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I.AKi: OXTAKKl,
A?.'
&
Behind light clouds, half-hidden, sinks the sun;
The > steamer swiftly ploughs the darkening sea
Eve's fingers weave a veil like that we see
O’er beauty's face when (: rief the prize hath won
And left all hopes of earthly bliss undone !
O, n >w the swtft-wiug’d storm's rough revelry
hashes the waves, and heaven’s artillery
Doth rend with lire the cloud-pavilions dun!
And now, behold the city’s nearing spires:
In storm is wrapped the dear one well beloved
Most anxious for the safety of her treasure.
Haste, steamer, haste! Redouble thv fierce fires!
Ah, rearward flee the waves by magic moved!
At home again ! Reign joy beyond all measure!
_ W. G. Sic A itoo.
Toronto, Canada, July 9, lsso.
coonTkekr’/,
THE POETIONLESS.
A Thrilling Conspiracy Against
the Dynasty of Naples.
A tSJoiy of the 13ih On*urj.
BT JOflS PAIL.
Six hundred years ago, when the kingdom
of Naples was a source of continual warfare
between the rival princes of France and
Spain, “Henry, The Portionless.” a descend
ant of Frederick Barbarossa, conceived the
idea of stepping between the houses of Anjou,
anil Arragon. and of wresting from both,
what he conceived to be the lawful heritage
of his race; as at the death of “William the
Good,” the last of the Norman princes, the
crown of Naples and Sicily had been placed
on the head of Henry VI., of Germany, and
had continued to be worn by princes of his !
blood until Charles of Attjou, brother of
Louis IX of France, was called to the throne
by the Pope.
Henry was in his twenty-sixth year when
lie first began to entertain this bold project;
and as in all troublous times there is seldom
any lack of conspirators, he soon surrounded
himself w ith a number of dariDg and reckless
spirits e*»i: ng whom were some persons of
wealth and distinction. AHnoughone imghl
suppose that the German Court would have
been inclined to render him material aid in
his contemplated movement, very' little sym
pathy had been extended to him from that
quarter; but believing that thousands of his
countrymen would flock to his standard, the
moment he had achieved one marked success,
he resolved to prosecute his designs in secret'
seize upon the Government by a coup tT ctat,
and make the King and Court prisoners.
This scheme, which did not appear very
feasible at the time it was first entertained,
subsequently seemed to fall w ithin the range
of probability', for the King was not popular
with a large portion of the army, while dis-
sentions in his councils were of frt q tent oc
cur nee.
Henry was brave, handsome and generous;
and, although his friends and follower-),
called him “The Portionless,” he was not
altogether without wealth. He resided in
an old castle near Portici, that he had pur
chased because of its having once belonged
to some of bis race. This castle stood on a
beetling cliff overlooking the sea, and its
turrets commanded one of the most beautiful
and picturesque views in the world—em
bracing Vesuvius, and the matchless coast
that clasped the Bay of Naples in its shining
arms. Not far from its site, the cot of a
poor fi-herman might have been observed
nestling among the rocks that were washed
by the waves; and a’most every morning,
with the rising sun, the boat of the lone toiler
of the deep might have been seen putting oil
from the shore, with its white nets and Single
occupant, to some point beyond a neighbor
ing promontory that shut our all further
traces of it from the inmates of the castle.
Antonio, as the old fisherman was called,
visited the castle, from time to time, with
his finny spoils, but, as yet, none of the do
mestics had crossed the threshold of his hut.
This was ow ing to the circumstance of his
having, himself, but recently taken up bis
abode there; some said with a wife and an
only daughter; others said, with the latter
alone, who was alleged to lie as beautiful as
a houri. This bright bit of intelligence had
found its way to the ear of Count Henry, as
he w as generally designated, and as he was
a gallant youth, he determined to learn, at
the earliest possible moment, whether the
fisherman was possessed of so rare a treasure
as he was alleg -d to be.
It was not, however, very long before he
had an opportunity of sa » n himsel
“JIT H10TS) STILL -VIY <HVJ,”
and the arrival of the boat. Now, however, tr >mbie to listen to them. But as I and my j ing his own’ When any object was to be at ! languor about her that he had noted while
on observing that the fisherman glanced to- daughter Graz'ala have accepted our lot, we j tamed in the interest of bis sovereign, neit'n- j she was speaking to her father on the return
ward him in a manner seemingly' far from have no longer anything to fear from the ! er labor nor difficulties nor suffering possess- ; of the boat, w hen startled from her seat be-
friendly, he at once stepped forward and ex- great. Here we live supported by my hum- ed even the slightest fears for him. He had : neath the rock. To some commonplace ob-
plained how it was that he had uu-vittingly j ole toil, shut out from all the world, aud a will and a frame of iron, and both the one servation of the count she replied with native
caused such alarm to the young lady, aud dead alike to the future and the past.” I and the other he devoted wholly to the wel- ! grace and in a voice so soft and musical,that
how utterly unsuspicious he was of her prox “You have not seen so many' years yet,” fare of the State. And, now, when a whis- it seemei a« if her very soul had sung within
imity, until he had come suddenly'upon her said the Count, “to think of giving up the j per had reached him of a conspiracy to sub her. Soon, however, she turned away toward
where she was seated. His words seemed to battle of life. And, besides, you must know j vert the Government, in which he held so i her humble cabin, when, heightening the iin-
re assn re both parties: for the fisherman, on that [our patriotism should not beas to the ' prominent a position, and send his master an pression already made upon him, the music
learning that it was “Count Henry of the nemberof our days,but accompany us to the j exile into other lands, or perhaps hand him of her vo.ee seemed set to the poetry of her
Castle,” who was speaking, having never very latest hour o? our existence.” over to the headsman, he gnashed his teeth ; motion; for never had he beheld previously
steu the Count previously, at once wiped - That is a truth,” replied the fisher nan. for very rage, and swore a terrible oath, that • anything more exquisitely graceful than the
away every trace of unpleasantness, by ob- “But when the world has long had its heel he should not only frustrate the plot, but, movements of her lithe and beautiful form
serving, that no apol >gy was necessary, that upon you and has ground your spirit into the cost what it might, bring those who planned ; as she disappeared within the envious door
his daughter, Graziala, was a little nervous, dust, you become selfish aim morose, and it, as well as those who in any way took part : from which she had but just emerged, and
only, and that the sea-shore was free to every forget to sympathize with any- noble senti- in it, to the block. His spies were, conse- 1 in full view of which the boat was now drawn
person. _ ; ment.” ; quently set to work at once; but Argus eyed I up on the strand. In a short time, however,
Daring this little speech Graziala turned With these last words the fisherman g».th- : as they were, such secrecy and mystery sur- | the sturdy little craft was afloat, and the
her large, lustrous eyes upon the Count, and ered his spoils into a basket, and turned to- rounded the names and plans of the con- Count and the ii-herman, scrambling into it,
if he had been struck with her intense loveli- ward his hut, but not before consenting to spir'tors, that up to the period of the open- were soon out on the face of the glorious wa
il ess, she certainly was not less so with his take the Count out with him on the foil >w- ' ing of our story, no satisfactory clue could ! ters, and rounding the point which lay be-
manly beauty and noble presence. His ing day to a new fishing ground that had be found to the one or to the other. : tween the hut and the fishing ground,
this i-lint- for i,;t A , , . i handsome face, finely moulded, stalwart jnst been discovered, where the one might After repeated failures, however, Count j The Count was alert for some time, as if
one evenin'* among tKe chiT- that* 'lined the ! for ‘ ;1 ’ aui brown, clustering locks, impressed amuse himself fo.ra fewhouis while the oth- Pietro began to surmise that possibly Count lost in deep contemplation; but suddenly re
shores of the bay, on turning an angle of a
rock quite convenient to the fi-herman’s hut,
he suddenly came upon a young girl of such
extraordinary beauty that he stood for a
moment transfixed to the spot. She was
1 f^Rbow-ered in vines, beneath an j e£ p f r0£U hi- hands, and with a look of some- hand of "his majesty, and was, of course, en-
. 1 ‘ a “F ,u »> £ rani - e mss-, ana was engaged j thing like disgust and anger, a small parcel trusted with all the secrets of the realm. His
r a.ling a parchment scroll, which sh
hehl in her hand. She evidently had not
heard his approaching footsteps, which were
muffled by the sand; and although his eves
were now fastened upon her in an ecstaey of
admiration, she stiff continued to pore un
consciously over the manuscript. She was
in the first flush of womanhood, and so ex
quisitely moulded, that even the coarseness
and simpiicty of her attire failed to mar the
outlines of her voluptuous form. Her hands
and feet were m racles of beauty; while the
raven hair, the dark purpl- lashes, and the
warm dusky cheek discernible beneath her
broadd ated straw hat, at once revealed her
Spanish or Italian blood.
She started from her seat with an excla
mation of surprise and alarm when she
caught a glimpse of the Count, and, hur-
riedly thrusting the manuscript into her
bosom, she was about to retrace her -teps to
the tut, when the l-oat of the fisherman
grated up n the strand a few paces from
where she stood. It had bten approaching
the shore, unobserved, f- r some time, end
now that it w as perceived by the young girl,
she sprang forw ard, and, pmid blushes and
confusii n, said something to the boatman
iki.t fai .t. rt at h the C. ant's ears.
A’i V is was the work of a single moirrnt,
for, at the time the beautiful creature started
from her so at, the Count was about io apolo
gize for bis intrnskn v-pen her leafy retreat,
but was prevented by her sudden movement
her young imagination deeply, while his er toiled by his side, with a vi :w to procuring , Henry the Portionless might be in some way ! covering himself, he entered once moreinto
j winning smile an i the warm glances of his the common necessaries of life. mixed up with the affair, if, indeed, any conversation with Antonio, who had evi-
| clear blue eyes almost touched her heart. There was not one minister about the King j such conspiracy were on foot. To be sure,he dently see n better days, as already intimated
i Yet, as she dwelt for a moment, upon all this, of Naples so subtle, unscrupulous and devot- , had no wea’th to supply the sinews of war by the fi-herman. Imperceptibly tooth par-
a adness seemed to overspread her beautiful ed to the reigning bouse as the Count Pietro j should it come to a tug, but, then, he had j ties turned to the subject which had occupied
J features; and turning to Antonio she receiv- Brazzni. He was the right and the left royal blood in his veins, and was the idol of their attention on the evening before, w hen
the common people. Yet he never seemed the Gaunt began to perceive that with all his
io mingle much with men; but sought rath- caution Antonio let drop sufficient in relation
lie had take from the boat, and, bowingto ni ce Catherine, one of the most lovely and j er to spend his days in the quietude of his ' to the house of Arragon and the existing
the Count, instantly disappeared behind the wealthy young ladies of the day.was dragged lonely castle by the sea, where it was alleged state of affairs, to satisfy him that he was
eng'e of rock. by him into all the heartless intrigues of the , he chiefly devoted his time to study or the right to join any feasible plot that had for its
When Graziala had vanished from his Court, end was continually obliged to play chase, Now, however, the idea having once j object the overthrow of the one and the rec
vie w, the Count entered into conversation in political circles, parts against which her 1 tab n possession of the cruel minister, that, '■ tification of the other. Still hedidnotcom-
was his only child, aud that they had not
j been long resident-- of the hut they now in-
i habited. He bad, he said, seen better days,
| but had fallen a victim to the wars and tyr-
l anny which had so long devastated the
i land
j “Yes, my friend,” replied the Count, “al-
j though it may be treason to soy it. we need
l great changes, and the sooner thev are
m de, the better it will be for the whole of
us.”
“Aye! aye!” returned Antonio, “but who
is going to make them? Whom do you sup
P -se wil risk bis hen i to even whi-per of
tli m hi these p ril ius time?"
“There never lived and reigned a tyrant
yet, that there was r.ot some nob!e spirit to
cppos°,” rejoined the Count* “and degener
ate as these days appear to be. su.-h spirits
rr to be found yet, and in th s v-rv 1 ml of
: ours, ton Tne memory of Wi:i a u th.-
Good is not extinct yet: uor has t! e grave
clo-ed over the last of the descendants of
Frederick of Barbarossa.”
| ‘ These are dangerous words, Count Henry
of the Castle,” whispered Antonio, “and I
blooded measure of his vengeance wh
thwarted in his designs, no matter by whom.
He was her only relative and protector, and
he, therefore, notwithstanding that she h:it-
Arragon, he would be most likely to take gaining strength daily, although so secretly
-cm. part if not a leading one in the reputed , as to b.ilil; anything approaching detection,
conspiracy, he determined to watch his , but was absolutely its loader,
movements more narrowly, and, in the ab- Many hours had been spent pleasantly on
ed him with a perfect hatred, was constrain- J secce of anv satisfactory information on the the water, during which the old fisherman
el, as a general thing, to cite;. - his mandate-, ■ subfect await the result. amused his companion with most interesting
and that, to, without an audible murmur at The morning following his accidental in- ; stories of the d.-ep, with the mysteries of
least. Oft ani oft she thr v herself iu an terview with Antonio, Count Henry was which he appeared to be thoroughly eonver-
agony of p-.ra er, before the shrine of the vir- early on the beach expecting the appearance sant. Only once or twice did he "allude to
gin beseeching the interference of heaven in j of the fi-herman, and, if the truth must be
herbe' alf; but, so far, no help was vouch- j told, in the hope, also, of getting another
safed beyond the building up of a stronger glimpse of his be lutiful daughter. He had
and sp onger resolve, daily, to escape from been standing near the boat but a few mo
lt r gaJl'ng thraldom whenever opportunity ! meets when the door of the hut opened and
presented i self. JVh ?n the C >uut Pietro had Grazed i and her father presented tr.emselves
any object to attain, although j-alous of the —the one laden with some of the trapp'ngs
fame an 1 virtue of the young girl, ho never of his vocation, and the other bearing some
-era lei to drag her charms in’o the game,
so far as that could be done without compro
mising her irrevocably; and here it was that
the heart of the beautiful creature, taking
fright, rebelled at times wi.h an obstinacy
which on more than one occasion had almost
proved fat-al to her.
Bat if her uncle would tax the nerves and
siuews of others, he Was very far from spar-
refreshment.- in a small, n-at b
she carried on her arm. Toe G«uut, v. hiL
g-eeting her in a kindly manner, could not
but observe th _■ same strange tinge of sa.l-
nesr on her fa ;e which he had noticed the
evening previous; but this time, it seemed to
be accomp mied by traces of tears. He Could
not be mistaken; her cheek was paler than
when he had first seen her, and there v.as a
the beautiful Graziala, bat so briefly that t :e
Count could find no pretext for dwelling
upon the subject. As they approached the
shore on their return hoxew ard, however,
-he C unt was delighted to receive an invita
tion to honor A ltonio’s humble cabin with
ui= presence, if but to rest a few moments be
fore pursuing his way to the castle that, al
though at no great distance, was's ill suffi
'.-iently far off to warrant the proffered cour
tesy, and the mere so as the Count had not
-par-, t himself at the oars, notwithstanding
the protestations of the oil man.
Graz' da stood framed in the doorwav as
ti e;, approached the rude dwelling—a work
of the oldest masters in rough, dark setting.
The dim ana poverty-stricken chasing, how
ever, seemed only to heighten her loveliness,
by throwing it out into bolder relief; but as
Ler eyes rested on the noble figure of the
young Count, they appeared to be filled with
unutterable conipesston. Boon, nevertheless,
they resumed tlie:r wonted expression, and,
after a few pleasant words of greeting, the
three entered the cabin.
The Count, as he seated himself on a com
mon wooden form, was somewhat surprised
to find that the interior ot the habitation was
much larger than he bad anticipated; but
here an explanatkn was at or.ee offered, by
the fact that the cabin had been built against
a roomy excavation in the reck, lighted Horn
the root to the floor, and this he supposed
shut iu the chamber of Graziala from the
rest of the singular structure.
During his brief stay he could not help) ob
serving that the dwelling was not at all in
keeping w ith the manners aud intellectual
calibre of its inmates, though poverty-woven
their attire; but this was only the consider
ation of a moment with him lor his eyes and
ears were for Graziala only, w ho now,
although under a certain strange sort ot re
straint, seemed anxious to make herself
agreeable. Antonio also became more com
municative and confidential regarding his
political view s, until at last, the conut notic
ing the astuteness of his observations and the
evidences of bis large experience, began to
flatter himseif, secretly, that he had acci
dentally made the acquaintance of a man
who sympathized warmly with the views
held by himself aud bis fellow-conspirators,
and w ho might be able to lurther their ends
from the very humility ot the position he
occupied,
Atter ibis interview the count was a fre
quent visitor at the fisherman’s hut until fin
ally he became so deeply enamored of Graz-
tala as to fear for his rank aud his future.
Nor was his passion unrequited by the fair
girl, tor one evening as they wandered alone
on the moonlit beach, she confessed how
deeply and truly she i eturned his love. Con-
tiding in her avowal which he knew embodied
the true sentiments of her soul, and placing
the most implicit confidence in her caution
and fidelity, he now disclosed to her the
whole secret of his birth and aspirations, and
the fact of his being the leader of a conspir
acy that had for its object the utter subver
sion of the reigning dynasty of Naples, and
the restitution of the crown to the house, to
which it belonged of right and of which he
was now the last scion. He took it for
granted he said that notwithstanding the
present position of herself and her father,
they were of gentle blood and that e»q;n if
-uclt the case he was prepared to
take her srd her poverty, lugeia-m « u.u. uu
humble origin, to his heart ana make her his
lawful wife.
Whether this declaration overpowered the
fair young girl or whether his avowal regard
ing the conspiracy had alarmed har it was
■lifiicult for nim to say; but when at the close
of these observations she fell fainting at his
feet before he could clasp her in his arms, he
felt assured that she was moved beyond the
necessities of his disclosure. On recovering
herself, which she did speedily, she took his
nand aud in a low, fearful voice exclaimed:
“Count Henry of the Castle, I have given
you my love and am worthy of yours, but
my lip>s are sealed by a terrible oath imp «ed
upon me winch I cannot break or jeopardize
by any further disclosure now. However,”
she continued, drawing a costly ring from
tier bosom and handing it to him, “mark
well this ring. It once belonged to my saint
ed mother, who gave it to me on her dying
bed. Look at the device and iet it be graven
on your memory. All I can say now is that
if at any period in the future this ring be ex-
nibited to you, the messenger comes from me.
if you should at the time happen to be in
trouble, give him your confidence and follow
his counsels without a single misgiving.”
He took the ring from her in a maze of be
wilderment, and inspected the device nar
rowly in the moonlight. It was not to be
forgotten inasmuch as it was a single star
Held between two beautifully wrought fin
gers. He was silent and sad at the iff mghfc
that such mystery should cloud the first mo
ments of their mutual confession; but return
ing the ring and kissing the fair yound hand
extended for it, the shadow left his brow as
with a hopeful smile he told her that the de
vice was not only engraven on his memory
but on his heart and that he should faithfully
obey any summons that might ever happen
to reach him in the hour of extremity, pro
vided it was accompanied by the precious
token. At this moment the form of the old
fisherman was seen in the distance and the
lovers sauntering toward him induced him to
retrace his steps along the shore until they
arrived opposite the cabin. Here the count
took his leave of them, and wondering at
what had just transpired between him and
the being he now loved so sincerely, gained
the path to the castle, where reaching his
chamber he sought his pillow to dream of
Graziala, who was no longer a fisherman s
daughter but the youthful queen of some
fairyland where all was beauty and passion
with swoons of music between,
In the meantime, the spies that Count
Pietro had sent out on every side to unearth
the conspiracy, returned one by one, and all
with the same story of utter failure. Their
movements were, of course, well known to
Count Henry, "ho had by degrees given his
confidence to the old fisherman, until he was
now possessed of the whole secret of the con
spiracy, and was even led one dark and
stormy night to the mouth of the hidden cave
among tue cliffs, not far from his cabin,
where the chiefs of the band were soon to
meet again, and for the last time, before the
revolutionary blow was struck. Antonio en
tered hear , "and soul into the scheme, and
promised to be present at the s-cret meeting;
but when the Count informed Graz alt of the
part her father intended to p’ay, the intelli
gence seemed to stupify her with horr ,r; for
on several occasions she had impressed upon
I him the importance of not disclosing to her
| parent anything whatever in relation to the
! conspiracy; alleging as a reason, that he was,
j at times, incautious and over communicative,
! an 1 might, therefore, unconsciously betray
j him and his companions into the hands of the
I king and c .e Court. Now, however, that be
! had disregarded her warning she seemed al-
1 most moved to insanity; for not only did s. e
I tremble like an a-pen leaf, but betrayed by
her incoherent language and the deadly palioi
of h r countenance, the know ledge et a tear- ,
tul sea ,' ,tai n ’ a,I h " ’
1 ner, and that, in view ot the oath to Which
she had rei n ed, she was constrained to keep
invio ate, although suffering untold agony in
const q leuce of the silence e-.j ’«^ U V h « r -
“IVhat is it, dearest Graz ula! W na. isthe
matter!" in cried. “Why are you so.dread-
, fully moved, by the few words 1 have now