ealthy fugitive; and as she met him there was, in her sudden
involuntary gesture, the appearance of one who has been captured by a
pursuer. For an instant she recoiled in an agony of terror, but then
one glance at the costume of the priest seemed to reassure her; and
then, clasping her hands, she came nearer, and said, in tremulous
tones:

"_Padre! padre! per l'amor de Dios soccorre me_!"

The priest looked at her for a few moments in silence. Then he spoke.

"_Etez vous Francaise, mademoiselle_?"

The woman shook her head.

"_E ella Italiana_?"

Again she shook her head.

"_Sind sie Deutsch_?"

Another shake of the head, and then she said:

"_Yo soy Inglesa_."

The priest gave a long whistle.

"English!" he cried; "English! Then in future please be kind enough
to speak English, for your Spanish--is--well, declined, with thanks."

At these words the woman started, and then, with an uncontrollable
impulse, seized the hand of the priest in a convulsive grasp.

"Oh!" she cried, "are you really--really an Englishman? Oh, thank
Heaven! thank Heaven! Then you will help me!"

"English?" said the priest; "well, for the matter of that, I'm
anything you please just now, in this infernal country. I certainly
do speak English, but at the same time I prefer calling myself what I
am--namely, an American."

This loquacity of the priest made no impression upon the woman, who
was absorbed now by her one idea of escape, of obtaining help, of
flight.

"Oh, sir," she continued, "can you help me? Can I go on by this road?
Do you know what I can do? Will you tell me?"

"Oh yes," said the priest, "I'll tell you. I do not know what you can
do. What can you do? You can read, perhaps, and I suppose you can
play the piano, and crochet; but I know what you cannot do--you
cannot speak Spanish."

These words were spoken with the indifferent air of one who is
thinking of something else.

"Ah, sir," said the woman, in a tone of anguish, "don't mock at me!
I'm in distress unspeakable. I've--I've lost my way."

She could scarcely speak from agitation. The priest was silent for a
moment. Then he drew a long breath.

"Lost your way?" said he. "Well, that is queer too. Your way--and
what way can that be in times like these, and here in this country,
and, above all, in this part of the country? Are you walking for a
wager? Are you going round the world in a bee-line? Do you carry a
portable canoe?"

"I was in the diligence," s