The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-08
LIFE FOR LIFE.
A LEGEND OF PoNERoY CASTLE.

hundred Of Haytor, County Of Devom and
derives its name from the Pomeroy who
came to England with William the Nor.
man, and for his services was rewarded
with fifty-eight lorlShips in This county,
| built a castle herc-the magnificent ruins
Of which, seated on rocky cminence ri
sing over a Yeitusid brook, now form, i'll
combination with the other features of the
scenery, one Of the most delightful views
in Deyonshire.
The ruling mistress of Berry Pomcroy
Castle (at the period we are about writing
of-and it lies in those remote kpightly
days, when everything improbable was
poSSblcl was proud and naughty lady,
bame Eleanour Pomeroy, relict of one Of
those tough warriors whose doughty arms
had done so often and so much good ser.
vice in the field, that while he added lands
and baronies to his name and fame, this
! gave him no immunity from meeting his
fate in due time; and cleft helm, a CASH
ed skull, and the corpse Of thorough
warrior, with his cffigy and stately tomb,
! became all that was left Of the stout lord
of Berry Pomevoy.
Yet we are wrong. for he left a stately
and a loving widow, stern and naughty to
those1vho5 disple,sed her,, womanly and
winning toward those she loved and,
withal, son, barely twenty, the very
pride and jewel of her eye, whose name
and title was now Lord Raby Berry OF
Pomeroy, and who had returned home
with distinction from the same field OF
fight in which his father fell, and whose
body he had accompanied from the car
mage. brought TO his castle, followed to his
ubscqui,s; aud with the widowed mother
and the sou our story commences.
Dame Elcanour, a beautiful woman yet,
in her forticth year, dOated upon her son,
, Lord Berry Pvmtroy, but her affection
had tivrccncSS in is strength and GER
tain strength in its iierceness, that were
uhqucsIiolably anomalous in their form Of
contrast. Jealous Of his love, She cXacted
il wholly. Fierce as she-wolf to those
who did not love him, She woul! have
-cuIl>iGned lAcm, Ole and I'll IL the infer
.al goes Only tllat as yet the orpoitum
ty bad not occurred.
| 1t occurred soon enough, as in the pro-
gres> Of our storyswil he seen.
There had been living in the suite of
;hcnobIc Dame Fleanour Pomcroy beau,
tili young orlhared maiden, daughter to
her own sister, who had welded into a
family of much !ro> degree than was her
own. Until the death of bOth father and
mother, Dame E.eanour had taken no
note of either tie parents or the offspring,
but when that bereavement did happen,
Size had Genevieve Montacute (the name
Of the young maiden in question: brought
to her castle, where she became her adopt
ed child-a love which the young girl,
then about fifteen or sixteen, repaid with
atfectionate interest, and where her life
was very happily spent up to the time
when young Lord Berry Of Pomcroy re-
turned from his campaigns; and then
commenced THAI Ate Of peaceful pursuits
and happy home enjoyments, which in an
age, when they are only the interregnum
Of long and CONTINUED warlike troubles,
are 50 rich in the sources Of the tranquil
pleasures they beatow.
The Dame E!eanour, the Lady Gene
We've, and Lord Berry Pomeroy, are three
prominent persons in our prose drama {;
and for time all went on we'll and hap
PLY among them.
We must not omit, however, to make
mention of a. toUrth individual, since heTis
to play an important part; and since it is
by him and through him that COM
plication of plot takes place, it is fit that
he should be introduced to the reader.
This was a noble looking, soldcrly
young man, only two years older than his
lord; but his prowess and his might, his
launtess courage and daring, had made
him renowned; and he was called (son
and scion of an impoverished family) Sir
Raby Copeland of Champcrnoune, and
held the honorable office of banner bearer
to the lords of Berry Pomeroy whenever
they went !orth to do battle with the foe
lie had been for some years page and
protege Of the late lord, and now held a
command, thGugh subordinate one, oYey
the men.at-arms, archcrS and lancerS form
ing the usual garrison of castle Of the
period. Between him and Lord Berry
Pomeroy there was feeling Of mutual
esteem aud liking that cvelled, as it were,
the distance which was between them in
station.
Between him-that is Raby Copelande
and the proud Dame Eleanour, there
was an excellent feeling, too. He held
her in high respect. for her rank and for
her qualities Of mind and soul. The lofty
lady, in turn, regarded his known abili-
ties and bravery at their proper value !;
t but this, too, was enhanced from his SOL
dierly and knightly association with her
own husband. This general sentiment,
so reciprocated, tended still more to en-
hance the halcyon period ere the storm
broke forth.
With regard to Genevieve Montacute-
looked on as a daughter by the Dame, but
who also had latent idea that some day
she would become a daughter er-in-law-
treated by Lord Berry with brotherly
and cousinly atfection-ip; what. relation
did she stand to the banner bearer of the
Pomeroys, Raby Copelande?
The solution of this question is there
fore the turning point of our narrative /;
for, from the full trust and sincerity they
had among each other, came doubts, sus-
picioa, espial, and the train of evil coRse-
quenees which follow 50 promising com
mencement.
+ \
\ broad, sunny afternoon in the 1cafy
month Of June, spreads and opens over
the garden terraces and the rich slumber-
ing woodlands Of Berry Pomeroy, and
young Lord Berry and Genevieve were
walking together down the slopes toward
the pleasaunce, from whence, by winding
walks, that seemed indeed to be tangled
brakes to the unskilled observer at dis
lance, the devious path led through a rO-
mantle wildcrness to the shores of wide
pool, around whose sides the water lily
opened wide its large and snowy petals,