The Knight of the Golden Melice / A Historical Romance

t in her sequ

adow, streamlet

lark his evenin

Peace, and Con

lle

age, covered with thatch, resembling somewhat, except in the last particular, and in being larger, the log-cabins one meets in the new settlements of the West, with a sort of piazza or porch, which seemed to have

e forest. In front of the house, at the distance of a rod, bubbled up a bright spring, which, dashing down the declivity, fell into the first-mentioned stream. Except this cultivated spot, which had been an old corn-field of the natives, selected by them for the fertility of the soil, its advantage of water, and the favorable slope of the land, which e

the bark of trees, from some of which smoke curled lazily up into the blue sky, imparting assurance thereby of their being inhabited, though the presence of

as a rich luxuriance, yet pathos in the music, like the utterances of a spirit whose hopes were mingled with reminiscences of joys which it had lost. How long Philip listened, he knew not, so entranced was he by the sounds. It was a long time since he had heard such delicious strains, and the e

om a handsome face, which would have been effeminate, so delicate were the features and rosy the tint of the cheeks, but for a brown moustache, which shaded the lip, and redeemed it from the imputation. His doublet and hose were of a dark green

aniel from the lion's den, greatly doth my heart rejoice at thy deliverance." "Welcome, good Philip," he added, in a

down upon a bench befor

now that I regard thee more closely, art

ntered the house, and presently retu

thine heart. The suns that ripened the grapes out of which this juice was crushed

is lips, nor withdrew it unt

wine tingling through all my

uiting the action to the word; "one sho

, and having drank a secon

el," he said, looking around; "and I se

to be his sovereign pleasure to cultivate. He has persuaded them

or scouts they may answer, but for hand-to-hand act

the blast of a bugle was heard echoing through the forest, "that is the sound wherewith he i

rt, with leggins of the same material, and "a piece" in his hand, was seen emerging into the

"carry thou thy deer to my lodge, and do thou, Pococke, divide thine with

I think for buenas camaradas, and for my part I heartily rejoice thereat. A braver h

sets me a thinking, at all to my mind. As for fighting these naked savages, who have nothing but children's bows and stone hatchets, while our men-at-arms are clad

erior strength to crush the weaker. But fear not that I have any service of the kind for thee. I came not among these innocent natives to bring a sword,

Christopher, well knowing that you would ask nothing which an honest man w

id the knight. "Hencef

e is some difference between lying in a prison, or even talking with Master Spikeman

heating, canting, hypocritical, long-faced Master Spikeman?" cried Arund

be excused even by thy youth. Check the bitterness of thine expression, and

yes of the young man at the reproof, but as he

win a kingdom, but

ristopher. "I am curious to hear of Philip's treatment in hi

cluding his interview with Spikeman, and attack on the jailer, and also the

tive, "why the wily Assistant should be thine enemy, but he

from him. He seems an arch villain, though in his presence the fe

ee now whether Sir Christophe

d to, the kn

his conclusion. But we will endeavor to use such caution that any mischievous designs of his shall be defeated. Happily my ho

ich, as he had threatened, he colored a little. With all his efforts he was unable to conceal the interest which he felt for the girl, bu

mortar. Against them were nailed, or supported by wooden pegs, in divers places, branching horns of the moose and deer, over which were hung hunting-shirts and skins of various wild animals, tanned with the hair on. The antlers also, in many instances, supported guns,

bread made of Indian corn, was placed by the squaw on the board, and the three men dr

oul sickens at the servile respect paid to stars and garters. The jewel of the spirit is

ree, he drank the most freely; Arundel moderately, and the knight almost abstemiously. As the last regarded the pale face of Philip, and m

he meal, Arundel, turn

ecessitate the abridgment of a visit I did intend should b

the cause of your sudden d

ter wherewith you are already acquainted, I know not why I should hesitate to ave

" said the knight, "nor deem that I can take amiss thy preference of t

n, "and I hold it a sacred duty to watch over

vorable than thine own, though mine eyes be not blinded by the deceitful mists of pas

eetings be stolen? Does he not deny the solemn obligation he took upon himself by the death-bed of his too confiding friend, to unite Eveline with me in marriage, and is he not thereby a perjured

thy service in this matter, for I esteem thee wronged, but neither violence of speech nor precipitancy in action will avai

ld take my word in opposition to tha

Christian virtues, and some knightly qualities, by such association. But to

inst witness, for what know I of what occurred at the death-bed of Eveline's father, except what she herself has told me? Kind though may be the heart of the Governor, and sound his judgment, the false asseveration of the Assistant would outweigh the declaration of Evelin

animating and vivifying all things, searching into dark recesses and driving out bats and impure vermin by his intolerable presence, and unveiling ugliness and hatefulness, so is Truth. Withersoever s

is nothing which I would not undertake,

er, before you further proceed. And now, I propose to present Phil

dian women, on which strange figures were drawn, stained with brilliant dyes; the sides of the room also were hung with matting, over which fell folds of scarlet cloth reaching to within a couple of feet of the floor, imparting an air of gayety, while overhead was tightly drawn and fastened to the raft

o judge from her complexion, she was not of English extraction. Her features, though not regular, were handsome; the eyes large and black, with hair of the same color, confined by a white cap; her figure was ta

nic, like a basque, was fastened around her waist by a golden band, beneath which fell a blue silk skirt as far as the knees, while high upon the ankles were laced deer-skin buskins, profusely bedecked with shi

nced, all rose to pay the resp

t, presenting to her the soldier, "the v

st foreign enough to impart a strange interest to her s

looked to him like a superior being, could find no words to ret

longed to behold his valorous deliverer to return my soul-felt thanks. Be seated, most welcome gentlemen. And thou, Master

high-bred society not only permitted but enjoined, "when the beautiful majesty of the heavenly

sun dispels the clouds, so to drive away all sorrow and disappoi

ses the colony to lose a valiant soldier, and me to gain for our

ture from Boston. She listened with an appearance of interest, and upon its conclusion spoke a few words expressive of he

mself was now restored. "The labor of my forge and exposure of life for folk who know not how to

d for thee employment to content an undegenerate spirit. But, Lady Geraldine, while we gain one to our compa

gly at the young man, wh

by Philip doth cons

eraldine will blame thee for obeying an impulse as natural as the love of a bee for a

with sweet Mistress E

ich, in despite of his promise, and regardless of all honor as a man,

es only to try the strength of thy devotion. The fla

l. He is so wedded to evil, that to do

to extinguish the heavenly spark. Judge not unhappy Master Spikeman so harshly. Commend me to the love of

ceded by the little girl, the others rising, and