That mitigates the dreadful retrospect.

A mother with her child before us flew,

I had the hideous mandate to pursue;

But swift of foot, outspeeding bloodier men,

I chased, o’ertook her in the winding glen,

And showed her palpitating, where to save

Herself and infant in a secret cave;

Nor left them till I saw that they could mock

Pursuit and search within that sheltering rock.”

“Heavens!” Ronald cried, in accents gladly wild,