Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-07-07
owe swear by thy mild blue ewes tina

HMy Lord, SAID she, I've heard OF
holy books bursting their clasps when
periured mouths come nigh. Beware of
robbing my poor eyes of modesty, their
own ciasping seal. Towards me. 1 warn
Won, practice neither falsehood nor in
cOnstancy.
ssBy our knighthood, we shall be true
to thee, girl, till our heart hath no throb
for any living creature.
"Will you love me till my hair be
gray?"
@Enchaniressl we shall love thee,
vert thou withered crOne from which
hideousness itself might recoil, cried
he so affectionately that she paused.
tAnd for what am L SO vastly inesti-
mable?" said she, hesitatingly. cit can
not be my tresses,,-a few clips of the
shears, and farewell my pride in ringlets
to the winds. 1t may not be my brow,
for care shall soon furrow it, and blanch
my cheek, which now seems bloom
ingIy. Care, too, shall more peak my
chm, and charms, if have any, be most
peTishable.
Lady, we love thee more for thy
good sense than for thy beauty" said
ne; and in stepping closer towards her
his spur struck the door, which closed
with spring. He rubbed his hands
together, and expressed delight at an
incident which created in her con-
siderable trepidatiOn, that soon snbsid-
ed into a calm.
81 was childish enough TO be alarm
ed; but / have nothing to fear from a
true knight. His most Christian Ma
iesty would not Cypress the meanest of
lis subjects, or betray confidence where
he is an honOred guest" observed
she, drawing chair before her, and
leaning in an easy posture over its tall,
carved back
mot for diadem would we harm
thee, dearest" said he, Yet by our
sword KslwOulds sooner forfeit every
acre of old Navarro, and leave Italy the
brightest jewel in our rivals crown, than
to forege thy love. Thou must be ours"
and the enraptHred monarch disengaged
her from the bulwark, and embraced
her ere she could extricate herself from
his arms sa
"Histl heard You no noise?" breathed
she softly. and she held her finger to-
wards the deor. He heard none, nor
had she: and she twined her small fin
gers round her wrist. elm two hours
hence it snail be midnight. Meet me
here when the town clocks chime. Pray,
my Liege, till then retire, said she, and
she opened the door.
'''Dost mock us. Ellen? Say wilt thou
keep thy promises"
''Assuredly my Lord does not doubt
me when Isay, yes? Yes, L shall meet
your Majesty. See, the jewellers from
the hall seek you as one lost. Join
them, and remember the appointed
hQnr. ~. .--.
Francis retired abashed, when with
gentle force he had been expelled from
the oratory; and Ellen quietly resumed
her devotions for the night.
TRANQUILITY she arose, and her manner
betrayed neither excitement nor emo
ton, though from rep ated efforts she
made to trim the chamber lamp, and
fuTtive chances she cast often at a mir
ror, dull must one be who could not dis
tinguish that she was i'll at ease. She
paced round the apartment, which was
small and meanly rnished, its only
ornament being a few pictures in en-
broidery ON Scripture subjects. In one
corner were suspended loose sheets of
vellum, parts of a missal for festival
purposes, and In another seemed perch
10 have been erected, upon which was
perched hawk, but SO in the shade that
1t was difficult to determine whether it
was part of the rayelled tapestry or a
real bird.
At length she sat on low stool and
encompassed her knees between her
hands, rocking to and fro as if engaged
in unravelling some painful train of
reflections. elf inward beauty can be
uowise retained except by outward in
that the soul be denied" said she, re
viewing herself in the grotesque mirror,
with pensive expression which soon
cleared into cheerfulness. "NOw, van
ity aside" continued she. "Nell, did you
ever think you were so pretty as to make
conquest of king? Never, Nell, new
erl Nell must be lovely to have accom-
plished that. La, what tOyshOp of
charms are temptingly piled in yonder
glass" and she shook the oil so that
wavy light fell on the mirror. ''Blue
eyes and black hair are peculiarities not
often found together. Yet here / have
them in Milesian perfection, albeit the
average spirit of my eyes is half me rri-
ment, half melancholy. And cheeks
are here, that though they may not
shame the rose, they never knew the
blush of counterfeit. Teeth, likewise,
which. though passing white, any ele-
phant-hunter would at one glance dis
cover were no ivory; and lips which a
truer wOOer than my Lord Francis told
Ellen we're cushing riDa any wild bird
would know at first pecking were not
worth sweet strawberries. Well, and
as 1 was thinking, it's pity all this toy
shop should be IN an hour or two as sad
to look on as a sepulchre.
She called her maid, and babe her
bring a chaffing-dish, heaped with live
charcoal and sulphur in bar, which done
the maid retired, aud Ellen sat once
more alone. Suspending the basin of
spirit lamp over the dish, she dropped
in the sui phur, and as it fused. yellow
flame fiickered up. and cast dull halo
around the chamber. She shook out
her hair from the golden pins that bound
it, and it fell luxuriantly to the floor,
before she combed it with the greatest
care, as if she intended to rebrush 1T
again. Redressing her tresses never
had more; for with scissors she clipped
round and round till her head was ne
gress hare, but not half so picturesque,
for it had no curls!
Smearing her forehead and cheek
with oil, the sulphuric yapOr arose in
poisonous influence as she leaned over
the fatal dish. Her eyelashes were the
frat SacFifiop tn the funa. and her main