The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 261: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“To be my “bride,” responded the bandit-chief. “ Yeur bride P” she ejaculated. “And where is the priest who will join our hands ?”’—these last words being spoken with a sort of bitter irony which aroee from ion iteelf. “By the Holy Virgin, lady,” exclaimed Collantes, “it is a comical question that you put! Soothly speaking, however, I must confess that there is no chaplain attached to my band; and therefore we must be content with the marriage festival, without the religious ri But in me will you have a brave, a fond, and an indulgent partner We live a happy life: the whole range of the wild Catalan mountains and their picturesque valleys is our own: we pay neither tax nor tribute: the purses of travellers furnish our revenues. Some- times we dwell in tents in truly patriarchal style: at others we sock our beronia, tower. We dance— eat and drink of the best: we have po cares. Such is the life which you have now to embrace ;—and in truth it is not a destiny which need wring tears from those bright cyes of 8. “T have listened with attention,” the fair traveller,—pale with that same desperate calm- ness which she still maintained,—* because I would know every detail and minute particular of the doom which you purpose to be mine. But it shall not be! You see before you a woman who, if she have hitherto displayedin your presence the weak- ness of her sex, will afford you proof of its strength. Heartless robber, I will not be your bride !—soul- lees and implacable brigand, you shall not triumph over me! It shall be a struggie until the very death between you and me, if you dare attempt coercion or outrage! Around us there are preci- pices, a leap from any one of which is certain death: or in these wilds there are waters, flowmg rapid and deep—and they shall engulf me sooner than I will abandon myself to your arms! Now, as you | case have given me your decision, I offer you mine ; and if you seek to make me the victim of your per- secution, it will not be a triumph which you accomplish—but « murder which you perpe- trate!” “ Beautiful lady,” exclaimed the bandit-chief, scorn wreathing his moustached lip, “in every respect are you fitted to become my bride. It isa woman of spirit, sich as you, that I have sought ; and again I repeat that Dame Fortune has favoured me this day. Have the kindness to aoc- company us yet a little farther; and you will find charming females to welcome you amongat them.” said not another word—but ‘The fair moved forward, the bandit-captain walking by her side. No doubt she was resolute in her purpose of seeking death, should the moment come when she must either adopt that alternative or else re- tain life at the price of her honour :—and perhaps ahe was not yet without the hope of either bending the hitherto inflexible brigand to compassion, or else of discovering amidst the chapter of accidente some opportunity of escape. As he watched her countenance, he saw that he indeed had to do with a female of strong mind. In a few moments the encampment was reached ; and the Catalan women, gathering around the new-comer, endeavoured to make her comprehend by signs—when they found she understood not change .{ her manner towards Ramon de Collantes, could their language—how welcome she was. Then too, their dark eyes flung congratulatory looks upon Ramon de Collantes, who had thus succeeded in obtaining the gratification of those wishes he had this very forenoon been ing. As for the fair stranger herself, she received the women’s attentions with « sort of distant courtesy,—ase if she did not choose to offend them outright, nor yet to show the least evidence of being reconciled to her fate. In this latter respect it was useless to dissimulate,—inasmuch as by no sudden in she possibly hope to deceive him in so short a time with regard to her feelings, or throw him off his The contents of the cauldron were emptied into vessels ready for their ion: other articles of food, accompanied by bottles and jars of wines and strong liquors, were produced; and the ban- quet was spread upon the grass. Meanwhile the captive stranger had sat down on the trank of a felled tree; and as she contemplated the tents, the females, the arrangements for the repast, and the aspect of the brigands themselves, she began to associate all these appearances with some circum- stances which the present adventure itself had brought back to her memory. “ Are there many such bands as you's in the mountains of Catalonia?’ she asked, addressing herself to Ramon de Collantes. “There are several such bands,” he evidently. well pleased that she should thus of her own accord have renewed the conversation. The lady remained absorbed in thought for a few momentse—and then said, “I presume, by the air of authority which you wear, that you are the acknowledged chief ?”’ “T think, lady,” he responded, “that I have elready given you to understand such to be the “How long have you been with this band? how long have you acted as its chief ?”’ “TIT have been with the band for some eight years,” was the rejoinder. “ You may therefore judge, lady, that I was only a stripling when I joined it. As for the captaincy, I have held the post about five years.” “And are the captains of the various bands generally known to each other P’” was the fair tra- veller’s next question. “For the most part,” replied Ramon, surprised at these queries: for he more than s that they were not put through mere idle curiosity, but that the stranger had some ulterior object in view “Tt must occasionally happen,” she continued, “that there are names amongst you which acquire the potency of spells from being associated with daring deeds and us actions. What if I were enabled to mention some such name as this? —what if I were to tell you that I have a slight acquaintance with one who a few years back com- manded a band in these mountains—it might even have been your own—and that were he here now, I feel convinced he would use his influence on my behalf? If such a name pass my lips, I say, would it induce you to have compassion upon me ?” While the fair stranger was thus speaking, Ramon de Collantes contemplated her with an in- not | creasing degrec of biendea .ntercst and curiosity. —th— =a» | } | (COL (C DOO CS (COL