certaining the truth of my conjectures. Suddenly I was aware of
Someone below pacing hastily backwards and forwards. Every thing now
appeared to me an object of suspicion. With precaution I drew near the
window, which, as the room had been long shut up, was left open in
spite of the cold. I ventured to look out. The beams of the Moon
permitted me to distinguish a Man, whom I had no difficulty to
recognize for my Host. I watched his movements.

He walked swiftly, then stopped, and seemed to listen: He stamped upon
the ground, and beat his stomach with his arms as if to guard himself
from the inclemency of the season. At the least noise, if a voice was
heard in the lower part of the House, if a Bat flitted past him, or the
wind rattled amidst the leafless boughs, He started, and looked round
with anxiety.

'Plague take him!' said He at length with impatience; 'What can He be
about!'

He spoke in a low voice; but as He was just below my window, I had no
difficulty to distinguish his words.

I now heard the steps of one approaching. Baptiste went towards the
sound; He joined a man, whom his low stature and the Horn suspended
from his neck, declared to be no other than my faithful Claude, whom I
had supposed to be already on his way to Strasbourg. Expecting their
discourse to throw some light upon my situation, I hastened to put
myself in a condition to hear it with safety. For this purpose I
extinguished the candle, which stood upon a table near the Bed: The
flame of the fire was not strong enough to betray me, and I immediately
resumed my place at the window.

The objects of my curiosity had stationed themselves directly under it.
I suppose that during my momentary absence the Wood-man had been
blaming Claude for tardiness, since when I returned to the window, the
latter was endeavouring to excuse his fault.

'However,' added He, 'my diligence at present shall make up for my past
delay.'

'On that condition,' answered Baptiste, 'I shall readily forgive you.
But in truth as you share equally with us in our prizes, your own
interest will make you use all possible diligence. 'Twould be a shame
to let such a noble booty escape us! You say, that this Spaniard is
rich?'

'His Servant boasted at the Inn, that the effects in his Chaise were
worth above two thousand Pistoles.'

Oh! how I cursed Stephano's imprudent vanity!

'And I have been told,' continued the Postillion, 'that this Baroness
carries abou