The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-02-28

| could pick him out from thousand
by the way in which he sits his steed ~
AS they came nearer he saw his bride
riding by his brothers. side. while be-
hind on billions were her two female at
tendants.
/" BY the Holy Rood :" said the count.
p" but the fair Blanche of Pisa sits her
/ palfrey like queen"
And then the count thought of the
time when he would escort her around
some of the fine old lanes of Provence.
OF sudden he cried out:
" By all the saints, this is indeed a
thrice welcome day, for there, if my
eyes deceive me not, is my old andt usty
FRIEND and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the right
valiant Lord of Pisalu
Unable to control his impotence to
greet his brother and TO see his betroth-
ed wife, the count strobe hastily in add
VI ace of his retinue. and met the calya-
cade on the slope which led to the port
cuUis.
Upon seeing the count, Henri leaped
from his horse, and, regardless of all
around them, the two brothers were the
next instant in each others arms.
lie saints bless thee, my son, ~ said
the elder brother, as he kissed the cheek
of the handsome youth. "Thou hast
acquitted myself right noDlv in this
matter, and " this one act thou hast
repaid me thOLsandfold all the tender
care | have ever bestowed on thee ~
A close observer might have seen a
deep flush spread over the beautiful face
| of Henri rs the count said the last words,
put he had no sooner uttered them. ian
/ his eyes turned to his bride.
For the first time il his life the count
felt the electric thrill of lovel Like
Aaron's rod, it had swallowed up every
! passion in his heart. And indeed sell
dom has man looked upon a sweeter
/ face than that of Blanche.
Her bright golden hair, so rare among
| the Italians, her soft gray eyes, with a
! touch of blue in lem, her exquisite
complexion, her swelling br ST, and he.
rounded figure. which although petite.
! was not uade.sized were irresistible
/ claims to every heart. And over all
I there hung that ineXpressible halo of
! purity which raises woman to the saint
ly sphere,
Crowned, happy and rewarded at
last, " sighed the count to himself;
ha e waited long, but have not waited
in vain. Hail, Blanche of Provence,
| Such We're the enthusiastic faneieswhich
rushed throug the counts brain, when
he first beheld his bridel
The greeting between the two old
warriors was cordial and heartfelt. The
Count of Pisa said that il was only AT
the last moment he had decided to es-
cort his daughter, as he felt a great de-
sire to see his old cOIlpanion-in-arms.
Thinking, also, it would be an agreeable
surprise TO him, he had requested his
brother not to announce his coming in
the despatch he had forwarded.
Magnificent were the Hastings that
night all that the most princely hOspi-
tally could furnish was laVished. The
Count de Provence did his utmost 10 re-
commend himself 10 his beautiful be-
trothed. Blanche looked the picture of
loveliness. To her intended husband
she was all gentleness aid courtesy:
whenever he addressed her she replied
with downcast eyes a.nc tremulous voice,
becoming a fair maiden ia her first in
terview with ler first husband. The
ONLY thing that marred the happiness of
the count was the absence Of his below
Oh brother, 'rho bad been nfellsa, hT
a severe indisposition, 10 forego the plea
sures of the festival, and retire to his
own room. Several times du.'ing the
evening did the countgo TO his brothers
apartment and tenderly inqu re concern
ing his illness but the only answer he
could eXtort was, that his pains were
very seye e, and that he felt unable to
rise.
The skillful leech-as the doctors were
then called-felt his pulse, and declared
the malady transcribed his art to cure.
The counts inquietude was extreme.
" By st. Denis ~ he cried, this is a
cruel blow to my content. How can |
be happy if Henri is not at my side to
share it?'
But when. next morning, Henri sent
Father Anselmo to his brother to beg
permission to go TO Paris for short time
to recruit his health, the count was per-
fectly amazed.
" Bv the Halidame!n he cried q" / like
not this What and not help me with
the festivities to celebrate my marriage
to the Lady Blanche!'
Sending for the leech, the count de-
manded of him what allied his brother.
The learned man replied that he
could not tell-it was not OF the body,
but the mind.
Proceeding at once to his brothers.
apartment, he found him lying on his
couch prey to the deepest anguish.
Al that the Cont could extort from
him was a request that he would allow
him to seek for health in change of
air.
As the count was on his way to his
own apartments he met Guilbert, who
had formed one of Lady Bianche's es-
cort.
There was something about Guilbert's
manner which raised the counts curl
osity. aud bidding him follow him to
his study, he asked if Henri had COM
planned of illness on the journey.
ST. tr5tb nf-f
his masters suspicious that he knew
more about his brothers malay imam
he chose to tell.
Guilbert had been so long a retainer
in the Monpensier family that he had
observed with sorrowful eyes the Woe
full havoc which the fair Blanche was
making in the heart of his young mas
ter. With all the blind devotion of the
feudal times he believed in the right OF
the elder to rule in every respect, ana
considered it the duty of the younger
branches of great family to act as
though they had no wishes and opini-
ons of their own.
Despite his allegiance to the count his
warmer feelings were with Henri, whom
he had nursed and attended from infan-
cy, and he would often say:
"The saints guard that youth from
the SnareS OF love InuTNel HiuCl
the count was so unwise as send him to
convey such paragon of beauty! Why,
even can scarcely look unmoved upon
her!"
And again, as he rode behind the fair
Blanche, and her love-stricken escort,
he would murmur to himself:
ga thousand pities-a thousad pities
that they are not bridegroom and
bride! By the cross of st. Denis, the
count is old enough to be her fathern'
And then again honest Guilbert
would cross himself, and thank the
saints he had been hitherto preserved
from the perils of love!
1t was not difficult for practiced
man of the world like the count to elicit
from the supplemented Guilbert many
facts which led him to suspect the real
state of the case and the cause of Henr's
malady.
But he buried these misgivings in his
own bosom, and when he had dismissed
Guilbert, he went to his brothers apart
ment, to make use of the knowledge he
he had gained, and ascertain how far
his suspicious were well founded.
When he entered Henri's chamber
the leech arose, and put his finger sig
nificantly to his mouth, counseling 81
lence. Approaching softly to his broth