The night passed without any disturbance. The morning arose fresh and
bright; the Heavens exhibited a clear and unclouded concave; even the
wild heath, refreshed by the late rains, smiled around, and sent up
with the morning gale a stream of fragrance.
The duke quitted the mansion, re-animated by the cheerfulness of morn,
and pursued his journey. He could gain no intelligence of the
fugitives. About noon he found himself in a beautiful romantic
country; and having reached the summit of some wild cliffs, he rested,
to view the picturesque imagery of the scene below. A shadowy
sequestered dell appeared buried deep among the rocks, and in the
bottom was seen a lake, whose clear bosom reflected the impending
cliffs, and the beautiful luxuriance of the overhanging shades.
But his attention was quickly called from the beauties of inanimate
nature, to objects more interesting; for he observed two persons, whom
he instantly recollected to be the same that he had formerly pursued
over the plains. They were seated on the margin of the lake, under the
shade of some high trees at the foot of the rocks, and seemed
partaking of a repast which was spread upon the grass. Two horses were
grazing near. In the lady the duke saw the very air and shape of
Julia, and his heart bounded at the sight. They were seated with
their backs to the cliffs upon which the duke stood, and he therefore
surveyed them unobserved. They were now almost within his power, but
the difficulty was how to descend the rocks, whose stupendous heights
and craggy steeps seemed to render them impassable. He examined them
with a scrutinizing eye, and at length espied, where the rock receded,
a narrow winding sort of path. He dismounted, and some of his
attendants doing the same, followed their lord down the cliffs,
treading lightly, lest their steps should betray them. Immediately
upon their reaching the bottom, they were perceived by the lady, who
fled among the rocks, and was presently pursued by the duke's people.
The cavalier had no time to escape, but drew his sword, and defended
himself against the furious assault of the duke.
The combat was sustained with much vigour and dexterity on both sides
for some minutes, when the duke received the point of his adversary's
sword, and fell. The cavalier, endeavouring to escape, was seized by
the duke's people, who now appeared with the fair fugitive; but what
was the disappointment--the rage of the duke, when in the person of
the lady he discovered a stranger! The astonishment was mutual, but
the accompanying feelings were, in the different persons, of a very
opposite nature. In the duke, astonishment was heightened by vexation,
and embittered by disappointment:--in the lady, it was softened by the
joy of unexpected deliverance.