Graham's Magazine, Vol. XL, No. 5, May 1852Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XL, No. 5, May 1852
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
The noise awoke the abbess and several of the nuns, and brought them
running to her chamber. With horror they saw the spectacle before them.
They then obtained assistance to carry Rhoderick to his home, and
obtained a leech for Agnes.
It appears that De Burgh had employed a man to assassinate his rival
also, while he enjoyed his customary evening walk on the banks of the
beautiful little river Taw. By an accident which providence often
interposes, he discovered himself at the moment he was about to strike,
and thus enabled his intended victim to disarm and wound him. While
writhing from agony, and in momentary expectation of death, he divulged
to Sir Rhoderick that he was employed by De Burgh, who also intended to
carry away Agnes that night to a distant castle, where she would be
confined in a dungeon until she consented to become his wife.
Collecting a few men, he hastily departed for the convent, near which he
met his opponent. A conflict ensued, in which De Burgh was killed, and
several of his companions. Ascending the rope ladder which they had
secured to the wall which supported the balcony leading to her window,
he groped his way into her chamber, for the purpose of effecting her
deliverance. In that endeavor the fatal mistake occurred.
Shortly after his removal Agnes became somewhat restored, but only to
relapse into a worse state than before. In her delirium she would call
upon her lover, in a similar way that any other young lady would be
likely to do under such circumstances. Very pathetic, no doubt—but as I
do not like tragic scenes, nor tragic descriptions, I must pass over
this part of my story, and allow you to fancy what took place. However,
on the third day of her illness, while relating portions of her history
to a favorite nun, she suddenly stopped in the midst of her remarks and
gazed intently toward the foot of her bed. She seemed also to be
listening, and then, with the words, “Yes, I’m coming,” she suddenly but
quietly expired.
The persons who attended Sir Rhoderick’s funeral declared that when his
body was about to be lowered into the grave, in the church, a white
shadow was suddenly seen to enter the building, and reflect itself upon
the coffin. And the nun affirmed it was precisely at this moment that
Agnes died!
This remarkable coincidence excited the wonderment of his friends, and
they accordingly laid it before a friar who enjoyed a reputation for
great learning. He gave it as a reply, that the white shadow was the
spirit of Agnes, and that on each anniversary of her lover’s death she
would be required, as a penance, to visit his grave, in a white dress!
Tradition says that this duty has been regularly performed—that on the
night of the 7th of November—the day on which he died—she may be seen
about midnight, walking in this garb toward his grave, with a rosary in
her hand.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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