Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-05-05

: tuO 'ulHCu udtticHitUtS OF CaStIe caves
ton as she dashed past it. The house
keeper met them at the entrance.
Thank heaven you have returned at
last ]" said she, in %reproachful accents
warranted by her long residence. and the
faithful service in her family. 1T was
scarcely kind Of you Mr.. Gaveston, to 90
away as You did, without saying a word
to any one"
Il believe I am the person most to
blame, said Percy, bending forward
with a languid smile.
'"Ah! Mr.. Clifford, and you have been
Ill too-very i'll, l fear added the old
woman kindly. This then accounts for
my Young lady's absence"
Your. lady is she not within p
Come, none Of your nonsense. Mr..
Gaveston but you always were a wild
one, and there's no making you out"
Seriously, Mrs. Brown said Vernon
with some anxiety, where is nv sister
Constance?" Then seriously, sir, [ have
not seen her since she set out | suppose
to help nurse your friend, Mr.. Clifford"
"Merciful God + said the boy turning
as whites as marble and Giles Stanton
did he not bring yousa letter and mes
sage from me z" rg
mo indeed but I heard on the verss.
day Of your departure he enlisted in a 6t
of intozication, and has since left the
country. But what Of Miss Constance"
Heaven preserve my sensos!n ex-
claimed Vernon, in a tone so strange and
hollow that all s~huddered to hear it; and
then suddenly lifting up his bowed head,
he waved his hand for them to follow
him and bounded away with rapid steps
in the direction that LED to the castle.
Clifford sprang up from the cushions
on which he had been reclining, and tot.
tering as he walked, following, with a
pace scarcely less. VI fatssbges, and down
ire dark stars Jnat crun1pIed away bo
meath their feet, until they stopped at
length before one Of the dungeons, but
the door was fast locked.
"She is therel" said the boy, with a
shrek of despair. But | have not the
key 2"
@He raves" whispered the doctor
soothingly to Clifford, but giving orders
nevertheless to the wondering domestics
for implements with which to force its
massive entrance. l"
20 C~onstance!! ~ exclaimed Vernon in a
shrill voice, While he beat his hands
against the stone doors until they were
covelel with blood. my sister ! my
brave-my merry hearted %sisterl Speak
to me-! One word-only to save me from
madness! r
may, how can she be there 2" said
Clifford, gently. e,
How ?-why | locked her up myself?
She would have that she was not afraid,
and / dared her to stay there half an
hour by herself. Great Heaven! it is
better than three weeks since now!"-
And he cast himself down upon his face
on the damp ground and groaned aloud
in his agony and remorse. gu
1t was in vain that the good doctor
strove to draw away his excited patient:
nothing would do but he must even aid
with his feeble strength in the task OIL
battering down the door-and he waS
the first to become convinced Of thai
which after they had heard, no one dared
to doubt. 5 mav
The once beautiful Constance lay JUS
within, her white dress torn and soiled
her little hands bruised and beaten, il
her vain attempts to make herself heard
and her pale, changed face, aud Enclosed
staring eyes, bearing evidence of the ago
nv in which she had died.
Vernon sat down beside her upon thC
ground and laid her head in his lap. kis
sing her cold lips and forehead wildly
and repeatedly ; and none but Clifford
ventured to speak to, or take her from
him. 1t was a very terrible scene!
J No wonder that the last Of the Caves
5 tons is to this day a raving lunatic ; tina
the young lover should suffer a relapse
5 and be mercifully taken that the worthy
e housekeeper should, weep ever after wher
she tells the tale while the maidens o
the district shudder to pass the doomec
e spot after nightfall, and talk to eacl
other with white lips of the Lady Con
stance and her fate. 81
!, Oh! what that young girl must hay
1 suffered. brave hearted as she was HOY
e at FIRST perhaps, with a hall fear, that sh'
$ cared not to own to herself, or tried U
divine the hand writing on the walls Q,
y thought sadly oil the poor 1auy hue
lGayeston, in her lonely captivity unit
at last il seemed a very long bali hour
and she began to wish that Vernon woulf
come back soon and as night came OF
for she could see that it was growing
dark through the narrow aperture IN he
dnngeon-to think that it was %searcel!
k kind to try her courage so severely ; 10
g after all she Il as bat a girl.
And then the long, long night AM
d how she knelt in her own quiet chamber
is and said her simple and earnest prayer;
and then tried to sleep upon the rude iro.
i pallet, which he had pointed out to he
as the couch Of her unfortunate ancestor
It although the cold and damp struck to be
d very heart, her wild joy to see agail
that little streak Of light, and to gro