ministers of
justice, than by his own natural frailties, the wants of his habits, or
the strength of his passions. Let the judge feel a father's mildness, the
laws possess that pure justice which is of things that are not perverted,
and society become what it claims to be, a community of mutual support,
and, my life on it, chatelain, thy functions will be lessened of most of
their weight and of all their oppression."

"This language is bold, and without an object. Explain the manner of thy
quitting Vevey, Maso, the road thou hast travelled, the hours of thy
passages by the different villages, and the reason why thou wert
discovered near the Refuge, alone, and why thou quittedst the companions
with whom thou hadst passed the night so early and so clandestinely?"

The Italian listened attentively to these several interrogatories; when
they were all put, he gravely and calmly set about furnishing his answers.
The history of his departure from Vevey, his appearance at St. Maurice,
Martigny, Liddes, and St. Pierre, was distinctly given, and it was in
perfect accordance with the private information that had been gleaned by
the authorities. He had passed the last habitation on the mountain, on
foot and alone, about an hour before the solitary horseman, who was now
known to be Jacques Colis, was seen to proceed in the same direction; and
he admitted that he was overtaken by the latter, just as he reached the
upper extremity of the plain beneath Velan, where they were seen in
company, though at a considerable distance, and by a doubtful light, by
the travellers who were conducted by Pierre.

Thus far the account given of himself by Maso was in perfect conformity
with what was already known to the chatelain; but, after turning the rock
already mentioned in a previous chapter, all was buried in mystery, with
the exception of the incidents that have been regularly related in the
narrative. The Italian, in his further explanations, added that he soon
parted with his companion, who, impatient of delay, and desirous of
reaching the convent before night, had urged his beast to greater speed,
while he himself had turned a little aside from the path to rest himself,
and to make a few preparations that he had deemed necessary before going
directly to the convent.

The whole of this short history was delivered with a composure as great as
that which had just been displayed by Pippo and the pilgrim; and it was
impossible for any present