Les Beaux Yeux [pp. 269]

Les Beaux Yeux.
were, came directly after her. She
shrieked with fright.
"Why! what the devil is this? Whom
have we here?" said a gruff voice.
"Who are you?" a horseman asked, as
he rode up near alongside of where she
lay.
"Oh, mercy! Have mercy, and help
me!" she cried.
"Very well! But who are you? And
what upon earth are you doing here?"
In the indistinct and unintelligible reply which she made, she called the name
Burnot.
"Burnot! David Burnot? Is it he you
speak of?"
"Yes, yes," she said, "he is my brother."
"Ah, indeed! Well, all's right; and
you are with friends. And you want to
go to him did you say?"
"Yes, that's what I wish."
"Well, here's Aytoun's close by. He
will be sure to have a chance to send any
message for you to David Burnot before
to-morrow night."
By a happy chance for her, Mirs. Burnot
had fallen in with the horse thieves, and
hard by one of their rendezvous. From
them the sister-in-law of David Burnot
received complaisant attentions. In less
than a week Burnot himself came for her.
He at once opened his heart to receive
his sister-in-law, and took her and the unknown child to his house; and it was thus
that our Lilias became his niece.
The bracelet which her husband had
tossed to Mrs. Burnot on that fearful
night, had by chance fallen in her bosom,
and lodged in the folds of her dress. It
was the one heretofore mentioned, bearing the inscription "Warren Hastings to
Lilias Semple, 1764."
LES BEAUX YEUX.
HER bright eyes, I can see them yet;
Her eyes of darkest hue;
Black as a raven's wing of jet
Which in the summer's morn is wet
With heavy drops of dew.
I see them now; just half reveal'd,
Their white lids o'er them bow'd;
But shining still, as stars conceal'd
Will yet their subtle lust.,re yield
Thro' some white drifting cloud.
Soft as obscur'd moonlight that streams
Across the midnight sea;
Like memories of faded dreams,
That trouble us with fitful gleams,
Those eyes are haunting me.
1856.]
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