ridion's
wonderful visitant.

"As I entered into the garden, I stepped a little on one side, to make
way for a person whom I saw before me. He was a young man of surprising
beauty, and attired in a foreign costume. Although dressed in the large
black robe which the superiors of our order wear, he had, underneath, a
short jacket of fine cloth, fastened round the waist by a leathern belt,
and a buckle of silver, after the manner of the old German students.
Like them, he wore, instead of the sandals of our monks, short tight
boots; and over the collar of his shirt, which fell on his shoulders,
and was as white as snow, hung, in rich golden curls, the most beautiful
hair I ever saw. He was tall, and his elegant posture seemed to reveal
to me that he was in the habit of commanding. With much respect, and
yet uncertain, I half saluted him. He did not return my salute; but he
smiled on me with so benevolent an air, and at the same time, his
eyes severe and blue, looked towards me with an expression of such
compassionate tenderness, that his features have never since then passed
away from my recollection. I stopped, hoping he would speak to me, and
persuading myself, from the majesty of his aspect, that he had the power
to protect me; but the monk, who was walking behind me, and who did not
seem to remark him in the least, forced him brutally to step aside from
the walk, and pushed me so rudely as almost to cause me to fall. Not
wishing to engage in a quarrel with this coarse monk, I moved away; but,
after having taken a few steps in the garden, I looked back, and saw the
unknown still gazing on me with looks of the tenderest solicitude. The
sun shone full upon him, and made his hair look radiant. He sighed, and
lifted his fine eyes to heaven, as if to invoke its justice in my favor,
and to call it to bear witness to my misery; he turned slowly towards
the sanctuary, entered into the quire, and was lost, presently, in
the shade. I longed to return, spite of the monk, to follow this
noble stranger, and to tell him my afflictions; but who was he, that I
imagined he would listen to them, and cause them to cease? I felt, even
while his softness drew me towards him, that he still inspired me with
a kind of fear; for I saw in his physiognomy as much austerity as
sweetness."

Who was he?--we shall see that. He was somebody very mysterious indeed;
but our author has taken care, after the manner of her sex, to make
a very pretty f