Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/241

Rh some mark of royal favor, his announcement that he was the son of Sir Rowland de Bois, the friend of his injured brother, checked Duke Frederick’s praises, who refused to honor him, and went out in anger.

Rosalind was not so ungracious. Lingering behind with her cousin Celia, she could not help glancing at the youth, whose only crime was that he was son of her father’s friend. Having glanced, she could not fail to discover that he was handsome, and of noble manners. Half blushing at her boldness,with the graciousness of the princess, blended with the coyness of the maiden,she approached the hero, and speaking a few encouraging words, threw over his bowed head a chain which she took from her neck, and, as if frightened at her boldness, quickly followed her cousin from the place.

Orlando stood for a moment in a tumult of feeling. The rude repulse he had received from the Duke had humiliated him, but the sweet voice of Rosalind rung in his ears, and quickened all the beating of his pulses. While he stood irresolute, an old servant, named Adam, who had beer in his father’s service three-score years, came to speak with him. With many tears, the old man told him that his brother Oliver was plotting against his life, and urged him to fly from his malice. Then he placed in his young