Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649 -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Temperance -- Fiction
It was in the dim twilight silence reigning about the mysterious dark
pools below the Craig Aran Peak, whither Percival Vere had followed
Primrose with eager feet to her well-known haunt, and on the brink of
the black lake round which he had first watched the slow-moving
footsteps of the immortal maiden, that on the evening of the day of
his conversation with Lady Bryn Afon he poured out his tale of love,
and heard from her sweet lips such shyly-answered confession, as made
the dying evening sunlight suddenly illume the landscape, to the eyes
of his dazzled vision, with all the golden glories of heaven. And
when, after much sweet converse in that vast solitude, and a solemn
mutual commending of themselves and their new-found joy into the
hands of God, they descended the steep hillside to Glyn Melen hand in
hand, their feet seemed to tread upon air for very lightness of
heart, and Primrose, creeping into her mother's arms in speechless
happiness, after they had together received her blessing, felt that
for her the world had verily been created anew, and that all dark
shadows had for ever rolled away from her long-dreaded future, in the
deep, abiding sense of joy and peace with which the knowledge of
Percival's love had filled her heart. Each day of the blissful weeks
that followed seemed only more happy than the last, as the souls of
the lovers grew more firmly knit together in a bond of love which,
like the rainbow to which Percival one day pointed on the
mountain-top, rested but one foot on earth, and hid the other in
heaven. Each day Shanno found in her Sir Galahad more of those
virtues and beautiful traits of character with which she had ever
clothed her ideal knight, and each day likewise he found her more
richly endowed with those tender graces and that innocence and purity
of heart which had so surely been revealed to him in that sweet,
haunting face of his midnight vision. Lady Bryn Afon, rejoicing
greatly in their happiness and in her own newly-found joy of
reconciliation with her father, who still remained with her, seemed
to grow younger and more beautiful day by day, and to renew her
failing health marvellously in the exhilarating air of the mountains,
and in the new sense of peace which filled her heart. And who so
radiant as old Jack the boatman, again restored to the love of one
whom he had so long mourned as dead, and looking forward when the
present short season of bliss should be ended, to having once more
the charge of his loved granddaughter during some portion of the
ensuing months? For Lady Bryn Afon must shortly rejoin her husband
in town, and the chaplain must resume his duties in the earl's
household, until, on the resignation of good old Master Rhys in the
following year, he should succeed, by Lord Bryn Afon's express
desire, to the living of Cwmfelin, the earl vowing that while in town
the guardianship of the faithful Rhiwallon was enough for him, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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