Percy

“ Raby. Did he? Did Percy? O gallant boy, then I'm thy foe no more; Who conquers for my country is my friend! His fame shall add new glories to a house, Where never maid was false, nor knight disloyal. Sir H. You do embalm him, lady, with your tears: They grace the grave of glory where he lies— He died the death of honour. ”

“ Tears rolled fast down his cheeks as he spoke.
"But the Lord loves, and is always watching over you."
"Yes," replied Percy very gravely, "but He must see in me so much to displease and offend Him. Remember, Willy, that He is a just and a terrible God!"
"All of us do wrong often; but, Percy, I should think that few offended so seldom as you do."
"Ah! You do not know," replied the boy, rocking himself backwards and forwards us if in pain. "I have plenty of time to look at my own heart, as I lie day after day, and night after night, with nothing to amuse or to distract my attention. ”

“ Let me not hear the music of thy voice, Or I shall love thee still; I shall forget Thy fatal marriage and my savage wrongs. Elw. Dost thou not hate me, Percy? Per. Hate thee? Yes, As dying martyrs hate the righteous cause Of that bless'd power for whom they bleed—I hate thee. [they look at each other with silent agony.] Enter Harcourt. Har. Forgive, my lord, your faithful knight—— Per. Come, Harcourt, Come, and behold the wretch who once was Percy. Har. With grief I've learn'd the whole unhappy tale. Earl Douglas, whose suspicion never sleeps— Per. What, is the tyrant jealous? ”

“ O I will tell thee all! thou couldst not find An hour, a moment in Elwina's life, When her full heart so long'd to ease its burthen, And pour its sorrows in thy friendly bosom: Hear then, with pity hear, my tale of woe, And, O forgive, kind nature, filial piety, If my presumptuous lips arraign a father! Yes, Birtha, that belov'd, that cruel father, Has doom'd me to a life of hopeless anguish, To die of grief ere half my days are number'd; Doom'd me to give my trembling hand to Douglas, 'Twas all I had to give—my heart was—Percy's. ”

“ But I can not complain.
“Percy! Percy!” turning to the half-stupefied youth, with tears starting down her shrunken cheeks. “On that morning when you blessed me—when, after I had raised my hand against your life, and you knew it, you asked God to give me blessing, now and ever more—in that hour, Percy, I resolved that you should be restored to your rights; that, so far as I could effect it, you should, for the time to come, enjoy the rank and wealth that is lawfully your own.
“I can not speak more. Yet—one word—Oh, my lord!—Lord Allerdale! ”

“ But Douglas. Raby. [puts his hand to his sword.] You?—O spare my age's weakness! You do not know what 'tis to be a father; You do not know, or you would pity me, The thousand tender throbs, the nameless feelings, The dread to ask, and yet the wish to know, When we adore and fear; but wherefore fear? Does not the blood of Raby fill her veins? Dou. Percy;—know'st thou that name? Raby. How? What of Percy? Dou. He loves Elwina, and, my curses on him! He is belov'd again. Raby. I'm on the rack! Dou. Not the two Theban brothers bore each other Such deep, such deadly hate as I and Percy. Raby. ”

“ Sir H. I should not be believ'd in Percy's camp, If I should tell them that their gallant leader, The thunder of the war, the bold Northumberland, Renouncing Mars, dissolv'd in amorous wishes, Loiter'd in shades, and pin'd in rosy bowers, To catch a transient gleam of two bright eyes. Per. Enough of conquest, and enough of war! Ambition's cloy'd—the heart resumes its rights. When England's king, and England's good, requir'd, This arm not idly the keen falchion brandish'd: Enough—for vaunting misbecomes a soldier. ”

“ The soft, clear eyes, full of wonder and appeal, in Percy's pew, lifted up wide open toward the great black ones of Reba looking down from the pulpit. The dark ones, with a flash of excitement in them, never wavered.
"Dare? yes, indeed, I'd dare for both of us if there were anything to be afraid of. But there isn't, Percy. Why, nobody comes here; it's out of everybody's sight. We won't tell a soul; and as for asking leave, no one owns it, so there's no one to ask. And we can't hurt it." The pulpit spoke with authority and slight impatience. The pew replied gently but persistently. ”

“ Percy—I cannot speak. Per. Those tears how eloquent! I would not change this motionless, mute, joy For the sweet strains of angels: I look down With pity on the rest of human kind, However great may be their fame of happiness, And think their niggard fate has given them nothing, Not giving thee; or, granting some small blessing, Denies them my capacity to feel it. Elw. Alas! what mean you? Per. Can I speak my meaning? 'Tis of such magnitude that words would wrong it; But surely my Elwina's faithful bosom Should beat in kind responses of delight, And feel, but never question, what I mean. ”

“ After he had left us and dodged into the darkness we discussed his heaven as it really must be. Ibsen and welsh rarebits, emotion and hairpins, scattered all about, we wagered. Red curtains on the windows and framed verses from the Rubaiyat, decorating the walls. We shuddered, and told one another that Percy had been always lost, for so it seemed to us—lost at the outset in the allurements of rainbow liqueurs; lost even more hopelessly, now, in the clutches of his frowsy priestess of purple emotion. ”

“ Many a widow with weeping tears Their makes they fetch away. This fray began at Otterburn, Between the night and the day; There the Douglas lost his life, And the Percy was led away. Then was there a Scottish prisoner ta'en, Sir Hugh Montgomery was his name, For sooth as I you say, He borrowed the Percy home again. Now let us all for the Percy pray, To Jesu most of might, To bring his soul to the bliss of heaven, For he was a gentle knight. ”

“ I'll tell you what it is, Percy, it is time you left off making such scarecrows for yourself out of nothing at all. You keep yourself in a perpetual worry about things more than half of which never come to pass after all. ”

“ For Percy had not men yestreen To dight my men and me!” “But I hae dreamed a dreary dream, Beyond the Isle of Skye; I saw a dead man win a fight, An’ I think that man was I.” He belted on his gude braid-sword, And to the field he ran; But he forgot his helmet good, That should have kept his brain. When Percy wi’ the Douglas met I wat he was fu’ fain! They swakked their swords till sair they swat, The blude ran down like rain. But Percy, with his gude braid-sword, That could sae sharply wound, Has stricken Douglas on the brow, Till he fell to the ground. ”

“ If she laments him, he's my rival still, And not the grave can bury my resentment. Raby. The truly brave are still the truly gen'rous; Now, Douglas, is the time to prove thee both. If it be true that she did once love Percy, Thou hast no more to fear, since he is dead. Release young Harcourt, let him see Elwina, 'Twill serve a double purpose, 'twill at once Prove Percy's death, and thy unchang'd affection. Be gentle to my child, and win her heart By confidence and unreproaching love. ”

“ Percy, the wit and generous simplicity of Rosamond, the magnanimity and the superior understanding of Caroline. As instances of these different qualities appeared, his quick and brightening eye marked his approbation, sometimes by a glance at Count Altenberg, by a nod to Mr. Temple, or by a congratulatory smile as he turned to Mr. Percy.
“I now comprehend,” said his lordship, “why Mr. Percy could never be induced to take a part in public business. Ladies, you have done a great injury to your country—you have made this gentleman too happy in domestic life.” ”

“ Percy thought I was Violet, whom he mistook for her sister. He addressed me in such endearing tones as Jenny, and remonstrated so gently about what he called the rashness of following him from the hotel, that I lost my temper. I snatched off the mask and poured out my wrath. Percy burst out laughing when he recognized me. He said--never mind what he said--but it was an insult, and my Italian blood boiled in my veins. I drew the stiletto and rushed on him. At that moment my hand was caught from behind, and I fell. It was that man Ireland, who was then at San Remo, and a great friend of Percy's. ”

“ Edward.—Prythee, Lord Percy, lay thy fool's tongue by, And tell thy meaning plainly.
Percy.—Nay, pardon me, your majesty; I wot Your servant is the fool his father made him, And the most dutiful of all your subjects.
Edward.—We know it, Percy. But what of his wife?
Percy.—Why, if the men but possess half her spirit, You might besiege these walls till you have counted The grey hairs on the child that's born next June.
Edward.—And was this all?
Percy.—Nay, there was one—a smooth-tongued oily man—
A leader of the citizens ”

“ Twice did they meet to-day—my wife and Percy. Raby. I know it. Dou. Ha! thou knew'st of my dishonour? Thou wast a witness, an approving witness, At least a tame one! Raby. Percy came, 'tis true, A constant, tender, but a guiltless lover! Dou. I shall grow mad indeed; a guiltless lover! Percy, the guiltless lover of my wife! Raby. He knew not she was married. Dou. How? is't possible? Raby. Douglas, 'tis true; both, both were innocent; He of her marriage, she of his return. Bir. But now, when we believ'd thee dead, she vow'd Never to see thy rival. ”

“ Percy, helpless and probably unconscious, would spend the night in that dank chapel, while she and Armand would be taken back to Crecy, driven to death like some insentient animals to the slaughter.
When the grey dawn would first begin to peep through the branches of the pines Percy would be led back to Paris and the guillotine, and she and Armand will have been sacrificed to the hatred and revenge of brutes.
The end had come, and there was nothing more to be done. Struggling, fighting, scheming, could be of no avail now; but she wanted to get to her husband ”

“ Percy laughed, and owned that it was foolish to worry herself so about what never might come to pass. Nevertheless, it was not more than a week afterwards, that Blandina and Jenny, coming home from a walk, found Percy on the bed, drowned in tears and sobs, and Flora in vain trying to comfort her.
"What is the matter?" exclaimed both girls at once. "Has Percy heard any bad news from home?"
"I can't make out," said Flora. "It was something in her aunt's letter; but I can't find out what; only that Miss Devine wants her to go away somewhere." ”

“ Percy.—Peace, thou barbarian! keep thy frog's throat closed. I say, old greybeard, hast thou found an answer?
Sir Alex.—Had my Lord Percy found more fitting
phrase
To couch his haughty mandate, I perhaps
Had found some meet reply. But as it is,
Thou hast thine answer in this people's eyes.
Hugh Elliot.—Since we with life and honour may depart, Send not an answer that must seal our ruin, Though it be hero-like to talk of death. ”

“ Bah! don’t let us talk of it.”
“Don’t—dear Percy,” said Mary. “I like you less well when you talk so; religion is the only sure basis of character. Every superstructure not built on this foundation—”
“Must topple over, I suppose,” said Percy. “Don’t you believe it, my angel. I am a living example to the contrary; but Cupid knows I would subscribe to any article of faith emanating from your rosy lips;” and Percy drew rein at the door of his father-in-law’s mansion, and leaping out, assisted Mary to alight. ”

“ Don't stand too close," replied Percy. "You see, the men put in a stake, and rigged up a rope, meaning to go down and explore; but they will have to wait till something has been done before they can make use of it."
"What will they do?" asked Virgie, with interest.
"Pump air down, I think, and force the bad gas upwards," replied Percy, who was in his element, showing and explaining.
Gaunt stood on the plank near the hole, gazing at it as if it fascinated him. His hands were in his pockets. ”

“ And have I 'scap'd the Saracen's fell sword Only to perish by Elwina's guilt? I would have bared my bosom to the foe, I would have died, had I but known you wish'd it. Elw. Percy, I lov'd thee most when most I wrong'd thee; Yes, by these tears I did. Per. Married! just Heaven! Married! to whom? Yet wherefore should I know? It cannot add fresh horrors to thy crime, Or my destruction. Elw. Oh! 'twill add to both. How shall I tell? Prepare for something dreadful. Hast thou not heard of—Douglas? Per. Why 'tis well! Thou awful Power, why waste thy wrath on me? Why arm omnipotence to crush a worm? ”

“ Why, Margaret, there is the very man. Depend upon it, he is following us. What shall I do?"
"Why, Cousin Sarah, that is Mr. Walden, a most respectable merchant, and a neighbour of ours," said Margaret, laughing, as she returned the gentleman's bow.
"Dear me! Well, I am sure! But, Margaret, does this man know the way to your house? It seems to me this is not the way I have come before."
"No. Percy and I want to stop down town a moment to do an errand. You will not mind waiting five minutes, will you?" ”

“ Then we sort of “took stock”—stock of all our opinions and beliefs and judgments. Percy looked scared and limp and dripping and, altogether, very funny. We might have laughed, but we didn't—for we remembered that the impulse to do what Percy had done had come to neither of us until he was very nearly back to the launch—with the boy in tow.
We delivered the kid, singed, soaked, terrified still, to a waiting ambulance further down the shore, and Billy continued solemnly his collecting of data on the blaze. As we chugged swiftly about the harbor Percy sat in the stern-sheets and shivered. ”