”Thedoveyoulostoflate,Mightwarnyoubyherflight,Shesoughtinwoodshermate,Andhasforgotyouquite;ShehasbecomemorefairSincelovehasbeenhercare。
’Tislovemakesallthingsgay,Ohfollowwheresheleads——
Whenbeauteouslooksdecay,Whatdrearylifesucceeds!
Andah!believeme,perfectbliss,Ajoy,wherepeaceandtriumphreign,Iswhenamaiden,lovedlikethis,Haslearnt’tissweettoloveagain!”
Thesongsterfinished,andtheardentcrowdOflistenersclappedtheirhandsinpraisesloud。”Oh!whatalovelysong!”theycried。”Whoisthepoet?””’TisPascal,”answeredThomas,”thathasmadeit!””Bravo!LonglivePascal!”exclaimedtheferventcrowd。
NothingsaidFranconnette;butsherejoiced——wasproud——
Athavingsomuchloveevoked,Andinasongsotouching,Beforethiscrowdadmiring。
ThenshebecamemoreseriousasshethoughtofPascal;”Howbraveheis!’Tisallforhim;hehasnotgothisequal!
Howhepaintslove!Allpraisehimwithoutdoubt;
Andhissweetsong——sotouching!”fornowbyheartsheknowsit。”Butifhelovesatlast,whydoeshehideaway?”
Thenturningsuddenly,shesays——”Thomas,heisnothere,awayhestays;
Iwouldhimcompliment;canhenotcome?””Oh!nowhecannot;butremainsathome。”
ThenspokethejealousLawrence:”PascalknowsHecannotanyothersongscompose;
Poorfellow!almostruinedquiteheis;
Hisfather’smostinfirm——stretchedout,andcannotrise;
Thebakerwillnotgivehimbread,heisconstrainedtodebts。”
ThenFranconnettegrewpale,andsaid,”Andhesoverygood!
Poorlad!howmuchhesuffers;andnowhewantshisfood!””Myfaith!”saidLawrence,aheartofgoodnessaping,”Theysaythatnowhegoesa-begging!””Youlie!”criedThomas,”holdthyserpent’stongue!
Pascal,’tistrue,isworking,yetwithharm,Since,forthismaiden,hehassufferedinhisarm;
Butheiscured;heednotthisspitefulknave!
Heworksnowallalone,forheisstrongandbrave。”
Ifsomeoneonthegirlhiseyeshadset,HewouldhaveseentearsonthecheeksofFranconnette。”Let’s’HunttheSlipper!”’criedthemaids;
Roundawideringtheysat,thejades。
SlipperwasbidbyFranconnette,Butinatwinkle,Marionette——”Lawrence,hastthoumyslipper?””No,demoiselle!””Risethen,andseekitnow,ah,well!”
Lawrence,exultinginhisfeatures,Said,”Franconnette,hastthoumyslipper?””No,sir!””’Tisfalse!”Itwasbeneathherseat!”Thouhastit!Rise!Nowkissmeastheforfeit!”
Afinch,justtakeninanet,Firsttriessomegaptoflyat;
SoFranconnette,justlikeabird,escapedWithLawrence,whomshehated;
Incensedheturnedtokissher;
Heswiftlyran,butinhispursuitwarm,Themomentshewascaughthestumbled,Slipped,fell,andsuddenbrokehisarm。
Misfortunesne’ercomesingle,itissaid。
Thegloomynightwasnowfarspent;
Butinthatfrightoffrights,quiteinabreath,Thehouse-doorcreakedandope’d!Wasitawraith?
No!butanoldmanbeardedtothewaist,AndnowtherestoodbeforethethrongtheBlackWoodGhaist!”Imprudentyouths!?hecried;”Icomefromgloomyrocksupyonder,Youreyestoope:I’mfilledwithwrathandwonder!
YoualladmirethisFranconnette;
Learnwhosheis,infatuate!
Fromverycradleshe’sallevil;
Herwretchedfather,miserable,PassedtotheHugnenotsandsoldhertotheDevil;
Hermotherdiedofshame——
Andthusthedemonplayshisgame。
Nowhehasboughtthiswomanbase,Hetracksherinherhiding-place。
YouseehowhehaspunishedPascalandLawrenceBecausetheygaveherlightembrace!
Bewarned!Forwhosodaresthismaidtowed,Amidthebriefdelightoftheirfirstnuptialnight,Willsuddenhearathunder-pealo’erhead!
ThedemoncomethinhismightTosnatchthebrideawayinfright,Andleavetheill-starredbridegroomdead!”
TheWizardsaidnomore;butangry,fieryrays,Fromscarshisvisagebore,seemedsuddenlytoblaze。
Fourtimesheturnedhisheelupon,Thenbadethedoorstandwide,orerehisfoothestayed;
Withonelongcreakthedoorobeyed,Andlo!thebeardedghaistwasgone!
Heleftgreathorrorinhiswake!Nonestirredinallthethrong;
Theylookednorleftnorright,whenheawayhadgone,Theyseemedallchangedtostone——
Onlythestrickenmaidherselfstoodbraveagainstherwrong;
Andinthehopeforlornthatallmightpassforjest,Withtremuloussmile,halfbright,halfpleading,Shesweptthemwithhereyes,andtwostepsforwardpressed;
Butwhenshesawthemallreceding,Andheardthemcry”Avaunt!”thendidsheknowherfate;
ThendidhersaddenedeyesdilateWithspeechlessterrormoreandmore,Thewhileherheartbeatfastandloud,TillwithacryherheadshebowedAndsankinswoonuponthefloor。
SuchwasthecloseofBuskingnight,Thoughitbegansogayandbright;
ThemorrowwastheNewYear’sday,Itshouldhavebeenatimemostgay;
Butnowtherewentabroadafearfulrumour——
ItwasrememberedlongtimeafterIneveryhouseandcottagehomethroughouttheland——
Though’twasafictionandasuperstition,——
Itwas,”TheDe’il’sabroad!He’snowa-roaming;
Howdreadful!Heisnowforlostsoulsseeking!”
ThefolkswererousedandeachonecalledtomindThatsome,intimesofyore,hadheardthesoundOfDevil’schainsthatclanked;
Howsoonthefathervanished,Themother,bentinagony,Amaniacshedied!
Thatthenallsmiled;theyfeltnorhurtnorharm,Theylivedquitehappyontheircottagefarm,Andwhenthefieldswerespoiltwithhailorrain,Theirgroundwascoveredo’erwithplumsandgrain。
Itwasenough;thegirlsbelieveditall,Grandmothers,mothers——thoughtsdidthemappal——
Eveninfantstrembledatthedemon’sname;
Andwhenthemaidenhungherheadinpain,。
Andwentabroad,theyscarcewouldgiveherpassage;
Theycalledtoher,”Away!Avaunt!thouimpofevil,BeholdthecrimeofdealingwiththeDevil!”
THIRDPART。
TheMaidatEstanquet——ABadDream——TheGrandmother’sAdvice——
BlessedBread——SatisfactionandAffection——FirstThoughtofLove——Sorrowfulness——TheVirgin。
BesideacotatEstanquet,Downbyaleafybrooklet,ThelimpidstreamEnshadowedsheen,Lappedo’erthepebblesmurmuring。
Lastsummersatamaid,withgatheredflowers,Shewasengagedinsetting,Withinhergrassybowers;
Shesanginjoyhernotessothrilling,Asmadethebirds,theirsweetsongstrilling,Mostjealous。
Whydoesshesingnomore?midstfieldsandhedgerowsverdant;
’Thenightingalesthatcamewithinhergarden,Withtheirloud”jug!jug!”warbling,Andtheirsweetquaverssinging;
Canshehavelefthercottagehome?
No!There’sherprettyhatofstrawLaidonthebench;butthentheysawTherewasnoribbonroundit;
Thegardenallneglected;