The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-07-12
THE FATAL uow.
CONCIUnEn

ess, wringlng her handl, stfor Gods
sake, lay not blood guilt on my soul.
i! may not revoke my VOW, but oh!
Albert, good and true knight, re-
membering your aged father, your
young sister, your gallant brothers,
and bring not destruction on your
self, and o cinging curse on me-"
= Count Albert shook his head.
MAY, fair lady," he said, "what
Is life to me without your loye?"
The old, Impatient spirit that, for
o moment, had been suppressed in
the Countess by q natural womanly
weakness. and some remorse for an
unW1se vow, now rose OF this opposi
tion. ~ 2
"Out on you, Count of Erlau,"
she cried. "What would you win,
even if successful, (Which cannot
be, but an unwilling bride? Isit the
devoir of q gallant knight to cast away
his life for q mistress who, of her
own free will, would not give him
faded flower from her bosom?"
The knight in reply dropped on
one knee, and taking her reluctant
hand pressed it to his lips. s'Your
scorn, lady," he said, sis nothing
new to me; but Albert of Erlau would
rather be the victim of your cruelty
than the favored lover Of any other
woman. If L win, the saints that
guarded me can work another miracle
in my favor. IF 1 lose, it will be but
the tate l seek in every combat"
And An without awaiting reply, he left
1t would be doing injustice to
Cunigunde to say that her grief
was not intense at this unexpected
result. of her hasty vow. With
white rigid face and hands clasped
convulsively together, at one mo-
ment imploring the mercy of heaven,
at the other calling down maledic,
tions on her own head for her wicked
oath, she awaited the return of the
messenger she had despatched to
witness the terrible ordeal of the
luckless knight. It only needed q
glance at his horror stricken face.
as he rushed into her presence. to
tell her the result, and she fell sense
less to the ground.
"He rode twenty yards" said the
seneschal, in answer to the breathless
questions of the women who SUD-
ported the Countess, "and right
gallantly, too; but at the turn the
horse baked, his nostrils seemed
drawn in by terror, and with hor-
rible cry he fell sheer down the
preclpice. AS he fell, Count Albert
waved his hand, and cried out, Tell
her l await her,"
When Cunigunde recovered from
the swoon, there was no perceptible
agitation in her manner. She had
masses said for the repose of the
knights soul, but it was noticed she
dld not assist in them. At chapel,
or IN the confessional, she was no
more visible, and people began to
Whisper she had sold her soul to the
powers OF darkness by her ungodly
vow. In fact, she seemed to take q
diabolical satisfaction in the number
OF the victims, who increased. no
way, deferred by the fate of their
predecessors. The fame of her vow
her beauty, and her wealth went to
'ne lartnest ends of Christendom,
ana what.one knight ventured, an.
otner would have thought it shame to
cnlyalry not to attempt. The two
nrothers OF Count Albert were AMONG
the victims, and the Countess mode
no eHort 20 restrain them from their
tate. In fact, she used all the hIo,,l
aisnments OF her beauty to entice
her suitors to their destruction She
would even stand in the couyt-yard
OF the castle, her crimson garments
sweeping. the ground, and gems fiasb.
ing in the sunlight Oh head and
bosom, but with light in her eyes