hand resting on his hip, in the attitude of a person who feels fatigue, but still keeping his eye turned towards the monk, he reached the centre of the passage, where, from its great depth, the rays of the sun could scarcely arrive, even at noon-day, much less, therefore, at about five hours afterwards, when nearly upon the verge of the horizon.-The Count could no longer perceive the object of his attention, or, if he saw him, it was as a shadow floating by.

"He is not the one from whom I expect service."

The words had scarcely passed his lips, or rather the idea had hardly crossed his mind, when his attention was arrested by some one's slipping a small packet into his hand. He instantly looked round, but from the extreme darkness of the spot, to which his eye had not yet got accustomed, he could not at first distinguish any thing, but in another second, he perceived the monk fast retreating towards the other end of the gateway. He called after him, but no answer was returned. He reined

in his steed, intending to have rode after the stranger, but it was useless, the animal no longer possessing the alacrity of spirit with which he had commenced the day, could scarcely be made to obey the rein, and ere the Count had brought his head round, the monk had gained the outworks of the gate, where, turning round an angle of the building, he clambered up a pair of narrow wooden stairs, temporarily erected for the convenience of the townsfolk, in time of peace, and ascending by them to the ramparts, was instantly out of sight, and soon afterwards beyond all fear of being overtaken.

The first thought which naturally occurred to Robert was, that this was the monk who had left the letter for him at the palace, in Paris. "Yet, how," said he to himself,"how can he have travelled thus far in so short a space of time! It has taken me, though well mounted, above four days to come here. Monks, who mostly pad it along the road on their own feet, or at best have some wretched mule to carry them, do not generally

travel so fast. Yet, behold, this man is here, not only as soon as I, but has outstripped me! Another circumstance also which surprised him when he first thought of it, was that of the monk having apparently waited for him at the gate; but this, on consideration, he satisfactorily accounted for to himself, when he reflected on the horseman who had overtaken and passed him, and who he doubted not, had been despatched to watch for and give notice of his arrival.

He enveloped the packet in the folds of his garment, and continued the route before him.

"Now then," thought he, "I am again within the walls of that town in which I first drew breath, and there," he continued, looking upon the castle, whose turrets rose far above the meaner houses which surrounded it, "there it is that my mother first took me in her arms and blessed me;-for nearly a century and a half hath it been the residence of mine ancestors—yet am I—I, the rightful heir to all which that proud castle gazes o'er, obliged

to enter in disguise, and tramp about the streets in quest of some poor sorry lodging, in which I may lay down my weary limbs to rest!"

Impatient to know the contents of the letter he had just received, he spurred his horse, and forced him to the utmost speed to which he chose to be so forced.

The inns of those days, when persons of Robert's rank always received hospitality at the castle of the Seigneur of the land on which they travelled, were all poor and homely, and the one at which he arrived was not better than the rest. He resigned his steed to the care of the hostler,-by the bye, no man's steed will thank any man for doing that!—and retiring to his own apartment, pulled out the letter and began reading it. It had evidently been written by the same hand which penned the other, and contained as follows:

"Excellent Lord,

Seek not to know him who writes this,

and wills your good,-name not to any one

your object in coming hither,—keep yourself unseen, nor issue forth till night hath clothed the earth in darkness, and made you secure from observation;-fail in any of these ordinances, and much risk is, that all will fail.

"I do rejoice you have arrived so soon; the fifth of this, the seventh month, will be that of St. Bertin's fête; it was on that day, some thirty years gone by, that the evil deed I spoke of was performed.

"I joy, therefore, that the anniversary of the day on which you were thus wronged, may be the one on which it is destined to me to right you. On Thursday next, at two hours after sunset, may it please you to come unattended, and wait by the rivulet which, skirting the enclosure of the Abbey, gives water to its lands.

"You shall not have long watched, ere one accosting you, will disclose all such matters as is fit you should be told."