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

Greenway Court; or, the Bloody Ground.
The young man heard the appeal of
the Borderer, and turned his eyes upon
his face.
"Friend!-true and tried!" he murmured faintly, " we must part! You
are noble and great-hearted-remember
me-when I am gone I"
"Remember you! Until my grave is
dug, I'll love and think of you, my boy,
and cherish you! My heart is bleeding,
look you! —my poor old heart!"
He stopped, overcome by emotion.
The face of Falconbridge grew soft
and serene: then a sli,ght colour came to
the pale cheeks; anrid by a great effort
he turned his eyes in the direction of
Miss Argal's body, and faintly stretched
out his hands.
"lIe wants to have her by him when
he goes!" groaned the Bordeter, "he's
faithful to the death! And hlie shan't
be balked! No! no! he shan't be
balked! "
And the soldier rose quickly, and going to the spot where the pale, cold form
of the young lady lay, took it in his arms,
and brought it to the side of Falconbridg,e. The face of the Borderer was
white, and his frame shuddered, as he
thus held close to his breast the body of
the woman whom hlie had seen so often,
smiling and beautiful in life. But lihe
did not falter-he deposited the inanimate figure at the side of the youth.
As the eyes of the dying man fell
upon the pale features, the exquisite face,
as of one who was sleeping tranquilly
and happily, his lip quivered, and treinour agitated him, making the blood
well, in a crimson stream, from the
wound in his bosom.
" She is gone before me!" he murmured in a whisper, "is the day about
to wane, conipanion?-this darkness!
'Tis a grand, beautiful world-with its
flowers and sunshine! —but —-anothler
land!-see how it shines above me as
I go!"
These words were his last. With a
final movement, which exhausted all his
strength, he bent toward the dead body
of the young lady, and encircling it with
his bosom. With a faint attempt to rise,
hlie fell back with a low cry into the arms
of Lord Fairfax, whose strength seemed
about to desert him.
" Rouse! rouse! my child!" he exclaimed in an agony of despair, " do not
die without looking at your father-it
will kill me!"
And the grim Earl strained the fainting and languid form to his breast so
wildly, that it seemed to infuse a portion
of his own life into Falconbridge.
He slowly opened his eyes. His glance
fell upon the face of George, which was
bathed in tears. The boy held his white
cold hand, and kneeling, pressed it to
his throbbing heart. The wandering
eye of Falconbridge arrested itself as it
fell upon the agitated countenance —his
lips moved, and be endeavoured, vainly,
to speak.
" Bend your ear to his lips, George,"
groaned Wagner, "he's going, and hias
got something to say."
George quickly ot)eyed, and placed his
ear to the mouth of F.ilconbridge.
"I a m dyitg," was the low murmur;
"I am going- to leave you, George! I
always loved you-dear, dear comnpanion
-with the warmest love-,as I know that
you loved me! You must do me a last
favour,"l he said speaking more connectedly, and raising his hand feebly to the
locket on his breast, " see that I am
buried on the mountain yonder-by the
p ine which-w e look ed at on that autumn
day. And this locket —it contains a
woman's hair-her hair-don't let them
remove it from my bosom, George!"
'Oh, no! I swear it! I will protect
it with my life!" exclaimned the weeping
youth.
" And now, farewell!" murmured
Falconbridge, a sorrowful smile passing
over his pale face, "I am dying, companion-take my hand!"
"It won't be long(!" muttered Wagner, his fiery eyes moistened with tears;
" five minutes I give him!-miserable
day! Oh, why did he ever come on the
trail! Falconbridge! Falc,,nbridge! look
here, comrade! Look at Wagner, who's
crying like a baby at your knees!"
460
[D.ECEMBF.R