Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-02-07

prevailed. for the holy man
was timorous, and feared the
wrath of the princess. But at last,
for the Suieur Rudel's sake, he con-
scented. and married them privily in the
hall as the gray dawn was breaking
across the sea.
Now, in the morning, the princess bid
SOita be brought to her, and when they
were alone, gently and cunningly she
spake:
Child" she said, Il doubt not thy
heGrt is hot against me for that l will
not enlarge the Sieur Rudel. Alas!
fain were | to do this thing, but for the
honor of my court l may not Bound
are we not by our wills but by our ne
cessities-and thus it is with all women.
Men may ride forth and shape their
lives with their good swords; but for
us, we must needs bide where we were
born, and order such things as fall to
us, as best we can. Therefore, child,
take my words to heart; the Sieur Ru-
del loves thee, and thou wouldst keep
his love. Let my age point to thee the
way. What if l release him? No
longer can he stay with us, holding
high honor and dignity, since he hath
turned him from his knighthood and
avoided this great adventure, but forth
with you must he fare. And all day
long viii he sit with you in his cham
Der, idle as a woman, and even his
thoughts will 20 back to the times OF
his nobility The clash of steel will
grow louder in his ears; he will list
again to praises of minStrels in the
banquet hall, and when men speak to
him of great achievements wrought by
other hands, then thou wilt see the life
die out of his eyes, and his heart will
become cold as stone, and thou wilt lose
his love. A great thing will be for thee
if he come not to hate thee in the end.
But if. of thy own free will, thou send
him from thee, then shalt thou ever
keep his love. Thy image will ride be-
fore his eyes in the van of battles; for
very lack of thee he will move from en-
deavOr to endeavor; and so thy life Will
be enshrined in his most noble deeds.
And at these words, with such cum
ming gentleness they We're spoken, Sol
tia was sore troubled.
Il cannot send him from me, she
cried. FOR never did woman so love her
lord-no. not ever in the world"
Then prove thy love. said Jocelian-
de again. a kingdom is given into
his hand, and he will not take it be-
cause OF thee. 1t is a hard thing, |
trow right we'll But the cross becomes
crown when a woman lifts it. Think!
A kingdom, And never yet was king
dom established but the stones of its
walls were mOrtised with the blood Of
women's hearts.
So she pleaded, hiding her own
thoughts until SOlita answered her and
said:
God help me, but he shall go to
Broyce,"
Much ado had the Princess Jocelian-
de to hide her Joy for the success of her
device but SOlita poor lass, had Meth
err eyes or thoughts for her Forth
with she rose to her feet, and quickly
cat her to the hall, lest her courage
should fail. before that she had accom-
plished her resolve. But when she
came near to the Sieur Rudel, blithly
he smiled at her and called: "Solita,
my Wife" 1t seemed to her that words
so sweet had never as yet been spoken
since the world began, and all her
strength ebbed from her, and she stood
like one that is dumb, gazing piteously
at her husband. Again Rudel called to
her. but no answer could she make, and
she turned and fed sobbing to the
chamber of the princess.
Il could not speak she said, my
lips were locked, and Rudel holds the
key"
But the princess spoke gently and
craftily. bidding her take heart, for that
she herself would go with her end sec
ond her words: and taking Solita by
the hand, she led her again into the
hall
This time Solita made haste to speak
first. "Rudel, she said, no honor
can l bring to you, but only foul dis
grace. and that is no fit gift from one
who loves you. Therefore, from this
hour / hold you quit Of your promise
and pray you to undertake this mission
and set forth for Broyce.'
But the Sieur Rudel would hearken
to nothing of what she said.
NO foul disgrace can come to me,
he cried. "but only if l prove false to
Won and lose your love. Ny promise 1
will keep. and all the more that ! see
the Princess Joceliande hath set you
on to this"
But Solita protested that it was not
so. and that of her own will and desire
she released him. for the longing TO
sacrifice herself for her dead lords sake
grew upon her as she thought upon 1t.
Yet he would not consent
were a maid. and shall | not keep 1t
now that you are a wife?' he cried.
"Wife?" cried the Princess, you are
his wife?" And she roughly crippled
Solita's wrist so that the girl could not
withhold a cry.
I'm truth. madame" replied the Sieur
Rudel. even last night. in this hall,
Solita and I were married by the good
abbot. and, therefore, l will not leave
her WtRe she lives.
Still Joceliande would not believe II,
60 "
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