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"There is no lawful authority," said the pretty rebel, "either in the sword or the pen-either in battles or treaties."

"In what then, for heaven's sake?"

"In the will of the majority of the nation."

"In the will of the majority of the nation! In the will of an ignorant and ferocious peasantry, who can neither read nor write, and who are equally unacquainted even with the geographical position of Bavaria and Austria!"

"I will not argue with you," said Dorathen, “on a subject on which we never can agree. I demand of you nothing more than a good night's sleep, and that is what you have no right to deprive me of."

"Alas, Dorathen," said I, "it would be in vain for me to make such a demand of you! However, I will

not now dispute an authority which I hold to be more lawful than even that of the majority of the nation;" and so saying, I equipped myself in the cumbrous dress she offered.

"Now, tell me," said I, seizing her hand, and bending forward to snatch the salute which I knew the custom of the country authorised on such occasions,"tell me, Dorathen, are you engaged to the dusky Italian?"

"Yes-no," said Dorathen hastily. I closed her lips with mine, thus accepting of the negative.

I began to retrace my steps gaily. She was the most beautiful, and the most interesting piece of

womankind I had ever fallen in with; and in a country like this, she seemed nothing less than an angel descended on purpose to reconcile me to life. My thoughts, however, were soon dragged down to earth by the difficulties of the road. I had no light to guide my steps, and the night appeared to become darker and darker. Trent, however, was in view, or at least its situation was indicated by some straggling lamps in the distance, and I stumbled on without apprehension. Presently I saw something against the dull sky, which resembled the figure of a man; but as it was without the accompanying sound of steps, I was in doubt. The figure vanished; and I became convinced that it was something endowed with the faculty of voluntary motion-for there was not a breath of air had passed through the gloom. A few minutes after, I was startled by a voice close to my ear.

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"Is it time?" said some one passing me from behind.

Ay,-time to be in bed," muttered I, catching by the hilt of my sword. The challenger passed on without rejoinder-and I confess I was glad of it, for the voice was that of Rusen. I was somewhat agitated, as you will allow the best soldier may be at the idea of midnight assassination; and determining that it was no longer safe to keep the main road, I struck with as little noise as possible into a bye-path, determining to make a considerable circuit before venturing upon the highway again.

Whether it was owing, however, to my ignorance of the localities, or to my imagination bewildering itself with speculations on the revengeful jealousy of the Italians, and the dexterity of the Tyrolese at the rifle, I knew not; but in a very few minutes I had regained the road. There were some ruins, apparently those of a cottage, by the wayside, and before striking out into the valley again, I determined to make use of the cover they afforded, to take an observation. Accordingly, with my drawn sword under my cloak, for I had no pistols, I crept along the walls, and endeavoured to find some point from which I could view the road both before and behind.

The caution with which I moved was highly necessary; for another step would have brought me into bodily contact with a man who leaned with folded arms against a corner of the ruin. I was surprised that even the little noise I made did not attract his attention, but this was soon effected by the same ill-boding voice which I had heard before.

"Is it time?" said Rusen, passing-for I was sure of the voice.

"Salurn!" exclaimed the man, starting as if from slumber.

"Has he passed yet?"

"No-on my oath; not a mouse could have passed without my observation--far less a Bavarian."

"Let us go farther on then; he cannot be many

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minutes longer, and the more distant we are from the town the better."

The confederates moved on; and as soon as the sound of their feet died away in the distance, I stepped from my ambuscade upon the highway, and made as hasty a retreat to quarters as was ever effected by a soldier on foot.

The next day I learned that Rusen was a Veronese of considerable wealth and influence, who had settled in this part of the Tyrol, for the purpose of carrying into effect some extensive manufacturing speculation. He was publicly known to be the accepted lover of Dorathen; although the lady's inclinations were supposed to be biassed more by political considerations than by dreams of matrimonial happiness. She, in fact, as report represented her, was rather an extraordinary character. Although quite a girl when her country was ceded to Bavaria three years before, she had distinguished herself as a member of what was called the French Patriotic Association; and had continued to throw every impediment in the way of the execution of the laws, which female ingenuity could devise. I could hardly conceive that the Dorathen of this romance and my own was the same being. She had seemed to me to be the very beau ideal of gentleness and grace; and she had commenced her acquaintance with one of the tyrants by saving his life. It is dangerous for a young man, as I was then, to perplex his mind upon such

subjects. My thoughts dwelt upon the interesting rebel till she became a part of myself; and at our subsequent interviews, I had the happiness to find, or imagine, that I was by no means an object of indifference to her.

At first she made use of all the little arts of a woman to elicit political information, or to convince me of the iniquity of the government of which I was an agent. But by degrees she avoided such subjects; it seemed to me that a feeling of regard for my honour began to mingle with her generous, though mistaken patriotism; she became silent, melancholy, absent; and at last she avoided my company so sedulously, that there was sometimes a week between our meetings. The morose Rusen, in the meantime, whom I sometimes saw, had apparently become more reconciled to my rivalship; and he even attempted, although in vain, to force his acquaintance with me into intimacy. This of course I attributed to political motives; for although at that time we did not dream of actual insurrection, we were aware of the existence of a party hostile to Bavarian interests.

I was ordered to Botzen with a small escort party for the protection of some specie, which was to be transmitted by the way of that town to the capital. It was long since I had seen Dorathen; and certain rumours of her approaching marriage, although I could not believe them to be true, gave me much uneasiness. Her late conduct indeed had appeared cold and capricious; and

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