a man, completely buried
in the sand. Oh, that he may not be already dead!"

He immediately began to sprinkle wine, from the flask he carried, on the
brow of the fainting traveller, and to chafe his temples with it. The
man at last slowly opened his eyes and said, "I had hoped the morning
dew would not again have fallen on me, but that unknown and unlamented I
might have perished here in the desert, as must be the case in the end."
So saying he closed his eyes again, like one intoxicated with sleep,
but Heimbert continued his restoratives unwearyingly, and at length the
refreshed wanderer half raised himself from the sand with an exclamation
of astonishment.

He looked from Heimbert to his companion, and from her again at
Heimbert, and suddenly exclaimed, gnashing his teeth, "Ha, was it to be
thus! I was not even to be allowed to die in the dull happiness of quiet
solitude! I was to be first doomed to see my rival's success and my
sister's shame!" At the same time he sprang to his feet with a violent
effort and rushed forward upon Heimbert with drawn sword. But Heimbert
moved neither sword nor arm, and merely said, in a gentle voice,
"Wearied out, as you now are, I cannot possibly fight with you; besides,
I must first place this lady in security." Antonia, who had at first
gazed with much emotion at the angry knight, now stepped suddenly
between the two men and cried out, "Oh, Fadrique, neither misery nor
anger can utterly disfigure you. But what has my noble brother done to
you?" "Brother?" said Fadrique, with astonishment. "Or godfather, or
confessor," interrupted Heimbert, "as you will. Only do not call her
Zelinda, for her name is now Antonia; she is a Christian, and waits
to be your bride." Fadrique stood fixed with surprise, but Heimbert's
true-hearted words and Antonia's lovely blushes soon revealed the happy
enigma to him. He sank down before the longed-for form with a sense
of exquisite delight, and in the midst of the inhospitable desert
the flowers of love and gratitude and confidence sent their sweetness
heavenward.

The excitement of this happy surprise at last gave way to bodily
fatigue. Antonia, like some drooping blossom, stretched her fair form on
the again burning sand, and slumbered under the protection of her lover
and her chosen brother. "Sleep also," said Heimbert softly to Fadrique;
"you must have wandered about wildly and wearily, for exhaustion is
pressing down your eyelids with leaden weigh