The Washington times., 1901-12-08

by the fall; that the DrulseS upoh "ci i"'N
and neck bore far more signs of finger
marks than of the stones which 1t was
claimed had caused them; and that,
moreover, con, ,ealed behind the heavy
curtains at the side of her bed was
postern door, from whence a stealthy form
could enter. and two hands fasten them
selves about my lady's throat.
Or. darlington my lords chaplain, when
he preached the funeral sermon, tripped
once or twice in speaking of the fair
and lovely ladye SC pitifully murdered, -
instead of so pitifully slain; and dark
hints concerning my lady's death. and
weird stories of her husbands neglect
and cruelty, were circulated about the
village.
Records tell us little. A sentence or
two. date Of birth. perchance OF mar
riage. and Of death--the saddest or the
hanpest. the graHdcst or the most ignoble
life. can be summed UP in these few lines.
But tradition-the stories that the
grandmothers of the village have learned
from their grandmothers. and repeat TO
the little children in the twilight hours
throws some side-lights upon the history
of this lonely wife. who from dawn until
darkness was wont to sit at the pOstcrn
errant lord: whose unhappy spirit, even
after these hundreds Of years. will not rest
quietly, but on Halloween still wandsrs
through the avenues of poplar and larch-
mont trees, crying out to heaven to
avenge her death
Lord Dudley $50 much the records tell
ds) married Amy Robsart before he had
risen into favor with Queen Elizabeth,
and one chronicler of that time departs
from his customary brevity to speak of
the brides most marvellous blue eyes and
blooming cheeks"
Fair Amye Robsart," " they called her
then, and there vas no hint of preferment
from stately auburn haired Elizabeth. no
glitter of crown jewels before Sir Rob
erts eyes to blind him to the loveliness of
her charms.
But years passed. and the bloom on
Amy : check dimmed, her eyes lost some
thing Of their brightness Ambition and
love of power drew Lord Dudley away
from the quiet country life of which he
had once been fond, and when Elizabeth
deigned to cast a favoring glance upon
this wondrous handsome gallant" she
had for a rival not the fair and radiant
vision whom Scott has pictured, and to
whom his hero was bound by all ties of
love and romance, but only wife whose
raI
a wife Of whose companionship he had
long ago tired.
Amy Robsart was not at her ease among
the high-born beauties. nor did she ever
find favor with them; SO while Lord Dud-
ley passed much of his time at court,
admired and envied. his wife lived her
monotonous life at Cumnor Place-and
there was no courtler like Varney to lay
siege to her virtue or prove by his impor-
tunities that she still possessed charms
in the eyes Of men.
From the scant account We have OF her
life it seems probable that my lady tried
to while away the hours OF her solitude
by various devices, for she was skilled in
embroidery. and most charitable to the
poor" There is in existence but one let
ter signed by her name. This is OF
business nature, but in It she refers TO
her lonely estate" and My Lords con-
tinuous absence from home"
Day after day, sc the story goes, she
sat at the window and watched for his
coming and he did not come. Amy could
not, as did her prototype Of romance,
comfort herself with those magic words,
My husband loves me" Ambition and
the amorous glances of the first lady in
the land, had usurped her place in his
heart.
Already the hangers-on about the court
we're beginning to speak sneeringly of
poor Lord Dudley" who might stand a
chance Of becoming King were It not that
in Cumnor Castle lived frail. weak-spir
tied wife, who did nothing but sit by The
window and weep and vail for her hus-
bands return, until he was forced to keep
away from the place for fear Of catching
his death by dampness." And We can i'm
agine Elizabeth naughty eyes flashing
scorn at the report. and her thin lips
,urving in a disdainful smile.
A wenk-spirited creature indeed. this
Amy Patience and gentleness are poor
weapons with which to win back hus-
band who has been dazzled by the hint Of
power, and the glories OF throne.
And even had she. like Walter Scott's
fair heroine, journeyed to the castle and
told her story to the Queen, it is prob
ending.
Justice for a wronged woman Elizabeth
would not hesitate to enforce; but pity
vas a characteristic with which nature
rad scantily endowed her.
Time went on, and Lord Dudley came |
ess and less frequently 20 the lonely |
,astle at Cumnor Place, kept by one Sir |
Anthony Foster, gentleman. and my lady |
still sat and watched by the window. |
hough her face was drawn and haggard. |
With dark circles about her eyes, so that |
The looked to be i'll Of some mortal NAL
,dy."
Her husband was now in most high IA |
'or with the Queen. The gossips at the
.ourt nodded and winked as they appeared I
ogether, and one cried Were Il not for |
hat palciaced wife OF his. trow there
goes a man who would be King Of Eng
and" And another. That VIII not stand |
II his way. His wife is pining at home
with a malady in her breast that will |
ring her 70 her grave before six months |
ire out: then we VIII see how my lord
celebrates his freedom"
Such gossip Was the common talk about
he court, and something Of this Amy.
urrounded by needless attendants. could