"That reminds me," said the young man, "that this is the first time in
my life that I have not celebrated this day as becomes a Christian; it
also brings with it many happy hours of my youth to my recollection. My
father was then alive; I possessed a tender, good mother, and a dear
young sister. We two children always rejoiced upon the anniversary of
Good Friday, and, though we did not know exactly what it meant, we
remembered that it was only two days from Easter, a season when our
mother invariably gave us some token of her affection. _Requiescant in
pace!_" he added, turning away to conceal a tear; "they are all three
gone."

These last words, which he pronounced in remembrance of his departed
parents, the spontaneous effusion of his affectionate heart, did not
escape the fifer's observation, who raised his cap in respect to the
feelings of his companion. Such had been the restless life of this
extraordinary man from his infancy, that he might have been thought to
be void of all sense of religion; but since his escape from the hand of
the executioner, which he had hinted at in a former conversation with
Albert, and professed to have become a better man, serious thoughts at
times occupied his mind.

Albert having alluded to his own case of receiving a present from his
mother at Easter, the fifer took occasion to say, with a good-natured
smile, "that the time was coming, when he hoped he would also be able
to perform the same office to his own children." But the young man was
offended at this familiarity, and showed symptoms of his displeasure.

"No offence, sir," he replied, and drew his attention to the castle
before them. "Do you see the tower peeping out among the trees?" he
added: "another short quarter of an hour, and we are there."

"From what I could remark yesterday in the dark," said the young man,
"the castle appeared to be erected upon a solitary, steep rock. By
heavens! a bold thought, whoever built it; for no one could attempt to
scale its walls unless he were in league with the devil, and had the
power of flying. It might be bombarded, however, from this spot with
heavy artillery."

"Do you think so? I can tell you, that they have four good match-guns
in the hall, which would return an answer too sharp to any one who
should attempt it. Had you made a careful survey, you must have
observed, that the rock is separated from the mountain by a broad deep
valley, which surrounds it, so that much damage c