The enraged Baron, in the first emo- defenceless fituation, which he feared tions of his refentment, had been indu would not enable him to protect his deced to banish from his prefence, the wo- voted child from arbitrary force, and man, who had prefumed to defpife his lawless violence. After revolving in offers, and reject his love. A momen- his mind every poffible circumftance, he tary hatred took poffeffion of his mind, had worked up his apprehenfions to fuch but it foon gave place to fofter senti a height, as to decide fuddenly, that an ments; her beauty, the fimple elegance immediate flight could afford the only of her form, her unftudied graces, and means of fecurity from an enemy so foreven the innocence which he meditated midable. The caftle of Brinon was the to destroy, returned to his imagination, fole afylum which he could fix on as and difappointed paffion once more raged eligible; there, a fifter of his late wife with greater violence than ever. In the had lived for many years fuperintendant firft tranfports of his anger, he had com- of the family; and here he hoped he manded Du Val to dismiss Bernard with might be permitted to conceal his daughcontempt, as an object beneath his fu- ter without danger of discovery; it was ture notice; he now fummoned again diftant from Bernard's village about into his prefence this trufty meffenger, forty miles, and he hoped that they this confidential friend of all his vices. fhould be able to reach it in a couple of The wily minion foon pacified the per- days. He proposed the scheme to Emturbed fpirit of his Lord, with that fub- ma, who readily undertook a journey, tle flattery, which he well knew how to which would remove her beyond the adminifter; he artfully and refpectfully power of the dreaded Morenzi. They ventured to blame the Baron, for fetting had no time to lofe, and, therefore, with at liberty the prey which he had once out further deliberation, began the prefecured in his net, and advised him to parations neceffary for an expedition fo avail himself of the power, that his rank important to their fecurity. Bernard gave him over his dependents, and to prudently determined to repofe no contake by force the object of his wishes fidence in any of his neighbours; alfrom the cottage of her father fuch a though he knew himself to be beloved method, he doubted not, would enfure by them fufficiently to fecure their fehis victory over her ftubborn virtue, crecy, yet he was unwilling to expose which probably might be affected only them to the Baron's refentment, by ento enhance her confequence; or which trufting them with the fecret of his jourwould certainly yield, when fears for ney. Bernard took with him his little the fafety of her father fhould be roufed, store, the honeft earnings of induftrious on her feparation from him. This point years; Emma made up a fmall parcel fettled, Du Val obtained the thanks of of linen; and neither of them being inthe Baron for his friendly counfels, and clined to repofe, they fat down to a the promise of a large gratuity to recom- fimple meal, of which, for the fake of pence his fervices, when by his affiftance each other, although devoid of appetite, Emma fhould be inclofed once more they mutually forced themselves to parwithin the castle walls. take, that they might the better be enabled to encounter the fatigues which they had to undergo.

:

When Bernard had received from his daughter, a minute detail of her late vifit, although he rejoiced at her present efcape, he forefaw her future danger, and trembled at the fatal confequence which might yet enfue. He knew Morenzi to be devoid of every principle of honour and humanity: he dreaded the influence of his power, and felt his own

armed chair, which was the conftant feat were bufily engaged in attending to the newly arrived guests, Bernard applied to one of the fervants to accommodate him and his daughter with a room, until a chaife could be got ready for their use; his request was granted, and they were fhewn into a small apartment that looked into a garden, where they waited, with fome impatience, the arrival of the carri age in which they were to purfue their little journey.

Having urged their request to be ferved with expedition, the landlord entered, and informed them, that by fun-rife they might depend on a chaife, but that he would not suffer his horses to leave the ftables, until they had been sufficiently refreshed to do their duty: obferving Emma to caft a difconfolate look upon her father, he faid, "your young companion may be weary, I recommend her to take fome reft in a quiet chamber, whither my wife fhall conduct her." Emma, oppreffed by the fatigue which the had undergone, and finding they had no chance of purfuing their journey for the next two hours, accepted the propofal, and confented to retire into an up

of her father, the funk into it, and burst into tears. "Alas!" faid fhe, "I had hoped for happy years to come, to watch here the calm repofe of him, who gave me being; to tend with duteous affection his declining age, who reared my infancy with anxious love: I, who would with to be his deareft companion, am doomed to bring forrow on his filver head!""Rather," replied Bernard, extending his hand to lead her from a fpot where fond remembrance feemed to arrest her lingering steps, fay that my Emma was born to blefs her father by her exemplary virtues. I triumph in my child, who nobly prefers honourable indigence to fplendid infamy! Let us haften from impending perfecution ;-let us quite a place, which every moment endangers her liberty and innocence." Emma ftarted up, caft a fearful look around, and encircling her arm in that of Bernard, they quited the cottage, paffed through the fleeping hamlet, and reach ed the road, which led to their destined afylum. The moon fhone in penfive majefty-all was ftill-the gentle breeze of night wafted refreshing odours-and per chamber; where reclining upon a folemn filence reigned-fave the foft bed, juft as fhe was; notwithstanding notes of warbling nightingales, chanting the agitations of her mind, fie funk into their tuneful fong, among the fragrant a profound repose. hedges, or perchance, the diftant bleating of fome wakeful lamb. Emma's delicate frame felt fometimes rather exhausted, and obliged her to reft a few moments; but her fears did not permit her to indulge long in a repofe, which endangered her fafety. Bernard comforted her, by the affurance that they approached a village, where there was a public inn; in which they might venture to take fome refreshment, and where he hoped to procure a chaife, to convey them about twelve miles further, which would place them at an eafy diftance from the caftle of Brinon, and confequently diminish the danger of purfuit. Thus encouraged, the timid Emma mov. ed onward with renewed courage; and the fugitives reached the inn, juft as a travelling carriage drove into the court

rd while the landlord and his wife

Let us now quit awhile the virtuous fugitives, to follow Albert into Swifferland. He quitted the village where Emma dwelt, with a heart deeply impreffed by the perfections of a woman, whofe noble rejection of his hand, from the most delicate motives, had raised her in his efleem. The Count de Bournonville, his father, was a man truly refpectable in rank and character; he lived but to promote the happinefs of his friends; and had been fo uniformly indulgent to the withes of Albert, that he had every thing to expect from his generofity and kindnefs. The educa tion of this only furviving fon had been cultivated with the utmost attention; he poffeffed a brilliant genius, a folid understanding, and a heart replete with honour, fenfibility, and virtue.

The

a

:

The Count welcomed his fon with ed he, " fhall revenge her facred blood those marks of tenderness, which pro- in that of an affaffin !"-But fuddenly mifed every thing to the ardent hopes his features fofened to a look of grateof Albert. On the evening of his re- ful tenderness, recollecting himself, and turn, impatient to urge a fuit, upon the falling at the feet of Bournonville, he fuccefs of which his happinets depend- thus continued: "Forgive, oh, parent ed, he requested a private audience of of my deferted infancy, the force of nahis father, who appointed an interview ture, that fufpended in my breast, the in his closet, before they should retire endless debt of gratitude which I owe to their feparate apartments for the night. you: here let my heart ever acknowThey met at the ftated hour, each bear- ledge the tribute due to filial love; while ing teftimony, in his expreffive counte- my fword avenges the blood of murdernance, of the most important fecret ed innocence; from whofe honoured which oppreffed his heart. The youth fource I drew my own exillence. But ful impetuofity of Albert arrested the fay, my lord, whence do you derive Count's attention, by an inftant con- this ftrange intelligence? The Count feffion of his paflion, and by his reliance then informed him, that, in his late ab- on parental indulgence to crown his fence, he had taken into his family a ferwishes the Count de Bournonville lif vant, difcharged from the caftle of Clairtened, without interruption, to the cha- ville, on the death of the late Marquis, racter of Emma, painted with all the and who, being a native of Swifferland, ardent enthusiasm of love, in the glow- had returned to an uncle refiding there ing colours of perfection. Albert ceaf in credit, by whom he had been recomed; the paufe of a moment fucceeded; mended: That Prevot, interrogated when his father, looking ftedfastly upon relative to the motive of his quitting him, thus replied, " Ever ready to pro- France, had given rim a circumftantial mote your felicity, I fhall not attempt account of the occurrences, which had to reafon you out of an attachment, paffed in the family of the Marquis, inwhich you defcribe fo worthy of your cluding the fatal death of the Marchiochoice in every thing but birth and for- nefs, and the lofs of her young fon. tune. You are undoubtedly the fafft" Thefe events," continued the Count, judge in a point of fuch confequence as I found from Prevor's recital, paffed an union for life :-but a subject of fill at a period, when I was returning with more prefent importance now demands my wife through France to Swiffer land; You must in future de- but fo expeditious was my journey, that cide your own deftiny: I no longer can the foregoing circumftances never reachclaim from you the duty of obedience. ed my ears: an infant fon had accomYou are alone the child of my adoption, but panied our tour; and, by a fudden illthe real, the indifputable fon of a noble nefs incident to children, it pleafed and unfortunate Marquis, the heir of a heaven to recall the gift, with which it princely fortune, the real Henry de had bleffed us for a fhort time: the Clairville! wronged of your natural Countefs was inconfolable, and I feared rights by an ufurper; who doomed you grief would have had a fatal effect upon to a death in early infancy, from which her delicate frame; when an Providence refcued your innocence."- ordinary incident roufed her attention "And who murdered, with barbarian from the indulgence of her private hand, my honoured mother?" exclaim- woes, to exercise it on an object whofe ed Albert, attentive with increafing won- interefting age claimed the offices of huder to the words of the Count; and manity from her maternal care. whofe imagination had been wrought up almoft to a pitch of frenzy at the clofe of the fpeech." This arm," continu

your attention.

extra

Albert liftened with attentive filence while the Count de Bournonville continued thus his narrative: "My

faithful

could depend, and who have inviola. bly kept the fecret, which till this hour hath been concealed from all the world, even from yourself, whom I adopted with a tenderness equal to parental fentiments. Heaven not having thought fit to blis me with other children, I fixed my hopes on you, and had long ceafed to expect, and I will confefs even to wish, that fate would difclofe the hidden myftery of your birth. You well re member the dying scene of the incom parable Countefs, who had fo tenderly fulfilled for you a mother's duties: you received her bleffing, and mourned her lofs with filial forrow. I complied,

faithful Durand accompanied us in our travels; he has spent his youth in my fervice, and by his firm attachment has merited the place which he holds in my eileem. As we were paffing a frequent ed road, Durand, who followed us on horfeback, perceived upon the ground a fleeping infant. Surprised to fee no perfon near, and that the child had been left apparently unprotected, he stopped his horfe, when, from a wood which bordered the road, a man suddenly started forth, and thus addreffed Durand, in a tone of agitation, "if you have an inclination to do an act of mercy, take charge of this defolate infant: his life will be forfeited, fhould you refuse rather reluctantly with your desire to to fave him: Spare his innocence, and travel, and obtained your promise not fnatch a foul from guilt. He is of to be absent from me, on your firft exnoble blood, born to inherit a fplendid pedition, more than three months. The fortune, but vengeance will purfue and account which we received from Prevot overwhelm him, unless you generously rescue him."-With thefe words, not waiting for a reply, he bounded again into the wood, and left Durand in the utmost confternation. The honeft fellow, trembling for the fate of the child, would not rifque a moment the threatened danger, but lifting the little infant gently from the ground, and placing him on his horfe, foon overtook our carriage, and stopping it, haftily related the adventure, and prefented us with the foundling, who, awakened by the motion, was pouring forth his little forrows: the Countefs fnatched him eagerly to her bofom, he fmiled innocently in her face and ceafed to cry, as if recollecting in her arms a mother's fond embrace." Yes," faid fhe, diffolving "thou shalt be protected, lovely infant; thou fhalt replace in my vacant affections the lofs of my lamented Albert: my care and tenderness fhall fupply that of a fond parent, and fhelter thee from thy barbarous enemies !”—The better to fecure your fafety, we agreed to call you by the name of our lamented fon, and to conduct you to Swifferland as fuch. We fwore to fecrecy Durand and the Countefs' woman who attended us, on whom we

into tears,

of the unfortunate death of the Marchionefs de Clairville, and the unknown fate of her infant fon, correfponding exactly with the time and circumstances of your adoption, left Durand and me little doubt, but that you were the devoted victim of the concealed affaffin; we determined, however, not to let our fufpicions transpire before your return, which I daily expected from the laft letters that I had received. A week ago, Durand paffing through the streets of Zurich, was accofted by a stranger, whom he foon recollected in spite of the veftiges of time, to be the person who had entrusted him with the care of the infant Albert.

"Thank heaven," exclaimed the stranger, "I have lived to meet you once again! you have never quitted my remembrance, although many years have paffed, fince I recom mended to your protection a perfecuted child. If he still should live, heaven may yet restore him to his rights. Condefcend to follow me to my habitation, where I will unfold a story terrible to relate, the concealment of which has coft my confcience fo dear." Durand readily complied with his requeft, and learnt from him the confeffion; that

being

being a fervant in the family of the Ba- faithful domestic loft no time in impartron de Morenzi, he had been bribed ing to me this momentous fecret: I had

by promises, and intimidated by threats,
to affift his master in the feizure of the
Marchionefs de Clairville and her fon,
on the road to Clairville caftle; but
that having been previoufly haunted by
a horrid dream, he had determined to
fave, if potlible, the young Marquis:
that he confulted with his brother, who
was alfo in the Baron's fervice, and who
afterward loft his life in the action;
and they both agreed together, at all
events, to rescue the child, the chief
object of Morenzi's malice, and the
certain impediment to his wishes of
inheriting the revenues of Clairville
castle. In the beginning of the engage-
ment Fargeon declared, that with a
view to fave him, he fnatched the in-
fant from his mother's arms, who had
fwooned on the approach of the armed
villains; and that having efcaped with
him to the wood, he lulled him to fleep
on a bank near the road; where he
watched the approach of fome paffen-
ger, whom he hoped to move with com-
paffion; that he waited not long, as
Durand was foon after fent by Provi-
dence to be the fortunate inftrument of
his prefervation: Fargeon added, that
he then returned to the Baron, who him-
felf had headed the villainous troop,
and found it not difficult to perfuade
him, that he had with his own hands
Strangled the child, and buried him in
a deep ditch.
Soon after thefe occur-
rences he had married and retired to
Swifferland with his wife, where he
had lived with an upbraiding confcience
ever fince, upon the wages of iniquity;
with this fole confolation, however, that
he was in appearance alone guilty of
the murder. He had lately arrived at
the knowledge of the late Marquis' de-
ceafe, and of the fucceffion of the Ba-
rop, which awakened in his mind fuch
remorfe for the share taken by him in
the deception, that he had almost re-
folved to return to France, in order to
divulge a fecret, which oppreffed his
confcience; when he unexpectedly met
and recollected Durand, to whom he
refolutely confeffed the whole. My

not yet difclofed to Prevot the difcovery, which his intelligence had made to me of your family, but had immediately confided it to Durand, whose report of Fargeon's confeffion, added a ftrong confirmation of circumstances, fufficiently evident before. The fecret yet remains between us undivulged :-but now is the crisis of your fate, and the moment is arrived for you to affert your claims-to prove your exiftence-to expofe to justice the ufurper of your rights" and the murderer of my mother!" exclaimed Albert; " little did I conceive, when I attended the funeral of the lamented Marquis de Clairville, that I was performing an act of duty, and following a parent to the grave !"

Sleep vifited not the eyelids of Albert, who paffed the remainder of the night in revolving the wondrous events, which had been imparted to him. Abhorrence of Morenzi's crimes, and meditated revenge, animated every faculty of his mind; but in the midit of thefe filial emotions the feducing form of Emma would fometimes glide into his ideas, enlightening the future profpec of his life with the brightest hope. When the Count met Albert in the morning, he found him, impelled by youthful ar-. dour and thirst of vengeance, refolved to halten to Clairville castle, and to challenge the affaffin of his mother. The Count endeavoured to footh his impetuofity by reprefenting to him that the judicature of France would do him ample juftice; and that they were fortunately armed with evidence fufficient to condemn a traitor, whofe atrocious crimes ought to be publicly punished by the exertion of thofe laws which he had violated. He propofed, however, without lofs of time, to accompany him to France, and to take immediate meafures for feizing the perfon of the Baron de Morenzi.-Albert fubmitted to the opinion of the Count, and they set out accordingly the next morning, with a large retinue, among whom Durand, Fargcon, and Prevot were included.

We