gaining. That he grasped it firm is most true, but alack! he lost his balance, and the next moment lay his length upon the floor. 66 Why, Sir Narcissus! methinks you have had a cruel tumble !" exclaimed Alice, doing all she could to restrain her mirth. "Nay, it be only the slipping of my foot," replied the old knight striving to take it very indifferently. Sir Narcissus by means of his hands raised himself upon his knees, and then began earnestly attempting to get upon his feet, but the first essay he made down went he upon his hands and knees again with something very like a groan. 66 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." "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 cannot now do so easy a thing as pick up himself." 66 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 labour with all the vigour he was master of, and down came he again with such force it seemed enough to knock the breath out of his body. 66 Said you not a moment since, that for a strong back and loins there was not your match to be found?" inquired Alice, as innocently as you please. The question appeared to have put Sir Narcissus in a perfect fury, and he commenced so desperate a scramble to get his footing that he was like unto a madman. No sooner did he tumble than he essayed to rise; the instant he thought himself on his legs down tumbled he on his hands; and there he continued puffing, and groaning, and sighing, and swearing, till he heard such sounds as made him desist of a sudden. He turned himself round, and to his extreme confusion he beheld his fair mistress laughing at him to her heart's content; and her uncle close at hand twisting of himself about with so excessive a mirth that the tears did run down 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 this furious scrambling he had knocked his periwig on one side, which gave to his face, which was of a very fiery colour, 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. "Now, Sir Narcissus, what think you of yourself?" said his fair companion, endeavouring 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 cannot stoop without tumbling, and have so confirmed a sciatica, you cannot 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 to breathe till he got out of the house, the courteous reader must follow the merry Alice to the chamber in which she had left Dame Elizabeth. There she found her, with the boy still asleep in her arms, and with tears straggling upon her delicate countenance. 66 '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 cannot be a doubt of it." 66 '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 cannot 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. 66 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. 66 O' my life thou art crazed," replied her cousin ; is no voice of any kind as I can hear." "there "Oh! I would swear to it," cried the devoted wife, with a very touching emphasis; "there cannot be such another. Here, take the boy. I will see. I cannot tarry here a moment longer." "Bess! 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." "Methinks I do hear something now," observed her cou“but be calm, dear Bess. If 'tis he, he will be here on the instant.' sin; 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 III. Didst thou but know the inly touch of love, SHAKSPEARE. Alas! the snow, black shall it be and scalding, My suit is, SIR THOMAS WYATT. That you would quit your shoulders of a burthen, Have too long groaned-to cast those fetters off 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 Indian idol, put every feeling of resentment 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. "Most religiously did I keep my promise; for I never so much as looked towards 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, Towards 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 |