Page:Ainsworth's Magazine - Volume 2.pdf/610

Amador, whose stories and songs were calculated to amuse him; and as she did not care to pass so much time with a stranger alone, she was not sorry that the minstrel should exercise his art, to place them both more at their ease.

She found, when Amador made his appearance at her bidding, that he was greatly changed; his cheek was hollow and pale, and he scarcely raised his eyes when she spoke to him, except to cast them down on the ground, filled with tears. This evident attachment to his late master touched her, and she named him to the White Knight with commendation, as a faithful and affectionate servant.

The White Knight did not, however, seem to take much pleasure in hearing his lays, and pronounced that he had frequently listened to much finer minstrelsy than that of Amador, who, having overheard the remark made to the lady, was deeply mortified and annoyed.

He regarded the White Knight with attention, and the more he did so, the less pleasing did he appear in his eyes: it was true that he was remarkably handsome. His fair hair, which was almost the colour of flax, fell in long tresses on his shoulders; his eyes were full of fire, but their hue was that of the palest, clearest water; his complexion was like snow, and the pale hue of his cheeks greatly took from the general beauty ofhis face; his figure was, however, faultless, and his grace very striking. That which, nevertheless, peculiarly displeased Amador in his countenance, was a restless, convulsive movement about his mouth,^[1] which though he seemed anxious to suppress, it would constantly appear, and gave a sinister expression at times to his countenance.

One day, sad and sorrowful, for he had not been summoned to the presence of his lady, Amador strolled forth from the castle, and took his way along the mountain to the Gour de Tazana. It was very cold, but a bright sun gilded the peaks covered with snow, and glittered on the icicles which covered the boughs of the dark pines.

He continued to wander listlessly until evening came on and the moon rose, when he came suddenly on abroad plateau of rock covered with thick ice so as to resemble a lake. He seated himself in a cavern close by, where the rocks formed a canopy, and from thence looked out on the wild prospect before him. The wind had risen, and was now driving the snow across the face of the mountain─the roar of rushing waters came to his ear, as they dashed over their icy boundaries, partly melted by the sun, and leaped into ravines beneath. As he found the wind increase, he advanced further into the cavern, when suddenly he distinguished sounds which made him pause, and presently he became aware that, without intending it, he had reached the verge of the Gour.

Round the mouth of the abyss grew flowers and shrubs in luxuriant profusion, but they were all of ice, and glittered in the moonlight as if formed of gems of which they had the colours: on the path at his foot were strewn stars, crescents, and rings of ice, of the most perfect form, and shining like silver.^[2] He stooped to pick them up, but they

1. ↑ A convulsive twitching about the mouth belongs to evil spirits, and by that peculiarity they may sometimes be known.
2. ↑ Winter on the Monts-Dores lasts six months,when the snow is sometimes from three to four feet thick; it seldom falls in large flakes, but each flake seems separately congealed, and descends in a crystalized state. The form of the crystals