Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-11
The Broken Flower OF Holland.

hour It was near the sunset of glowing
August day, and the sufferer lay painting
with the heat, as well as with the approach.
ing dissolution of the mortal body.
"Open the shutters-let me look once more
upon the evening sky before | go hence"
said the diving man. "Why keep me here |
in darkness would fain look once more
upon Holland before close my eyes forever"
The attendants obeyed, and the sun shone |
athwart the pallid face, whittier than the
snowy cambria that lay in soft folds about |
the bed.
"Look out upon the road and see if my
brother William comes. All, why does he
delay so long2 Adelaide, were those mes
sages sent in season p
"They were. / saw the messenger off my
self, and hastened his departure; then an
other followed him with orders to pass him
at all risks"
40, that he would come cannot last
much longer; and then what will become
of Ada ?"
HAS Ada no mother, then ?" asked his
wife reproachfullv.
"Not that did | mean; but William will
be a father to her until she is old enough to
take charge of my domains"
The cold and calculating Countess Ade-
lhlub DduStu Slt duSMtlcus ISNCu "
this diving bed her schemes of ambition did
not sumber, nor did her habitual shrewd.
ness forsake her. Spite of her exertion, she
had not speeded the messenger. and her
hopes lay in the probability that Count Will
liam had failed to receive the news of The
odore's extremity.
The sun went down, aud when its last
lingering ray left the chamber light, child
ish form sprang into the room, and in a mo-
ment was clasped to the breast Of the dying
man.
"Bless you, my sweet Ada' said the suf-
ferer. al trembled lest you would not ar
rive in time to see me die"
"Die, father ?" gasped the child surely
you are not dyingY"
"Ada, keep life in me if you can, until
your uncle arrives. Wet my lips with this
cordial as often as they dry. If you should
fail, tell him to protect you"
The little girl bent over her father, with
the richly painted cup and gilded spoon in
her small hands, and forcing back her tears,
she tried to smile as she put few drops of
the powerful cordial between the pale lips.
clark what sound is that, Ada ?" asked
her father. ale comes hear his horses
feet as he comes up the hill. o. for one
hour to speak what would say to him!"
Up the long hill dashed the fiery horse,
his sides reeking with foam mixed with the
red blood which the deeply struck spur had
drawn forth. A heavy footstep ascended
the stair-was in the room-when shrek
from the child, and the falling back OF the
head which she had been raising from the
pillow, told that all was over.
Count William took the little one from
the bed, closed the eyes of the dead, and
then turned to administer consolation to the
widow. Her hard, cold eye altered his pur.
pose, for he perceived that his brothers
death had only affected her slightly; aud he
quickly saw that her only grief arose from
her fear of being deposed from the honors
which she had enjoyed as the wife of his
brother. Her first words assured him OF
this, and he did not think it worth while to
waste his sympathy upon woes like that
but bestow it upon his poor niece, who had
been kept away from her father until his
dying hour, and then flying to his bedside
from a mysterious impulse for which she
could not account, for she had had no init
nation of his illness.
Burdened with grief which her mother
scantily shared, the child clung to the pres
ence of her uncle, telling him that her fathe
had desired to see him on her account, anC
udu uOBch PicecSe hSA' AAS P'oiii
ised-but in vain. The Countess Adelaide
even before the burial of Theodore, haC
contrived TO betroth Ada to Louis Count o
Loon and although the bride had scarcel,
reached the age Of fourteen, her mother in
sisted on her marriage Immediately after.
That she had her own selfish policy il
thus selecting husband of no great im
portance for her daughter, is evident. Lool
was only small fief of the bishopric o
Liege, and Louis therefore could not thwar
her ambitious schemes for herself. Although
Ada nominally succeeded her father, still
the mother actually reigned in Holland, un
til the popular discomfort became matte
of strong certainty, and caused the COUNTIES
no little alarm.
William, passionately loving his niece a
he did, was quite willing to deliver HOLLAND
from the she Goliath" as he called AIDE
lade of Cleves, even at Ada's expense. Tn
plot which was formed to get rid of her wa
fast ripening, and William lent himself +
its accomplishment with prospect of sue
cess. Disguised SO that no one could pos
sibly suspect him, he was brought to tn
island OF Schouwen by Philip Van Was
senaar. The people Of Zealand received hin
with joyful demonstrations, and the neigh
boring provinces caught the keynote AM
echoed back their appreciation.
Ada and Louis, deserted by their friend:
and fearing even worse usage, escaped unde
cover of the darkness of night, from Haar
laem TO Utrecht; but Ada, unwilling to b
absent from her mother in time of DANCE
like this, joined her at Leyden. Here sh
was besieged by Philip Van Wsssenaar
She held out until resistance was vain, an,
finally surrendered. Separated from Louis
whom she had learned to love with an Ell
crossing affection, Ada was sent as prisone
to the Texel, and after while, TO the cour
of King John of England.
CHAPTER II.
1t was the 3lst day Of October, 1907 Th
princely palace of the Bishop OF Liege wa
lighted up with more than ordinary bril-
lianoy. x splendid suite of rooms wa
thrown open, and the rich carriages outsid
proclaimed that the bishop was receiving
distinguished guests on that evening. Th'
damp evenings of Holland required a fire
and accordingly the beautiful porcelain
stoves at each end of the ample apartment
were filled with fragrant wood that impreg
mated the room with delightful odor
Rich velvet chairs and sofas were scattered
profusely around, and flowers of the rares
kind filled the vases with hues that wer,
almost rivaled by the superb carpet.
The bishop, noble-looking man of forty
years of age, was sitting in his library, witt
the door opening into the reception-room
ready meet his guests when they should ap
pear. BY his side sat Louis, Count of Loon
whose disturbed brow showed that he wa'
i'll at ease.
"This delay annoys me beyond expires
sion," said Louis, who had been watching
the calm and serene countenance of the
bishop, as he sat with his hand resting on a
ponderous folio on the reading-stand be