

From grave TO gay, from lively to severe"

From Graham's Magazine.
TIL E ROPOSAL.

BY CHARLES J. PETERSON.
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BY CHARLES ]. PETERSON.


The LADY Blanche was "A beauty and belle.
Bur more than this--she was an'heiress. Need
we wonder, therefore. that old barons, as grim
as their ancestors effiges-gay knights. who
,sported retainers in cloth Of god-and princes
of thirty quarterings, from GERMANY, tbronged
her castle. and sighed by turns at the feet Of
the obdurate fair! For the Lady Blanche,
though she flatly refused none, was Indifferent
to all. She treated every suitor, indeed. alike.
She had smile for one, a gay word for another
task for third, and for each and all the same
tantalizing succession Of hopes and fears wrh
which beauties have managed to torment their
lovers from time ilnmemorial. To tell the
truth, the Lady Blanche was bit of flirt.--
And Claude Marstcn found this out to his cost


AS gallant warrior, as courteous knight,
and withaI as poor gentleman-God help
him vas not to be found in the realm, His
ancestors. on one side had come over with the
Conqueror, and, on the other, were losr in the
clouds of Saxon and British fable. Their wa--
cry had rung and their banners haunted in
every battlefield from Hastings to Agincourt.
But time had strpt them of their possessions,
as sea slowly wastes away some majestic
rock, 80 that Claude Marston, the last Of his
line, could only claim solitary tower, with a
few roods Of land, for his Inheritance.


A distant relationship existed between his
family and that Of the Lady Blanche. and when
he had won his spurs, in fulfment Of long
standing promise, he visited Delaney Castle
Little had Claude thought of love: indeed, he
boasted that glory should ever be his sole mis-
tress. Yet he had rare endowments for a lady g
bower: he had clerkly skill as well as renown
at arms 1; could tune gittern as well as couch
a lance, and was minstrel withal. The Lady
Blanche, who was accomplished beyond her
sex, could not fail to be delighted with the arr-
val Of such Crichton; and it was not long, in
consequence, before she engrossed the chief
portion of the young knights time. Perhaps
she hoped TO revenge herself on him for his
declared Indifference to her sex. They read
together, rode together, and seemed, indeed, as
her Jealous suitors said, to be always together!
The ravishing beauty Of the Lady Blanche,
her playful humor, the grace of her person,
and the winning sweetness OF her manner, soon
made captive OF Claude, most Ut whose lite
had been spent in camps, and to whom female
society was as new as it was winning. Day
and night he thought only Of the fair heiress.
At first he fancied his affection not otherwise
than cousins should be; and when he awoke





Blanche was rich and courted; he, poor and
unnoticed. She could never be his Tho proud
to betray hopeless passion, he resolved to de.
part from the castle as soon as possible, and
| while he remained to set guard on his looks
and tongue, to assume gayety he did not feel
and even TO Jest on the folly of love, lest he
should be suspected of his secret passion. Once
indeed, he was nearly surprised into betrayng
himself; for, at times. there was that in the
looks or words of the Lady Blanche which al.
most bade him hope. On one of these occa-
sons he made bold to give her bunch of rose.
buds, tied with ribbon that he found on hel
table; and he thought he detected conscious
ness in her manner. He took up her splenddy
illuminated Petrach and opened at one of the
sonnets to Laura. Il spoke of undying love.
"Heigho!" she said, with a pretty toss ol
the head "You do not believe in love! Loves
but lunacy under another name; juggle tc
cheat maidens out Of their freedom It's ar
enchanter's lutte that lulls us to sleep; but we
| awake up to find ourselves decked with the
cap and bells of the fool. III have none of it,!


You cannot think SO" said Claude, earnest
lly. aSurely, Petrarch loved Laura?"


"I.oved her! He loved himself! he loved
tame! and wanting theme to hang his verses
on, he took poor Laura for lack of better.
Good honest man warrant he thought more
of his library than of her charms, and dreaded
! fit of rheumatism far worse than her frowns.' =
"But--"


"But me no buts," said she, stamping her
foot with pouting obstinacy. "Men marry to
get estates, and women to have husbands. IT.
we'll enough for the crowd But would be q
| free falcon, or" she hesitated, and then added


looking at Claude with merry laugh--"or be
chained in royal news"


Claude sighed and rose. He saw she had
twisted his poor roses nearly to pieces. From
that hour he grew reserved, aud even haughry
at times, to the Lady Blanche. He could no.
help it. He srove to appear indifferent, bu,
his spirits would sometimes desert him, and he
was either reckjessly gay or silent and brood
ing. He avoided the dangerous morning fete.
a tetes, at hrs finding some feigned ex,use for
doing so, bu, inai abandoning them without
any apology. AS for the Lady Blanche, she
seemed to care little about this pet,ishncss.
OF his intended departure she heard with gay
jest he was gong, she said it was currently
believed, to slay the giant Gargantua. Claude
was pqued, and grew colder than ever They
never met now butin the presence of Others
and then the Lady Blanche seemed to seek for
occasions to tease her lover. Ii he was gay
she rallied hip--if ic was sad she pitied him
| and if he was both in the same hour, as often
happened, she vowed that men were tickle, but
that Cousin Claude was mos, fcke Of all.
If the willful heiress favored any suitor, it
was the proud Lord of Waltham. He was
still in the prime of life, and at the head Of the