priest.

"I agree with you," said the tall man, stopping to brush the cinder from
his cigar, "if you can drive them away in a stand-up fight; and I don't
see why you could not! Numerically, you are about five hundred to one;
physically, you look their equals. You have arms in abundance; you know
the country; you have the wishes of the people--"

"The prayers of the Church," interposed the lady.

"Beati sunt illi qui moriuntur pro patria," muttered the padre.

"You and I, father," said the young man, "would like a little of that
beatitude in this world too."

Frank had now heard more than he had desired to hear; and, unhooking
his sabre, he suffered it to clink at his heels as he boldly advanced
towards the windows.

"Who have we there?" cried the tall man, advancing to the terrace, and
challenging the stranger.

Frank replied, in French, that he was an Austrian officer, whose party
had been waylaid near Varenna, and who had made his escape with a
wounded comrade and a few others.

"So the shots we heard came from that quarter?" whispered the youth to
the lady.

She signed to him to be cautious, and the tall man resumed,----

"This is a private villa, sir; and as yet, at least, neither an Austrian
barrack nor an hospital."

"When I tell you, sir," said Frank, with difficulty restraining his
passion, "that my comrade is dying, it may, perhaps, excite other
feelings than those of national animosity."

"You are a Hungarian?" asked the youth.

"What of that?" broke in the padre. "Tutti barbari! tutti barbari!"

Meanwhile the tall man leaned over where the lady sat, and conversed
eagerly with her.

"You have to think how it will look, and how it will tell abroad," said
he, in English. "How shall we persuade the people that we are in their
cause if you make this villa an Austrian refuge?"

She whispered something low in reply, and he rejoined impatiently,----

"These are small considerations; and if we are to be always thinking of
humanity, let us give up the game at once."

"You 'll not refuse my comrade the consolations of his Church, at
least?" said Frank. "I see a reverend father here--"

"And you 'll never see him follow you one step out of this chamber,"
broke in the priest "Ego autem tanquam Burdus, non audiebam," muttered
he, with a wave of his hand.

"But if he be a good Catholic," interposed the youth, half slyly.

"Let them be confounded who seek to do me evil!" said the priest, with a
s