he prayed, she endeavoured
to console her; but her reasons, her prayers, her sweet words of
consolation, were all lost upon the heart of the Indian maiden, who
nourished but one fearful, fatal idea--revenge!

FOOTNOTES:

[40] This was indeed true, and renders the conduct of Berkeley entirely
inexplicable.

[41] The name given to the tree on which Judas hanged himself.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

"His flight was madness."
_Macbeth._

Yes, Virginia! She who had so much reason for consolation herself,
forgot her own sorrows for the time, in administering the oil of
consolation to the poor, wounded, broken-hearted savage girl. She had
been sitting at the window of the little parlour, where she could
witness the whole scene, and hear the whole interview between the
Governor and Hansford; and oh! how her heart had sunk within her as she
heard the harsh sentence of the stern old knight, which condemned her
noble, friendless lover to imprisonment, perhaps to death; and yet, a
maiden modesty restrained her from yielding to the impulse of the
moment, to throw herself at the feet of Berkeley, confess her love, and
implore his pardon. Alas! ill-fated maiden, it would have been in
vain--as she too truly, too fatally discovered afterwards.

The extraordinary appearance and conduct of Mamalis broke up for the
present any further conference with Berkenhead, who--his mendacity
having established his innocence in the minds of the loyalists--walked
off with a swaggering gait, rather elated than otherwise with the result
of his interview. Alfred Bernard followed him until they turned an angle
of the house, and stood beneath the shade of one of the broad oaks,
which spread its protecting branches over the yard.

Meantime the Governor, with such of his council as had attended him to
Windsor Hall, retired to the study of the old Colonel, which had been
fitted up both for the chamber of his most distinguished guest and for
the deliberations of the council. The subject which now engaged their
attention was one of more importance than any that had ever come before
them since the commencement of the dissensions in Virginia. The mission
of Hansford, while it had failed of producing the effect which he so
ardently desired, had, notwithstanding, made a strong impression upon
the mind of the Governor. He saw too plainly that it would be vain to
resist the attack of Bacon, at the head of five hundred men, among whom