off his schaleo* in silence, twisted the billet among its gold tassels, and twice passing his hand through his luxuriant locks, he said, not without considerable vexation, "this, forsooth, is rare luck! No doubt the rich miser is well enough known!-I heartily wish, however, that I had been quartered anywhere else!" "Ha, ha! what a silly fellow you must be!" cried a bold knowing comrade" what is it to you, pray, if your host is a miser or a spendthrift? Only let him be rich enough-then a soldier is sure to be well off. However, you must begin with politeness and address-every thing depends on good management." "That is very true, I grant you!" said Wolfe, as he threw his knapsack over his shoulder"but there are a set of people in the world on whom all politeness is thrown away, and who have no heart or feel ing for man nor beast. If ever I meet with a butcher's waggon in the streets, full of miserable animals tied and bundled together, and see how the poor beasts lie there over and under one another, groaning sometimes, so that it cuts one to the heart, and mark how the fellows plod on behind the cart in utter indifference-whistling perhaps all the time, I have much ado to withhold myself from falling on, and beating the scoundrels heartily! Besides, to say the truth, I have had enough of blood and slaughter, and begin to be disgusted with the whole trade!"

"Oh!" cried his laughing companions, "Wolfe cannot bear the sight of blood-Thou chicken-hearted fellow!-And when did this terror come upon thee?"-" Don't talk nonsense," replied Wolfe angrily-“ in battle, when man stands against man, and besides, when there are different motives for action, (laying his hand on his iron cross) one looks neither to the right nor the left, but in a soberer mood-well then, I shall not deny it, whenever I pass by a butcher's stall, and see the bloody axe, and hear (or fancy that I hear) the groans of agony, I feel inwardly, as if the fibres of my heart were torn-and therefore, I do wish that I had been quartered any where else!"

His comrades began to laugh at him more than ever, though they did not

venture it till he had gone a little way. He then looked round at them, and shook his lance, half jesting, half angry. They made faces at him in return, but soon began to disperse, and Wolfe proceeded on the road to his quarters.

He had not gone far when he found the street and the number. Already at a distance he saw a gigantic man in his shirt-sleeves, standing under the door-way. His countenance of a dusky yellow complexion, was quite shaded over by coal-black bushy projecting eyebrows; the small eyes, devoid of intellect, appeared to watch the rolling vapours of a short pipe.-One hand was placed in the waistcoat pocket, the other seemed to dance up and down the silver knots of the pipe, which rested ever and anon on his goodly person. Wolfe saluted him courteously, and, with a modest bow, shewed him his billet; upon which the man squinted at him sidewise, and without attending any further to his guest, he pointed, with his thumb bent backwards, to the house-at the same time adding, in a gloomy and indifferent tone-" Only go in there, Sir! my people know already." Wolfe bit his lips, and entering somewhat abruptly, his sabre that rattled after him, happened to inflict a pretty sharp blow across the legs of Mein-herr John, his landlord. "What the devil in hell!" grumbled the butcher. Wolfe, however, did not allow himself to enter into any explanation or dispute, but passed on, and came into the court. He found there a pale and sickly-looking girl carrying two buckets of water. Wolfe, drawing near to her, inquired if she was the servant of his landlord? The girl remained silent, and as if terrified standing before him. She had set down the two buckets on the ground, and looked on him with large rayless eyes unsteadily. Her complexion seemed always to become more pale, till she resembled a marble statue more than an animated being. Meanwhile, as Wolfe renewed his question, she let her head sink upon her breast, and taking up the buckets again, she said, with her eyes fixed on a short flight of steps that led by a servant's door into the house, "Come up here; and

plexion and glistening eyes, (not be ing aware of Wolfe's presence) gave the accustomed signal with a hard knotted stick on the door. Wolfe perceiving this, stepped up to meet him, carrying his head very high (while the light, such as it was, shone full upon him), and said, in a commanding tone, "Must I always sit in the dark?" Mein-herr John started as if he had been struck with a thunderbolt, let the cudgel fall out of his hands, looked about wildly and aghast, then rushed in and passed by Wolfe, uttering a deep groan of indescribable terror. "Is he mad, or drunk?" said our hero, who, at this strange behaviour, grew more irritated, applied himself resolutely to the bell, and stood prepared to raise a still greater disturb ance, when the pale interesting girl, Louisa, stepped out timidly, and, on hearing his demand, excused her negligence, and, with a light in her hand, hastened up stairs before him. She then set the candle on the table, shut the window, wiped the dust from the chairs, and, in her silent and quiet manner, employed herself for a while in the room.

Wolfe was very reserved and modest with ladies he hated scandal; and, on the whole, perhaps, had not much confidence in the house. For these reasons, the presence of the girl rather vexed him. He kept himself turned away, and drummed with his fingers against the window. Louisa stood at the bed, with spread hands, smoothing and arranging the bed clothes. Wolfe heard her sigh deeply, and involuntarily looked after her, as she retired sobbing and hanging down her head with an expression of the deepest melancholy. All this vexed him to the soul. "What then can she weep for?" said he to himself "Has my rough manner terrified her? or, in my hurry, have I used to her some harsh words?" He had already the light in his hands, and anxiously hastened after her-"Stop, stop, my dear!" cried he aloud; "it is as dark as pitch on the stairs!you may do yourself a mischief!"-Louisa was still standing on the first steps. Wolfe leaned over the railing and lighted her down. She thanked him with emotion, and her humid eyes were lifted up to him with an expression of unaccountable grief. Wolfe beheld her with silent perplexity, not

unmingled with pleasure, for he now perceived that she was very pretty; and a fine, but rather hectic, red played alternately over her interesting features. He took her hand respectfully-" My dear," said he, " you are so much agitated-have I offended you?"-"Oh heavens! certainly not," answered she, beginning to weep anew. "Then, surely," said Wolfe, earnestly, some one else has done something to distress you?" Louisa folded both hands, pressed them to her eyes, and slightly shook her head-" God has so willed," said she; " you also have been sent hither; good Heavens ! all was so well-so tranquil-now all my afflictions are renewed!" She made signs to Wolfe that he must not follow her; wiped the tears with her apron from her eyes; and went silently down the steps.

Wolfe having returned to his room, sat for a long time right opposite to the candle, leaning his head on his hands; and, without being able to account for the extraordinary and mysterious emotion by which he was overwhelmed, all his thoughts involuntarily became more and more dark and melancholy, just as if some fearful and heavy misfortune were about to fall upon him. He could not prevail over his reflections so as to bring them into any regular order; so deeply had the voice of the weeping Louisa penetrated into his heart. Her accents were now inwardly renewed, and divided, as it were, into a thousand echoes. In listening to her, it had not been without difficulty that he had refrained from tears; her touching sorrow almost broke his heart; and his own fate seemed unaccountably involved with her misfortunes.

Thus wholly occupied and lost in deep thought, he began, absently, to engrave with a pen knife, (which lay near his tobacco-pouch, and had served for clearing his pipe), all sorts of lines and angles on the crazy old wooden table at which he sat. Without knowing or intending it, he had engraven on the already hacked and disfigured boards, Louisa's name, which he had overheard frequently called aloud through the house. Or observing what he had done, he almost started; and then drew the knife several times across the letters to obliterate the name. As he was then more fully made aware of what he had done, all

in

at once there appeared to him, clearly and undeniably, traces of the very same name, and in his own hand-writing, on several corners of the table. Wolfe again started, rubbed his eyes, and stared at these characters, comparing in them the well-known difficultly-formed great L, and the other letters, with his own writing; "Am I be witched?" cried he; trying to recollect whether he had not absolutely and really written these other inscriptions himself-but his arms could not have reached so far; and as yet he had not sat at any other side of the table.

"Yet all this must be dd nonsense!" muttered he; at the same time looking about rather timidly through the obscure chamber. The fallen down broken places in the wall, especially near the bed, diversifying the black distorted faces traced with charcoal-the general uncouth desolation of the visibly neglected apartment appeared, in the uncertain scanty light, in a high degree disquieting and formidable. To Wolfe it seemed even as if the rudely-traced caricature faces were known to him. He shuddered involuntarily, and hastily extinguished the light, in order to escape, if possible, from such hobgoblins and preternatural impressions. Besides, it had become too late to think of writing any more. For a moment he wished to breathe the free air, for without he thought it would be cool and refreshing. He opened the window again therefore. All appeared still and slumbering; and the cool breath of night saluted him. From a neighbouring cellar, however, even now, rays of light were shining forth; and soon after Wolfe heard the hammers ringing loudly on the anvil. "Poor soul," thought he, "thou art already making the most of these midnight hours, which to thee begin a week of hard labour." The glowing iron now brightly scattered its sparks, as if from the bowels of the earth, into the lonely gloom of the night. "He probably sharpens knives and hatchets for the butcher," continued Wolfe to himself; "that suits Meinherr John exactly, and is quite convenient and useful for both. How all trades assist one another, and depend on eacnether, in this world!".

He had once more become tranquil, and looked for a long time into the beautiful garden, which at night appeared for the first time inhabited; VOL VI.

for Wolfe now plainly marked some one slowly moving up and down through the obscure walks. Sometimes the form stood still, and lifted its arm, as if beckoning to some one to follow. Wolfe could not distinguish the figure narrowly enough-for the rising veil of vapours often concealed it as if in long white robes; and the more anxiously he fixed his eyes upon it, the more faintly and glimmeringly one object, as it were, melted into another. At last Wolfe came from the window, and, leaving it open, threw himself into bed. The now dry leaves of his cypress wreath, which hung upon the wall, fluttered, and rustled over him in the draught of the window. Wolfe started up at the sound, calling out, "Who's there?" and he be thought himself but half awake where he was. His eyes now chanced to rest upon the window, and there he could not help believing, that he beheld the same form that had before appeared in the garden looking in upon him. "Devil take your jokes!" cried our hero, becoming quite angry, not only with this intruder, but still more with himself, for the death-like tremour which came over him. He then drew his head hastily under the clothes, and from fatigue fell asleep under loud audible beating of his heart.

One hour, as he believed, (but a longer interval, perhaps, in reality,) had the mysterious influences of the world of dreams reigned over his sen ses, when a strange noise once more alarmed him. The moon was still contending with the light of day, of which the faint gray dawn was visible; and now a low moaning sound was again heard close to our hero. He instantly tore the clothes from his face, and set both his arms at liberty. Then with one hand stretched out, and the other lifted up for combat, he forced his eyes wide open, and stared about him. He was at first not a little terrified, on beholding a great white dog, with his two fore-feet placed upon the bed, and stretching up his head, with large round eyes fixed upon him, and gleaming in the twilight. This un expected guest however wagged his tail, and licked the hand that was stretched out to drive him away-so that Wolfe could not find in his heart to fulfil his intention; the dog fawning, always came nearer and nearer; and, as if through customary right, re

3 X

mained at last quietly in the same position. "Probably he must belong to some one here," thought our hero, stroking him on the back; "and now believes that I am his master. Who knows what inhabitant may have left this apartment to make room for me?" Scarcely had he said these last words, when the dreams, out of which he had just awoke, regained all their influence, and he could not help believing that there had really been some important and preternatural visitant with him in his chamber. Reflection on this subject, however, was too painful and perplexing to be continued. He therefore sprang out of bed, and, as it was already day-break, he began to put his accoutrements in order, and prepared himself to go to the stables. The dog continued snuffling about him, and attentively watched and imitated his every look and movement. Wolfe twice shewed him to the door, which the troublesome animal had opened in the night, and which still stood open; but he shewed not the slightest inclination to retire from the presence of his new master.

In the court all was now alive and busy. The butcher's men went gaily about, whistling and singing, some of them pious songs, and others, such as they had learned at the alehouse. Wolfe stood at the window, and brushed the dust from his foraging cap, now and then looking down at the mock-fighting, wrestling, and other practical jokes, of these rude sturdy companions. One of them, who appeared somewhat older than the rest, and moreover wore a morose and discontented aspect, drew from the stable a poor old withered hack, buckled on a leathern portmanteau, threw him self into a faded shabby great coat, and with a large whip in his hand, twisted his fingers through the mane and bridle; fixed one foot in the stirrup, and endeavoured to bring up the other with a violent swing. However, the poor worn-out animal, who had not recovered from the effects of his last journey, kicked and plunged to prevent himself from being mounted; while the awkward horseman, in a rage, checked and tore him with the reins, kicked him with his feet in the side, and with his clenched fist on the head." Infamous scoundrel!" said Wolfe, whose blood boiled with indignation, "if the fellow can't ride,

what business has he to meddle with horses!-It is a miserable thing to see a fellow in this situation, who has never been a soldier!" At last, the despicable rider got himself seated in the saddle, drew a white felt cap over his eyes, and jogged away, bending his body almost double as he passed under the outward gateway. Wolfe was glad when he was thus fairly gone; yet his absence had not continued long, when our hero again heard the long-legged old gray horse trampling over the stones. The rider had forgotten something. He shouted, whis tled, and cursed alternately; then rode up with much noise to an under window, and demanded, "if no one had seen Lynx?" This honest creature now lay growling at Wolfe's feet, and shewed his teeth angrily, every time the well-known voice called him from below. Wolfe was by no means inclined, on account of his new friend, to enter into any quarrels; however, as he stood at the window, and patted Lynx on the head, he took the trouble of calling out-"If it is the great white dog that you want, here he lies in the room with me. I did not bring him hither, and do not wish to keep him; but he will not go away." The bawling fellow stared at him, with his mouth wide open; once more pulled down his cap; and, without saying another word, rode away about his business. "So much the better," thought Wolfe stroking smooth the bristly rough hair of Lynx. "Stay thou here, my good old dog, and take care of my knapsack whilst I am absent." The dog looked at him, as if he understood every word-drew his hind legs under him, and with the forelegs stretched out, he laid himself across the threshold of the door, with his head lifted up, and keeping watch attentively.

Wolfe then went about his professional duties, endeavouring to forget the painful night that he had passed; and assumed an appearance of merriment, which he was in reality far from enjoying. In currying and rubbing down his horse, however, he sung one song after another, while his comrades about him, in the meanwhile, had much to complain of in their reception, and wished for the re turn of better days." There he is, in high spirits," said they, pointing to Wolfe. But then," added they, "