The Van Buren press., 1878-04-02
/" Has she confessed the charge ?"


"Then suspend the execution of the
sentence. Conduct Milanstta here. l
wish to see and interrogate her person
ally"
My deputy obeyed, and in on instant
afterwards Milanetta stood before me,
Oh, If you had seen that youthful crea-
ture, glittering with grace and beauty
Had you noticed the sublmity Of her
looks at that trying moment, the clear
olive of her expansive brow (the sun,
you know, kisses our Spanish maidens
with searching embrace) her dark tres
ses floating loose in the mountain breeze,
her noble attitude and the majestic bear
ing of her head, like me. you would, first
OF all, have admired; like me, You would
have felt an involuntary respect for her !;
like me, perhaps, yga ~ouin have loved
her. l was, then, only twenty five, and
l knew nothing of women but what
had learned in the eoisters of Salmana
ca, or the courts and revels of Madrid
My heart was yet in its virgin freshness,
my head was heated under our burning
sun, and felt that inscrutable want of
something to love; something to invest
with the rich worship of my soul: which
should burst upon me like vision of
fright, even il it consumed me in the
revelation. When began my examina-
ton, was more agitated than my priso-
ner We were alone, and am sure my
emotion must have been apparent when l
said
"Do you know the punishment to the
which the steward has condemned
your"
Yes, my lord" was her answer, in
low, calm voice" to death
"Before confirming the laws sentence
l have desired to see you to ascertain
from yourself whether you have no ex-
tenuatng circumstances to allege."
Nothing"
"You are a smuggler, then ?"
"Oh, no.
"Why. then, do You cross into France
every night? What other motive could
induce you to expose yourself to such
peril ?"
/" That will never disclose"
Recollect that the only means of sa-
wing your life is frank and unreserved
declaration Of"
81 know it, hut will not do it. l will
reply to you, my lord, as did to your
Judge: : | have never smnggled.' Wheth
err cross nightly into France or not is
my own business, and my motives are
my own. My doom is spoken; let it be
executed; am ready TO suffer it. My
lord, shall not answer another in
quiry."
From that moment she was insensible
to advice, menaces or entreaties Moth
ing could overcome her obstinate silence.
~ s.,"S .n'~" - ~~.~s---,y $3.50.
her, and did all that could to extract
her secret from her: but she treasured
in the bottom OF her heart what she wish
ed to conceal from me, while she soon
guessed what dare not disclose to her.
Yes, it was in her chill and comfortless
cell that l. her Judge. her lord, the arbi-
ter of her life--fell at her feet and re-
vealed 10 passionate accents what she al.
ready had read in my acts and gestures,
1t was in her prison that she cOldly re
pulsed my love and rejected her pardon
on the terms | offered it. No one who
had seen us, then. would have said ale
is the judge, and she Is the victim" She
was always calm, cold and resigned,
while endured all the fortunes Of disap
pointed love, irritated by repulses. The
vault of the prison resounded with my
entreaties and angry exclammations with
my signs and passionate appeals, and l
momentarily was the prey of every con-
tending emotion--now ready to kill Mi
/ lanetta, and now resolving to save her at
all hazards; now, begging her to be
mine, and now determined to bid the ex-
ecutioner perform his fatal Office. was
no longer myself loved for the first
time, and the being to whom poured out
my heart end soul in protestations of adj
Grafton, transport and idolatry coldly an
swered: /" | cannot Listen to you; love
another" After an awful outbreak Of
rage at such an announcement, insisted
upon knowing who my rival was, but she
replied with the same calmness Of tone
and look, THAT you shall never knc W."
At this junculre Il violent knocking was
heard at the prison door. My people
were looking for me on all sides, as a
Ere ch nobleman had arrived in great
haste at the castle and demanded to see
me Immediately. / went to him Mt once,
striving in vain to hide from my servant
the emotions with viii I'll was agitsted,
and az whose violence l, myself was
alarmed. made my appearance in the
great hall, a prey to the most gloomy
torebodings there saw young man.
who was pacing the hall with hurried
steps. and who desired to converse with
out witnesses.
81 am the Marquis De Clairval," said
he; 81 possess castle in France, which
like yours, is ON the very frontier, and.
like you am engaged in supprcssing
smuggling, and executing justice against
those engaged in it,"
The name Of the marquis was familiar
to me, as we had correspondent together
to devise measures for the security of the
frontier.
But" continued he, "however rigid
and unrelenting our justice against
those taken in the act may be, it is rather
too much that we should condemn inno-
cent people to death merely because they
refuse to give reasons for their beha-
vior"
ITO what do you allude, Monsieur ?"
"Listen to me. A young girl, named
~ n