maintained the semblance of strict
originality. He had now, however, worked his way considerably up the
tide of time. We had emerged from the period of fire-arms, and
Mandeville was at this stage mediaeval.

Some suspicion of this had dawned even upon the mind of Cutts, who,
though not very familiar with romance, had once stumbled upon a
translation of Spindler's novels, and was, therefore, tolerably up to
the proceedings of the _Vehme Gericht_.

"Confound it, Mandeville!" interrupted he, "we shall be kept here the
whole night, if you don't get on faster. Both Fred and I know all about
the ruined tower, the subterranean chamber--which, by the way, must have
looked deucedly like a tunnel--the cord and steel, and all the rest of
it. Skip the trial, man. It's a very old song now, and bring us as fast
as you can to the castle and the marriage. I hope the Margravine took
Fritchen with her. That little monkey was worth the whole bundle of them
put together!"

The Margrave made another tumbler. His eye had become rather glassy, and
his articulation slightly impaired. He was gradually drawing towards the
chivalrous period of the Crusades.

"Two days had passed away since that terrible ride began, and yet there
was neither halt nor intermission. Blindfold, pinioned, and bound into
the saddle, I sate almost mechanically and without volition, amidst the
ranks of the furious Hulans, whose wild huzzas and imprecations rung
incessantly in my ears. No rest, no stay. On we sped like a hurricane
across the valley and the plain!

"At last I heard a deep sullen roar, as if some great river was
discharging its collected waters over the edge of an enormous precipice.
We drew nearer and nearer. I felt the spray upon my face. These, then,
were the giant rapids of the Danube.

"The order to halt was given.

"'We are over the frontier now!' cried the loud harsh voice of Duke
Albrecht; 'Stanislaus and Slavata! unbind that English dog from his
steed, and pitch him over the cliff. Let the waters of the Danube bear
him past the castle of his lady. It were pity to deny my delicate cousin
the luxury of a coronach over the swollen corpse of her minion!'

"'Coward!' I exclaimed; 'coward as well as traitor! If thou hast the
slightest spark of manhood in thee, cause these thy fellows to unbind my
hands, give me back my father's sword, stand face to face against me on
the greensward, and, benumbed and frozen as I am, thou shalt yet feel
the arm