Paul Jones a romance - 1826 Author:Allan Cunningham Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: some three fathoms deep,—now, should such a chance happen as my sword's failing to guard my bosom, you will fold me up in my cloak, and give me to the custody of... more » the Solway. It is a virtuous water, and will be silent;—be you silent too, my friend, even for the sake of an ancient lady who lives in yon old tower." He said this with that tone of wayward and careless gayety which was peculiar to his nature in the most serious and eventful moments, and then added gravely, " Can I do aught for thee, thou son of Cassandra, heir of Peter Lilly, and rival of Francis Moore, physician ?—art thou curious in the economy of sepulture, my prophetic friend ?" " Leave me lying,"" said Paul, " with my back to the ground and my face to the sky;"—and they fronted each other, and crossed their swords, resolved not to part without blood. They had contended some minutes, with eye fixed on eye, and hand opposed to hand, when they were interrupted by the approach of a woman, whose sudden appearance and disordered looks justified the belief, which for the moment possessed them both, that they beheld an apparition. She was young, and still eminently beautiful, though disappointed hope, and sorrow, and shame, had robbed her look of much of its healthy brightness. Her neck was round and bare, and her ringlets, brown and abundant, were woven together, and wreathed down her back with wild flowers; while over her chapter{Section 4whole person she had thrown a veil of the finest silk, which concealed her person nought, but showed the unsettled glances of her large wild dark eyes, in which infirmity of mind was more visible than grief. At every step she selected a shell or a flower, and placed them with many an incoherent word in a small basket which she carried in her left hand. She came almost within to...« less