The Washington times., 1901-12-08

news OF 1t from his own lips, while poor
Amy. despised in death as in life, was
buried hastily. before the coroncr's jury
could even pass judgment on her body.
Then came Hugh .Robsart, burning
with indignation, and caused the body to
be cxhumed. Yet the matter Was hushed
up suddenly; and nothing came of it save
that there was afterwards a grand funeral
as behtted one of her rank, with the Lord
| Dudley as chief mourner; and it may be
that the spirit of the neglected wife was
comforted by the thought Of even this
small devotion.
So perished Amye Duddelye, once the
petted daughter of a wealthy home. in
! the thirty-eIshth year Of her life; having
outliyed her beauty. her power of pleas
| ing her husbands love; aud when we
! compare the long, slow agony Of those un-
eventful years with the heroine of Seotts
romance. who shall say that the written
! tragedy is the deeper one?
One year after Amy Dudley's death Lord
Dudley was made Earl of Leicester, and
fifteen years after came the grand festivi-
ties of Kenilworth. of which Scott has
! given us so graphic description.
All these intervening years the Earl OF
Leicester had been paying court to Queen
Elizabeth, with the crown dangling just
before his eyes, yet unable to reach it.
Yet a year before the grand festivities,
he had tperhaps caught in loves tolls,
| perhaps only in moment OF spite at the
coquetries Of Elizabeth privately married
cousin of the Queen; though this was
not made known at Kenilworth, nor, in
! decd, for some time after.
The disclosure, when 1t did come, af-
fected the Queen to great indignation.
but that 1t made any difference in her
matrimonial intentions is improbable.
1t is true she had shown the Earl of
Leicester great favor. probably encour-
aged his suit, and may even have promised
him her hand; but all this had she done
to other lovers far exceeding him in
greatness and power, and with no other
motif, as the denouements seem to prove,
than to crafty her inordinate love OF
vanity, and keep the world a-guessing." !"
Yet after this second marriage Lord
Leicester fell into disrepute at the Court,
and he who for years had lived with the
crown Of England dangling just beyond his
reach, passed the latter part of his life
In obscurity. and perished miserably Of
poison at the last-tradition has 1t from
potion which he had prepared t. destroy
the life of his wife.
Tba %
ley was never solved; yet throughout the
country, and especially in and around
Cumnor Place, there was little doubt of
Lord Leicester's guilt.
In later years the villagers, for con-
firmatIon, pointed out the ill-luck that
been privy to the crime. "One of the fell
lows who was coadjutor was taken for a
felony in the marches of Wales; and Sir
Richard Varney. the other. dying about
the same time In London. cried miserably
not long before his death that all the
devils in hell were tearing him to pieces.
Foster. also, being man formerly ad-
dicted to hospitality, mirth, music and
company, was observed to forsake all this
after the event, and with much melan-
choly and pensiyeness (some say with
nadness) pined and dropped away"
After his death Cumnor Place was de-
serted. And for years after It was said
the ghost Of the mui dered woman haunted
the home where she had been SO heart
lessly treated.
People Of the village. going past on
moonlight nights caught glimpses of her
pale face at the window, and heard her
wailing voice. Their Imagination conjured
up strange shapes in the trees, and shad-
ows Of the murderers crying out to heaven
to pardon their sins were seen in the
walks. Decay followed fast on desertion.
and before a century had rolled away the
great old castle was ruin.
Yet the legendary tales have descended
to the present day. And even now vii
lager on his way from the tavern Will
hasten his pace past the spot where the
castle used to stand; and when the wind
rises high and sighs among the branches
Of the oaks. the children hide behind
their mothers skirts. and cry. "Hark,
Hear poor Amy Dudley's voice a-sobbing
in the trees" PAULINE PHELPS.