The Grange advance., 1874-07-22
"A H1GHWAYNAN'S BRIDE.

"A H1GHWAYMAN's BRIDE.
BY WALTER w1NwooD.
Tile early years of the reign OF George
Ill. was the time of those gallant robbers,
whose fine clothes, high bearing, reckless
lhardihood, and frequently good birth,
Nook away from tie superficial observer
much ef the darkness Of the crime actually
surrounding their deeds and lives.
One in particular was notorious enough
in his brief day for most of the qualities l
have described, as sometimes attributes of
these knights Of the road. He was we'll
connected, too, his uncle being clergy
man in a nigh church appointment. His
person was elegant, his manners courtly,
and he was rash in an extraordinary de-
gree. Mingling freely in fashionable
society in his real name, his deeds of rob-
a,ery were the talk Of his town under his
assumed one. His proper designation was
Richard Mowbray-that belonging to the
road, his sole source Of revenue, was Cap
tain de Montmorency-a patronymic, higu-
sounding enough. do not mean, how
ever, to inter that any suspected the man
-of fashion and the highwayman to be one
land the same person; that was never
known till the event which am going to
relate took place.
Richard Mowbray had spent his own
small patrimony, years before the period
at which this narrative commences, in the
pleasures OF the town; it had melted in
,play-houses, faro, horse-flesh and hazard :;
he had exhausted the kindness and for
had borrowed and begged, till borrowing
and begging became impracticable. He
had known most extremes Of life; and,
moreover, when debts and poverty stared
him grimly in the face, he knew not one
useful art by which he could support ex-
.istence, or pay dividends to his creditors.
What was to be done? He eluded Jail
as long as he could, and one eventful
night, riding on horseback, and medita-
ting gloomily on his evil fortunes, he met
covered by the darkness from all dis
.covery-a traveller well mounted-plethor-
.ic-lsden with bags, and bearing
likewisd the burden of excessive fear.
1t was a sudden thought-acted upon as
suddenly. Resistance was not dreamed Of
Nov bray made off with his booty, consid.
.erably enough to repair his exhausted
finances and to pay his most pressing cred.
sitors. 1t was literally robbing Peter to
pay Paul. And so by night, under shelter
Of its darkness, did the ruined gentleman
become the highwayman. People who
knew his circumstances whispered theil
surprise when it became known thai
Richard Mowbray had paid his debts, ani
that he himself made more than his GUS
:tomary appearance. Now his fine perso,
was ever clad in the newest braveries of tn
day; and in his double character many
conquest did he make, for he disburdenet
ladies of their jewels and purses with g.
fine manner, that the defrauded fair one
forgot their losses in admiration Of tn
charming despoiler and Richard, in bot
his phases, drank deep draughts Of pleas
ure, till he drained the Circean cup to it
veriest dregs. Just as even pleasure be
came wearisome, when festive and high
bred delights palled on his sated passion:
and the lower extremes of licentiousnes
and hard drinking, ru8aing and fighting
diversified by the keen excitement an
threats Of danger, which distinguished hi
predatory existence began to satiate. a ne,
light broke on the feverish atmosphere {
his life. He lovedl Yes Richard Nov
bray, the ruined patrician. De Montmo
rency, the gallant shighwayman, who ha
hitherto resisted every good or evil influ
.ence which Love, pure or earth-staine
offers to his votaries, succumbed to th
simple charms Of = young, unlearned, IN,
ambitious girl, so youthful, that even h<
tastes and habits, childish as they weer,
1>o To- 40 "a 4 .
years. Flavia Hardcourt had Just attaine
her sixteenth year--had never been, to
aoarding-school, and loved nothing
:much-even, her birds and pet EAbbits-.
her dear old father, an honest country ge,
:tlemAn, and worthy magistrate. Flaw
had never been even to London, for n
Hardcourt resided 1t Aveling-a retirs
village, about twenty miles from the N
tropolis. Barring fox.hunting and ha
drinking, the old gentleman, on his sid
took pleasure only i'm the pretty, gent
girl, who, from the hour of her birth
which event terminated her mothers e
istence-had made her his constant pla
mate and companion. And it was to Il
simple wild-hower that the man Of pie,
ure, naughty, reckless, unpzinciPled, II
providsnt, irreligious and rash, presum
to lift his eyes, to elevate his heart ar
oh, stranger still TO this being the mo
-.antipodes Of her pure sslf, did Fla,
Hardcourt surrender her youthful, mode
inestimable lesa.a i must have bsen
very childishness and purity that attiaci
the desperate robber-the hardened lib
+ tine, now about, to commit his worst 4
most inexcnsSble crime. He had 10
dentally met NJ Hardcourt. .stA oaqpl
hunt; had, With others Of his oompaniol
1been invited by honsae ,Iisnss I