The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1862-06-04

panied by his niece, lady Eleanor, he left the gal
lery. On their way to the carriage the latter who
was the only daughter of the powerful duke OF
Calwallader, travelling in Italy under lord Linton's
protection, made herself both witty and merry as
much to the annoyance of the fatheras daughter
on the conquest of lady Laura over the poor stu
dent, but the conversation, naturally, soon turned
upon the extraordinary coincidence which they
had just witnessed.
The youth listened until he heard the carriage
move away from the door, when, rolling up his
canvas, he left the gallery and sought his humble
lodgings. CHAPTER III.
/ 1t was the third day of the carnival, and grown
men and women became, once more, children.
The streets were filled with fantastic pageants,
strangely mingled with religious professions. The
discordant music of the charayeri resounded
through the streets which, centuries before, gave
| back the notes Of the wariike trumpet and the
scarcely less war-like shouts that attended tri-
umphal entries Every man and woman in Rome,
now had license to play the fool Balconies were
| thronged with lovely women, with their heads
tastetully dressed with dark eyes and snowy hands
| filing the air with musical laughter, while they
cast flowers concealing heavy sugar-p plum within
their leaves eggs beautifully dyed, and filed with
scented waters, and handfulls of bon-bons in
| showers upon the passing cavaliers, whether on
foot or horseback. And many was the gay gal
lant, who, assaying to scale the balconies and
| avenge himself, according to immemorial usage,
on the lips Of the fairest of its defenders was
forced back to the ground bv the brisk discharge
of sugarcd missiles, that descended into his face
and eyes, like grape-shot The whole city was
scene Of gaety and dazzling confusion. Stran-
gers from all parts of Europe, and from the United
States rode through tile thronged streets in their
carriages, to behold the various spectacles adding
by the splendor of their equipages, to the bril-
liancy Of the scene.
It happened that as an English chariot and pair
containing gentleman and two young ladies, was
| crossing the area encompassng Trajan pillar, one
of those perfumed missiles, missing its original
aim, struck one Of the spirited horses in the eye
| and 50 terrified the animal that bounding to a
atheight in the traces, he broke from the car
riagc and his fellow, and dragging the cOachman
to the ground, dashed through the crowded thor
Oughfare at the widest rate the fragments Of his
broken harness flying about his heels. The noise
they made as we'll as the pain they inflicted added
wings to bis mad speed and everywhere bis pres
enCe changed the sounds of merriment to cries of
terror and alarm. The remaining horse plunged
tGrrihcaly for few seconds, without offering to
run, duaing which interval the gentleman who
was the earl of Linton, leaped to the ground,
succeeded in assisting lady Eleanor to alight, and
was in the act of extending his arms, as the danger
grew imminent, imploringly towards bis daughter
entreating her as she stood undecided to risk the
jump, when, with 4 mad leap, the single horse
started forward with the chariot, throwing tile
maiden back again, upon the seat, where, with her
hands claspcd together, a coorlcss cheek, and an
air Of calm resignation, such as woman only can
wear in EXTREMIST peril, she awaited, what ap-
peared to every behOder, inevitable death But
her eyes were cool and steady, and she appeared
to survey the road along which she was borne as
if on the wings of the Wind and to weigh, with
something like. the calculations Of hope, the
chances Of escape.
At speed that dehed all hope Of check, even
to the boldest that saw the vehicle whirled past
them, the horse flew with the chariot in the di-
rection Of the Via Appia, oyerturnng every OBJ
stacle in his progress, and emerging into square
thronged with jewellers, and surrounded by gay
booths which opened on the Tiber, he took lis
course, maddened to fury by the shouts that fol-
lowed him, directly across the space towards the
river which at the point he aimed tor, was several
feet lower than the quay, and covered with small
boats. lie was within a few yards Of the water,
and in a second or two, would have Ieaped with
when q young man, in the dress of student Of
the galleries, sprang from booth inwhich he had
been bargaining for painters colors, and struck
the euraged animal smartIy on the right side Of
the head with long staff. At the same instant,
at the imminent risk Of his life, he threw himself
forward in the direction the horse was flying and
fastening his grasp on the bit, pulled him short
round with deXterty and skill that seemed
above mortal means and turned him from his
fatal course, while the air rung with the applaud
ingshouts Of the multitude, His speed, however,
was not lessened by this diversion from his former
line Of flight; and, though no longer moving in
the direction Of the Tiber, he now strove to press
forward in an opposite one. But the youth, with
a hand on each side Of his mouth, held him with
grasp that covered his motions, so ttat, re-
strained in every endcavor to bound forward his
movements became confined to a circle. in which
he whired the carriage with fearful velocity drag
ging the resolute youth at his bit, whose whole
strength and presence Of mind were required to
keep him to the centre, from which, every instant
he threatened TO bolt The excitement of the
multitude now became intense The lady in the
carriage, in whom, at the first glance, on emerging
from the qo0th, the young painter had recognised
the original of his copy sat with her eyes fixed on
him, full of gratitude and hope while all fear
seemed to be turned from herselfto him. Round
and round in a ring that each moment decreased
in diameter, the chariot flew, while, at his head,
his body braced outward almost horizontally and
his whole weight thrown inward, hung the young
student, with bold, that death alone could I'M
loose-for he knew, with every soul present, that
the life of the maiden depended solely on his
coolness, courage and perseverance. Altogether
it was a spectacleof Of terrific submity; the mighty
efforts Of the horse to break away from the centre
about which the youth resolved that he should
exhaust bis fire; his swelled muscles, foaming
mouth and HIND -shnt Owes and thn t,nrrnrfrl