The Knight Of The Golden Melice, John Turvill Adams [the reading list TXT] 📗

His Name, But They Were Going In

The Direction Of Their Own Country."

 

  

"Toweringantic Was The Salvage's Name," Said Prudence. "I Remember It

Very Well, Because It Sounds So Like English."

 

 

 That Is It Not Precisely," Said The Young Lady, With A Smile; "But It

Matters Not About The Name. Our Little Princess Has Fled To Her Home,

And I Am Left Without A Bridesmaid."

 

  

"The Ungrateful Heathen!" Exclaimed The Dame. "Only To Think Of Her

Deserting The Comfortable House Of Our Right Worshipful Governor, And

Instruction In The Christian Graces By Godly Master Phillips, For The

Smoky Wigwams And Powawing Of The Indians. The Girl, I Am Sure, Will

Come To No Good, And I Will Never Trust One Of These Canaanites

Again."

  

 

"Nay; But Dame," Said Eveline, "I Rejoice That She Escaped. I Did Much

Pity Her In Her Captivity, For She Seemed To Me Like A Wild Bird, That

Hath All Its Life Been Accustomed To Fly In The Air, Which Had Been

Caught And Put Into A Cage, Where It Sits Constantly With Moping Head

And Drooping Wings, Forgetful Of The Songs Which Made Its Woodland

Home So Sweet."

 

  

"I Did Never Like To Disagree In Opinion With Thee, Eveline," Said The

Dame, "And Leastwise Would I Do So, Of All Days In The Year, On Thy

Wedding-Day; So Have It As Thou Wilt. For Thy Sweet Sake, Whom I Am So

Soon To Lose, I Could Find It In My Heart To Be Pleased At Anything

The Little Savage Might Do, Were She Twenty Times A Heathen Amalakite

Or Jebusite."

 

 

"Dame," Said Eveline, Kissing Her Comely Cheek, "How Shall I Ever Be

Able To Repay Thy Motherly Kindness? O, Wherever I May Be, And

Whatever My Lot, I Will Ever Think Of Thee As My Second Mother."

 

 

"Dear Child," Replied The Dame, Moved To Tears, Which Flowed With

Womanly Facility, "Never Had Mother A Sweeter And More Loving Daughter

Than Thou Hast Been To Me. Hast Thou Not Done More Than Most

Daughters, In Giving Me All The Property That Remains To Thee Here?"

  

 

"Speak Not Of It, Dame," Answered Eveline, "Though It Is Miles' Gift,

For He Desired Me To Give It Thee."

 

 

 

"Oh! Dame, Do Not Disturb My Young Lady More, For If You Get Her

Crying, Think How Her Eyes Would Look," Here Interposed Prudence, Very

Sensibly.

  

 

"It Is Time That I Were Attending To My Own Apparelling, Which, In

Looking At Thee, I Quite Forgot," Said The Widow, Rising, And Leaving

The Apartment.

 

  

The Marriage, Which Took Place At The House Of The Governor, Was

Private, And Attended Only By Some Of The Principal Personages Of The

Colony And Their Families. Besides The Knight Of The Golden Melice,

Sir Richard Saltonstall, Who Was To Sail In The Same Ship With The

Young People, Came With His Two Daughters, As Did Also Master Increase

Nowell, And Master Bradstreet. No Minister Was Present, The Order

Resenting, It May Be, In A Quiet Way, An Invasion Of Their

Prerogative, Which Excluded Them From Business Of This Sort; But In

The Solemn And Graceful Manner In Which The Accomplished Winthrop

Performed The Ceremony, No One Noticed Any Deficiency, Not Even

Eveline Herself, Who, Indeed, Was Thinking Of Other Matters. Winthrop

Concluded His Part With A Little Speech, In Which He Reminded The

Young Couple Of The New Duties They Had Assumed, And Of The Loving

Mystery Whereby Two Souls Were United Into One, Like Two Brooks,

Which, Pouring Each Into The Other Their Bright Waters, Flow On,

Inseparably Joined, To The Ocean Of Eternity. Something He Said, Too,

Of The Blessedness Of A True Faith, As A Crowning Glory, Without Which

The World Was But An Unprofitable Desert.

 

  

Scarcely Had The Congratulations Which Followed The Sweet Voice Of The

Governor Ceased, When A Stranger, An Honored Friend Of Master

Bradstreet, And Who Had Come With Him, Stepped Forward, And Saluting

Arundel By The Title Of The Earl Of Cliffmere, Informed Him That He

Had Matters Of Importance To Communicate.

  

 

"I Had Waited Upon You, My Lord, Before," He Said, "Even Upon The

Instant Of My Arrival, Had I Known Where To Find You; But I Suspected

You Not Under Your Assumed Name."

  

 

"I Welcome You," Said The Earl, Advancing And Taking The Stranger's

Hand, "I Welcome You, Master Hatherly, To The New World, Which I This

Day Leave, Probably Forever. As For Thy News, I Think Thou Art

Anticipated: I Am Informed By Letters Brought By The Vessel Wherein

You Came, That My Father And Eldest Brother Are No More, And That The

Coronet Which I Would Willingly Place Upon Their Living Brows, Alas,

Is Mine. Wonderful Is The Drama Of Life. I Abandoned Rank And

Fortune," He Added, Looking With Eyes Swimming In Love Upon His Wife,

"To Seek That Without Which They Possessed No Value. They Have Pursued

Me Across The Sea, And, Besides, I Have Obtained My Dearest Treasure."

  

 

The Astonished Eveline Hid Her Face In The Bosom Of Her Husband, While

Tears Of Happiness Fell Fast. Bewildered, Amazed At The Discovery Of

The Rank Of Her Lover, She Knew Not What To Say; But Amid All Her

Confusion, Prevailed Triumphantly A Sense Of Sparkling Joy, Of Full

Contentment, And Of Radiant Hope.

  

 

"Why Should I Conceal From You, Noble Winthrop, From You, My Valued

Friend, Sir Christopher, Or From Any Of You, My Other Friends, With

Whom I Would Leave No Unsatisfactory Remembrance Of Myself, The Little

Romance That Brought Me Among You," Continued The Earl. "Know, That A

Second Son Of The Deceased Earl Of Cliffmere, I Wooed, In The

Character Of An Humble Painter, The Sweet Daughter Of Edmund Dunning.

He Aspired Higher Than To Unite The Destinies Of His Only Child With

Those Of An Unknown Artist, And Looked Coldly On My Suit. He Left

England With Her, And I, Unable To Endure The Pangs Of Separation,

Desired To Follow. My Mother Knew Of My Attachment From The Beginning,

And To My Entreaties Yielded Her Acquiescence To My Desires, For She

Loved Me Greatly, And Had Informed Herself Of The Worth Of Her To Whom

I Had Given My Heart, But Required Me To Wait For The Permission Of My

Father (Absent At The Time On The Continent) Before I Followed Eveline

To This New World. That Permission I Received, And Straightway

Departed. Still I Continued To Conceal My True Name And Station From

Even Eveline Herself, For A Reason, Perhaps, More Romantic Than

Rational; For, With Selfish Jealousy, I Chose To Be Loved For My Own

Sake, Nor Did I Mean My Secret Should Be Revealed Until I Had

Presented My Wife To My Parents,--But The Curtain Has Been

Unexpectedly Lifted, And Ye Know All."

 

  

"I Congratulate You, My Lord," Said Winthrop, "And Will Venture To Do

So Also In The Name Of All Present, Upon The Auspicious Termination Of

Your Fortunes Among Us, And Only Lament That So Little Time Is Left Us

To Express Our Respect. When Returned To Our Dear Mother England, From

Whose Bosom We Are Self-Banished, Yet Whom, With Filial Reverence, We

Love, We Trust That You Will Not Forget Your Brethren In The

Wilderness. It Is Upon The Far-Seeing Judgment Of Those In High

Places, As Well As Upon The Zeal Of The People, [All Under God,] That

We Rely To Assist Us In Extending The Material And Earthly Power Of

Our Country, As Well As In Spreading The Doctrines Of True Religion."

  

 

"Be Sure, Sir," Answered The Earl, "That I Will Endeavor To Do My Duty

Toward You According To My Honest Convictions. And Now, Eveline, Bid

Farewell. The Favoring Breeze Is Bellying In The Half Unfurled Sails,

Gallant Captain Sparhawk Is Impatient, And We Must Away."

 

  

Lady Eveline Fell Upon The Neck Of The Weeping Dame Spikeman, And

After Kissing Her Repeatedly, Exchanged Farewells With Those Around

Her, [As Did All About To Depart,] And Then, Accompanied By A Numerous

Train, The Passengers Proceeded To The Ship, Whither The Lady

Geraldine Had Preceded Them, And Where, Also, They Found Philip Joy.

The Sails Were Cast Off From The Yards And Hoisted Home; The Fair Wind

Gracefully Curved The Canvas, And The Good Ship, With Silver Waves

Breaking At Her Prow, And A Stream Of Light Following In Her Wake,

Gallantly Stood Down The Bay.

 

Chapter XXXVII(So, Splendid Dreams, And Slumbers Sweet, To Each And All--Good Night.)

 

 

 

William E. Hurlout.

 

   

Here Might This Tale Be Permitted To End, Were It Not That A Doubt Has

Arisen In My Mind Whether Some Particulars Do Not Need Explanation.

Doubtless The Nimble Wits Of The Sagacious Have Fathomed To Their

Satisfaction All That Seemed Mysterious; But There May Be Others Who,

Either Less Imaginative Or More Indolent, Would Like An Elaborate

Elucidation. These Latter I Invite To Accompany Me Across The Blue

Atlantic To The Pleasant Town Of Exeter, In The Lovely County Of

Devon, In England.

 

  

In The Nave Of The Splendid Old Cathedral Of That Town, Two Men,

Engaged In Conversation, Are Walking Backwards And Forwards, One Of

Whom We Recognize As The Knight Of The Golden Melice; The Other Is A

Stranger. Through The Stained Glass, The Dim Light Of A Winter's

Afternoon Falls Indistinctly On The Stone Floor, While From Behind The

Screen Which Separates The Open Area Where They Are Pacing From The

Portion Devoted To Religious Worship, The Solemn Tones Of An Organ

(For It Is The Time Of Evening Service) Are Floating Around The Massy

Pillars And Among The Sculptured Arches, As If Imploring Saintly Rest

For The High Born Nobles And Reverend Bishops Who, For Hundreds Of

Years, Have Lain In Their Marble Tombs Around. None Are Present Save

The Two, And, As With Reverent Feet They Tread, They Seem Dwarfed Into

Children By The Huge Proportions Of The Building.

 

  

"Two Beings More Blessed With Mutual Affection Than The Young Earl Of

Cliffmere And His Lovely Countess I Know Not," Said The Knight,

Continuing The Conversation. "Three Weeks Remained I With Them In

Their Magnificent Palace At London, The Attractions Whereof Were

Tenfold Heightened By His Courteous Bearing And Her Graciousness. Nor

Could I Without Difficulty Tear Myself Away, So Lovingly They

Delighted To Dwell Upon The Time When, As Miles Arundel, He Wooed

Eveline Dunning, Or Hunted With Me, In The Wilds Of America, And So

Sweet Were Their Attentions To My Chafed Spirit. With Them Is My

Trusty Philip, Whose Trials Are Now Over, While He Basks In The Favor

Of The Earl And The Smiles Of The Pretty Prudence, His Wife,

Undisturbed Save By Her Occasional Coquetry, Which Only Serves, I

Suppose, To Make His Love More Piquant."

  

 

"A Pleasing Episode In Your Romantic Life," Said The Stranger; But

Know You Perfectly How You Came To Leave America So Suddenly?"

 

  

"There Is A Mystery Connected Therewith Which Hath Ever Puzzled Me,"

Replied The Knight.

 

  

"How Felt You In Reference To The Plan Of Converting An English Into A

French Colony?"

 

 

 "I Did Never Either Feel Therefor Inclination, Or Give It The

Approbation Of My Judgment. I Cannot Forget That I Am An Englishman."

  

 

"And Did Sister Celestina Know Your Sentiments?" Inquired The

Stranger.

 

  

"Surely. Wherefore Should I Have Hesitated To Bestow On One So Devoted

My Absolute Confidence?"

 

  

"_Ne Crede Principibus_," Said The Stranger, "Is No More Worthy Of

Acceptance Than _Ne Crede Feminis_."

 

  

"Chosen Friend Of My Soul, Sworn Brother Of My Heart," Exclaimed The

Knight, "I Conjure Thee To Tell Me What Thou Knowest Or Dost Suspect

Of These Mysterious Circumstances."

 

 

 "Thou Hast Borne, Beloved Friend, A Cross, Whereof Thou Knewest Not.

You Were Betrayed, Like Him Whose Name You Bear Even In The House Of

Your Friends."

 

 

"A Light Begins To Dawn Upon My Mind. And Sister Celestina--"

 

  

"Aye, Sister Celestina, Or, As She Must Now Be Called, The Abbess Of

St. Idlewhim, Was The Traitress. Yet, Why Call I Her So? She Did But

Obey Her Vow."

  

 

"May It Please Thee, Albert, To Be More Explicit?"

 

 

 "Know, Then," Said The Stranger, "That It Was In Consequence Of

Representations From Sister Celestina Thou Wast Recalled."

 

  

"How Knowest Thou This To Be True?"

 

  

"Ask Me Not, For That I Dare Not Reveal; But I Swear, By The Bones Of

Loyola, And By Our Mutual Friendship, That It Is The Sincere Truth.

Father ---- (I