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" ‘ Surrender first,’ cried we, ‘And we will then consider of your request.’

" ‘At all events,’ said he, ‘watever you may intend to do with me, spare the lives of a tender wife, and two innocent children who are in the carriage.’

" ‘Spare! oh! spare my husband,’ cried a lady, throwing herself out of the coach on the ground, and kneeling and wildly clasping her hands, ‘spare him, if ye are men, and have humanity!’

" ‘The children began to cry, and altogether presented such a scene as affected me. I wished to spare his wife, but that was out of the question.

" ‘Will you surrender?’

" ‘He presented his weapons; the man who had first spoke advanced to receive them from his hands. He did so;—we were now close; he turned them against their master, and the baron fell. The lady became frantic;—she flew to her fallen lord, and expressed herself in such terms as would have extracted tears from any hearts but ours. I, for my part, felt those eyes glisten which were unused to softness.

" ‘What my husband, my adorable, have they slain thee? Have they deprived me of thee? Have they torn thee from my arms? and must we be separated for ever? Horrid thought! insupportable!—no; I will follow thee. Nay, wait my love while I bid our children adieu, and I will accompany thee! The grave shall not separate us! In death we will be united! Tell me, my husband, wilt thou stay?’

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" ‘He was speechless; but he cast at her a look of agony; I shall never forget it; she shrieked at the sight, and besought him to answer her. He once more opened his feeble eyes, but quickly shut them again, and expired without a groan.

" ‘The lady seemed stupified.—She ran to the carriage at length, and fetched out her children; and coming to us, she deposited one in my arms, and the other in those of one of my comrades. As for him who had killed her husband, she regarded him with looks of the greatest horror. I wished to retreat; passengers might come along; ‘Let us leave,’ said I, ‘the unfortunate lady and her children; enough blood has been shed; the young lord is no more, and none can contest the estates with our employer.’

" ‘My companion, who held the child, seemed also inclined to mercy; but the other exclaimed, ‘Wherefore would ye crop the deadly nightshade, if you leave the root to spring up afresh?—no; I am for doing work completely.’ So saying, he drew his sword; and what think you he did? why, Bandonin, he did as you would have done. He stabbed the unhappy lady, who fell prone on the body of her lord, and their blood mingled together on the spot. I was silent.’"

Caroline was proceeding, when she observed that the baroness’ countenance was pale as the image of death. Her elbow rested on the table, and her hand supported her head. Unable to restrain her tears, they flowed fast down her cheeks. She appeared in agony, and her frame was convulsed. Caroline approached her with grief and alarm.

"Whence, madame," said she, "arises this uneasiness? Should a relation, entirely unconnected with ourselves, thus move you? Do you not carry your sympathy too far?"

"Ah! my dear niece," replied the baroness, "the story you have told, extraordinary as it may appear, is far from being indifferent to me. Alas! I fear, I and mine are too deeply concerned in the transaction. But conjecture is useless—were it certain, doubtless the vengeance of heaven would pursue us. But what have I said? Too much, Caroline; and if you love me, let the words I have uttered be ever banished from your memory. Until then, excuse, I pray you, the inconsistency you may have observed. But go on; I am impatient to hear of the fate of these orphans."

Caroline resumed. "The robber," said she, "went, on thus:— ‘I viewed the perpetrator of this unnecessary cruelty with horror, and in silence; but he allowed me not time for reflection, e’er turning round, he demanded the murder of the two little innocent children. ‘ No,’ cried his fellow, ‘they shall not die. I will be their protector. Wherefore destroy them? A feigned story will answer every purpose. They never need appear in Bohemia, to disturb the security of our employer. So that if you are resolved, you must open a passage through my heart.’ He gave the child he held to my care, and prepared to defend himself.

" ‘I do not wish,’ said the other, ‘ to enter the list with you. They

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may live for me, provided they are so disposed of as never to appear to our molestation.’

" ‘Be that my care,’ replied the defender of the babes. ‘I have a friend, who sets off within three days for France. I know of some arguments, which, as I shall use them, will induce him, and his wife, (for he is a settled man, and no bandit,) to undertake the charge, and I dare say, we may extract enough from the booty we shall find here, to help to pay the expenses.’

" ‘Don’t mistake,’ interrupted the other, ‘I shall not give up my share.’

" ‘Well, then,’ continued he who had before spoken, ‘I will resign my own.’

" ‘The matter being settled, we dispersed to prevent discovery; having previously divided the plunder as equally as possible. I had for my share, the two carriage horses, which were most necessary to me, as I had lost my own. My reward having been advanced, I have never seen either of these men since. Indeed, I left the country directly, and made the best of my way to Vienna, where I sold my horses for a round price.’

"The robber ceased, having finished his story, to which I attended with the greatest interest. It would be unnecessary for me to repeat the impression it left on my mind. I will, therefore, as briefly as possible, get through this part of my relation, which seems to be growing tedious. The man they called Bandonin, said, ‘I believe all you have just told us to be a falsehood. Whence could you, a stranger, learn the particulars you related in the beginning?’

" ‘From the two men, my comrades, who were inmates of the castle. But you had much better not doubt my veracity.’

" ‘And you, sir,’ cried Bandonin warmly, ‘had better have taken care how you doubted my courage. You will recollect I gave you a hint, which you have not thought proper to attend to. Receive the punishment of it.’

"So saying, he ran to the place where they had deposited their fire-arms, and before anybody could prevent him, shot his wretched chief dead on the spot. That the passions of men should in an instant lead them to such excess, raised my astonishment, which, great as it was, appeared to be equalled by that of the banditti themselves at this action. Had the culprit wished to escape, I have no doubt, but that in the general confusion, he might have done so. Instead, however, of making any attempt of that kind, he turned round with triumph in his countenance, and exultingly desired them to applaud him for ridding the troop of such a poltroon. ‘One,’ he said, ‘who had frequently robbed them of that for which they had risked their lives: As, for instance, on the night before, when he had protected a lady from them; and a few days past, when he had not only spared the life of a man, contrary to their wishes, but had also returned part of the money to assist him on his journey. From that time,’ continued he, ‘I resolved to take the first opportunity of getting rid of him.

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And I wish we could all live on terms of equality. But since there must be a commander, I offer myself a candidate for that post.’

"But the robbers paid little attention to this speech, and fell into high debates; and although I could not understand them, I judged from their looks and actions that they were consulting how they should treat the murderer. Presently two stout men advanced and seized him, guarding him securely until the others pronounced sentence upon him. After some time, a man made a speech, on hearing which, the furious countenance of Bandonin fell, and exhibited every symptom of horror and dismay. He was permitted to say something in his defence. The man who before spoke, was to appearance a Turk, and I could gather from Bandonin’s reply, that one cause of his destruction was the wicked deed he had a little before confessed, as the Turks threatened to separate themselves from the rest of the banditti, unless he was punished.

"His eloquence was vain. A man stepped to the baggage, from which he brought a rope, and putting it round the neck of the miserable wretch, his fortitude entirely forsook him, and falling upon his knees, and with uplifted hands, he begged for that life of which he had just before deprived a fellow creature. His prayers, and his tears, for the villain wept, had no effect. His judges proceeded in a very summary manner, and without wasting much time between sentence and execution, hung him on a tree.

"I turned from this shocking scene with horror. It almost overpowered my sinking spirits. Even some of the banditti seemed affected, for they spoke in low and mournful tones. I could not help being struck with the providence of the Supreme Being who thus permitted these lawless wretches to avenge the injuries of mankind upon each other. But I had soon equal cause to adore his goodness to me, when I beheld them, after digging a hole in which they placed the body of their dead chief, take their horses and depart, pursuing the same road I had already passed along. To describe my joy at this is impossible; and equally so would it be, were I to attempt to express the sufferings I had endured through the whole of this eventful night. Indeed it must have been the transition from despair and danger, to hope and safety which renovated my frame and preserved my existence.

"We were compelled to remain stationary until morning; and when daylight at length pointed out a passage through the thick underwood which had concealed us, our horses were so weak from fatigue and want of food that they could scarcely drag us along; and it was almost night before we reached Lausaic.

"I should, more properly speaking, have said the place where Lausaic stood; for Marcus stopping, suddenly exclaimed, ‘Here I left the house; but I know not what is become of it, unless, indeed, it is burnt; for I see nothing but a heap of ashes.’

"He was not mistaken. I impatiently alighted from the carriage, and

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perceived only the fallen fragments of a building. That it had been consumed by fire was evident, for the ashes were not yet cold.

"Pity, my dear aunt, the distressed situation of your poor Caroline. Terrible as my feelings had been the preceding night, they were more than equalled by the agony of the present moment. Night was approaching; and that night threatened again to be inclement. I was protected only by a single servant. I am again wrong;—I should have said attended, since experience had convinced me he was inadequate to my protection in case of danger; and where no danger was, he might become my oppressor. Had I not also reason to dread that the beloved parent I came in search of, might have perished by the devouring flames, or lie buried underneath the ruins of her prison. Hope now forsook my bosom! and the only sad idea which took possession of it, was that I might rescue her remains, and unite the long divided husband and wife in one peaceful grave.

"I directed Marcus to search amidst the ruin, and, on turning one of the angles, we observed several countrymen employed in the same way. To them I applied, declaring my name, and desired them to inform me how the accident happened, and if any one was saved.

" ‘As to the house,’ said one of them, taking upon himself to speak, ‘I am glad it is burnt, for it always was haunted, and, I believe the devil, or some of his imps, owed it a grudge; but madame is safe at my cottage; and, as for poor Gildas, mauled as he is, he and his wife are alive at my neighbours here.’

"I was instantly led to the cottage by my desire, where I found the beloved object of my journey. The rapturous embraces of a tender mother, overjoyed at receiving a visit she so little expected, and at a time when it was rendered of double estimation by the recent calamity, may be conceived. But not so easily the mingled and divided sensations which agitated her breast, as I recited my father’s conviction of her innocence; and the repentance occasioned by that conviction. It was not difficult for her to forgive a husband at the point of death, and she need [sic] but little persuasion to accompany me the next morning to Presburg.

"During our journey home, which was not attended with an accident worth relating, she gave me a concise account of what had happened at Lausaic:

"As soon as my father left the house, and Gildas returned to my mother, ‘You are, I suppose, sir, my goaler?’ said she.

" ‘Indeed, madame,’ replied the man, who had never seen her before, ‘I must beg of you not to call me by that name, as I have a mortal aversion to a goal, or anything that belongs to it, by this token, that my master, M. Mecklenburg, once freed me from one. My master indeed says that he has special reasons for keeping you confined; but what of that?—you will have plenty to eat and drink, which is all that renders life desirable: for he does not intend to keep you on bread and water diet.’

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" ‘It appears from your manners,’ replied my mother, ‘that you do not know me!’

" ‘Indeed I do not,’ said he. ‘At first I took you for one of those ladies my master sometimes brings here; but it appears that he has different intentions.’

"This hint, which confirmed some suspicions my mother before entertained, contributed to increase her chagrin. She could not but sigh on the reflection, that she was severely punished on the bare suspicion of having committed that crime which her punisher indulged in without control. She determined, however, as there was no necessity at present for the discovery, to keep her name and situation a secret for awhile. In a few weeks she so far ingratiated herself with Gildas and his wife, that, notwithstanding my father’s prohibition, she was by them allowed to walk in the forest, whenever she chose, one of them always accompanying her. In a dark closet she found some old books, in a very decayed state, which served at times to amuse her mind, and divert her reflections from her own unhappiness; and, aided by religion and philosophy, the time passed away in moderate tranquility, until the second night anterior to my arrival.

"I cannot help believing, my dear aunt, that there are invisible subordinate angels, who constantly hover near us, and hold, in a surprising and unaccountable manner, a correspondence with our ethereal part. Whence arises what we call a presentiment, which often warns us, as it were, of impending danger, or impresses our hearts with a sympathetic affection for the distress of a near and dear friend, although that friend is at a great distance? Be this, however, as it may, it is certain that on that night my mother felt a more than ordinary depression of spirits. She had frequently smiled at the simple and absurd fears of Gildas and his wife, who affirmed that some of the apartments were haunted, into which they would not have entered after dark for all the riches of Peru: yet now she considered that every thing was possible, and at length she actually thought she beheld many nameless objects moving in her room, by a gleam of moonshine which entered at her window. Educated in a manner suitable to her birth, and possessing a mind formed in no common mould, she was above the terrors of superstition. Calling, therefore, her judgment to her aid, she had nearly overcome her fears, when she distinctly saw a human figure glide across the room. Terror kept her silent! It approached the foot of the bed, and stood contemplating her, as though willing to discover whether she were asleep or awake. She uttered a faint scream.

" ‘Arise,’ said the figure, ‘and follow me!’

" ‘Who art thou?’ asked she, in a faltering voice.

" ‘The hour of knowledge approaches. In the mean time arise—no harm shall befal you.’

"My mother, who by this time was convinced of the reality of ghosts, supposed that this was the wandering spirit of some deceased person, and that it wished to make an important, and, perhaps, necessary discovery.

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She arose, therefore, and hastily threw on her clothes, while the figure, which she still indistinctly saw, continued motionless. When she was dressed, she repeated the question, ‘Who art thou?’

" ‘Follow me,’ replied the figure.

My mother obeyed in silence.

"They passed across the outer room, and then through a door which opened to the forest, on that side where the shade of the house prevented the illuminating moon, then at the full, discovering objects plainly.

" ‘Whither would you lead me?’ asked my mother, shivering with fear and the night air.

" ‘Not far,’ replied her conductor, who was now turning round an angle of the mansion.

"At this instant the rays of the moon, lighting on him, discovered to my mother the hated form of Count Durlack!

" ‘Heaven protect me!’ said she, precipitately rushing back towards the door she had left; but the count hastened forward, too successfully, to prevent her.

" ‘Resistance or flight, madame,’ said he, ‘are equally vain. You are in my power. Consent, therefore, with a good grace, for you must go with me.’

"My mother scarcely heard these words ere she fainted away, when she was placed in the count’s carriage, which waited near. For some reason or other, the count entered it not with her; and when she recovered her senses, which must have been in a short time, she found herself alone, and still close to the house. But her fears were not alleviated, on observing that she was surrounded by a band of armed men, whom she could distinctly see by the light of the moon; and, hearing one of them speak, she listened with the most anxious attention.

"But I must inform you that my mother, besides being well acquainted with the several languages which you must have known her to have acquired in her youth, had also studied the Turkish dialect, and with tolerable success; her motive, as she often said (and perhaps jocularly), being, that if ever my father should be taken prisoner by the Turks, she should be able to treat for his ransom in person.’

" ‘Who are you?’ said one man to another, in a furious tone of voice.

"The respondent very submissively told his name.

" ‘And is this carriage yours?’

" ‘No.’

" ‘Whose is it?’

" ‘It belongs to my Lord Count Durlack, whom we serve.’

" ‘Count Durlack ?’ repeated a voice, in the Turkish language. ‘Alack, that I could but come up with him! I would make him remember Osman Berhadden, who was put to death by his means.’

" ‘Is the count in the carriage?’ asked the first speaker, who seemed to have the command.

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" ‘No,’ answered the servants.

" ‘Where is he then?’

" ‘We do not know.’

"One of them opened the door of the vehicle. ‘This carriage and the horses,’ said he, ‘will fetch money in Belgrade; and, by our prophet, here is a lady fit for the Grand Seignor himself!’

"They all crowded round to take a view of my poor mother, whose situation was now dreadful in the extreme. The least she could expect was perpetual slavery—perhaps dishonour. ‘But,’ said the captain, ‘it is time that we should attack the house. I warrant we shall find sufficient plunder there. Let Zelim, Nicholas, and Achmet head the party, and Darendec stand sentry over these prisoners. But first strike a light.’

" ‘Here is,’ cried one of the gang, ‘a bundle of torches fastened to the carriage. They will be useful to us.’

"These they lighted, and immediately broke open the doors. Poor old Gildas was awoke out of his sleep by their attack. Ignorant of their numbers, yet suspecting their intention, he endeavoured to make resistance, and seeing one of the robbers advance, discharged at him a blunderbuss, which had been loaded time out of mind, and was in such bad order that instead of injuring the robber it burst in Gildas’s own hand, and effectually lamed him.

"The banditti ran up and down the house with their lighted torches, oversetting and destroying every thing they met with. At length, having loaded themselves with whatever they thought portable or valuable, they assembled round the carriage to debate on the disposal of their plunder. They were then addressed by their captain in nearly these words, to which my mother listened in speechless terror:—

" ‘As to the carriage, it is true that would nearly pay the expense of the expedition, if we had it at home; but it is impossible for us, distant as we are from the frontier, to convey it there. Should we travel in countries accessible to a carriage by day, the peasantry would be alarmed, and our retreat cut off. We must, therefore, be content to leave it behind, and with it the lady. She is unable with us to pass the rapid and impetuous torrent, or with us to pierce the almost impervious thickets of the forest. It would be brutal and unprofitable to force her to undertake a journey to which she must certainly fall a sacrifice. As for the poor mangled wretch in the house, he is, as you see, unable to travel, and I doubt if the old woman would sell for a sequin. The case is different with our friend on the box there, and his powdered brothers. They are sturdy fellows, and the Bassa wants such to work at his new palace. We can take them with us, and they can ride the horses belonging to the carriage. What say you, my brave companions ?’

" ‘I have no objection,’ said the man whom I suppose to have been the wicked Bandonin, ‘to your regulation of things, except what relates to the