Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-15
THE FLIGHT.

1t was moonless night, but the
stars, like countless gems, sparkled
in the blue vault of heaven, when a
party of travellers paused by a way
side fountain, in one Of the most
romantic counties of England.
The cavalcade consisted of two
principal persons, with a train of
mounted attendants. Both were
disguised as pilgrims, but beneath
the long robe of one peeped the
gilded spurs of a knight, and from
the hood of the other shone the
bright eyes Of lady, young, noble
and beautiful. The followers were
single female servant and a small
escort of men-at-arms.
A more picturesque spot could
not be conceived. On either side
rocks rose almost perpendicularly,
leaving only a narrow defile be-
tween, SO that when the travellers
halted they completely blocked uI
the road. The landscape swelled
into a plain commanded by an ele.
vation to the right, on which stood
Il castle. Rightin the center Of the
pass, and a little more than a mans
hight from the ground, was a rudely
carved figure of a boy holding {
shell, from which poured constant
stream of water.
"You are not tired, Geraldine
are you ?" said the knight in a tonC
that betrayed the lover. "You cal
ride further ~
The lady looked confdingly NJ
into his face, and answered, "0h
no, Sir Robert, l can ride all nigh
if it should be necessary. But
was in hopes" she added, after
pause, "that the castle on the hill
yonder would have afforded us re
fuge."
"AlasW returned her companion
"that is the fastness of as bold
Lancastrian as ever drew sword fo
a usurping line. To seek refug
there would be to run into the lion
Jaws. In fact, all this region is il
the hands of Queen Margaret
friends, and there will be no safet
for us till we draw higher to Lon
DON"
The period to which our stor
refers was that unsettled one know
, in English history as that of tn
: Wars of the Roses. 1t was a tim
! when family was arrayed agains
family, and the dearest ties wer
often ruthlessly severed. The Lad
!. Geraldine had been born and bro
: in the Yorkist faith, but her fathe
having fallen in the disastrous fel
IS of Wakefield, and there being n
, male heirs of her house, her perso
had been seized by D matern,
uncle, a bitter Lancastrian, VIII
. boasted that he would marry her
!. one Of his own party, and thus ca
: ry the weight of her vast posse
!, sions over to Queen Margaret. Br
y y such a union would have been di
tasteful to the Lady Geraldine as
confirmed Yorkist, even ii her hea
:, had not already selected a mat
Il High spirited and full of resource
D she began to plot how to escap
Il instead of yielding herself to fat
l. Her foster-sisteF, who subsequent
became her tire-woman, was a
W. loved to remain with her in Il
: honorable capacity to which 81
was consignedy and she now er
\ ployed this faithful creature to opt
a communication with Sir Robe
Clifford, the gallant knight who
she had promised to wed. Th
was no easy matter in that di
turbed day, especially as Sir Robe
=. was in a different part Of the kin
dom. But fortune, after mai
trials, proved kind. A letter fro
= the Lady Geraldine reached him
~ London, where he was on duty wi
the King, and abandoning ever
thing else, he set out immediate
to the rescue of his plighted brio
By what stratagem the lovers ma
aged to meet and arrange schel
Of escape it would delay us t
" much'to narrate; it is sufficient
ur- our story to say that, in the disgu