The Three Perils of Man; or, War, Women, and Witchcraft, Vol. 1 (of 3)Hogg, James
History
The Three Perils of Man; or, War, Women, and Witchcraft, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Hogg, James
Historical fiction; Scotland -- History -- Robert II, 1371-1390 -- Fiction
Sir Richard was brought up from the vaults of the King's House to the
tent, as the most convenient place for the meeting with his brother, and
for the guards to be stationed around them; and there, being placed in
one of the apartments of the pavilion, his brother was ushered in to
him. No one was present at the meeting; but, from an inner apartment,
all that passed between them was overheard. Musgrave clasped his younger
brother in his arms; the other could not return the embrace, for his
chains were not taken off; but their meeting was passionately affecting,
as the last meeting between two brothers must always be. When the elder
retired a step, that they might gaze on each other, what a difference in
appearance!--what a contrast they exhibited to each other! The man in
chains, doomed to instant death, had looks of blooming health, and manly
fortitude: The free man, the renowned Lord Musgrave, governor of the
impregnable but perilous castle of Roxburgh, and the affianced lord and
husband to the richest and most beautiful lady in England, was the
picture of haggard despair and misfortune. He appeared but the remnant,
the skeleton of the hero he had lately been; and a sullen instability
of mind flashed loweringly in his dark eye. His brother was almost
terrified at his looks, for he regarded him sometimes as with dark
suspicion, and as if he dreaded him to be an incendiary.
"My dear brother," said Sir Richard, "what is it that hangs upon your
mind, and discomposes you so much? You are indeed an altered man since I
had the misfortune to be taken from you. Tell me, how fares all within
the castle?"
"Oh, very well; quite well, brother. All perfectly secure--quite well
within the castle." But as he said this he strode rapidly backward and
forward across the small apartment, and eyed the canvass on each side
with a grin of rage, as if he suspected that it concealed listeners; nor
was he wrong in his conjecture, though it was only caused by the frenzy
of habitual distrust. "But, how can I be otherwise than discomposed,
brother," continued he, "when I am in so short a time to see you
sacrificed in the prime of youth and vigour, to my own obstinacy and
pride, perhaps."
"I beg that you will not think of it, or take it at all to heart," said
the youth; "I have made up my mind, and can look death in the face
without unbecoming dismay. I should have preferred dying on the field of
honour, with my sword in my hand, rather than being hanged up between
the hosts, like a spy, or common malefactor. But let the tears that are
shed for Richard be other than salt brine from the eyes of the
Englishmen. Let them be the drops of purple blood from the hearts of our
enemies. I charge you, by the spirits of our fathers, whom I am so
shortly to join, and by the blessed Trinity, that you act in this trying
dilemma as the son of the house you represent. Shed not a tear for me,
but revenge my death on the haughty house of Douglas."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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