“Wilt prove your affection, heavenliest creature?" exclaimed Master Aniseed, sinking on one knee. "Ah, what ecstasy is mine!" exclaimed | a serious look upon her laughing counhe, as he advanced toward her with a tenance. mincing face and a lackadaisical air. "Here sitteth my arbitress throned like some famous goddess of old in supremest elysium, and I, of all her manifold worshippers, alone allowed to gaze my soul away upon her very infinite beauty, and find a new existence in her most absolute sweet speech. In truth, I do feel as much delight as a rat escaped from a trap." And thereupon, he took her hand very tenderly, and looked in her face as though he were about to die. "Ah, Master Aniseed, methinks you do but flatter," observed Alice, somewhat coyly, as it were. "Nay, by this light I do not, delectable fair creature!" cried he, with a marvellous deal of affectionateness. "Believe me, I flatter none; and, least of all, could do so unto one whose incomparable delicate charms putteth all flattery at defiance. Speak, then, dainty sweet Alice! speak my doom-am I to be in the enjoyment of the extremest felicity which appertaineth to this terraqueous globe, or be thrust down in such intolerable misery as hath never been known out of Tartarus." "Is your family of any note, Master Aniseed?" inquired she, with as much seriousness as she could put on. At this he seemed a little confused, for he expected not such a question. "Indeed, some have been exceeding notable," replied he, at last; doubtless, at that time remembering that his grandfather had been a knight of the post of great celebrity. "Said you not the Aniseeds came in with William the Conqueror ?" asked his fair companion. "O' my life, I can not but think they came in a long time before," answered the other; although he knew nothing particular of his family beyond the hanging of his grandfather at Tyburn, for a robbery on Gad's Hill, which, as may be supposed, he liked not to tell of. "But why speak of this matter. I pride not myself on my genealogy, believe me; I care only for the incommunicable rapture I seek in the gaining of the incomparable fair Alice. Surely it seemeth in some sort a strange lack of affection in you to question me on a matter so unimportant, at a moment so critical to my exquisite sweet hopes." Nay, it showeth no lack of affection, Master Aniseed, as I will prove to you anon," replied Alice, evidently forcing of "That will I, beyond the possibility of doubt," answered she. "It hath come to my uncle's ears that you are not what you have given out; and he hath it from such authority as hath proved it to his satisfaction." "Ha!" cried he, looking amazing confused. "It hath been said," continued Alice, "that instead of being one of an ancient family, as you have said, that came in with William the Conqueror, or a long time before, many of whom have been exceeding notable, you are nothing better than the son of a pitiful poor rat-catcher, and have yourself lived by the catching of rats, till a miserly kinsman left you his property, and you thought of passing yourself off for a gentleman born. Now, although the catching of rats be doubtless an honorable occupation, my uncle is in a very tearing rage with you, for not having let him know you had aught to do with it; and mayhap it shall be thought notable enough to have one's grandfather hanged for the cutting of a purse, yet my uncle is in a monstrous ugly humor with you for keeping him in ignorance you had any such in your family. Whereof the consequence is, that he hath ordered two of our serving-men, with cudgels as thick as is my arm, to wait for you upon your leaving this room, and not to leave you till they have broke every bone of your body." "Oh, Lord! oh, Lord!" exclaimed the now terrified rat-catcher, after having listened to Alice's statement with a countenance expressive of the absolutest alarm that ever was witnessed. "Oh, Mistress Alice!" continued he, now dropping on both his knees, seemingly to implore her clemency, "save me from these villanous serving-men! Everything you have said be as true as that rats will not be caught if they can help it. Save me, I pray you, Mistress Alice!" me, or these bloody-minded villains of 66 Nay, the fire would scorch me to a cinder presently," answered he, in an infinite moving voice. Is there no closet I can creep into?" And then he ran about the room distractedly, poking of his head here and there to see where he could hide himself. No, Master Aniseed, there is no place of any kind where 'twould be safe to conceal yourself in," observed the other. "Oh, Lord! oh, Lord! If ever I get myself out of this with a whole skin, I will straightway give up playing of the gentleman, and take again to the catching of rats. Oh, how can I escape?" "Canst jump out of this window ?" inquired Alice, throwing open a window that looked into the park. "Tis a fearful height!" replied he, as he gazed upon the distance that lay between the room and the ground, which was some ten or twelve feet. "I must needs break my neck if I attempt it." Alack! there is my uncle's voice!" cried she. "I hear him nigh the door, urging the serving-men to enter the room and seize on you." Alice had scarce said the words when Master Aniseed, without venturing of another word, jumped himself out of the window, and finding himself unhurt when he got to the ground, he sat off at such a tearing pace that he was soon far enough out of sight. unto a cow's gallop, was at her side in a moment, and instantly took her hand very gallantly, with a look so marvellously tender she was obliged to turn her head on one side-she could not look upon him seriously. "By Erebus and gloomy Styx!" he continued, "my heart be overflowing with extreme love for you, exquisite Mistress Alice! By day you do engross my thoughts, and by night all my dreams be of you and of none other. My youth is wasted away in sighs. I shall grow old before I can well call myself a man. truth, my delicate sweet creature, if I am not this day made as blessed as I expect to be, I can not be long for this world. I must needs die in my prime, like a bud stricken with the worm." 66 In 'How is your sciatica ?" inquired Alice in some sort of earnestness. 66 Eh? what sayest?" asked Sir Narcissus, looking as if he was striving to appear not to understand the question. "How is your sciatica, Sir Narcissus?" repeated his merry companion still with a famous gravity. "Sciatica? sciatica? what sciatica, I pray you?" inquired the old knight, reddening a little in the face, for all his seeming to be unconcerned. "I did hear you were lately laid up with the sciatica very badly," replied she. "A good jest! By Castor and Pollux, an excellent good jest!" cried Sir Narcissus laughing, as if he really had something to laugh about, "an excellent good jest indeed. The sciatica! I have the sciatica! At my time of life too! Well, again more famously than at first. "Now it is well known that for a strong back and loins there is scarce my match to be found. There, Mistress Alice-is that a back for the sciatica ?" And thereupon he turned his back upon her, which was certainly of a more than ordinary breadth. "I should like to see the sciatica which could touch such a back as that.” 66 "Oh, Alice! Alice! what a mad wench thou art!" exclaimed her uncle, at her elbow, looking as if he had found won-it be infinitely droll." Then he laughed derful amusement in what he had heard. "But how didst come to find this out?" "That it matters not you should learn, good uncle," replied she shutting down the window with an exceeding arch look. "But haste back to your hiding; there is another yet to come, who is the goodliest fool of all the lot, and methinks I hear him approaching." Sir Nicholas made two or three hasty strides and retreated to the arras. The door opening at this time, Stephen announced Sir Narcissus Wrinkles. 66 Ha!" cried he lustily, hitting of his hand against his leg, as soon as he stood within the door, " by Cerberus and his three heads, you look lovelier than ever I saw you. But my young blood will not allow me to stay at this distance when so tempting an object can be approached as closely as may be." And straightway flinging of his hat in a chair, he gave a short, quick run, like Methinks of late you have shown yourself monstrously afraid of stooping," observed Alice, still keeping on an exceeding seriousness. "I afraid of stooping!" cried the old knight in a seeming wonder. "By Apollo and all the Nine, better and better! Why, it can be scarce a week since, for a trifling wager with a few youths about mine own age, I did gather up a hundred stones planted a yard apart, and stooped and picked up every one separately, and did place it in a basket nigh unto the first. Nothing but the marvellous fine back I have could have stood such infinite stooping." At this moment Alice dropped her pocket-handkerchief on the floor as if it was an accident. Sir Narcissus Wrinkles presently stooped to pick it up, but he had bent his body but a little way before he suddenly drew himself up again, putting both his hands to his back, and making a face as if he had swallowed vinegar by mistake for wine. My handkerchief, Sir Narcissus," said his waggish companion as gravely as she could. The old gallant stooped again, bending himself very slowly, and evidently with extremest difficulty and pain, and got his hand within a few inches of the handkerchief, when with a longdrawn "whew!" he drew himself up more quickly than before, showing of a face that outglowed the poppy in redness, and distorted into an expression so painful, it was moving to look at it. "I marvel you should keep me waiting, Sir Narcissus!" exclaimed Alice, as it seemed a little out of temper, though it was apparent in the corners of her eyes she was in as fine a humor as ever she was. "Believe me, I have the terriblest stitch in my side, Mistress Alice" "Are you sure it be not the sciatica ?" inquired she, interrupting of him with a wonderful seriousness. "By Pluto, that be utterly impossible!" exclaimed he in a great urgency. "The sciatica troubleth only old men, and the stitch attacketh none but the stronger and more youthful sort." Oh, I have the cursedest stitch in my side that" “To me it looketh exceeding like the sciatica," observed his merry companion. "A thousand furies!" cried the old knight in some vexation. "I tell you, Mistress Alice, the sciatica troubleth old men only. It can have naught to do with us youth." 66 Well, get you up quickly then," said she as seriously as she might. "Yet it seemeth marvellous strange to me, that one who hath so lately stooped to pick up a hundred stones can not now do so easy a thing as pick up himself." "Nay if it were not for this villanous stitch, I would have been up on the instant," replied he, and then he began again seeking to raise him. For all that he seemed to take such wondrous pains to succeed in what he was about, down he came the moment he sought to get footing on the floor. He tried once more, with more care than at first, and again he tumbled. At this he swore most vehemently by divers pagan names, and recommenced his labor with all the vigor he was master of, and down came he again with such force it seemed enough to knock the breath out of his body. “Well, if it be not the sciatica, get me my handkerchief, I pray you," said Alice. Sir Narcissus once more stooped down, but more slowly than ever, and doubtless with an infinite share of suffering. It was evident he was straining famously, bending of his back and stretching out his arm to reach what he sought to have hold of. There it lay, within an inch or two of his fingers, and for the soul of "Said you not a moment since, that him he found he could not bend his back for a strong back and loins there was not another inch. It appeared to him as if a your match to be found ?" inquired Alice, river of molten brass was rushing into as innocently as you please. The queshis head, and a thousand imps of dark- tion appeared to have put Sir Narcissus ness were amusing themselves by stick- in a perfect fury, and he commenced so ing red-hot skewers into his loins. Feel- desperate a scramble to get his footing ing that to endure this another minute was that he was like unto a madman. No beyond the power of human forbearance, sooner did he tumble than he essayed to and believing that if he failed in picking rise; the instant he thought himself on up the handkerchief the truth would be his legs down tumbled he on his hands; known, and he should lose his mistress, and there he continued puffing, and groanhe summoned up all his remaining strenghing, and sighing, and swearing, till he heard such sounds as made him desist of] to breathe till he got out of the house, the a sudden. He turned himself round, and courteous reader must follow the merry to his extreme confusion he beheld his Alice to the chamber in which she had fair mistress laughing at him to her heart's left Dame Elizabeth. There she found content; and her uncle close at hand her, with the boy still asleep in her arms, twisting of himself about with so exces- and with tears straggling upon her delisive a mirth that the tears did run down cate countenance. his cheeks. Certes, if there ever was a sight to laugh at in this world, Sir Narcissus Wrinkles, as he then sat on the floor, was of that sort. In his furious scrambling he had knocked his periwig on one side, which gave to his face, which was of a very fiery color, so ludicrous an expression, that the rage he was in only made the more laughable. "Oh! these man-animals!" cried Alice, seemingly half choked with excess of mirth. "Alack, Sir Narcissus !" exclaimed Sir Nicholas; but what more he would have said was stifled in a fit of laughter. The old gallant uttered not a word, nor moved from his position; but looked on the two with a countenance so exquisitely foolish, that the gravest could scarce have gazed on it unmoved. you "Now, Sir Narcissus, what think of yourself?" said his fair companion, endeavoring to recover her gravity. "Is it not most preposterous in you, at your time of life, to affect the gallant, and seek to pass yourself off for one scarcely arrived at years of discretion? You must needs be my husband, forsooth, when you are nigh old enough to be my grandfather; you would attempt making love when you ought to be saying of your prayers. You would swear you were monstrous strong, and of so fine a constitution, the like was never met with, when you can not stoop without tumbling, and have so confirmed a sciatica, you can not raise yourself from the floor strive you ever so. By my troth, I thought not there were such old fools in the world! But I beg I may see no more of you. I would as soon wed a superannuated baboon as take for my husband so monstrous a piece of folly as yourself. Fare you well, Sir Narcissus, and be sure not to stoop": -Here she was stopped in her speech; for the old gallant had, since she spoke, began to make so ridiculous a face, which grew more ludicrous every minute, that she could gaze on him no longer, and hurried out of the room in a violent fit of laughter. Leaving Sir Narcissus to be lifted up by Stephen and Sir Nicholas, which was done without his saying ever a word, he was so crest-fallen he scarce attempted "O'my life, Bess, it be exceeding unkind of thee to fret in this way," exclaimed her cousin, as she hurried to her, wiped away her tears, and affectionately kissed her cheek. "I tell thee he will return anon: there can not be a doubt of it.” "I feel assured some harm hath happened to him, else would he have been here long since," replied the fond wife, very dolefully. "Believe it on no account, dear Bess," said the other, "it be the very falsest, wretchedest stuff that ever was thought of: it doth not deserve credit of any. I would not put trust in it, were it ever so. The rather believe that he is speeding back, after having met with wonderful success in his expedition, and that he careth for naught so much as the sight of his dear sweet excellent good wife." "I wish I could think so, Alice," exclaimed her companion, with a profound sigh. "And why not think so?" inquired her merry cousin. " Methinks it be far better thinking than the other. For mine own part, I would be hanged before I would allow of such paltry poor thoughts to fret me as thou hast. It can not be other than I say, so no more of this moping. Be happy as I am. I tell thee what, Bess, I have got rid of all my lovers, and they were every one of them so excellently well served of me, sight of any of them shall I never see again, I will be bound for it. Oh! it was such exquisite fine sport! I will tell thee how famously I managed." Here the promised narration was completely put a stop to, by Dame Elizabeth giving a loud scream, which awoke the child out of its sleep, and her countenance became all at once lighted up by a wonderful exultation. "Bess! Bess!" cried Alice, looking upon her in some alarm, "what aileth thee?" "Tis his voice!" exclaimed the other, gasping so for breath she could scarce speak the words. 'O' my life thou art crazed," replied her cousin; "there is no voice of any kind as I can hear." "Oh! I would swear to it," cried the devoted wife, with a very touching emphasis; "there can not be such another. "Bese! Bess! if thou goest on at this rate, thou wilt break my heart," cried Alice, who was fully convinced her companion was distracted. "Whose voice dost fancy thou hearest ?" "His that I love better than all voices in the world," said Dame Elizabeth, fervently, as she stood up with her boy in her arms. "'Tis Walter! 'tis he beyond all doubt. I hear him in the hall, greeting Stephen and my uncle." 66 Methinks I do hear something now," observed her cousin; "but be calm, dear Bess. If 'tis he, he will be here on the instant." Here, take the boy. I will see. I can | Indian idol, put every feeling of resentnot tarry here a moment longer." ment against her out of my heart, and I could on the instant have loved her as madly as ever. But when I attempted to approach her, she put up her hands, and averted her face, and begged of me not to come nigh her, with so wonderful an earnestness, that I was quite moved at it. Still imagining only that she did this on account of the attempt on my life, to show how ashamed and horrified she was with herself for the acting of so monstrous a thing, I assured her I was willing to forget all that was past; and believing from what she had lately done, that I had misjudged her, I told her, if she would allow of it, my future conduct should prove the sincerity of my affection. I was approaching to take her hand, when, as if in a very monstrous alarm, she fell on her knees before me, and implored me not to touch her. I knew not what to make of it; and whilst I hesitated, she, in the same wild manner, seeming as if she knew not what she was saying, prayed I would not come nigh her, or seek to have speech with her till the morrow, when she would acquaint me with all I had a mind to know. Seeing the dreadful state of excitement she was in, and that to persist in my intentions would only the more increase it, I agreed to what she said, and on leaving her to the care of the young prince, I presently mounted my horse, and rode forward at the head of the escort, leaving the others to follow. The words had scarce been said, when a quick footstep was heard, and in another moment Sir Walter Raleigh was locked within the embraces of his wife and child. CHAPTER XXX. Didst thou but know the inly touch of love, Alas! the snow, black shall it be and scalding, My suit is, SIR THOMAS WYATT. That you would quit your shoulders of a burthen, With which, with your own hands, you chain your freedom. MASSINGER. "Tis exceeding strange, this story of Joanna," observed Master Shakspeare, as he sat in his lodging, with Master Francis, opposite a famous fire. "I scarce know what to think of her: but how behaved she upon the discovery of herself?" "More strangely than ever," replied Master Francis. "When she recovered consciousness, I had got her off her horse, and she was reclining in my arms, as I stood upon the ground; and the moment she found she was known, she tore herself from me, with an appearance of extreme confusion, and as it did appear to me, in some sort of horror. Upon this I did use no lack of entreaty she would be calm, and allow of my showing her such attentions as my affection for her prompted; for in truth the knowledge that it was to her I was indebted for my deliverance from being made a sacrifice to the "Most religiously did I keep my promise; for I never so much as looked toward where she was the whole of the day, but rode along marvelling at her conduct more and more every minute, and thinking of what she must have suffered in travelling so far for my rescue, and wondering and imagining till I got myself into a complete perplexity. Toward the evening we arrived at the very village nigh which I had been kidnapped by that villanous Padre Bartolomé. We were as well entertained of the natives as formerly, and as soon as I could I took myself off to rest; but sleep got I none all the night for thinking of Joanna, and from the very absolute impatience I was in to see her, and hear the explanation she had promised me. In the morning, as soon as might be, I hied me to Pomarra, that he might get me speech of her. Upon inquiry, I heard to my exceeding trouble and astonishment, she had gone from the village, and that I must never expect to meet with her again." |