296 Aber-Merly 



the trees that lined it on either side, hindered them from perceiving 

 what it was. Still they continued to gaze, and as the object of their 

 attention approached, Eva drew herself unconsciously nearer to her 

 cousin ; Hymel wound his arm round her, and pressed her to his 

 bosom. 



" Nay, fear not, dearest, there is no reason for alarm." 



" Thou canst not persuade me, Hymel. Didst thou not mark his 

 fierce and threatening looks of defiance as he quitted my father's 

 hall?" 



"That was but the passion of the moment," said her cousin, " that 

 thus excited him. He would not, nay, he dare not, attempt aught 

 against my kinsman. Are we but slaves, that we must do the bid- 

 ding of our lords, and because, forsooth, we thwart them in their 

 wishes, or comply not with their demands, must we be hunted like 

 the beasts to death ?" 



" Nay, be not angry, Hymel ; full well I know thy proud and 

 noble temper would riot bend beneath the frown of any lord save 

 thine own prince. I know thee too well, methinks, to harbour such 

 a thought, yet I do feel some load upon my breast, as though some 

 heavy calamity were hanging o'er our house." 



" Banish these false fears, dearest Eva," replied Hymel, and he 

 drew her nearer to his bosom, " Heaven would not for thy sake send 

 misery or misfortune." 



" But dost thou not call to mind the saying of the prophet ? 



' When Abergwili's heir shall be the bride 

 Of her own kinsman, ill shall then betide/ " 



" 'Tis but the prating of some idle priest the raving of a maniac," 

 replied Hyrnel, " and yet, wouldst thou cease to love me, Eva, 

 because some prophecy chanced partly to be fulfilled in my union 

 with thee? Wouldst thou forbid me to gaze upon thy bright eyes, 

 and kiss them, as heretofore, and now I do?" 



" I meant not, Hymel, to reproach thee for thy affection ; Heaven 

 knows I love thee fondly, more dearly than mine own father. Are 

 we not alone the remnant of an ancient family, one that has swayed 

 the sovereign sceptre and ruled all Cambria? Are not we alone left 

 to each other and thinkest thou that I would wish to leave thee ? 

 No, thou wrongest me, Hymel ; even in my woman's veins the blood 

 doth boil, when I consider the slavish misery of our country ; then 

 doth my nerveless arm long to wield the spear and strike the foe ; 

 and thinkest thou that I would leave thee, and wed some English 

 peer? No, sooner would I die than unite my lot with that of Hugh 

 de Percy, or any of his native lords, or any of my country chieftains, 

 save thee." As she spoke, she threw herself into the arms of her 

 betrothed. It is indeed at such a moment, when we hold in our 

 embrace one that we prize above all, nay more, one that is to us the 

 whole universe combined, that woman is all but divine, that she stands 

 on the verge of immortality, " unasked by heaven and unclaimed by 

 earth ;" and while Hymel gazed with fondness in her face, and pressed 

 her to his bosom, he kissed the tear-drops from her eyes, and 

 seemed to love mankind the more. 



