But now the stern Earl Roderick
His presence did deny;
He mounted on his fretting steed
With but a scant goodbye.
His bride he set before him there,
And rode upon his way,
And all his sullen men at arms
With wedding favours gay.
And to his weary little bride
He spoke no gentle word;
She fluttered, weeping on his breast,
Like to some wounded bird.
For in his heart the gloomy Earl
Had spoke a bitter thing:
“Oh, 'tis not on your hand I love
To see my golden ring.
“I, wedding thus the stranger child,
Keep the clans united,
But set my own true love aside,—
Broke the troth I plighted.”
••••••
It chanced when Black Earl Roderick
Had but been wed a year,
There came to him a serving-lass,
Within her eye a tear.
“Alas,” she said “Earl Roderick,
'Tis well that you should know
That each grey eye, lone wandering,
My mistress dear doth go.
“She comes with sorrow in her eyes
Home in the dawning light.
My Lord, she is too weak and young
To travel in the night.”
