THE DAISY OF THE DALE. 1H 
besiegers and the castle. But if every blow which 
shook that ancient archway went through the heart 
of the fair inhabitant within, nor did it fall less lightly 
on that of one of the young assailants without, knock¬ 
ing against his armor, while, under the stern eye of 
his unbending father, he hesitated for a moment to 
obey his commands, as he stood with his foot upon the 
scaling-ladder, which was already planted before the 
tall turret. He felt the wreath of Daisies, that was 
crushed and concealed beneath the weight of his hau¬ 
berk, and fastened behind his gorget with a white silk¬ 
en band, biting into his flesh, like so many barbed 
arrow-heads of pointed steel; and when he had gain¬ 
ed the summit, and leaped upon the undefended bat¬ 
tlements of the turret, by the strength of his own 
youthful arm, and the aid of a mighty lever, he hurled 
back the scaling-ladder with the beseigers upon it, 
which snapped in two as it fell thundering upon the 
drawbridge, ‘then lay, broken and floating, upon the 
waters of the moat. “Rash boy!” exclaimed his 
father, as he looked up, the flashing anger of his eye 
somewhat softened as he stood astonished at so daring 
and unexpected a deed, “An I once gain possession of 
the gates, I will put the strongest donjon-keep between 
