rescued the unfortunate damsel; and he knelt beside her, utterly unconscious of those around him; and never bestowing a thought on himself, although he was wet to the very skin. Sometimes he lifted up her head gently, and while a painful anxiety (mingled with such a look of tenderness as a mother casts upon her dying child) overspread his fine features, he earnestly watched for the first sign of returning animation. And when the first feeble breathing came, so faint as only just to move one of the silken tresses which had fallen over her lips, a sudden joy broke over his face, and lighted up his large blue eyes with a tenderness that looked not unlike the first kindling of love.

There she lay, unconscious of those charms which drew forth many a sigh from the breasts of the group which had gathered around her: even the waves, as they went plashing by, seemed as if they made a struggle to bathe her white and beautiful feet, or were envious at the earth bearing so lovely a burden. The sun also had burst forth, and shed a golden lustre through

the long green grass that fell around her head; giving a brightness to the upper part of her face, not unlike the glory surrounding a saint. Her sweet lips were now slightly apart, and the returning breath came over her white and pearly teeth, like the gentle air stealing through a row of lilies. Here and there, too, the white foam bells of the river had broken over, and encrusted her silken tresses; as if even they could not forbear kissing such lovely locks. Her fine arms also fell carelessly by her side, and as they rested upon the folds of her unbound and upper tunic, it required but a slight effort of fancy to conjure them into the resemblance of wings, and the whole figure into that of an angel, sleeping. Her thin delicate eye-lids were closed over those bright orbs, and showed their purple and veiny lines, freaked and figured like the irregular tracery of flowers. Above them spanned her nobly arched and finely marked brows, just varying as much from the colour of her hair as a skilful painter would mark the faintest shadow, without perceptibly altering the tone.

The horseman, who still knelt beside her with clasped hands, and watched charm after charm return, seemed struck with astonishment when her blue eyes unsealed their lids, as if he doubted whether such a vision of beauty could be mortal.

Meantime, the assembled horsemen, perceiving that the danger was in some measure past, began to exchange looks and whispers with each other. "By the mass, our leader hath pounced upon a prime quarry this sweet spring morning," said one in an under-tone, touching the person addressed with his elbow as he spoke, " and if I err not, it will need some goodly hawk-craft to win him again to his lure." Then heaving a sigh, as he looked at the beautiful and recumbent figure before him, he added, " Marry, he is no gos-hawk to fly at any common game, but hath as dainty a choice as a Barbary falcon: 'twill be long before either you or I light upon so pretty a piece of prey."

"Thou sayest sooth," replied the other, with a smile, "but such mallards wet not their wings

every day, as are worth a few stoopings and a crossing or two. But I dare be sworn, that we may all put on our hoods, and return to the perch, unless," he added, glancing at the group of females on the opposite bank, "we have a cast at yonder covey, which, by the mass, I think were well worth springing."

"Such a quarry might have been safely struck, if stiff Stephen sat asleep with the sceptre in his hand," answered the first speaker; "but I trow it would be rather a dangerous flight to take now, there are so many around us. Seest thou not that there are a few mass-mumblers amongst the number, and that if we should chance to stumble upon any of these sedge-wearing sisters, we should raise as great a hubbub about our ears, as if we had captured a queen bee. Aye, and by the holy rood, we should have the whole hive about our ears,-from old Theobald of Canterbury, to Agatha of Godstow, not a drowsy monk but would spring up and bay aloud against such an invasion of their sacred privileges."

"And yet thou seest," replied the other,

pointing to the beautiful object before them, "that one hath been selected from their number, and if I read aright, it will need a stronger power than ours to- But see," continued he, "she revives, and-." Here the conversation was carried on in a whisper.

By this time, the maiden had so far recovered as to open her eyes, and from the slight shivering which was visible in her arms, she seemed suffering from the cold. No sooner did her preserver perceive this, than he sprung up, exclaiming, "Fool that I am, to think that so tender a frame as this can bear the brunt of wind and water like myself." Then springing into the saddle without the aid of the stirrup, he bade the nearest horseman to lift up the damsel and place her before him,—adding, in an authoritative tone, "Touch her as gently as you would a young hawk, that hath not been manned; for, by the blessed saints, I will break the bones of him who handleth her more roughly than he would a holy relic;"—and resting her head gently on his arm, while her long fair hair,