alone, as it is necessary to return to young Gaultier, whom we left deploring her loss, and the insane project she had formed of leaving Bavay.

CHAPTER XIV.

PERCEIVING the sentinel approach his mistress, and whisper to her, Gaultier, without being able to catch the words, immediately concluded that he had come to warn her against some danger; whilst Emily's precipitate flight, immediately afterwards, sufficiently convinced him of the nature of the communication; and his heart beat high with apprehension, as, thrusting his neck as far through the grating of his lattice as the size of its apertures would permit, he observed them not only look suspiciously around, but also proceed in the direction she had taken, -then return to converse with the sentinel, and again go back towards the same spot.

For the first quarter of an hour, his anxiety was so great, and his attention so entirely absorbed, with thinking on the risk she ran, and the improbility there was of her escaping from persons who seemed so resolved to find her; that his mind had no leisure to turn in upon itself, and think over the loss he had sustained; but when he at length heard them march off, and found that all was again silent, concluding they had given up the pursuit, and that she was in safety, he began to think about himself, and to bemoan his fate.

No sooner had the sun well risen, and the inhabitants of the castle betaken themselves to their morning occupations, than it was discovered that Emily was flown. Her sole attendant, an old woman who had nursed her, and who slept in the adjoining room, entering to wish her good morrow, was surprised at finding her bed unoccupied; but at first, supposing she had risen earlier than her usual custom, and gone to take a turn in the corridor, was just about to leave the chamber, for the purpose of seeking her

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charge, when turning towards the window, she perceived the sheets linked together and thrown outside of it, in the manner before related. Conjecturing from this circumstance what had occurred, and being fearful of punishment, for not having more narrowly watched her nursling, she hurried towards her lady's apartments, in order to excuse her own neglect.

It has been already stated, that the affection the Baron and his lady felt towards their young protégée, resembled that of parents to a child; when, therefore, information of her flight was first announced to them, their grief was proportionally great, and in full bitterness of heart did they curse de Mauny for the harshness of his conduct, and the command which he had laid on them to banish her from Bavay.

In addition to the grief which he endured at his loss, he had the mortification of feeling himself obliged to own it to him whom he accused of being the original cause of his misfortune; as should it be noised abroad, and reach his ears, that, in spite of all commands to the contrary,

Emily had been suffered to remain at Bavay, he feared de Mauny would have treated him as a vassal guilty of lese féodalité to his lord.

With the design, therefore, of being the first informant of the ill-tidings, he went straight to de Mauny, and told him what had happened. Whatever resentment the latter of these might, at another time, have felt, at finding he had been disobeyed, so rejoiced was he then, at the certainty of being at last, and for ever, relieved from the fear of a family misalliance, that he manifested none, and dismissed his vassal with a gentle rebuke for not having obeyed him at first.

The anger which he felt towards his son, for his conduct towards de Laval, had had time to cool; and, indeed, that which he originally entertained was produced, more by the quiet impertinence of his behaviour, than by any fear of the enemy availing himself of freedom to injure him; for he well knew that the Bishop, after the late defeat his forces had received, would not be over ready again to enter the field; so there being no longer any reason for detaining Gaultier in