The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 162: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

156 THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. “<¢ He will return to you, noble lady, covered with glory,’ said the minstrel. ‘* The touching voice of Leoline went to his soul. “He resumed his seat in silence. Leoline going up to Charles, whispered gently, *¢ Act as though I were not.’ “And she left the hall, to commune with her heart, and to weep alone. “¢T can wed her before I go,’ said Charles, sud- denly, as he sat that night in his chamber convers- ing with my lord. “Why, that is true! and leave thy bride in the first week—— a hard trial.’ “¢ Better that, than incur the chance of never calling her mine.’ ***Assuredly she deserves all from thee, and, indeed, it igs no small sacrifice at thy young age, and with thy gallant mien, to renounce her for a time; but a bridegroom without a bride! Nay, man, much as they want warriors, I am forced to tell thee if thou weddest, stay peacably at home, and forget in the chase the valours of war, from which thou wouldst strip the ambition of love.’ “¢T would I knew what were best,’ said Charles, irresolutely. ‘My brother, ha! shall he for ever outshine me? But poor Leoline, how will she grieve ? she who left him for me,’ “* Was that thy fault ?’ said the old lord, gaily, ‘It may many times chance to thee again to be pre- ferred to another. Troth, it is a sin that the conscience may walk lightly under. But sleep on it, Charles, my old eyes grow weary.’ “The next day Charley sought Leoline, and pro- posed that their wedding should precede his parting, but so embarrassed was he, so divided between two wishes, that Leoline Irurt, offended, stung by his coldness, refused the proposal at once. She left him, lest he should see her weep, and then, then she re- pented of her just pride. “But Charles, striving to appease his conscience with the belief that her’s was now the sole fault, busied himself in preparation for his departure. “ Anxious to outshine his brother, he departed, not as Edward had done, alone and unattended, but levying all the horses, men, and money that the old lord could afford, Charles embarked for France at the head of a glittering troop of horsemen. “ The aged minstrel still remained at the castle, and, affecting sickness, tarried behind, and promised to join Charles in France, ‘Meanwhile, he devotel his whole powers of pleasing to console Leoline. “The force of her simple love was, however, stronger than all his arts. “ In vain he insinuated doubts of Charles’s fidelity; she refused to hear them. “Jn vain he poured, with the softest accents, into the witchery of flattery and song; she turned heed- lessly away, and was pained at the remembrance of how coldly Charles had treated her before departing for the wars. “She shut herself up in her chamber, and pined in solitude for her absent lover, “The old minstrel, who was none other than Red- gill in disguise, now resolved to attempt darker arts to obtain power over her, “ But from some cause he suddenly left the castle on some secret mission, of so high import, that it could no’ be resisted by a passion stronger in his breast than love—the passion of ambition and hate. “Meanwhile, though, ever and anon, the fame of Edward reached their ears, it came unaccompanied with that of Charles. ’ “Of him they heard no tidings, “And thus the love of the tender orphan was kept alive by the perpetual restlessness of fear. ‘“‘ At length the old lord died, and Leoline was left entirely alone. “ One evening, as she sat with her maidens, the ringing of a horse’s hoofs were heard in the outer court of the castle, “ A horn sounded. “The heavy gates were unbarred, and a -hand- some soldier entered the hall. “He stopped for one moment at the entrance, as if overpowered by his emotions. “Tn the next instant he had clasped Leoline to his breast, “Dost thou not recognise me, Leoline ?’ he said, tenderly. ‘“ He doffed his helmet, and she saw that majestic brow, which, unlike that of Charles, her lover, had ~ never changed or been clouded in its aspect to her. “¢The war is suspended for the present,’ said he. ‘I learnt my father’s death, and I have re- turned home to hang up my banner in the hall, and spend my days in peace.’ “Time and the life of camps had worked their change upon Edward’s face. ‘‘His hair, deepened in its shade, was now worn from the temples, and disclosed a battle-scar which - rather heightened the beauty of his countenance. “He had apparently conquered a love that was so early crossed, but not that fidelity of remembrance which made Leoline dearer to him than all others, and forbade him to replace the image he had graven upon his soul, “ Leoline’s lips trembled with the name of her absent lover, Charles. « But a certain recollection of his coldness stifled even her anxiety. ‘“‘Hidward hastened to forestall her question. ““¢ My brother is well,’ he said, ‘and is now sojourning at Calais ; he lingered there so long that the war terminated without his aid. Doubtless he will soon return ; a week, nay, a day might restore him to you, fair Leoline.’ ** Leoline was much consoled. “Yet something seemed untold. ““¢ Why was he so eager for the strife, and to serve the king against the French, if Charles had thus tarried at Calais so long ?’ she thought. “She wondered at this, but did not dare to search farther into her heart. “The generous Edward concealed from her that his brother led a life of the most reckless and indo- lent dissipation, wasting his wealth in the pleasures of the reckless and gay, and only occupying his ambition with travelling and gambling, and what- ever else that was useless and inglorious. * Edward and Leoline resumed their old friend- ship, and Leoline believed that it was friendship alone. “They walked again among the gardens in which their childhood had strayed. “They looked down on the eternal mirror of the lakes. . “Ah! could it have reflected the same un- awakened freshness of their life’s early spring ! “The grave and contemplative mind of Lord Edward had not been so contented with the horrors of war but that it had sought also those calmer sources of emotion which were yet found among tlie sages of the east. “He therefore had little in common with the ruder lords around him. “He summoned them not to his board, nor attended their noisy wassuils. nicboo |