ng. On
the entrance of Alvin, he fixed his gaze sternly upon him without
speaking. Alvin informed him that they were friends, and had come to
set him free, and turning round, he stepped back into the passage where
he had left Fostina, when, to his great surprise, he beheld her lying
senseless on the floor!

Another instant, the prisoner rushed to the spot, and clasping the
apparently lifeless form of Fostina, he bore her to his apartment!

During this time, Alvin had remained motionless, gazing with wonder and
surprise, utterly confounded by these mysterious circumstances. In a
few moments Fostina recovered her senses, and opening her eyes, beheld
the pale and emaciated countenance of Lewis Mortimer, who now clasped
her to his bosom!

CHAPTER IX.

_Discovery of the Plot--Escape from the Castle--Lewis Mortimer and
Fostina return to the Village--They meet the two Brothers--Conclusion._

Reader, behold now the plot of Rineldo Aubrey, who vainly sought to win
the love of the beautiful Fostina, and finding that he had a successful
rival, endeavored by his subtle plans to destroy his happiness. To
execute his designs more fully to his purpose, he had intercepted the
letters belonging to his cousin, from which he learned that Lewis
Mortimer had been unfortunately taken ill on his passage to California,
and concluded to return to his native village as soon as he recovered.
After receiving this intelligence, he hastened on his journey to the
place where Lewis was then confined by sickness, thinking an
opportunity had now offered itself for him to secure his victim, until
he had accomplished his purpose.

Having arrived at the village, where, as it had been stated in the
letter, Lewis had been left by his friends, he called on the attending
physician, and offered him a large amount of money to detain him a
certain length of time; and in order to do this, he must be conveyed to
some place of confinement.

The physician agreed to the proposal, and gave orders to have his
patient removed to the castle, as it was retired from the village, and
he thought he would be more likely to recover.

Rineldo, in the mean time, wishing to leave the impression upon the
minds of his friends that Lewis was dead, accordingly had his death
inserted in the public prints, which soon conveyed the sad intelligence
to Fostina, the result of which has already been made known to the
reader.

[Illustration: _Their escape to the Village._]