"Well, only place yourself under my directions, and you shall obtain everything. Sir Eustace and King Alured are both of them prisoners in the castle of Schreckenstein." "Indeed!" "Ah! I had forgotten to show you another contrivance. What renown the future inventor will derive from it! By this wondrous wire I can obtain intelligence of any event within a thousand miles in an incredibly short time after its occurrence. Not but that by supernatural power I can discover what is now doing at the opposite side of the globe." And Mohammed proceeded to recount all that had befallen the king and his followers since their departure from Arlstadt. Well, my friend," concluded he, "the father and the lover of your fair one are safely lodged in the impregnable castle of Schreckenstein, and the amiable and interesting Avars are just outside it. The kingdom of Alured, as well as the Princess Alethe, are in danger; so, indeed, is all Western Europe. Arlstadt and the whole kingdom are under the government of Sir Reginald—an old fool. Now we must manage to represent to him that it is absolutely necessary that both the princess and the kingdom should have a legal protector, and that the bravest should occupy that place. He must then be induced to name the day for a tourney, in which the hand of Alethè shall be the prize of the conqueror. You are already superior to every knight in Christendom except Sir Haco of the Flaming Brand, who is far away on the broad ocean, and King Alured and Sir Eustace, all of whom are only, and scarcely, your equals; and to avoid the possibility of defeat, I will furnish you with such a steed, and such arms, as shall render you utterly invincible." "The plan is certainly a good one; but I fear me that the subjects of Alured would obey the least word of their princess, and I feel sure that Sir Reginald would die ten times over ere he thwarted her slightest whim." The alchemist mused a few minutes, and then said, "Has he been baptised ?" "Oh, yes; certainly." "Does he ever get drunk?” "I have never seen him so." "But could he not be made so? Would he only drink one good draught of my glorious narcotic, rendered more potent by a few clusters of the flowers of the Zornbaum, all would go well. Look here," added he, pointing to two or three hundred small bottles which contained a grey vapour, "in each of these is lodged a human soul, extracted by me from its original body; and look there, at those similar bottles filled with a black vapour, having a restless fiery spot in the centre! Those are souls of another sort, which are under my control for the present. Only let Sir Reginald drink sufficiently of that decoction to deprive him of consciousness, and he shall become a most useful instrument in our hands. But now, methinks, we had better sleep, that we may rise early on the morrow, and arrive at Arlstadt ere the evening meal begin." FLORENCE HAMILTON. BY MISS JULIA ADDISON. (6 CHAPTER XX. "WELL, ladies," were the gentleman's first words, "now I discover what you gave Mumford and myself the slip for. You have chosen a very sweet spot for your rehearsal. You might as well, though, have admitted me, and not been so sly about it." "Rehearsal, Mr. Danvers!" drawled out Mr. Simon Mumford, looking round with amazement. "What in the world do you mean? understand all this? for I am sure I do not." Do you "Understand it!" replied Danvers. "Is it possible to look on such a spectacle as is now before us-to see that gentleman lying on the ground in an attitude so admirably expressive of suffering heroism, his face smeared over with red ochre-that other gentleman standing near him with an air of concern and solicitude-those pistols carelessly thrown on the greensward-that party of timid fair ones recoiling in terror-that lady (of course the peculiar object of his affections) who is fainting in the arms of her sympathising friend-could I, I say, behold all these characters grouped together with such artistic and stage-like effect, without perceiving at once that our friends and their companions are rehearsing some deeply interesting theatrical performance, with the representation of which they intend to delight our eyes and ears when they have perfected themselves in their parts?" "But who comes here? Another dramatis persona? Adolphus Pemberton, by Jove! Why, my good fellow, what makes you in such a hurry?" "I have got some water at last," said Pemberton, who did not hear him; "but where is Silverdale?" "Here," said the poet, in a doleful voice, slowly rising as he spoke. "That is well," said Pemberton. "But I declare that half the world is assembled here." "We-that is, Mr. Mumford and I-came just in time to witness the last scene of the last act of a-what shall I call it, a comedy, or a tragedy, or a melodrama?" "A tragedy it had well-nigh been," said Pemberton, "but fortunately has not proved one; and, as we seem to be speaking in dramatic language," he continued, with a smile, "let me take this opportunity of requesting that these theatricals may be strictly private,' for, however interesting our play may be to those concerned in its representation, it will certainly be as well not to bring it before the public." In this every one acquiesced; and, after a little more conversation, Mr. Simon Mumford, saying, "It is high time you were at home, girls-come along," took his sisters away, but not before Gertrude had found time to whisper to Florence that she did not believe a word of what Sir Robert had said about her being the cause of the duel. "Where is Mr. Silverdale?" said Lady Louisa Tufton. "Is it possible that he has left me without one farewell?” "You must forgive him, Lady Louisa," said Pemberton. "No man likes to be seen by ladies in such a disfigured condition. Will you allow me to see you home?" "Thank you, Mr. Pemberton," said Lady Louisa. "But he might have bid me adieu! Alas! what unfeeling creatures are men in these days! Oh! that the times of romance and knight-errantry were not fled for ever. He might have said adieu!" "Allow me to have the happiness of escorting you to Seagrove Hall," said Danvers, addressing Florence. "Captain Wentworth, will you not give uth your kind protection?” said Miss Trimmer, with one of her most enchanting smiles. "I should be happy to do so," replied Wentworth, who wished to avoid both Florence and Danvers, "but "Oh!" interrupted Miss Trimmer, "you look at Mithter Danverth. I know you would say we have already an ethcort. Is that kind or gallant?" "Excuse me," rejoined Wentworth; "I am anxious to return to BAn engagement-that is to say, a "Captain Wentworth, you know perfectly well thith ith all a pretenth to avoid walking home with Florenth and me. I do not athk you for the pleasure of your company, I athure you," she continued, with an air of pique; "but one gentleman ith not enough to take care of uth all three tho late in the evening, and Thedgefield Common ith a dreadful tholitary plathe. I thall be terrified to death if we have only Mr. Danverth, for, courageouth and valiant ath he ith, what could he alone do, thuppothing a party of ill-dithpothed people attacked uth? He would not be able to prevent our being robbed and murdered." "Any engagement," said Wentworth, forcing himself to smile, "must of course yield to arguments such as these." He offered her his arm, which she accepted with delight, for she had not yet given up the hope of captivating him, and she had remarked with pleasure his coolness of manner towards Florence. They had not walked more than a hundred yards, however, before she discovered that he was in what she termed a very unconvertible mood;" and by the time they had proceeded a quarter of a mile, she had determined that it was "quite utheleth trying to make anything of him." "Now most young men," said Miss Trimmer to herself, during one of the many long pauses that occurred in the conversation, notwithstanding her strenuous endeavours to keep it from flagging, "would have been delighted to have an opportunity like this of conversing confidentially with a charming young lady like myself, and would tell me all the particulars of the duel, which I have more than once hinted I should like to hear-particularly as I have told him a great deal that he would never have heard without me, on a subject of all others the most interesting to his feelings and the nearest his heart. It cannot be denied that he is under immense obligations to me for all the valuable information I have given him." It is to be presumed that Miss Trimmer forgot the simple fact of the "valuable information" she had given Wentworth on this interesting subject was the coinage of her own fertile brain, and was certainly not communicated with the intention of adding to his happiness. Whether this forgetfulness resulted from the warmth of the moment, or whether it was that she so habitually and naturally blended truth with falsehood, as sometimes to lose sight of the line that divided the two, and delude herself when she only intended to delude others, we cannot pretend to determine. Meanwhile, Wentworth's politeness was taxed to the utmost to conceal the weariness and impatience he felt at being thus detained. Lamenting the fate that had added the annoyance of Miss Trimmer's company to his greater troubles, he walked on silent and distrait, his mind alternately occupied with the various reflections which the sight of Danvers had sug gested, and long, earnest, and painful meditations on Florence's conduct and character. One moment he would have given the world to be able to speak to her, the next he was glad that he could not. 66 Because," he argued with himself, "as I am resolved not to be interested about her in future, the less I see or converse with her the better." He then proceeded to examine the precise state of his feelings towards Florence, and concluded by persuading himself that he was perfectly indifferent to her. Yet it must be confessed that the anxiety and earnestness with which he watched her and her companion as they walked on arm-in-arm a short distance before him, was not quite consistent with perfect indifference. He remarked that Danvers, who seemed in high spirits, laughed, and talked, and gesticulated, while Florence appeared to be listening to him with pleasure, and several times laughed also. Wentworth felt inclined to be angry with her for being merry when he was sad; but could he have seen her heart at this moment, he would have discovered that the laugh found no echo there; that she was sorrowful and ill at ease, and would far rather have been without Danvers's company and conversation. The party had proceeded some distance in this manner, when suddenly the sky, which had been perfectly clear, became cloudy; some large drops of rain fell, and the rumbling of distant thunder was heard. "Do you hear that," Captain Wentworth ?" asked Miss Trimmer, looking frightened. "Are we going to have a thtorm?" "I think we are," replied Wentworth; "but you will, I hope, be able to reach Seagrove Hall before it comes on." He had hardly finished speaking, when a flash of lightning made Miss Trimmer hide her face in her hands. "We thall have a clap of thunder in a few momenth, thall we not, Captain Wentworth?" she inquired. "Most likely," was the answer. "You can have no idea, Captain Wentworth," resumed the lady, "how dreadfully afraid I am of thunder and lightning. It alwayth makth me ill for a fortnight afterwardth." A loud peal of thunder prevented her saying any more. She uttered a piercing scream. Another peal followed, and another, each louder and nearer than the preceding one, and Miss Trimmer's screams grew proportionately more and more piercing, while at every flash of lightning she shuddered and hid her face. Wentworth begged her not to be alarmed; but as the thunder continued and she still screamed, he, thinking that it was useless, said no more, but walked on in silence. In a short time Miss Trimmer became so irritated at this "prepothterouthly unfeeling conduct," as she afterwards termed it, that she quitted his arm, and running up to Florence and Danvers, who were a good way before, exclaimed, "That she would walk no longer with Captain Wentworth, for he had behaved motht thamefully, motht unkindly to her. She thintherely believed he would not care if a thunderbolt were to fall on her head and burn her up." Danvers affected to sympathise with her sufferings. "Yet I know not how to take care of two ladies in such an emergency as the present. Suppose Miss Hamilton should begin to scream also, how could I console you both?” "Oh, Florence will not scream, nor I either," said Adela, "if Captain Wentworth will take care of us." "What!" returned Danvers, "could any one take better care of you than I do?" "Yes, Captain Wentworth could, because we know him better." Well, in that case, if you and your sister will trust yourselves to Captain Wentworth's protection, I will take charge of Miss Trimmer." Wentworth now came up, and Danvers, in a facetious, yet at the same time courteous, speech, proposed the exchange of their fair companions. Wentworth of course assented, again marvelling at what he considered the admirable counterfeiting of Danvers, who still treated him as a perfect stranger. This arrangement was exactly what Miss Trimmer had hoped for, as she began to think making any impression on Wentworth's heart was hopeless, and wished to try her powers of captivation upon Danvers. She had met him once or twice, but had not yet been able to learn who he was, though, to use her own words, she had rather an idea "that he wath a thomebody." The only drawback to her felicity was, that Florence would have the pleasure of a tête-à-tête with Wentworth, but she consoled herself with the hope that she would not find him agreeable. "And I thall be greatly mithtaken if the doth," concluded this amiable lady; "for he ith thertainly in a very bad humour." CHAPTER XXI. I love thee, I have spoke it. THERE are some cases in which a consciousness of innocence and rectitude fails to give us the courage and patience necessary to support us under false imputations. What can be more distressing than to know that we appear blameable in the eyes of one whose esteem and good opinion we prize, and yet be unable to vindicate ourselves? Most forcibly did Florence feel this, as with lively sentiments of sorrow and regret she remarked the alteration of Wentworth's manner towards her. Coldness and reserve had taken the place of the frank con |