ther's name or their father's honours, did they not seek
to protect the women of their country, and to keep them in virtue and
innocence, as he protects the men, and guides them to war and victory,
or to peace and honour! Would to God, fair girl, that, notwithstanding
your simplicity, the maidens of Britain were all as right-minded and
gentle as yourself! As a proof how highly I value your faithful and true
affection, I bestow upon you an ornament I have long worn, not to feed
your vanity (for we are all vain, more or less,) but to strengthen your
principles. If ever you should encounter real sorrow, and I can aid you,
send me the clasp of this chain, and I will attend to your request, be
it what it may." Lady Frances turned from her with more gravity of
aspect and more dignity of demeanour than was her custom, and proceeded
to look after the arrangements for her friend's nuptials.
Barbara stood for some time after the lady's departure, holding the gift
upon the palm of her small and beautifully formed hand, which no rough
labour had hardened or sullied. Her eye brightened as she gazed upon the
rich gift; but, in a moment, her thoughts reverted to those with whom
were the best feelings of her happy and innocent heart.
"Oh, that Robin had but been here!" she said, "to have heard it all. To
think of her who is as great as a princess! What was it? 'faithful and
true,' and, oh! how proud--no, I must not be proud--how grateful I am!
If my father, _my_ father, too, had heard it; but I can show this to
them both. I will not again think of that horrid adder." And with this
resolution she crept softly into the chamber of her still sleeping
lady.
CHAPTER XII.
Poor fool! she thought herself in wondrous price
With God, as if in Paradise she were;
But, were she not in a fool's paradise,
She might have seen more reason to despair,
And, therefore, as that wretch hew'd out his cell
Under the bowels, in the heart of hell!
So she, above the moon, amid the stars would dwell.
GILES FLETCHER.
We must leave Cecil Place for a while--suffer Manasseh Ben Israel to
pursue his journey to Hampton Court--offer no intrusion upon the
solitude of the preacher Fleetword--take no note of aught concerning
Walter De Guerre or Major Wellmore--nor heed, for a time, whether the
Buccaneer steered his course by land or water: attend to nothing, in
fact, for the present, except the motives and actions of Z
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