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towards the fatal gulph. 'I will die with him,' she exclaimed, as she found her progress arrested by the now terrified spectators; let me pass, it is my father's grave I seek.' Her frenzied manner, her wild glance, intimidated them; and she had nearly effected her purpose, when Annesley, rushing through the broken ranks, tried to detain her she burst with more than feminine force from his arms--it was filial affection gave her strength; and, as she bounded down the subterranean declivity with the whirlwind's speed, her appearance was almost unearthly-her dark locks floated on the night breeze, and her light form quickly disappeared in the surrounding obscurity. Annesley and several soldiers followed, but soon lost sight of her, and bewildered themselves in the intricacies of the cavern.

At length, by a sudden ascent, they found themselves on the open plain, when, yielding to the advice of his comrades, Annesley reluctantly returned to the camp. Scarcely had they reached it when the dreadful catastrophe (which all silently expected) took place: a sudden burst of flame and smoke, accompanied by a noise and shock resembling an earthquake's force, appalled the senses of the Polish troops; the curling wreaths of reddening vapour flamed to the sky, flinging their broad glare over the adjacent mountains, and changing the midnight gloom to one awful sheet of fire; the fragments of the falling towers strewed the ground for many wersts, and the thundering sound of the falling masses, torn from their original stations, still, at intervals, stunned the listening ear.

Day broke, and disclosed a scene seldom equalled even in the annals of sanguinary war. The town and fortress of P were reduced to one smoking heap of ruins, blocking up the mountain pass with its promiscuous fragments; the soldiers, though rejoiced at the discomfiture of the enemy, sighed as they recollected its former grandeur, and regarded it as the tomb of their beloved general.

Leopold and a chosen party were immediately dis

patched to guard the pass: resolved to profit by the advantage they had gained from this heroic exploit, and amid the scattered heaps of shattered stones, might be seen small parties of Polish troops, occupying the stations which the day before had been in the hands of the enemy.

Annesley, unable to take part in the general efforts for security, while the fate of Christina remained uncertain, once more entered the dark intricacies of the mine, and, though totally unacquainted with its various labyrinths, he forced his way through the crumbling atoms which had fallen from the rocky roofs: sometimes nearly blinded by the showery dust, and sometimes almost suffocated by the foul air, he still urged forwards with unceasing perseverance, and at length arrived at the awful gulph, now partly filled up by the masses which had fallen from above; and its black water, spouting through various crevices into new channels, formed itself here and there into rushing cascades. The dark stream shone in the reflection of his torch, which cast an uncertain glimmer on the appalling scene around him; huge crags, dislodged from their natural basis, hung as if suspended by a single thread, swaying and tottering in mid air; while, beneath his feet, various chasms yawned as if rent by the late convulsions, for aught he knew of immeasurable depth, and requiring more than a common effort of human daring to attempt to spring over their gaping fissures. Death seemed attendant on every step, but the resolution of the brave Englishman was still undaunted, and he continued his search; pale, but intrepid-sad, but unsubdued ;' yielding to no difficulties, and resolved not to forego his pursuit. Entering the jaws of a huge cavern on one side, he cast an anxious glance around its wide concave; almost despairing of success, his brain bewildered with uncertainty, and every pulse throbbing with feverish anxiety, there, like a saint enshrined in heaven's own sepulchre, he thought he saw the pale corpse of Christina: he advanced a few paces; a gust of air, finding entrance at a rent in the arch above, almost extinguish

ed his torch, at the same time refreshing the burning temples of the wearied soldier; he knelt to distinguish the phantom before him, which lay like a pearl imbedded in the dark caves of ocean, over which the tempest had swept, but had left it still undisturbed in original beauty. It was reality-she was cold and motionless; but, as he bent over her with the mute feelings of bitter despair, he thought she breathed, yet she moved not; and, when he raised her hand, it fell nerveless from his grasp. 'She is gone!' he uttered, in an agony which none were near to witness, but this shall not be her tomb;' and, rousing his almost torpid feelings, he raised her in his arms, pressed her to his bosom in a delirium of frenzy, kissed her bleeding forehead, and bore her, with desperate speed, through the winding caverns. Gasping for breath, and wild with apprehension, he reached the mouth of the aperture, where several officers, whose friendship for Annesley was firm and sincere, awaited the success of his enterprise; they started as they beheld the ghastly spectacle, and, releasing her from his convulsive grasp, procured a litter, on which they conveyed her to the hut of Pauline, who, in the utmost distress of mind, sought by every means to recover her, and the efforts of affection were not in vain.

After some time animation slowly returned; she gave a look of recognition to Pauline, when, remembering the fate of her noble father, she burst into tears. Her feelings, thus awakened, resumed their proper channel, and in a few days her usual health was restored; her frame, though every nerve had been shaken by the dreadful shock, was not materially injured, the slight wound in her forehead being the only external mark of violence she received; the cavern she was in having been fortunately too far distant to be more affected by the explosion.

The Russians having once more taken the field, Annesley was summoned to head-quarters, and several days were passed by the two sisters in great suspense. Christina gradually recovered, and one evening, for the

first time, leaning on the arm of Pauline, she wandered along the plain towards the base of the mountains. On a sudden the distant roar of the cannon rolled along the sky, and repeated flashes of light, becoming every moment more visible from the increasing darkness, announced the commencement of an engagement.

Pauline cast a shuddering look towards the scene of conflict, and her pale lips murmured, ' Heaven preserve my husband!' Christina's heart responded to the prayer, both raised their tearful eyes to the sky, which at that moment became obscured by a vast cloud of black smoke, ascending from the batteries erected by the Poles on the heights; and, through its dense vapour, the quick and red flashes of their musquetry broke at intervals with horrid illumination. For some

hours they watched with trembling anxiety the appalling scene, when, at length, oh fearful sight! they saw disclosed, by the glare of the destructive fires, the black eagle of Muscovy, waving its broad standard on the sole remaining tower of the fortress of P

Nothing was to be heard but the wild inquiries of wives and mothers, seeking, among those who returned, their lost husbands. Many who were doomed never more to behold them, still urged their fruitless search; and among those, Christina pressed forward with frenzied eagerness: she sought in vain for her brother, all were too much occupied by their own distresses to answer her, and a fatal presage filled her mind, when she found he did not return; and, weak as she was, she instantly set out to seek him on the field of battle.

With difficulty she gained the steep ascent that led to an open space, which had the night before been the scene of action; the dusky veil of twilight had again descended on it, but darkness hid none of its horrors from the dim eyes of her who came to seek a brother amid the mangled heaps that were strewed around :' but she sought in vain; each countenance, disfigured with wounds, presented lineaments to which she was a stranger; her heart sickened as she beheld the dreadful spectacles of number of her fellow-countrymen, so

lately invigorated with youth and health, so lately fearless of danger and ardent for victory, now stretched at her feet, and moistening with their blood the soil of their native land. Seeing that her search was hopeless, and with the lingering step of despair she was about to retrace her way, sickening with the horrors she had encountered, when the form of Annesley suddenly rushed past her, and at her well known voice he stopped. From him she learned that her brother was not dead, but that, having fallen into the hands of the enemy, a court martial, contrary to the laws of war, had sentenced him to die. To this injustice they were meanly prompted by that spirit of revenge with which the daring achievement of Alvinski had inspired them.

There was only one way left of averting the fate of Leopold Christina knew a secret passage which led to the door of her brother's prison, and if they could deceive the guard, it was possible that, by an exchange of clothes, the leader of the Poles might be enabled to make his escape at the expense of the liberty of his friend. The stratagem succeeded admirably; Annesley was a prisoner, and next morning Leopold was greeted with enthusiasm by the remnant of his troops.

He looked around, he saw the plains strewed with the bodies of his countrymen: he saw that many were dispersed by flight, many were disabled by sickness and wounds. The intelligence he received was only to know that Poland was submitting to her conquerors: Warsaw was taken, her streets had streamed with the blood of her nobles, and what remained for him and his handful of followers but to surrender or perish. And, perish we will,' reiterated every voice; we will de. fend this plot of ground on which we stand to the last extremity, and quit it but with life.'

Leopold applauded their resolution, and, having taken what measures he could for defence, retired to the but of his Pauline, to whom he communicated the intention of the troops who remained. She shuddered: Is there no way,' said Christina,' of escaping, but death?