Forgotten Stories.

a daughter ; and happier far would it have been for the souls of both , if she had never existed . No father eA'er loveel a daughter with more tenderness ; insomuch that it Avas not until Sigismunda had passed the age usually destined for the marriages of the Italian Princessesthat

, Tancred could prevail upon himself to part from her . She was , however , at length betrothed to the son of the Duke of Capua , Avho dying within a very short time afterwards , she returned , as the custom is , to her father ' s palace , a blooming AVICIOAV .

There are some old natives of Salerno AVIIO remember having seen her in their boyhood , and they relate , that her shape Avas exquisitely proportioned ; that she Avas rather taller than the ordinary run of Avomen , Avith a most pleasing roundness of figure ,

quite consistent with perfect elegance ; all they could say of her face AVUS , that they had never seen anything like it since throughout their lives ; and that altogether , her youth , 'her vivacity and wit , rendered her the gem , or the rose , of the south of Italy . When the days of her mourning were expired , her father introduced her publicly

in Ins court , which Ai'as one of the most splendid of the age , and took great pleasure in indul ging her in every sort of luxury ancl amusement that she had a fancy to , chiefly Avith a vieAV to prevent her from desiring a second marriage , ancl so to keep her near him for the remainder

of his life . But it is not the first time that love has baffled the plans of greater princes than Tancred ; and , in the jiresent instance , before that potent influence , all the nets Avhich Avere hung around the heart of Si gismunda , were ineffectual to bar the access

of the little Corsair God . Amongst the numerous retainers of the court , there Avas a youth called Guiscard , who , though of low birth and mean connexions , had , by means of the beauty of his person , his gentle aud polite manners , ancl Avell-knoAvn courage ,

been taken great notice of by Tancred , ancl at length raised from extreme poverty to be his constant attendant , in quality rather of companion than page . With this youth Sigismunda fell passionately in love , as ivas not much to be wondered at ; and he , from the first moment he had seen Sigismunda , had scarcely dismissed her image from his mind ; but knowing the

vast distinction of rank between himself ancl the Princess , it had never entered into his head that his loA'e could ever be ou"ht else but a fruitless romantic attachment Avhich he must conceal Avithin his heart from the eyes of all the Avorld . Tlms

affairs stood some little time ; each lovin » in secret , Avithout the consciousness of being loved in return , and each despairing of that Avhich despair alone rendered impossible . But it is the nature of all passion , more especially of love , to be

ahvays in motion , increasing or decreasing , ancl so it fell out ( and let not the gentle lover , Knight or Lady , blame the poor girl for her rashness ) that Sigismunda , becoming more ancl more enthusiastic in her devotion to Guiscard every time she saAV him , and perceiving that the dignity of her rank constrained her to make the

first advances , resolved at length to drop someAvhat of the reserve usual to females in these matters , ancl contrive , by means of a stratagem , to make knoAvn the condition of her heart to the young and amiable , but humble , object of her affection . To this end she wrote a lettercontaining minute

, instructions to Guiscard of the mode Avkicli he should adopt of procuring an interview with her on the following day , and , concealing it within a holloAV cane or tube , Avhich , in that country , is used for the of blowing a fireshe sportively

purpose , presented it to him , Avith these AVOKIS : "If you are Avise you Avill make use of tins cane to kindle a flame at home . " The youth took it , and reflecting within himself that Sigismunda Avould not have g iven

him such a present without some hidden meaning , he ivent to his OAVU house , and , finding upon examination that the cane Avas out through on one side , he opened it > and discoA'erecl the letter , and read it , and blessed his stars for his good fortune ,

considering himself , not Avithout some appearance of reason , as the happiest man living . The means of accomplishing the proposed plan of meeting now occup ied a " liis thoughts . N adjoining the royal palace there

OAA ' , was a grotto , excavated in the mountain ) which had been used in former days tot purposes of Avar ancl rapine , and into Avhic ' a scanty light descended through an apeiture at tho top , Avhich aperture , however , OAving to its having been for many y ealB