The Lady Arabella [pp. 601-608]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
a month again, for my heart is sick already with the
boding cawing of that excellent Scottish rook, the Lady
Jane Drummond, on this very theme. Patience? I tell
thee, girl, patience sits with her teeth on edge, and
rejects sour counsel! Oh! lay aside all wholesonme irk someness! Speak to my heart, Maud, speak to my
heart, for I do assure thee I love him fervently."
"I trust, dearest Lady, nevertheless -"
"Take noughlt on trust, Maud, I counsel thee," said
the Lady Arablella, desperately jesting down her own
disquietude. "I tell you I do ardently love this gentle man, and would the Heavens so far prosper our wishes
as to unite us, I think never prayer of mine should
weary them for miore."
" Speak not so, my dearest mistress," said the wait ing damsel, in a tone of earnest deprecation, "consider
how the King, when formerly you entertained divers
projects of marriage "
"Ah! of these," said the Lady, blushing deeply, "of
these I can only think to shame myself that my heart
should have lent itself so idly where it nothing felt!"
"Wherefore tlen, manidam, may I ask with rever ence?"
"Wherefore? Oh! Maud, to be myself-to be free —
to hear never more the Scottish eloquence of jealous
King James-to see suspicion never more mar the pro mise of my young cousin, the Prince Henry-never
mnore to be the pensioner of the royal bounty-never
more to have my liberal nature mewed up by frugal
bounds-never more to endure the taunts of my own
high spirit, that scorns its own state-and, oh! more
than all, to dwell in mine own halls, beloved and fiee!
Thoughts like these may well excuse the easiness
wvhich, doubtless, all condemn-the entertainment of
those silly-projects didst thou call them?-But these,
Maud, these were nothing! Oh! never hast thou loved,
maiden, if thou knowest not that to affection such motives are indeed nothing. Seymour, noble Seymour, is
but a young brother, and his means are slender; and yet,
believe me, girl, rather w oulld I clasp his hand at the
altar than to mount the Polish thlrone."
The damsel remained silent, for this was a new phase
of her Lady's fortunes, and moreover a secret pleading
apt to be latent in female hearts, arose within her, and
interested her strangely in this ill-starred business.
"I tell thee, Maud," resumed the Lady Arabella,
after a brief pause, during which she had appeared to
be particularly restless-" I tell thee, Maud, there is
help to be had of thee. I have promised to see him
lihere and alone, and to hear that which he hath to say."
"Now the Heaven's forbid it, madam! Alone say
you, and at this hour? Bethink you-the danger-thethe discredit "
"Discredit said'st thou?" exclaimed the Lady disdainfully, "and at this hour? Why, what makest thou
me, simplest Maud? Has then thy Lady so borne her
like a lighlt-minded Frencli woman, that thou shoould'st
thus question the conduct of an English Princess? 1
said he e, and alone, truly-but not to-night."
"Now, God be praised!" said the damsel, much relieved, for she had hegun to think of the royal indignation with some dismay, should a proceeding so unusal
eser meet detection. "But how then does your Ladyship mean?"
"Ie comne4 ihither to-liorrow'," replied the Lady
Arabella; " do thou watch for him, Maud-admit himn
and deny me to all else. Thou comprehendest!-It is
but to say that I would be alone, and thy task is done."
"It is not for me to deny you service, dearest Lady,"
said Maud hesitating-" yet I pray you consider."
" Oh! Maud I have indeed considered, and I find him
the noblest gentleman in England! I would, indeed, I
had considered less of it, for thy terrible forebodings
disquiet, though they cannot shake me. I believe, in
truth, ye both mean me well, and yet, as 1 would desire
God for my guide, I do freely avow to thee, 1 think
there be not two such boding birds in broad England,
as thou and the Lady Jane Drummond!"
"Her Ladyship is indeed your well-wisher, madam,"
answered Maud gravely, " and trust me, dearest Lady,
a fancy so briefly conceived-the fancy of a month-a
month could cure."
"Never!" said the Lady resolvedly, "thou doest
not know me. Why think you, had I ever loved any
of these suitors who have hitherto been spoken of, that
the Christmas gifts, or Christmas revels wherewith the
King purposeth to divert the attention of light feminitie
could ever have attracted mine? Again girl, I say thou
doest not know me!-And oh! Maud, thou art neither
of temper nor quality to consider him fairly, or thou
would'st see that my fate is ascertained??"
"Would, would it were indeed so established, ma dam," said Maud sorrowfully, "and yet "
"Answer me, Maud," said the high-spirited Lady —
answer me with a promise to lend thyself to my
wishes, or plainly let me see that I must count no more
upon the fidelity of nay long trusted maiden."
"That shall you never see, madan," replied tlhe girl
firmly-" yet "
"Yet if this affair come ever to his Majesty's ear,
what will then be said unto Maud Gurton? Was not
that thy thought? Believe me, girl, there will then be a
loftier quarry struck at."
"Now, Heaven forgive you, madam!" said Maud
hastily, and coloring to the very brow, "give me your
commands, and depend upon me as heretofore."
"Why this is indeed thyself, my faithful Maud. So
now to bed, girl, for thou hlast already watched late,
and art weary, and to-morrow-to-morrow? Ohl, how
lingeringly dear sounds that word now upon mine ear!"
said the Lady lapsing into reverie. Her attendant
glided away.
Brief was the time after this night, which was that
preceding candlemas, ere the Lady Arabella was again
called before her old tormentors of the council; and
William Seymour, also, was summoned to answer a
charge so serious in those days, in the eyes of Majesty,
that it was little less than treason to have committed
the imprudence it implied. Somewhat pacified, how ever, by the assurance of the parties, that they had
never intended marriage without his Majesty's appro bation, King James, for the time, pardoned them, and
suffered theni to remaia at liberty upon the faith of such
promises as the anxiety of the conjuncture extorted
from them.
Two months afterwards, the Lady Arabella again sat
at night in her chamber (now no longer in the court)
alone, and reading by the light of a lamp. Her features
wvere paler than when sshe had burst upon the aifriglited
. 1aud, in her lodging at the Palac1 frtch from a festi
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