tune upon him who has caused it. Thou art rightful heir to the earldom of Huntingdon-nay, start not, 'tis so, anon I will explain how, during thy absence, I became possessed of this knowledge-and while there is life in this old frame, it shall be used to serve thee, to see thee reinstated in thy rights. But, look there, Robin," he continued, pointing to the body of Margaret, "look there, stretched dead, murdered by a ruffian's hand, lies she who loved thee tenderly and truly, even as the child of her bosom-"

side of Margaret, continued-"And here I swear to inflict a bitter revenge upon him who has caused this desolation! So Heaven help me, as I keep my

word!"

"I join in this oath as well!" exclaimed Little John, upraising his right arm, and extending his open palm to the bright blue sky above him. "In danger, in safety, weal or woe, with heart and hand, sword and bow, I swear to aid thee to the fullest extent my body and will will let me. So be the Holy Mother's bless

"She did! she did!" interrupted Robin, mourning or curse upon me, as I do truly keep mine fully.

"There was no thought, no act of hers, which could better thee, when she knew not whom thou wert, but she would do cheerfully, delightedly. Hadst thou been ten times her child, she could not have loved thee better. At 'our hearth thou sat, as the hearth of thine home-once a happy home-look at it now, a desert, a waste. Oh God! oh God! what have I done to deserve this frighful dispensation! Look you, Robin, if ever you loved her, that was a mother to thee, in thy infancy, thy sickness, in thy health-if thou feelest aught of affection for me, who have looked on thee, since heaven sent thee to me, as my dearly beloved child, you will aid me in having a full and bitter revenge on those who have destroyed my happiness-put the brand to my roof-murdered the dearest, kindest being God ever created-made my life one desolation. You will, Robin! you

will!"'

"I will-I will!" cried Robin, with startling energy, and, throwing himself upon his knees by the

oath!"

"When

"I have already sworn this," said Gilbert. I laid her dead-for she died as soon as struck-beneath this tree, I raised my hands to Heaven and swore, while life was mine, to repay to the last item the debt I owed to the villain who has thus blighted my worldly happiness. Gratefully do I thank thee for thy acquiescence to my wishes!"

Little John proposed they should carry the body of Margaret to Gamwell to be there interred, and for a time to take up their residence at the Hall until something was devised for the future. This was agreed to; they, however, awaited the return of Lincoln, who had gone to Mansfeld to show Father Eldred the path, and was absent during the devastation. When he arrived they bore the body between them to Gamwell, where they were kindly and hospitably received, and in a few days the remains of Margaret were laid in the ground, and the grass and flowers soon began to wave in the wind over her grave.

CHAPTER I.

With every morn their love grew tenderer,
With every eve deeper and deeper still;
He might not in house, field, or garden stir,
But her full shape would all his seeing fill.
And his continual voice was pleasanter

To her, than noise of trees or hidden rill;
Her lute string gave an echo of his name,
She spoilt her half-done broidery with the same.

He knew whose gentle hand was at the latch,
Before the door had given her to his eyes:
And from her chamber window he would catch
Her beauty faster than the falcon flies.
And constant as her vespers, he would watch,
Because her face was turned to the same skies;
And with sick longing all the night outwear,
To hear her morning step upon the stair.

Giana! MY Giana!

*

*

JOHN KEATS.

* Ah! we will live

As happily as the bees that hive their sweets;

*

*

*

Oh! my own love, divinest, best-
Thou shalt be my flower perennial,
My bud of beauty, my imperial rose,
My passion flower,

*

I'll love thee mightily, my queen.
Thou shalt be

*

*

*

*

and sincere one of his friends, he departed to London, to find, on his arrival, that the baron had quitted with his daughter for Normandy; thither he followed, and there we leave him, and proceed to show what was done in attempting to reinstate Robin in his right as Earl of Huntingdon, and what success was met with.

Gilbert Hood related to Sir Guy, of Gamwell Hall, the history he had received from Roland, relating to Robin Hood, the truth of which Sir Guy at once acknowledged by explaining to Hood that the mother of Robin was his brother Guy of Coventry's child, and therefore Robin was his grand-nephew, and not his grandson, as Hood was led to believe. Sir Guy of Coventry, Robin's grandfather, was no more, and his son was at the crusades; but Sir Guy of Gamwell said he would peril heart and hand, house and land, in Robin's service, while there was a hope of restoring him to his proper station.

These efforts had been made, and were still in progress; recourse had been made to law, but the case was not yet decided, albeit several trials had taken place. Robin Hood's chance of a legal decision in his favour was but slight; he was antagonist to a most wealthy churchman, at a time too when clerical power was working itself to an equal, if not higher position, than regal power; his principal witness, a man of no character, was dead; the sheriff, in whose hands De Beasant had placed the money, was suborned by the Abbot of Ramsay; and there was but the unsupported testimony of Gilbert Hood in his favour. E must beg of our readers to show their It was true Sir Guy of Gamwell could take oath that amiability to us by freely granting a privi- his brother's daughter had disappeared from Huntinglege readily and frequently accorded to play-don, where she was staying on a visit at the very time wrights, which is that of supposing a lapse of years to Ritson named, but his knowledge went no farther; transpire between the acts, and we ask it to take thus, although there was no moral doubt that Robin place between the books. We are quite satisfied that Hood was Earl of Huntingdon, there was a great the 'generous public' will not deny us this boon, and legal one; it was expected how the case would end we are free to confess that if they did, we should, legally, and the distance between Huntingdon and such is the perverseness of our nature, suffer it to Gamwell, besides the want of numbers, would prevent have no influence upon our intent. Such being exhim hoping to obtain his right by force of arms; he pressed and understood, we will believe that a lapse Henry II., and resolved to act as circumstances might therefore quietly awaited the issue of an appeal to King of six years has occurred, which brings us to the eleven hundred and eighty-two, at which period our story will recommence ;. at the same time we think it necessary we should refer to a few events, with which were connected most of the characters already introduced, in order that the reader may better understand the position of those whose fortunes he is about to follow; and having done that, we shall proceed with

our tale.

year

Some short time after the burial of Margaret Hood, Allan Clare so far recovered as to relate that while riding with Christabel towards Gamwell Hall, upon the occasion with which the reader is acquainted, he suddenly rode into the midst of a troop of mounted retainers, who, recognising the lady, instantly surrounded him; and, despite his most desperate efforts, tore Christabel from his grasp, inflicted the gash on his forehead with the butt-end of a crossbow, and galloped off with their prize, leaving him senseless upon the ground. It was ascertained, in a visit Hal paid to Nottingham, that Baron Fitz Alwine, having his daughter once more safely in his power, had proceeded to London, and thither did Allan, when sufficiently recovered to bear the fatigues of such a journey, determine to follow, and then make use of a secret which he possessed, to Fitz Alwine's detriment, unless he resigned his daughter to him. Gamwell Hall, presenting so comfortable a home, and such earnest wishes on the part of its owner's family for his sister to remain there, decided him in carrying into effect the step he had resolved on pursuing; accordingly, taking a tender farewell of her, a hearty

the beloved of all, both for her beauty and her Marian, the sister of Allan Clare, was also there, feriors was of one uniform sweetness-a kindliness of manners; her conduct to both her equals and inbearing which created in the males a respect amounting even to veneration, while the females felt not the because she never made them feel the inferiority of jealousy which her superior attractions excited,. their charms; each year had more fully developed those beauties which, when she was first introduced to the acquaintance of our reader, were compafirst year, nor did she appear as old, for albeit her ratively budding; she had not reached her twenty

In the ancient ballads concerning Robin Hood, the name of MAID MARIAN very rarely occurs, although Percy says, "In the ancient songs of Robin Hood frequent mention is made of Maid Marian;" but he gives only one song in support of his assertion. The existence of these ancient songs" seems to have been a secret which Dr. Percy has carefully guarded, for there is no trace of them left to gladden the eyes of the most indefatigable searcher. In the old plays of Robin Hood, Maid Marian took a prominent part. In "The Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntingdon," her character is an important one, and in the masques and morris dances on May day, for successive centuries, Maid Marian formed one of the constituent characters. Shakspere mentions her, but not in very handsome terms; this, however,

arises from the fact, that her character in the masques and merris dances, was always supported by a man, whose claims upon decency and morality were probably rather slight. Although the records respecting her are so few, there can be little doubt that Robin Hood had a fair companion bearing this

pleasing cognomen, living with him in his greenwood home.

their first short acquaintance, her actions denoted, but when she came to see Marian, she wondered not at Robin's love for her, and with the shrewd perception, not exactly of a jealous woman, but of one similarly influenced, she saw that if the love was not returned, there was a decided tendency that way, with a great probability that it would ultimately occur; she therefore buried her love in her own bosom, and tried to appear cheerful, with a painful heavy load in her breast -it was the deepest and bitterest disappointment she had ever experienced, when she saw that she must love without hope; but she tried to meet it the best way she could, to hide the grief in her young heart, and dress her face in smiles for the sake of those who were kind to her. However, her efforts could not carry her far, nor could make her the merry light-hearted thing she had once been; but whatever change took place in her manner and appearance, it was attributed to her father's loss, rather than to the right cause.

appearance when fifteen anticipated a later age, it had quietly remained, and she seemed but to have grown lovelier, not older; there was a native grace in her manner, a disposition endearingly amiable, and a person of wondrous beauty; it is therefore to be expected that Robin Hood, who felt a kind of love at first sight for this gentle lady, should have had that predisposition strengthened by being much in her society, until it grew into a deep and lasting passion, a love unquenchable, enduring, and unchangeable. It was strange that he could never tell her so; somehow { there never seemed an opportunity, and yet they were often alone, but he could not tell why it was the conversation never led towards it; still he thought she must know it, for his language, actions, tone of voice, were all different when directed to her, than when they were to others; but if she was aware of his love, she never let the knowledge escape her-she treated all with the same sweetness of manner, the same kindness of tone in her voice when she spoke, and so, Among those around her who were kind to her, though he was satisfied she did not dislike him, yet there was one who was the kindest of the kind, who he could not tell if she loved him. Her brother s ab- sought by every act and deed to make her as happy sence seemed to have a quieting influence upon her, and comfortable as lay in his power; and that was and to repress a flow of spirits which were decidedly Will Scarlet. Once a week regularly, he made a declamore natural to her than the gentle still manner she ration of love to her, invariably to meet with a kind assumed. Much, however, as she was respected, denial; but he, nothing daunted, still went on loving esteemed, admired, nay, loved, there was but one with all his might, and his transports before the aspirant for her love, and that was Robin; there was week was out would reach such a height that a a superiority in her carriage, beauty, language-in proposal was sure to be the consequence. He had short, everything, which appeared to lift her above none of that delicacy which kept Robin from making the station of all around her; but it was so natural, scarcely an indication of attachment-he could not see and sat so perfectly easy upon her, that it was under- the 'fun' of it; and so he proceeded in his affair, leavstood and treated accordingly. Robin was not slowing nothing undone which might advocate his cause, to discover this, and not sorry that such was the fact, and giving Maude no opportunity of forgetting she or he would not have rested so quietly without popping had a lover. the question directly or indirectly; as it was, he resolved to trust to future events, and whenever a circumstance transpired either for or against him, then to act with vigour in carrying his wishes into

effect.

Maude Lindsay lived still at Gamwell Hall: her father had lost his life one night by accidentally falling in the moat, while in a state of inebriation; she had at his request, purposed returning to Nottingham Castle, previous to this unfortunate accident, but it transpired ere she could accomplish her intention. She had been offered an asylum at Gamwell, which she accepted. Her foster-brother Hal, had returned to Nottingham Castle, through the influence of Herbert Lindsay, and now fulfilled an onerous situation, which he longed to get rid of; but the bright eyes of bonny Grace May, which had been peeping out of their lids for eighteen years, about the same period as his own, still shed forth their daily splendour in Nottingham, and as they were more attractive than his situation was oppressive, they had the power to keep him where he was, particularly as they would shine on him more kindly than any one else; and there was a pair of lips a short distance below them, oh, so sweet! there was no going away from Nottingham while they dwelt there. Maude occasionally received a visit from him, and he came with ": a kiss from Grace May" on his lips, and the last words when he quitted were, I shall carry "a kiss for you to Grace May ?"

Our friend Giles Sherborne, famed FRIAR TUCK, when he discovered that his love for Maude was not returned, nor likely to be, like a wise man, quaffed an extra flagon of ale, took "his auld cloak about him," and

"Wandered away no man knew whither."

Maude was a girl after his own heart; she had just the face and figure to attract his fancy, and the voice and manner to keep it when attracted. Maude to him him was the loadstone of life, the only thing which he concluded a man ought to live for. Maude was everything; nothing could be done unless he consulted Maude. He wore the colours she preferred, he called his dogs after her, and his favourite weapons were distinguished by her name. There was his "Maude yew bow," his "Maude spear," and "Maude arrows;" and he tried all his persuasive powers to coax from Hal of the Keep his sweet little nag Flying Maude, but that was a fruitless task-he met with a flat denial; but nothing damped, he procured one as thorough bred as he could get, and named it "the incomparable Maude." Every one in, about, or near Gamwell knew the name of Maude-it was for ever on his lips; if he had a favourite of any description, animate or inanimate, Maude became its name immediately. She was his household goddess, whom, if he worshipped in the roughest fashion, yet it was with the most earnest and sincere devotion, and as such it had its influence on her.

We seldom feel a dislike for those who love us, and when we find a heart really devoted, we return its affection more or less, as circumstances may compel us; but when such an event occurs after we have given our love to one from whom there is no hope of return, we naturally turn to the one who does love us, and seek in its sympathy a relief for our own disappointment; if we cannot return the love, we can the kindness; and it rests with us, that they who love shall not find we but make them a vehicle to supply our want of sympathy.

Every day brought forth some little act of Will's to Maude, which could not fail to excite in her a kindness towards him, and if they were not done with that delicacy which sensitive minds deem essenThat Maude loved Robin, and that devotedly, even intial, it was only the honest roughness of his nature

years subsequent to the events related in the first book of this work. The reader being now, we hope, perfectly satisfied as to the disposition of the characters, we proceed to open the campaign.

It was on a beautiful night in the very earliest part of June, when the May moon was at the full, when every breathing thing was hushed into stillness, if not into sleep-when the warm air was undisturbed by even a faint breeze, the leaves upon the trees, the flowers among the grass, were motionless

"And light and sound ebbed from the earth,"

which understood it not, but they were not the less to be appreciated. Maude knew this-and what female does not instantly understand a kindness which springs from love?—and in her turn tried to please him, by performing a thousand little things which she knew would gratify him; but the effects of her good nature was to throw him into ecstacies, vow eternal love for her, and wind up by asking her if she loved him yet, and if she did not, if she thought she ever could? This question she had tact enough always to evade without giving him a decided refusal, and yet at the same time not leading him to believe she even indirectly loved him. She did not do this with the idea of keeping him as a lover, for on that ground she would have given him a decided refusal for now and it was upon this night that an expedition had been for ever, but she saw he was enthusiastically attached planned by Gilbert Hood, who had never let his to her, and she feared an utter denial might have an hopes of revenge slumber, to intercept a body of Baron influence on his impetuous nature, productive of Fitz Alwine's men returning from abroad with their effects hurtful to himself and others. He was san- lord, attack them, and as he entertained no doubt of guine to the very "echo which applauds again," and overpowering them, change garments, ride on to Notso fancied if denied to-day she would consent to-mor- tingham Castle, gain access, and then burn it to the row. An eventual refusal never crossed his imagina-ground. Their intelligence of the movements of the tion; he had asked her about three hundred times if baron and his party had been obtained through Hal of she loved him yet, and told her about twice as many the Keep, who had mentioned the baron's return, more that he doated on her; and although he had been quite unconscious of the use which would be made of gently put off three hundred times, he was quite ready his information. Robin Hood and Little John had to put the question three hundred times more, with both sworn to aid him in his revenge, and now they out thinking there had been any lost time. were called upon to fulfil their promise, they were Maude's heart did not, however, require such a ready to redeem it to the fullest extent. Robin prolonged siege: she was of a warm, affectionate deeming it almost as incumbent on himself to pursue nature, and this was all in Will's favour; the chances this design, conceiving that he was almost as much were, therefore, that some fine morning, when Will injured-as much a sufferer as Gilbert Hood-and popped the question for the fourth or fifth hundred when a chance offered itself of repaying in the same time, she would hold out her little hand and give coin the injury he had endured, he grasped at it with herself away with it. There was nothing to prevent a readiness which showed how deeply he felt the loss it; and when Maude came to look at his personal of the only mother he had known. Little John, who qualifications, there was but little unfavourable to be never went from his word in anything, who had seen. He was tall and well formed, his features were become strongly attached to Robin for the kindness, regular, but his complexion was so florid, accompanied the utter absence of selfishness, his nature exhibited, by a profusion of hair-really very red-as to obtain as well as for the extraordinary superiority of his for him the nickname of Will Scarlet; but it never-acquirements in a forester's arts, was as ready, nay, theless was luxuriant in curls, and hung down on his as eager, as either Gilbert or Robin to retaliate upon shoulders with a grace to be admired-if it had been the baron the mischief he had occasioned; he thereany other colour-and as he grew older it was ex- fore gathered among the vassals a goodly number of pected to grow darker, but it belied expectation, and, followers, well armed, aided by the seven sons of Sir if possible, grew redder. Will's hair would not Guy-Will Scarlet decidedly objecting to be left change; and as mustachoes, beard, and whiskers behind-and thus a band was formed of men resobegan to appear, he seemed almost to be a second {lutely bent upon carrying their point. Gilbert Hood edition of William Rufus, the RED king, so named had determined to slay Baron Fitz Alwine if he came from his visage and hair. But to counteract in some across his path; while Robin, knowing this intention, degree the effects of this personal disqualification, had resolved it should be otherwise; he hoped to get Will had large blue eyes, bearing a most pleasing "old Boreas" in his power, and make him render some expression, added to which was a smile continually account of Allan Clare, of whom nought had been illumining the features, and giving them a good-heard for four years preceding, a circumstance which humoured appearance, which, when under the influence of any excitement, and that was frequently the case with him, considerably diminished the ruddiness of his aspect. Maude, albeit she had given her heart, saw plainly there was little prospect that her hand would be given to her heart's choice, and being in the constant receipt of kindness from the Gamwells, most particularly from Will, she, in her desire to do all in her power to merit it and return it, began to consider Will with a feeling very like affection. She had a kind heart, and could not bear to give him pain; but she had really declined his offer so many times, that though now somewhat disposed to accept it, she did not like; she did not know, in truth, how to manage it, and it now became a matter of more difficulty—and speaking unconsciously aloud. She had not heard from a feeling of delicacy, which may be understood and not expressed-to consent, than it had been hitherto to refuse. This was the state of affairs in the year eleven hundred and eighty-two, precisely six

was having a wasting influence upon Marian; and Robin, feeling satisfied that Fitz Alwine must have some knowledge of Allan, who had avowedly followed him, expected to be able to gain such intelligence of him, as to set the mind of Marian at rest, and thus do her one of the best services her situation required. It was with feelings of this nature, that when the men were marshalled and nearly ready for departure, he sought an ante-room adjoining her chamber, with the hope of meeting her, and telling her he had some chance of gaining tidings of her brother; with this intent he sprang lightly up the stairs, and entered the chamber. He saw Marian standing by an open window, gazing upon the moon,

him enter, and he felt awkwardly situated. He did not like to break upon her soliloquy abruptly nor to retreat, nor to listen to what she was saying. While agitated by these emotions, she continued, and so the