Page:The Enchanted Knights; or The Chronicle of the Three Sisters.djvu/17

Rh was frightened into a swoon; the mother wrung her hands and lamented aloud; the sisters despaired and trembled with fear and alarm; but the count examined the walls and ditches which surrounded the castle, and took care to see that the iron gate was bolted and locked, wound up the draw-bridge, and, after securing every accessible passage, went to the watch tower, and found there a strongly mured closet under the pinnacle, in which he confined the young lady who in her distress tore her soft flaxen hair, and nearly wept her azure eyes out. Six days had now elapsed and the seventh began to dawn, when from the forest a loud noise was heard, as though Arthur’s chase were coming that way;—whips cracked, bugles sounded, horses stamped, wheels rattled, and a splendid state carriage, surrounded by horsemen, was seen rolling rapidly over the plain towards the castle. All the bolts unfastened without effort, the gates flew open, the draw-bridge went down, and a young prince, beautiful as a summer’s morning, dressed in velvet embroidered with silver descended from the carriage. Around his neck was a triple chain of gold twice the length of a man; his hat was encircled with a string of pearls and diamonds which dazzled the eyes, and the clasps which fastened