DE CLIFFORD. CHAPTER I. Fare thee well! and if for ever, 'Gainst thee shall my heart rebel. BYRON. AFTER a night spent in watching, Rosalind and Nina again beheld the cheerful light of day. Never before had they marked, with such anxiety, the progress of the sun, as he rose in all his splendour and majesty from behind the lofty chain of mountains which girdled the east, and gilded the eternal snows which covered their summits. Just as VOL. III. B they they were preparing to leave the cottage, and go to the convent to ask the advice and assistance of the abbess, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and in a few minutes Barnold himself made his appearance. Rosalind clasped him in her arms, and uttered a cry of joy"Thank God, my father is safe!" The good old man tenderly embraced his daughter, and flung himself on a seat, as if exhausted by fatigue. Rosalind motioned to Nina to prepare his breakfast, and began to relate the anguish she had suffered on his account, and eagerly inquired the cause of his long absence? 66 My child," replied Barnold, " alarmed for your safety, I set out yesterday evening in search of you; this Nina has no doubt already told you. I wandered about for some time without finding you, and at last went to your favourite grotto, as you call it, but there I could see nothing of you; but your lute was lying in the path; this terrified me more than no answer. ever, and I searched every glen and ravine, loudly calling you; but I received The evening began to close in fast; still I determined not to return until I had found my child. As I entered that deep glen which is nearly walled in by the tremendous rock close to the fall of Uterstadt, I heard a hollow groan; my heart fainted, for I said to myself, surely that is my darling Rose. I quickened my pace, and beheld, lying near a large fragment of the rock, the same young man with whom you danced at the festival." Here Rosalind started up with a strong expression of horror in her coun tenance-" Was it count Altorf?" she exclaimed. "Yes," replied Barnold, surprised at her extreme agitation, "that was the gentleman; at first I thought that he was dying." Rosalind shuddered; but fearing again to betray herself, she remained silent, and listened with impatience to her father's recital. "I raised the count," continued he, "and he at length, with difficulty, spoke, and pointing to his right leg, gave me to understand that it was broken. I examined it, and, as far as my judgment went, I was of the same opinion. I was quite concerned to see him in such a sad situation, and went, as fast as I could, to get some assistance. My lady Frustenberg's house was the first I came to, and when she heard of the accident, she sent some of her servants to bring the unfortunate gentleman to her house. I went with them, and by the time we reached the chateau, again it was quite dark. The people there would not suffer me to return to my cottage last night; they almost detained me by force, saying that, old and feeble as I was, I should share the same fate as count Altorf, if I attempted it. They partly quieted my fears about you; they said you must have returned |