Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1858-01-06
THE COUNTS RANSOM,

A TALE OF oH1vALR
CONCLUDED.

4
Not SO fast, sir countP said the knight
by the mass! but having been eheate,
once by you already, seemeth to III
enough. Not quite SO fast, pray!
must see the danlsel with my ewn eye
first, lest, like the tinsel on your trumper,
French gear Yonder, she turn out bu
another cheat you would parley VOC upol
| me. How do know that she is but sey
enteen? Now, monsieur though woulc
by no means be understood to speak il
any wise disrespectfulIy Of any of the
venerable patriarchs, still if that old chea
Laban ha.ltried to impose Leat upon me
instead Of Rachel, | would have made
small matter of fiingihg him into Jacobs
we'll.
In vain the count essayed to put in a
word occasionally, little suspecting that
the more he vaunted the aimable as well
as industrial qualities Of his daughter, the
more were both suspected by the doughty
knight, who, whenever he essayed to slip
in commendation even edgeways, in
terrupted him with,
'HaTkee, sir count, You have put cheats
enow already upon me, / trew; nor will
all your talking move me to contract a
marriage of your arrangement, until sat
isfied that the damsel is as comeH and
wel-instructed as you have represented,
he who cheats ME once, shame for him;
but he who cheats me twice, the shame
for me-
Right valiant, sir, why defer going to
st. Opporfune's at once?' said the count.
Let us go togetheri when you can see
the Lady Celiue and Judge for Yourself
Then go we will, said The knight; for
even should not fancy her, which is very
likely, still as it is probable your estates
haye enow Of mortgages already, may
as well take her as wait for any chance of
being paid otherwise. So, as it pleases
your couutship, we viii ride to The con
vent at once
The day was fine, and St. Opportune's
but few hours ride. Thther they Jog
ged right amicably. with this difference
Count Vidal was anxious To effect his
liberty by the transfer of his daughter to
the rude English knight, who, oil the other
hand, with the suspicion. pertaining to low
origin and uncul;ured mind, began to
have snndry misgiyings before they
reached the convent lest another cheat
was about being played upon him by the
count, and he grew morose and silent,
while moodily cogltaing thus: Suppose,
after all, this damsel be bu, a trumpery
bit of gloss and tinsel5lik her fathers gik
tabaFd? Well, and how am to know?
He says she is as fair as the rose of Prov
ence. How am to know that? seeing
am told damsels use oft times distiila-
ion ofwaters from flowers that cunningly
gives them fresh complexion. Then
her age. No mans should have wife be-
gond twenty. Nor should like to be
cheated on tht point. Yet many AN
man, am told has been. |
must say that consider this same French
count as rather a Slippery customer, and
seeing / am no competent Judge of a
goman's age, so long as she be smiling
md comely, how could / tell whether she
'e twenty or fortyl II would shame me
much tUshaye wife palined upon me as
being younger than she really is. Yet |
I'M told that the damsels themselves have
deceived many good and valiant men on
mis- point.
Meditating ihas on the. certainty that
he French couni was sedueing him into
matrimonial trap, our doughty knight
lad wrought himself into a sulIen unsociaI
mood some time before they reached the
Count Vidal, meantime, think-
ng that the silence Of his son.ig-law elect
rose from the pleasing anticipation of
meeting his destined bride, redoubled his
omplaisance, which however had only |
he effect of redaplicating the suspicious
{ his boorish companion. Hoping to
ropitiate bis discoaFteeus captor, think |
aS him impatient TO meet his iiancee, he
aid to him as they allghted at the lodge,
trust your happiness will be complete,
lnce you will 50 soon see the I4ady Ce
ne.
Now just please to spare me any more
fyour parley voolng, said the knight;
,ut hasten ia and summon the girl, that
may see if she be as great a cheat as
our old tabard and bassinet.'
On hearing this, Count Vidal, who did
ot understand one word in assentence IF
hat was spoken by his son-inslaw elect,
id his hand on his breast, and bowlng
ost profoundly, led the way 10 the con-
snt parlor. Arrived there, and seeing the
ateIy superior rise with decorous urban
I to greet her .brotl,er-in law, aud mista
ng her for tile counts daughter, from
II anxious inquiries respecting his health