Greenway Court; or, the Bloody Ground, Chapters LXIV-LXXV [pp. 440-465]

Greenway Court; or, the Bloody Ground.
And joy's inconstancy;
Whose fettered will must wait
The stern decrees of adverse Fate,Listen-perchance some bliss draws nigh,
Disguised in sorrow's stole.
Time spurns delayThe hour which chants a funeral tune
Is brief as the sweetest of warbling June!
Like clouds of old, on Sinai,
The very darkness of its way,
MNay prove life's path diviner!
Then weary, noble heart,
O'er whose withered joys the snlow-flakes fall,
Wait till the spring-buds startHeaven lies behind the cloudy wall,
God circles all!
GREENWAY COURT; OR, TIlE BLOODY GROUND.-(CONCLUDED.)
(coPY-RIGHT SECURED.)
detail-the snake-like eyes, the grinning
mouth, the hooked nose, and narrow
forehead, like a dog's or an ape's. Another tremour raiL through Miss Argal's
form, and she quickly rose, leaning upon
one hand, and looking silently at the
Half-Breed. In this gaze, however, there
was no trace of fear. Despite the wild
and frightful scene, the horrible appearance of the intruder, and the half-darkness of the cavern, she did not tremble
or exhibit any sign of terror. On the
contrary, she recovered almost instantly
the air of mistress, which we have referred to, and said in a tone of anger:
"Why did you come and wake me?"
The savage cowered, and retreating
two paces, said humbly, but cunningly:
"I came to see if the White Raven,"
such was the name he had given her,
"was well wrapped up and warm. The
cave is cold and damp-and she is weary
with the journey."
"Well," said Miss Argal calmly, "you
see that I am provided for-and now
leave me."
The Half-Breed made an unconscious
motion to obey, following his instinct
The young ladv stirred in her sleep,
and a tremour ran through her frame.
The vicinity of the crouching and h ideous figure seemed to exert a magn etic influence upon her.
The Half-Breed remained for some
time silent and motionless at her sidegazing with a species of ferocious and
yet servile admiration upon the beautiful
countenance, around which fell the profuse ebon curls —afraid apparently to
awaken the sleeper. Finally he grew
bolder; he crawled like a stealthy panther toward the pillow of the girl, and
took, in his huge knotty fingers, one of
the dark curls and gazed at it with the
air of a child who holds a toy which fills
it with delight.
The movement awoke the sleeper, and
for an instant she gazed with an unconscious dreamy air into the revolting
mask, rather than human countenance,
upon which the red gleam of the firelight fell, lighting up every repulsive
440
LDECEMBElt
4 1
LXIV.
CALIBAN AND ARIEL.