Page:Peterson's Magazine 1842, Volume I.pdf/72

. than the first. Its arms were extended, and it was about to bound upon him and his companion ! To make a jump backward, to seize the carbine of his comrade, who had not yet fired, and to fire at the heart of the new assailant, and lay him at his feet, was but the work of a second ! Most fortunate presence of mind ! It preserved our intrepid hunter from a certain death ; for had there been, on his part, the least hesitation , or the slightest terror, he must have been devoured by the bear. It was the male, who had come to the aid of the female.

Pareur, who was not able to fire because his master was right between himself and the animal, felt his knees bend under him from emotion. As to M. de Malatour , a livid paleness covered his features, his hairs stood straight on his head, and a convulsive shaking of his limbs, gave testimony to the dreadful struggle of his soul.

"Take your gun, Sir," said the young nobleman hurriedly, restoring the carbine to his trembling hands, “ here are our friends, let them not see you disarmed. As to you, Pareur, silence ! I know you can be relied upon." The whole troop at this moment appeared, and he continued, " You see, gentlemen , there are the two monstrous beasts killed-it is one for each of us ; and now, Mr. de Malatour, I am, as I said on a former occasion, at your command, and ready to give you that satisfaction you seemed to require.”

The only answer that his confused adversary was able to give, was to stretch out to him his hand in silence. It was grasped affectionately and cordially. That same evening, a grand banquet was given in the Castle, in honor of the double victory. Toward the close of the repast, a toast was proposed "to the conquerors," and it was received with acclamation. At the moment d'Argentre stood up, with glass in hand, M. de Malatour stopped him, and rising in his place, thus

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THE LADY BEATRICE. * BY MRS. MARY. V. SPENCER. CHAPTER II. WE left the lady Beatrice alone in the apartment whither her uncle had conducted her on their arrival in Venice, brooding over his parting words "that she should only leave the chamber to become the bride of his nephew." The agony of her feelings it would be impossible to pourtray. Again and again she went to the window, but the distance from it to the canal beneath precluded all hope of an escape. More than once she repeated her efforts at the door, but it was securely fastened. At length, after a fourth fruitless attempt at the lock, she burst into a flood of tears, and throwing herself on a couch, covered her face with her hands, and wept uncontrollably. She was still sobbing violently when a hand was laid on her, and starting up with sudden surprise she saw an aged female domestic of the upper class standing before her. "Oh ! is it you, nurse ?" she said, " I thought I had not one friend in the world left, and perhaps," she continued, recoiling back a moment, " even you have deserted me. But no it cannot, cannot be. You are still my own nurse-you have hushed me in infancy, soothed me in sickness, guided me with your counsel in my later years, and now-now when I am alone and beset with dangers you will not surely betray me ?" and Beatrice clasped her hands and gazed up into the eyes of her visitor, with a look so eloquent in its pleading that even a harder heart than that of the aged domestic would have been melted. "No, my dear child," answered the nurse, while the tears stood in her eyes, "I will not betray you, not for all the gold and promises the duke can make. Cheer up sweet lady, you are not wholly without friends. Dry your tears now and listen to me. There that is spoke :"To the only, the single conqueror of the day ! to our right. Now wait till I have secured the door lest some worthy host ; for he it was who killed the two bears. If one might intrude- and now we will go to the embraI have until this moment permitted his generous inven- sure of the window farthest from the entrance in order tion, so completely unfounded in truth, to pass in silence, to baffle an eaves-dropper if one should happen to be it is because I have been desirous that my apology to outside. him should be as public as the affront I offered him. I You know, my child," continued the nurse, " that wished that every reparation in my power should to so for nearly two years I have been in the Bormatic family, great and so good a man, be solemn, open, undisguised, but this morning I received a message from your uncle, without equivocation ; I then declare the Lord of Ville- that if I would once more join his family he would take triton is the bravest among the brave, and this I am ready it as a favor. I always loved you and left you only to sustain before all and against all." from necessity, and you may judge how glad I was to "This time, certainly," said M. de Argentre , " I do accept his offer. When I came here, your uncle told not mean to take up your glove." me that he had accepted a suitor for you in the person "What a noble, brave young man !" murmured of his nephew ; but that, as you seemed averse to the Pareur, as he wiped away a tear. " It convinces me, union, he depended on my influence with you to perthat a little practice would make him as calm in the suade you to listen to so advantageous a proposal. He presence of a bear, as he is, it is said, in the face of the enemy."
 * Continued from page 6.