The Two Captains | Page 8

that glorious day Fought in
Castilla's proud array;
'Tis he the youth of sixteen years, At Pavia, who his fortunes tried, The
Frenchman's fear, the Spaniard's pride. Heimbert is the hero's name,
Victorious in many a fight! And beside the valiant knight, Sitting in the
soft green grass, Though her name her lips shall pass, Dona Clara feels
no shame "
"Oh!" said Heimbert, blushing from another cause than before, "oh,
Dona Clara, that affair at Pavia was nothing but a merry and victorious
tournament, and even if occasionally since then I have been engaged in
a tougher contest, how have I ever merited as a reward the
overwhelming bliss I am now enjoying! Now I know what your name
is, and I may in future address you by it, my angelic Dona Clara, my
blessed and beautiful Dona Clara! But tell me now, who has given you
such a favorable report of my achievements, that I may ever regard him
with grateful affection?"
"Does the noble Heimbert of Waldhausen suppose," rejoined Clara,

"that the noble houses of Spain had none of their sons where he stood
in the battle? You must have surely seen them fighting by your side,
and must I not have heard of your glories through the lips of my own
people?"
The silvery tones of a little bell sounded just then from a neighboring
palace, and Clara whispered, "It is time to part. Adieu, my hero!" And
she smiled on the youth through her gushing tears, and bent toward him,
and he almost fancied he felt a sweet kiss breathed from her lips. When
he fully recovered himself Clara had disappeared, the morning clouds
were beginning to wear the rosy hue of dawn, and Heimbert, with a
heaven of love's proud happiness in his heart, returned to his watchful
friend at the garden gate.
CHAPTER IV.

"Halt!" exclaimed Fadrique, as Heimbert appeared from the garden,
holding his drawn sword toward him ready for attack. "Stop, you are
mistaken, my good comrade," said the German, smiling, "it is I whom
you see before you." "Do not imagine, Knight Heimbert of
Waldhausen," said Fadrique, "that I mistake you. But my promise is
discharged, my hour of guard has been honorably kept, and now I beg
you without further delay to prepare yourself, and fight for your life
until heart's blood has ceased to flow through these veins." "Good
heavens!" sighed Heimbert, "I have often heard that in these southern
lands there are witches, who deprive people of their senses by magic
arts and incantations. But I have never experienced anything of the sort
until to-day. Compose yourself, my dear good comrade, and go with
me back to the shore." Fadrique laughed fiercely, and answered, "Set
aside your silly delusion, and if you must have everything explained to
you, word by word, in order to understand it, know then that the lady
whom you came to meet in the shrubbery of this my garden is Dona
Clara Mendez, my only sister. Quick, therefore, and without further
preamble, draw!" "God forbid!" exclaimed the German, not touching
his weapon. "You shall be my brother-in-law, Fadrique, and not my
murderer, and still less will I be yours." Fadrique only shook his head

indignantly, and advanced toward his comrade with measured steps for
an encounter. Heimbert, however, still remained immovable, and said,
"No, Fadrique, I cannot now or ever do you harm. For besides the love
I bear your sister, it must certainly have been you who has spoken to
her so honorably of my military expeditions in Italy." "When I did so,"
replied Fadiique in a fury, "I was a fool. But, dallying coward, out with
your sword, or--"
Before Fadrique had finished speaking, Heimbert, burning with
indignation, exclaimed, "The devil himself could not bear that!" and
drawing his sword from the scabbard, the two young captains rushed
fiercely and resolutely to the attack.
Different indeed was this contest to that previously fought by Fadrique
with Lucila's husband. The two young soldiers well understood their
weapons, and strove with each other with equal boldness, their swords
flashing like rays of light as now this one now that one hurled a
lightning thrust at his adversary, which was with similar speed and
dexterity turned aside. Firmly they pressed the left foot, as if rooted in
the ground, while the right advanced to the bold onset and then again
they quickly retired to the safer attitude of defence. From the
self-possession and the quiet unremitting anger with which both the
combatants fought, it was evident that one of the two would find his
grave under the overhanging branches of the orange-tree, which were
now tinged with the red glow of morning, and this would undoubtedly
have been the case had not the report of