The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

- 158 THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. SSS SS nan enn “ He felt that the shock should be borne alone, and yet he pined, he thirsted, to throw himself at her feet. “Nursing these contending thoughts, he was aroused by a knock at his door. “ He opened it. “The passage was thronged by Leoline’s maidens —pale, anxious, weeping. “ Leoline had left the castle, but with one female attendant, none know whither. “They knew too soon. “From the hall of Warbeck Castle she had passed over in the dark and inclement night, to the valley in which the convent offered to the weary of spirit and the broken of heart, a refuge. “ At daybreak, the next morning, Lord Edward Warbeck was at the convent gate. “ He saw Leoline. “ What a change one night of suffering had made in that face, which was the fountain of all loveli- ness to him. ‘‘He clasped her in his arme. “ He urged all that love could urge. ‘‘He besought her to accept that heart, which had never wrotiged her memory by a thought. “Tn vain Warbeck pleaded ; in vain he urged all that passion and truth could urge. “The springs of earthly love were for ever dried up in the orphan’s heart, and her resolution was immovable. “She tore herself from his arms, and the gate of the convent creaked harshly on his ear. - “ A new and stern emotion now wholly possessed nim, “ Naturally mild and gentle, when once aroused to anger, he cherished. it with the strength of a calm mind. “ Leoline’s tears, her sufferings, her wrongs, her uncomplaining spirit, the change already stamped upon her face, all cried aloud to him for vengeance ! «She is an orphan,’ said he, bitterly ; ‘she hath none to protect, to redress her, save me alone. ““¢ My father’s charge over her forlorn youth de- scends of right to me. “What matters it whether her forsaker be my brother ? he is hex foe. ““¢ Hath he not crushed her heart ? «Wath he not consigned her to sorrow till the grave? And with what insult. No warning, no excuse. With lewd wassailers keeping revel for his new bridals in the hearing—before the sight—of his betrothed. Enough! the time hath come when, to use his own words, “ One of us two must fall!” ’ “He half drew his glaive as he spoke, and thrusting it back violently into the sheath, strode home to his solitary castle. “The sound of steeds and of the hunting horn met him at his portal; the bridal train of his brother Sir Charles, all mirth and gladness, were ‘panting for the chase. “ That evening, a knight in complete armour entered the banquet-hall, and defied Sir Charles, on the part of Lord Warbeck, to mortal combat. *Tiven Redgill was startled by so unnatural a challenge. “But Sir Charles, reddening, took up the gage, and the day and spot were fixed. *‘ Discontented, wroth with himself, a savage gladness seized him. ‘‘He longed to wreak his desperate feelings even on his brother. “Nor had he ever, in his jealous heart, forgiven that brother his virtues and his renown. , “At the appointed hour the brothers met as oes, “QDord Edward Warbeck’s visor was up, and all the settled sternness of his soul was stamped upon his brow. — | ; “ But Sir Charles, more willing to brave the arm than to face the front of his brother, kept his visor down. “ Redgill stood by him with folded arms. “Tt was a study in human’ passions to his mock- ing mind. “Scarce had the first trumpet sounded to this dread conflict, when a new actor entered on the © scene. ‘The rumour of so unprecedented an event had not tailed to reach the convent wherein Leoline had sought refuge. d “ And now, two by two, came the sisters of the holy shrine, and the armed men mate way as, with trailing garments and veiled faces, they swept along into the very lists, -“ At that moment one frony among them left her sisters, and, with a slow, majestic pace, paused not till she stood right between the brother foes. “¢Tord Edward Warbeck,’ she said in a hollow, voice, that curdled up his dark spirit as she spoke, ‘ig it thus thou wouldst prove thy love, and main- tain thy trust over the fatherless orphan that thy sire bequeathed to thy care? Shall I have murder on my soul ?’ “At that question she paused, and those who heard it were struck dumb, and shuddered. «“¢ The murder of one man by the hand of his own brother! Away, Warbeck !—TZ command!’ “«Shall I forget thy wrongs, Leoline?’ said Warbeck. “¢ Wrongs ! they are forgiven, they are no more. And thou, Sir Charles—(here her voice faltered)— thou, does thy conscience smite tlee not—wouldst thou atone for robbing me of hope by barring against me the future ? Wretch that I should be, could I dream of mercy—could I dream of comfort—if thy brother fell by thy sword in my cause? Sir Charles, I have pardoned thee, and blessed thee and thine. Once, perhaps, thou didst love mej; re- member how I loved thee—cast down thine arms.’ “ Sir Charles gazed at the veiled form before him. «Where had the soft Leoline learned to command? ‘He turned to his brother. “ He felt all that he had inflicted upon both ; and casting his sword upon the ground, he knelt at the feet of Leoline, and kissed her garment with a de- votion that votary never lavished on a holier saint. “ The spell that lay over the warriors around was broken. “There was one loud cry of congratulation and oy. “And thou, Lord Edward Warbeck!’ ‘said Leoline, turning to the spot where, still motionless and haughty, Warbeck stood. “< Have I ever rebelled against thy will ?’ said he, softly, and buried the point of his sword in the earth. ‘Yet, Leoline—yet,’ added he, looking at his kneeling bother, ‘yet art thou already better avenged than by this steel !’ “«¢Thou art! thou art!’ cried Sir Charles, smiting his breast ; and slowly, and scarce noting the crowd that fell back from his path, Lord Edward Warbeck Jeft the lists. ‘** Leoline said no more. ‘Her divine errand was fulfilled ; she looked long and wistfully after the stately form of Lord Edward, and then, with a slight sigh, she turned to Sir Charles. “This is the last time we shall meet on earth. Peace be with us all.’ Gom Ebhoo S