THE DAISY OF THE DALE. 
95 
shook that ancient archway went through the heart 
of the fair inhabitant within, it did not fall less 
lightly on that of one of the young assailants with¬ 
out, knocking against his armour; while, under the 
stem 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 hauberk, and fastened behind his 
gorget with a white silken band, biting into his 
flesh, like so many barbed arrow-heads of pointed 
steel; and when he had gained the summit, and 
leaped upon the undefended battlements 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 besiegers upon it, which 
snapped in two as it fell thundering upon the 
drawbridge, then lay, broken, and floating, upon 
the waters of the moat. “ Eash boy ! ” exclaimed 
his father, as he looked up, the flashing anger of 
his eye somewhat softened while 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 thee and that pale-faced maiden 
for whose sake thou hast done this.” But the young 
lover waited not a moment to listen to what he 
said, for, flying to the chamber of his mistress ho 
