Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-02-12

this object of old Huberts antipathy.
Great sorrow OVershadowed the once cheer
ful spirit of the beauteous Lady Alice, nor
was the gloom of that sorrow at all lessened
| by the conduct of the Eastern followers of her
affanced lord. Those strangers were wild
set and though, in general taciturn as
mutes when questioned about the doings of
their lord during his sojourn in the East, yet
there were occasions when the genial influence
of the wine cup thawed their habitual reserve,
and caused them to set afoat fragments of
tales, in which an Eastern princess, with raw
en- locks, eyes that might have outshone in
brightness those of the Prophets houris, with
extensive provinces for her dowry, played a
conspicuous part. Add to this, the discovery
made by the inquisitive waiting maid of Lady
Alice, of " a long tress of hair, SO dark, so
beautiful, it could hardly belong to human
being" which tress the heir of Rievaulx Cas-
tie was in the habit of kissing and it will be
admitted that not without reason, did the
Saxon maiden surmise that the heart Of her
betrothed vbrated towards more potent
magnet 10 the " Land of the Rising. Sun
* X
g Now, Bertram," said the young Lord of
| Rievaux to his squire,-the ouly person be-
sides the Numidian who seemed to possess his
confidence" tell me truly have | not acted
the part Of villain ?
My dear MASTER" said the obsequious
squire, " what can you possibly mean Was
it not the Lady Z4liudaS own wish that you
should return 20 England and marry the step,
daughter of De Courcey."
" Name her not, | command you-at least
not now," he added in more subdued tone
| x,I>nv e, 4l, .lo Co;n l;o, n,
! CouIcey, shall possess the titles, and, if she
WILL the broad land of Rievaulx. That doae,
| once again remount my steed, and with no
other dependent than tbyself, depart"
''sNot to rejon the Lady Zelinda, / trust 2"
said the squire with suppressed smile. For,
! by st. Mary, would rather not encounter
her iadyship'S Arab blood, ntamed by what
| she would consider an insult to a race whose
veins as she once told you are filed with the
! fire Of the sum- from which they derive her
being"
But" replied the young Lcrd of RievaulX
did size not tell NE never 10 see her again
unless Is the husband Of my fathers ward y
! Because" answered the squire, she
thought your love for herself SO very power
full that you could net marry any one else
/ And in case you should present yourself be
| fore her as the husband Of another, in order to
! show how faithfully you obeyed her, aud to
claim your reward, take my word for it that
the poisoned dagger or the drugged cup, not
the loving smile or the raviShing embrace,
SHALL be the guerdon of her most obedient
Christian knight. Rely upon it, my Lord, that
women, whether far or dark, whether Norman
or SNraceu, are very deep aud mysterious fe-
ings, whose words have Significance never
imagined by the sluggish brain of that poor
creature, man"
Before the knight had time to reply, their
converse was interrupted by the sweet, yet
wild note OF some wandering minstrel, who at
that moment began to amuse the crowd Of
Idle retainers 10 the court yard below. This
minstrePS notes in few seconds had cast an
enhancing spell over the knight. They re-
called the visions in which he had been indng
ing with ali the vividnesS Of reality. The
| air, the voice, that strange wild melody had
transported him to The scenes OF Other days
The surrounding woods had been changed, as
. if by magiciauS wand, into lighted palace,
decorated with magnifcence unknown to the
palaces of Christian kings. And music, the
soul melting music of the East, foated on the
perfnmed air, minglng with the mnrmurs of
the trickling fountains. And there was form
more bright, more glorious than that which
belong to the daughters Of earth. And there
were eyes, dark, flashing, tender eyes, never
to be forgotten.
The strains of the minstrel ceased. The
timid, graceful boy performer extends his
hand A piece Of gold from the young lord
of Rievanlx rewards his exertions. The min
strel lifts his eyes, and for second fixes their
gaze upon the face of the knight 1t was only
for second, but in that second, was accom-
plished the resurrection of the past.
At length the day which was to witness
the marriage of Alice de Courcey with the
son Of l. ESpec was come and gone.
Twas midnight. The great hall of Rievaulx
resounded the name of the beautious bride, as
the wine-cups were qualfed on her departure
to the nuptial chamber. ALI at once, and ev-
cry eye was attracted by the alarming change
which had passed over the countenance of the
bridegroom. Large drops stood on his brow,
his eyes stared from their sockets and his eff |
forts to speak terminated in articulate mur-
nurs. His .rusty squire, who was at hand, |
FASTENED to the assistance of his master but
on raising the goblet, which had fallen from |
bis relaxed grasp, the valiant squire recoiled |
with look of horror equal to his masters
and rushed from the hall. What was the
cause of this A ring, a craven emerald,
glttered in the empty vessel Yet how came
it there, except by supernatural meaDs Had
he not been so much frightened the peculiar
grin on the face of the Nuban cup-bearer and
the light form of a striplug who bounded |
behind the massy columns, and disappeared by
one of the side,doors, might have afforded a
clue to the mystery.
x X
Alone in her nuptial bower sat the charm
ing Lady Alice The last of her maidens had
reluctantly retired Her snow-white robe and |