behaviour, and
tried by all means to calm and silence him, at length with difficulty
succeeding.

Don Rafaele said Colonel la Combe had been greatly distressed at
Edgar's disappearance, and suspecting foul play, he had been on the
point of ransacking the house and having him, Don Rafaele, arrested.
This was why it had been necessary for him to escape, and it had been
entirely owing to the Franciscan's help that he had been able to bring
away his daughter, his servant, and many things which he required.
Meanwhile the wounded servant and Don Rafaele's daughter had been taken
on some distance in advance, whilst Don Rafaele, too old to share in
the exploits of the Guerillas, was to follow them. At his sorrowful
parting with Edgar he gave him a certain talisman, which brought him
deliverance in many a serious danger.

Here Euchar ended his story, which had been listened to by the company
with the keenest interest.

The Poet, who had got over his coughing fit and returned to the room,
expressed the opinion that in Edgar's Spanish adventures there was fine
material for a tragedy, all that he thought wanting being a due spice
of love-making and an effective _finale_, such as a striking case of
insanity, a good apoplexy, or something of the kind.

"Oh, yes, love," said a young lady blushing at her own temerity. "The
only thing your delightful story wanted was some charmingly interesting
love affair!"

"Dear Lady," said Euchar laughing, "I was not telling you the story of
a novel, but the adventures of my friend Edgar. His life amongst the
wild Spanish mountains was unfortunately poor in experiences of that
kind."

"I have a strong belief," said Victorine in a low tone, "that I know
this same Edgar, who has remained in poverty, because he has despised
the most precious of gifts."

But no one's enthusiasm equalled that of Ludwig, who cried out most
excitedly, "I know that mysterious Profecia del Pirineo by the glorious
Don Juan Baptista de Arriaza. Oh, it fired my very veins! I wanted to
be off to Spain to fight for that glorious cause--had it only been
comprehended in the system of the mutual interdependence of things. I
can quite put myself in Edgar's place. How I should have spoken to that
terrible Empecinado in that awful situation in the Franciscan
monastery!" And he began a harangue, which was so pathetic that
everybody was astonished, and could not sufficiently marvel at his
brave and heroic resolution.

"But