the most thrilling melody, two stanzas of a quaint and simple ballad: The dark knight came to his lady's bower, When the heart is far away. "And man stood listening as the syren sung," exclaimed a gay voice, as the last scarce-audible chord ceased to vibrate, and at the same moment the speaker hastily entered the room. 66 My son!" gasped Lady Jane, convulsively. "My mother!" echoed the equally excited Frederick, as he strained his last parent to his heart-it was but the action of a moment, but it told volumes of feeling to the spirit of Alison Graham: volumes, which for her peace she never should have scanned, "And this," said the young soldier, as he gently withdrew himself from the embrace of his mother, and extended his hand to Burton, "this is then my brother." Burton took the offered hand, and bowed on it in silence. His dark cheek crimsoned, for the eye of Alison Graham was on the stranger. "And here, doubtless, I greet Miss Graham," pursued the youth as he met that intense gaze, "her to whom the sons of Lady Jane Alsingham owe uncancellable obligations-let us not meet as strangers ;" and the hand yet warm from the touch of Burton was extended to his mistress. "But as old, and tried, and-" "Enough, Sir!" sternly interposed Mr. Alsingham. "We are ordinary people at Alsingham Park, and all unused to scenes. Miss Graham, suffer me to lead you to a seat-you are agitated, Madam, by such unusual vehemence." Alison obeyed in silence: her hand was withdrawn from Frederick, and placed in that of his brother; the young soldier started as though an adder had stung him, and the blood mounted to his brow; but he met the beseeching eye, and pale lip of his mother, and he was silent. Burton stood beside his mistress, quivering with a new and terrible emo tion-every feature was convulsed, every nerve shook-his arms were folded tightly on his breast-his lips were compressed his eyes distended-boundless and deep, even beyond his own consciousness, had been the love of Burton; silently and suddenly had it sprung into existence, and even with the same vastness and velocity had a new feeling succeeded it: one look from Alison, one tone from Frederick, had roused the sleeping demon, and Alsingham's jaundiced spirit taught him that he had met in the same hour a brother and a rival. Therewas no struggle of his better nature -even as he resigned himself to his love for Alison, when he deemed it utterly beyond hope, did he now yield himself up to this new feeling-his gloom deepened into ferocity—his quiet observance of all Miss Graham's wishes degenerated into haughty neglect—and in the moments when his love most swayed him, he would quit her presence, and in solitude and silence tutor himself to coldness and distrust. This dark and hopeless change was another blast sweeping over the bruised reed, and Alison rather marvelled than mourned at a mode of conduct which exempted her from the penance of perpetual solicitude, and promised so soon to terminate an existence which, since her meeting with Captain Alsingham, had become doubly hateful. Need I say that there were moments when the chilled spirit warmed into excitement at the looks and tones of Frederick, when her dread of Burton grew into horror, and her feeling towards his brother almost assumed to her own heart, the semblance of a new, and unwelcome passion? Frederick was a very sunbeam! what wonder if the clouds of Burton's nature appeared doubly dark from the association? Autumn was spent ; and winter had laid his icy hand on nature, and blighted her last blossoms; no cheering sunblinks softened down the dreariness of hoar-clad vegetation-the days were dark and sullen, and gusty; and the chilled eye shrank from external objects, and the heart clung to home-but Alison's home was not what it had beenmany and varying feelings were at war within her, and for the first time in her life there was a sensation of self-accusation mingling with the rest, as her thoughts glanced at Frederick; and too long did those truant thoughts linger there, even at the very moment when they had won blame from her pure heart -she sketched in voiceless vision, his high and manly brow, with the dark hair clustering round it in rich masses, looking as though they had been wrought in sable marble by some skilful statuary; the haughty lip with its black moustache; the full clear eye, and the smile which gave a burst like sunshine to the whole countenance: the tall and graceful form, and the almost feminine gentleness which seemed to sport with his military garb and lofty carriagesuch was the mental vision of the beautiful orphan and Frederick had his dreams also, but he had learned from the lips of his mother the hopes of Burton, and he dared not look beyond their fulfilment; as anxiously as Alison herself had Captain Alsingham avoided a meeting, save in the presence of the family -he had begun to fear himself, he scarce knew how, or why-to listen to Miss Graham, to look on her pale beauty, to meet her sad sweet smile-and to remember that she never could be his; this was the business of his life. Miss Graham was seated near a small workstand, in the same apartment in which she had first seen Captain Alsingham; her embroidery had fallen from her clasped hands, and she sat buried in thought, at intervals a large tear fell on her bosom, but it was unheeded: little thought Alison as she gave herself up to the misery which oppressed her, in all the confidence of solitude, that any eye was on her; but at the threshold stood Frederick, gazing upon her with sad and earnest tenderness: "She is thinking of my brother," he murmured to himself, thinking of her future husband-of him with whom she is to travel through existence-beside whom she is to repose in the grave-from whom she is never more to part while her pulses vibrate! thinking of him," and he shuddered at the conviction"in bitterness of spirit-in hopelessness of heart." As the idea crossed his mind, Alison raised her eyes to a likeness of himself, which was suspended immediately before her unconsciously she extended her arms towards it for a moment, and then cheek, and brow, and bosom, crimsoned with emotion, and she buried her burn ing face in her spread hands; Frederick saw all, and felt its import-in a second he was at her feet, but she was unconscious of his presence; a low stifled sigh escaped her bosom, and again her arms were outspread as if to catch the phantom of a hope which was mocking her bewildered fancy; "Oh! had such been my fate!" she murmured beneath her breath, as her hands fell listlessly on the head of Frederick-Alison started, and looked down; her first impulse was to fly, but she could not; the blood rushed to her brow, and she burst into tears. "Alison! my -sister-" faltered out Frederick, and their eyes met. "Captain Alsingham-your brother -"uttered Miss Graham with difficulty, and again there was silence. "What of my brother?" at length demanded Frederick reproachfully, "think you that I dread his displeasure, when I thus dare yours? Would you have me fear him, Alison ?" I "Oh! no," murmured Alison, know you could not-I would not that you should-and yet-rise, Captain Alsingham-there is something strange in this posture-this meeting-" "Not strange to your heart, Alison; you had not now to learn-but enough—" he paused, and that pause wrought more on the struggling feelings of his auditor, than the most impassioned words. "I must fulfil my fate-" said Alison faintly, "I owe it to gratitude, and to your mother.” "And owe you nothing to happiness, and to yourself? Owe you nothing to the blighted feelings of others? Even gratitude may degenerate into weaknessand for my mother-think you—that she could exact such heavy interest for her past care, as your misery, repaid as it has already been by your own tenderness? I see your cheek grow pallid at the plainness of my words, how then will you support the reality at which they do but glance?-Rash girl!" he continued, losing in the excitement of the moment all memory of the circumstances which had hitherto ensured his silence," remember that it is a life-sacrifice you contemplate-one effort, and you are free-” "Free,-dishonoured and despicable -alike to the world, and to myself;" said Alison proudly, as she withdrew her hand from his grasp, and rose from her seat, "Captain Alsingham, you have this day outraged both your own feelings and mine-let this hour be forgotten, or remembered only with compunction and regret by both of us-as your friendas your sister-” and her voice faltered as she extended her hand to the heartchilled Frederick, "and as such only think of the unhappy Alison Graham." "I will learn to emulate your virtue, beautiful Miss Graham;" said Captain Alsingham with emotion, as he pressed the offered hand to his lips. "I will endeavour to remember that you are my brother's promised bride, and I will strive to love even him who has undone us both." "Hush, Frederick,”—whispered Alison, as her brow darkened for a moment, "no more of this for your own sakefor mine-for the sake of her-" and she drew closer to her auditor, and raised her large eyes steadily to his countenance, "of her, who ere long will be your sister." Alsingham met the look, and felt the gentleness of the admonition, but ere he could reply to it, a step was heard in the gallery which led to the apartment, and he hastily relinquished the hand of Alison, and retreated to a window; in the next moment his brother entered: traces of agitation were yet visible on either countenance, and there still lingered a tear in the eye of the orphan, when she turned it on Burton: but he uttered no comment on her evident discomposure, or his brother's presence. It was a gloomy cheerless day, nothing was heard save the dreary sweeping of the wind through the leafless trees, or the chirping of a solitary bird, and nature looked rayless and uninviting. "I came, Miss Graham," he commenced courteously, but coldly," in the idea of finding you disengaged." Alison uttered a hasty assurance to that effect. Burton bowed and continued, "We must not be too nice, Madam, in this dreary season, and thus impressed, I venture to propose to you a short ramble through the grounds; and should you politely accept the offer, myself as your companion." "I never was less inclined to jest, Captain Alsingham, and had I sought to do so, I should have chosen a more fitting subject.-Miss Graham has heard the expression of two opposing wishes;" he concluded bitterly, it remains for her to decide between them." "I am ready, Mr. Alsingham;" said Alison hurriedly, as she enveloped herself in a fur mantle, and glanced shudderingly at the casement, "I will not detain you an instant." Frederick followed them with his eyes as they passed beneath the windows of the apartment in which they had quitted him; the slight and delicate form of the orphan supported by the arm of his brother, carefully, but not tenderly; not, he felt, as he would have supported her! her mantle swept rudely by the hoarse gusts of wind which at intervals passed over them, and her fair hair streaming from beneath the hood which she had drawn over it. Nearly an hour elapsed ere they returned, and with the quick perception of love, Captain Alsingham read a dark tale in the eye of the betrothed of Burton; there was an unnatural hectic on her cheek too, which accorded well with the cold light of that usually soft and downcast eye-a reckless misery in the glance which she turned on him as she entered, from which Frederick shrank with a spasin of unutterable emotion; and Alison retreated to her own apartment. The tale of Miss Graham's increased melancholy was soon told; Alsingham was about to pass over to the continent, he condescended not to say wherefore, even to her; and he had obtained from the trembling, heart-bowed Alison, a promise to become his even on the morrow-her consent had been wrung from her in bitterness and in tears; and Burton, ruffled by another and a darker feeling than he had once cherished for her, seemed careless of winning a kinder. All was astonishment and confusion throughout the household when the intelligence was disseminated, but in no bosom did it create such a pang as in that of Frederick; unconsciously, despite his better reason, he had clung to the wild hope that the gentle, beautiful, and cherished orphan might yet be his "A ramble, Sir! Miss Graham!" exclaimed Frederick unguardedly,. "in-but that hope was no more-Alison her failing state f health! surely you must jest=" appeared not again that night, and a more than usual gloom pervaded the spirits of the mother and her sons; Burton, after a time, withdrew to the library with his steward, to arrange his depar ture for the continent; Lady Jane soon exhausted her preparations for the hurried nuptials, so hurried as to leave her but scant power for preparation, and then with a brow which told but little of bridal hilarity, she joined her younger son: neither dared to touch upon the subject which alone absorbed their every idea, and the conversation was in consequence disjointed, irksome, and spirit less. The dreaded morning rose; dark and frowning; not a sunbeam pierced the murky horizon, and the only smiles which cheered the bridal day were those of the happy domestics of Alsingham; unskilled in the nicer subtilties of feeling, they knew but that their beloved and gentle Miss Graham was to be the bride of the heir of that noble house, the mistress of all its " pomp, and pride, and circumstance," and beyond this they had not a thought; they beheld the pallor of the lady, but they knew not that it was the result of suppressed anguish ; they noted the tremour of her almost inaudible accents, during the irrevocable ceremony which united her to Mr. Alsingham, but they suspected no latent cause for her agitation, and as they uttered their respectful blessings on the newly married pair, they guessed not that one of them at least was beyond the blessing of a kneeling world! Burton himself, roused into somewhat of emotion, pressed his pale bride to his heart, as they entered the hall on their return, and having in a courteous whisper welcomed her to her home, care 66 fully supported her to the drawing-room where Lady Jane waited to receive her. My Alison-my daughter!” she exclaimed ardently, as she extended her arms to the victim Alison bent one long, despairing, agonized look on Frederick, ere she sank into the embrace of her mother-he forgot it not to his dying hour!—and then threw herself wildly upon her bosom; there was no struggle of emotion, no spasm of suffering, as she lay there, folded in the fond arms of Lady Jane; "My fair, my gentle girl !" murmured she fondly, "my own sweet Alison! look up, my love-" but she spoke in vain-the weight grew heavy upon her neck-the arms relaxed, and fell powerless-the mother gave a wild shriek, and Frederick rushed forward to support his brother's bride-hurriedly he raised her veil-the lips were parted and colourless, the eyes wide and glassy, the form relaxed and nerveless-Alison was dead! Mr. Alsingham passed to the continent, and died a Jesuit; his brother gallantly terminated his existence on the field of honour, and the spirit-stricken Lady Jane sank broken-hearted into the grave. The estate passed to a distant branch of the family, and again festivity and happiness reigned through the hospitable mansion. The early and hapless fate of Alison Graham has become a mere family legend, a "tale for the winter hearth," and many a bright eye turns rather with envy of her beauty, than pity for her fate, on her pictured semblance, which occupies a panel on the left-hand wall of the spacious gallery. S. S. THE LADYE OF SCALOT AND SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE. "These were the deeds of days of chivalrie, Deeds of the fair and brave." It is an antique legend of the days When Arthur reign'd. Ah me! if it be true The sorrowing legend) painted it. How fair Of flowers and azure skies; where young romance So many sparkling fictions from his wings; When he was touching palms with history, The flower and pride of Arthur's chivalrie The brave and courteous Lancelot Du Lake; Whose love might have been held a princely gift, Of but too many of the trusting sex Who yield the boon unask'd. Sir Lancelot * From the Italian. eye |