Year: 1873

I
often enough l'


just now, the old keeper awoke, and
! giving orders to lead the stranger to hi
| apartment, he himself went out. Whef
out knight entered his chamber, ht
went to the window, and vainly strove
through the deepening twilight to fine
the tower in which he supposed his
dear king to be. Soon, melancholy
voice was heard singing these words =


"The golden stars wander over hill
and valley, messengers of my longings
and my griefs. In this gloomy prison
I pass my life and can only confide my
woes to Heaven"


"Oh my king?" sobbed the knight
as pale face appeared at tower win,
dow. How can I tell you how near
your friends are ?"


fThe harp !" he cried suddenly, and
snatching it up, with trembling fingers,
| he played romance, which he had once
composed for the king.


No sooner had he finished few bars,
than the voice in the towers caught up
the air and finished it. "Blondel %
exclaimed the king. For answer the
minstrel again seized his harp and sang:
''Oh! Richard, oh my King?
The world abandons thee


And no one now is seeking


Thy deliverenca, but me.
III save thy precious person,
will break thy cruel chain,


pledge myself in song


Thy freedom to regain"


Blondel spent the night in laying
plans for the deliverance of Richard.
he resolved to gain adDittance into the
- I, ell L1,o.l, L
friendship for the lovely girl, who had
already made an impression onhis heart.


Within day or two the newly elected
emperor was to be crowned at Frank
fort. On the evening of the corona
tion, he directed the landlord of the lit
tie inn, near Triefels, to give to the gar
rison of the castle banquet, that with
proper ceremony they might drink to
the health of the new monarch. Mean
while, one by one, his own trusty
knights stole, through the twilight, to
the woods behind the castle.


At late hour of the evening, the lit
tie side-gate of the fortress opened, as
the young maiden cautiously stole out
to meet Blondel.


Then for the first time he unfolded to
her the real object of his meeting with
her, entreating her to fly back to Eng
land with the king (whom he was about
to liberate) and himself; assuring her
that every token of love and gratitude
should be shown her if she would yield
to his wish.


With cry of astonishment and pain,
she exclaimed, "Oh traitor oh woe
my poor uncle % As she turned to fly
within the castle walls, the followers of
Blondel, who, in the darkness, had
approached dunperceived, focked about
her, and made their way to the castel-
lan's room, where the tower keys were
kept. The few defenders of the fort
ress who were not at the village feast
were soon overpowered; the old keeper
was powerless to do aught, but he
cried out as the liberated Richard stood
before him: against this deed, con-
trary to the law of nations, I protest
and swear that you shall not leave Ger
many in safety!' The poor maiden
threw herself upon Ter knees, and
accused herself of this terrible disas-
ter.


Meanwhile, the report of the attack
upon the castle had reached the inn
and the warriors came back in hot haste,
to find themselves barred outside the
walls, with a threat that if they did not
disberse the castellan should lose his
head and the castle be destroyed.


BlOndel and the king argued the
maiden to return with them to England,
but she could not forgive the man who
had used her heart for an act of treason.


Blondel left her, but not till she had
accepted a ring and chain of gold i'll
token of his eternal remembrance of
her love and service toward him.


We do not propose to follow the for
tunes of Cceus-de-I1ion, after his escape
from Triefels; but to tell our reader
what tradition says of the minstrel
Blonden and the unhappy maiden.


Many, many years after the events
which we have des scribed, and on
another summer day, gray-haired cav
alier rode over the same mOuntain-pass,
where the king had been sought and
found.


Here, murmured he, "Here have
I felt in days gone by the highest bliss
and the deepest woe of my life p
Slowly he rode on till he had reached
the little inn.


AS he looked into the face of the land
lord he discovered the features of the
young shepherd boy. With an almost
tender interest the two Zone of whom
was Blondel) talked of the past.


In tears, the now old minstrel learnt
the sad fate of the castellan and his
neice. He was killed by some hidden
hand soon after the fight of Richard
was discovered. The broken-bearted
maiden entered a convent near Baden,
where henceforth her life and history
were lost to the world.


None can visit this ancient ruin of
Triefels without melancholy interest
as they recall the dreary prison-life of
the great King Richard !; the touching
romance of the minstrel knight, Blon-
del, and the lovely, loving maiden over
whose story centuries have rolled.