28 Miranda d' Aragon ; QJuly, 



Miranda laughed with bitterness. " No ! we will not push matters so 

 far ; the girl is mine, and no power on earth shall take her from me !" 



" Give her to me !" said the gipsy, " and I will ^permit you once more 

 to contemplate this eye," drawing a morocco case from her bosom, and 

 presenting it to him open. 



JMiranda snatched the picture from her hand, stared Avildly at it, and 

 the name of Isabella escaped his lips ; but he threw the miniature from 

 him with horror, and seizing Zagurina, he exclaimed, " Confess, sorceress, 

 where didst thou learn my fatal history ?" 



" Sir, you are mortal," said she, with great earnestness, "your lips 

 may to-morrow be closed by the seal of death, I therefore here first re- 

 quire of you intelligence of my child ; if you refuse it, I will go hence 

 and seek other interference. The whole camp shall know who the fugi- 

 tive Mii'anda d' Aragon is." 



" No ! I will free myself from your clutches !" Upon this, Miranda 

 drew his sword, and in his rage would have pierced the gipsy to the 

 heart, had not his arm been withheld by Henrico. 



At this moment an orderly entered the tent to summon all the officers 

 to head quarters, to receive their final instructions for the battle. Za- 

 gurina recovered herself, and said to Henrico, " I thank you. Sir ; he 

 would not have killed me ! He only thinks I wish to deprive him of 

 my daughter, but he does not deserve the child, and is a stranger either 

 to love or fidelity. I have, besides, a sacred right to inquire what is 

 become of her. You are the friend of this arrogant, haughty man ; I 

 entreat you to procure me news of my child ; the peace of many hearts 

 depends upon it, and I do feai* a something dreadful to think of!" 



Henrico was somewhat revolted at the violent conduct of ]\Iiranda, 

 but the orders to assemble at head quarters caused the party to sepa- 

 rate. 



The battle commenced on the following morning, along the whole 

 line. It proved a most destructive day ; victory deserted the French 

 banner, and many a gallant Frenchman's breast was trodden on by the 

 mettlesome hoof of the war-horse. As Henrico rode hastily across the 

 field, he observed at a distance a woman kneeling beside a wounded man, 

 and recognised him to be his friend IMiranda bathed in blood : near him 

 was the gipsy tearing her hair. On discovering Henrico, she stretched 

 out her hands and called to him, imploring his assistance, but he durst 

 not remain — he was obliged to push forward, and was denied the satis- 

 faction of closing the eyes of his dying friend. 



The obstinacy of the battle had cost the French many lives, the army 

 required recruiting ; officers were consequently despatched into the in- 

 terior of France to procure recruits. Henrico was amongst the num- 

 ber. In this pursuit he entered a small town, situated on a chain of 

 wooded mountains ne.tr Bagneres. Here a fine young man he had en- 

 listed made his escape. He employed every means to discover the de- 

 serter, and Avent himself, with a party of his men, into the mountains in 

 search of him. Every spot, every ravine, every hut was examined, 

 and on perceiving a neat little cottage in a distant valley, he proceeded 

 towards it with the same intention. Two females dressed in mourning 

 sat under the shade of a large chestnut tree before the door ; they ap- 

 peared much perplexed as Henrico approached, and whilst the elder 

 seemed to be remonstrating with the younger, the latter advanced to the 

 officer and asked him with an air of inquietude what his wishes were ? 



