each saw how very pale the other was
and one was sorry. She had intended to abort
en- the interview by not inviting him to 81,
down but finding herself unable to stand, (lo
The consequences to ones nerves of preparing
ones-selfi) she was forced to sink again into
her chair, and to poin. to another. He moved
towards it mechanically, but only leaned upon
the back Of it, ard stood looking into her face
de would not begin. Then she must. She
must collect her ideas; bu. how could she
with her brain all one swollen pulsation, and
With anybody looking at her in thet way
Out what splendid eyes he had and hox
strangely manly he looked, for oncs in his life
NO matter. AS these thoughts passed, OF
,S'0er Jerked, through her head, she put hez
0sno to it involuntarily. he started, and hall
reached cologne bottle. She rejected it with
sgesture, and recollected her part:
You understand, trust, that you are here
receive, not retraction, but an explanation
-sfelS' OF what seemed to strike you "a 90 I'M.
accountable last night"
ne nushed, but bowed still without speaking.
l was surprised, l own, in my turn, to End
10y could De thought to require an .xplsna-
out no one shs!l ever have an excuse fot