"I know it!" answered Margaret; Whom the vision, with aspect black as jet, Mastered again; and its hand of ice Held her heart crushed, as in a vice! 66 66 Paul, be not sad! 'Tis a holiday; 66 Holy Virgin! what dreadful heat! I am faint, and weary, and out of breath! I thought my turn would come ere long, Thy skill shall be vaunted far and wide And poor Baptiste, what sayest thou? It must seem long to him ;-methinks I see him now!" Jane, shuddering, her hand doth press": 66 Thy love I cannot all approve; We must not trust too much to happiness ; Go, pray to God, that thou mayst love him less!" "The more I pray, the more I love! It is no sin, for God is on my side!" It was enough; and Jane no more replied. Now to all hope her heart is barred and cold; Thus the beguiler she beguiles; So that, departing at the evening's close, She says, "She may be saved! she nothing knows!" Poor Jane, the cunning sorceress ! Now that thou wouldst, thou art no prophetess ! Thou wast so, far beyond thine art! III. Now rings the bell, nine times reverberating, Queen of a day, by flatterers caressed, The other, blind, within her little room, And, 'neath her bodice of bright scarlet dye, The one, fantastic, light as air, And joyous singing, The other, with cold drops upon her brow, And then the orphan, young and blind, Towards the church, through paths unscanned, With tranquil air, her way doth wind. Odours of laurel, making her faint and pale, And in the sky as yet no sunny ray, Near that castle, fair to see, Crowded with sculptures old, in every part, And proud of its name of high degree, At the base of the rock is builded there; Above each jealous cottage roof, Its sacred summit, swept by autumn gales, Round which the osprey screams and sails. "Paul, lay thy noisy rattle by!" Thus Margaret said. Where are we? we ascend!" The night we watched beside his bed, ' daughter, I am weak and low; Take care of Paul; I feel that I am dying!' Come in! The bride will be here soon: Thou tremblest! O my God! thou art going to swoon!" She could no more,—the blind girl, weak and weary! A voice seemed crying from that grave so dreary, What wouldst thou do, my daughter?"—and she started; And quick recoiled, aghast, faint-hearted ; But Paul, impatient, urges ever more Her steps towards the open door; And when, beneath her feet, the unhappy maid Suspended from the low-arched portal, At length the bell, With booming sound, Sends forth, resounding round, Its hymeneal peal o'er rock and down the dell. For soon arrives the bridal train, In sooth, deceit maketh no mortal gay, And Angela thinks of her cross, I wis; Feels her heart swell to hear all round her whisper, But she must calm that giddy head, At the holy table stands the priest; The wedding ring is blessed; Baptiste receives it; He must pronounce one word at least! 'Tis spoken; and sudden at the groomsman's side ""Tis he!" a well-known voice has cried. And while the wedding-guests all hold their breath, Opes the confessional, and the blind girl, see! 66 Baptiste," she said, "since thou hast wished my death, And calmly in the air a knife suspended! At eve, instead of bridal verse, Nowhere was a smile that day, No, ah no! for each one seemed to say : "The roads shall mourn and be veiled in gloom, Should mourn and should weep, ah, well-away! A CHRISTMAS CAROL.2 FROM THE NOEI BOURGUIGNON DE GUI BARÔZAI. I HEAR along our street On their hautboys, Christmas songs! Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! In December ring Every day the chimes; In the streets their merry rhymes. Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! Shepherds at the grange, Sing them till the night expire! 1 |