Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

though you are ignorant of it, you are already indebted for life itself."

Her last expressions were uttered with a remarkable earnestness of manner the voice gradually mellowing, and even faltering as it approached the conclusion of the sentence,—and Eliza felt the warm tear-drops falling upon the arm which the mysterious being still retained.

"My child!-my child !" said she, in a voice almost stifled with the strength of her emotions," my beloved child! what torments have I endured from the cruel necessity of separating myself from you!-What are the scoffs and taunts of the wicked and the unfeeling, compared to the bitter thought of being for ever deprived of the smiles of one, who ought to be eternal sunshine to me !-But," added she with more composure, as if endeavouring to command herself,

"the hours pass.-This is not a time to indulge in dreams which ought to have been long ago forgotten, but which now come upon my soul like the beams of the first dawn upon the cold damp shadows of the wide chaos. It behooves me now to ply the active work of your deliverance. Long have I searched before I discovered the place of

[ocr errors]

your confinement,-and now I come but to prepare you for flight, for as yet the means are to be sought. To-morrow night I see you again. Tomorrow night I come with him you love, to snatch you from those perils which here surround you. Nay, start not!-Amherst Oakenwold will be here! Be prepared for a midnight journey. Let not, in the meanwhile, your hopes betray themselves to the ruffians who guard you. Above all, arm yourself with prudence, to ensure your leaving your prison in silence; and let not the sight of Amherst Oakenwold overpower your reason so far as to render all my precautions and endeavours unavailing. Eliza!-my Eliza, I must call you!-farewell for to-night!"

She paused-the partial light showed the strong workings of her emotions;-she bent her head upon the hand she held, and uttering, in a smothered voice, but with inconceivable tenderness, "God, in his infinite mercy, support and protect you, my beloved child!" she escaped-Eliza hardly knew how-so overpowered was she with astonishment, and with the various thoughts, and feelings, which crowded rapidly upon her in consequence of this strange interview.

Having thus explained the manner of Miss Malcolm's preparation for her deliverance, we shall leave the reader to conceive what passed in her mind, until the second visit of the Carline, of which we have already given the particulars.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

MISS MALCOLM's narrative was hardly concluded, when the Dwarfie suddenly appeared.

[ocr errors]

Away! away!-to horse!-your pursuers are near!" said she, hastily-and, snatching a hand of each, she hurried them off among the thick underwood, growing at the base of the rocks at one end of the meadow. There she desired them to remain quiet until she should return, and instantly left them.

It now required all Amherst's exertions to support Miss Malcolm in this new and trying alarm. He seated her on the soft moss, under the thick and drooping boughs of a large holly-tree, and

stood by her with a pistol in each hand, ready to defend her to the last extremity.

The trampling of horses' feet was now heard, as if coming down the horse-path, by which they had reached the hollow amphitheatre, and which was the only practicable descent into it.-Men's voices talking loud were also distinguishable, though as yet too distant for the words to be made out. The night was at its darkest hour, and the moon long since set.

A loud halloo was distinctly raised, as if by the person in advance, for the purpose of guiding him that followed. At length, the dialogue of the speakers could be caught.

"This way, Antonio!-I have got to the flat meadow at last. Here we must rest for a while.

All chance of the chace is lost for this bout."

"Hah, maledetto !-furie d'inferno! what a cursed finale to all our exertions !" exclaimed the other, in a tone betraying the utmost rage and disappointment." Corpo del diavolo!-it was all your fault-did I not tell you that it would have been better to make sure of her?—Accidente!-To lose so much time, and labour, and

« AnteriorContinuar »