afford that religious consolation to her wounded spirit which for many a long year before she had not once thought of seeking. What, then, were her feelings when a gigantic arm grasped her strongly by the foldings of her dress, raised her from the ground, and, with the velocity of an arrow darting from the bow, burried her along amidst the horrors of surrounding darkness.

No accent broke the dreadful silence.

For some moments she was borne apparently through the air, when the spectre suddenly paused.... a moment of unutterable suspense followed.... and the next moment Carlotta found herself spell-bound, indeed! Her hands, arms, feet, her whole frame were immovably shrined within a narrow abyss, while the action of the night air upon her face enabled her still to breathe freely. The apparition was no longer visible; and Carlotta, the unhappy Carlotta, made the mountains ring with the voice of her lamentations. Morning at length dawned upon her sorrows, and she endeavoured to form some conception of the precise situation in which she was placed. Before her face was an aperture, from which she could behold the sky and the adjacent country, while the pendant branches, with their dark green leaves, that hung around the opening, enabled her truly to conjecture the mischievous trick she had been played by her tormentor; the uncourteous spectre having unceremoniously deposited her in the hollow of an old tree she remembered to have noticed in her way to Wolfenstein, and immediately decamped, to avoid the exorcisms to which he might otherwise have been subjected; and the bright beams of the morning sun found her looking out at the aperture, like a dryad, a satyr, or any other inhabitant of the woods to which the reader may please to assimilate her appearance.

The footsteps of approaching passengers at length inspired the enthralled fair one with the expectation of obtaining by their assistance a speedy release from her captivity.

Shortly after several of Sir Hildebrand's dependents were seen approaching, as they cheerfully proceeded to their daily avocations. The shrill cries of the baroness soon reached their ears-probably not altogether unprepared for such a salute; but unfortunately her ludicrous appearance had so powerful an effect on their risible propensities, that it was long before they could sufficiently conquer them to make any effort for her release.

The rudeness of these barbarians, as she angrily denominated them, completely infuriated the distressed heroine, whose indignation now amounted almost to frenzy, while with affected awkwardness they made several wilfully unavailing attempts to extricate her from her thraldom.

It was when her passion was raised to the very zenith of excitement, that the sudden appearance of Father Nicholas, who had that morning returned to Carlsberg Castle, where the utmost consternation was then reigning in conse

quence of her unaccountable disappearance, awakened in her soul the joyful consciousness of obtaining a speedy deliverance from the toils of her unearthly persecutor, and the sneers of the serfs by whom she was surrounded.

The good father felt no small alarm on perceiving at a distance so many persons gathered round the tree, fearing the discovery of any real misfortune that might have befallen the baroness had caused them to assemble in that place. But as he drew nearer the sounds of their boisterous mirth dispelled the apprehensions their appearance had created; and when he beheld the wood nymph, like Dryope of old, with strained eyes and dishevelled hair, gazing wofully from her sylvan prison, indignant as he felt at the treatment to which she was subjected, and much as he compassionated her sufferings, worthless as she was, it remains to this day a matter of doubt amongst the pious brethren of his order, if the weakness of human nature would not in that instance have triumphed over the dignified but unaffected gravity by which the good man's deportment was invariably distinguished, had not his guardian angel at that moment appeared in the form of the Count of Hermanstadt, who, with his retinue, was returning on horseback to Wolfenstein.

The young nobleman sprang from his horse the moment he perceived Father Nicholas, and hastily advanced to meet him, impatient to know the cause of the tamult he witnessed; but the good father could only point to the nymph in the tree, for, angry as he was, he could not contemplate the scene before him without experiencing an almost irresistible temptation to join the general laugh; and conscious that the baroness would find a more efficient champion in the young knight, he hastily departed from a scene where his self-control was subjected to 30 severe a trial.

The count, who recognised among the surrounding group many of his uncles's immediate dependents, though unaware of the marvellous proceeding that had taken place during his absence, easily divined the source from whence Carlotta's misfortunes proceeded, and instantly hastened to her relief. His attendants knew their duty too well to refuse their assistance, for Conrade was accustomed to command, and the authoritative tone in which he directed them to effect her release, was immediately obeyed. Although they found it impossible to preserve the rigidity of their features, while they contemplated the object of their solicitude. Fortunately, however, they succeeded with little difficulty in extricating her from the narrow house in which she was confined.

Deplorable indeed was the appearance of the high-born dame. When once more at liberty she contemplated the objects around her. Her headdress had fallen off the preceding night, during her progress to the scene of her incarceration, her hair was streaming wildly on the wings of the mountain wind, and she had lost both her shoes in the hollow of the tree.

They were still at a considerable distance from Carlsberg Castle, and the count, like a Knight Errant of old, placed the rescued lady on his own horse, which he immediately remounted gallantly, in order to convey her thither, ordering his suite to continue their route to Wolfenstein.

But Conrade's fine spirited Arabian courser, by no means pleased to find himself so unusually encumbered, soon commenced a gallop, which the count could easily have checked, had not his utmost exertions been necessary to prevent the baroness from being thrown from her seat; but trusting that his steed, who was well acquainted with his road to the castle, would eventually carry them thither, he felt no alarm at his restive movements; but the proud animal had no sooner reached a rustic wooden bridge, erected where a torrent descending from the mountain crossed the narrow road, and mingled its falling waters with the stream that fertilized the neighbouring valley,-than with a sudden spring he succeeded in disburdening himself of the shrieking baroness, who was precipitated over the bridge by the violence of the shock, where in all probability she would have inevitably perished, had she not been instanta. neously rescued from a watery grave by the stalwart arm of the somewhat conscience-stricken Terence O'Flannigan. While the saucy Arabian, notwithstanding all the efforts of his rider to restrain his progress, galloped off with him in triumph, as if exulting in the mischief he had done-taking either by chance or from long habit, the road to Wolfenstein Castle, where he arrived with his master in perfect good humour at the success of his exploit.

Terence, in the mean time, offered his services to convey the dripping Carlotta to Carlsberg Castle, which she gladly accepted, feeling not a little grateful for the timely aid (not without some peril to his own person) afforded her. And where is the Irishman who would refuse to compassionate beauty in distress -especially when looking to him for protection. Honest Terence's heart was completely softened, and partly carrying-partly hauling along his precious burden, who clung like a leech to his supporting arm, made the best of his way to the castle, a very interesting conversation taking place in the meantime be. tween, as I may now call them, the lovers.

Carlotta indignantly reprobated the insults to which the high-born daughter of a long line of patrician ancestors had been subjected, and the not less highminded son of Erin, deplored the caprices of fortune that reduced a lineal descendant of the Milesian Kings of Ireland, whose royal blood still flowed proudly in his veins, to a state of dependance, so unworthy of a representative of the illustrious house of the O'Flannigans.

It is madness here to recapitulate further how eloquently both expatiated on the nobility of their descent: suffice it to say that Carlotta believed Terence was what he declared himself to be, and perhaps really was, descended from the

ancient kings of his country, and determined to fly for ever from the scene of her humiliations, and the reach of her persecutors. By the time they reached the castle gate, a matrimonial alliance was amicably concluded between the royal descendant of the old Milesian Kings, and the fair daughter of ancient German nobility.

Having conducted the lovers in their dripping garments to the castle, I shall leave them for the present, and return to Wolfenstein, where I have already informed my readers that Count Hermanstadt alighted in safety.

Father Nicholas was seated with Sir Hildebrand, when Conrade entered the apartment. It was easy to perceive that the good Friar was by no means pleased at the lengths to which the baron had permitted his subordinate agents to carry their proceedings, while the knight facetiously expatiated on the potency of his skill, that had in so short a time dissolved the spell of infatuation, by means of which Carlotta had so long maintained her ascendancy over the young countess, while the trifling inconvenience to which she had been subjected was but the just punishment of her own perfidy.

"But how is Mexina to be released from her apprehensions of supernatural interference," demanded Conrade, eagerly, "unless you acknowledge yourself to be the instigator of the illusions practised upon her; a discovery which, in all probability, may give a death blow to the friendship that for ages had subsisted between the houses of Carlsberg and Wolfenstein ?"

"I fear as much," gravely added Father Nicholas.

"Trust to my management," cried the old knight, "and fear not for the consequence. You Conrade have but to restore to the lady the ring she has lost, for his Rhenish majesty has announced that upon its restoration to her possession, she will be freed for ever from the pretensions of a suitor so unwelcome."

"Can you then suppose," interrupted Conrade, “that I would impose upon Mexina's understanding, by a fictitious account of imaginary perils encountered to obtain it?"

« All

"It is far from my wish that you should," returned Sir Hildebrand. I desire on your part is simply this: the lady Mexina has, I am aware, for some nights taken up her abode in Madame Steinberg's apartment; if therefore you are not a dastard knight, on your next visit to the castle you cannot do less, in the true spirit of chivalry, than offer to pass the night in the apartment recently occupied by the countess, in the expectation of the Dwarf King's appearance, to dispute your claim to the fair hand of his lady love."

Conrade smiled, and the conversation turned upon other topics.

It was some hours after Conrade's arrival when Terence O'Flannigan made his appearance. Father Nicholas was still with the count and Sir Hildebrand.

"You have, I hope, left the baroness in safety, Terence," said Conrade, seriously.

"

"As gold," exclaimed Terence, manfully. "But please ye, my noble masters, and he bent his lofty figure in what he considered a most profound bow, I have rare intelligence to communicate."

"Let us hear it, then," cried Sir Hildebrand, eagerly.

"I am going to be married, my lord; but fear the lady's choice falling upon me may be taken as an offence on my part, being but the hired servant of my noble and honoured master Sir Hildebrand."

"How!" exclaimed the baron; "married-and to the baroness Carlotta?" "So please you, my lord," murmured Terence, "if I incur not your displeasure. It grieves me to the heart to leave you, Sir Hildebrand (and a big tear actually rolled down his manly cheek), but I have long sighed to behold again the land of my birth, and I have promised to take my lady with me to my own country as soon as his reverence (and he bowed respectfully to the friar) has joined our hands in lawful wedlock." Father Nicholas abruptly quitted the apartment, unwilling to subject his gravity to a second trial.

"Then shall my honest Terence be miserable for the rest of his life," vehe. mently exclaimed Sir Hildebrand.

Terence's large black eyes flashed with conscious exultation, and again with one of his best bows he replied,

"Then my honoured master has forgotten all I told him about our great Apostle St. Patrick.

"At this moment I think I have," answered the baron with some surprise at so unexpected an allusion.

"Why, my lord," resumed Terence, "It was that our holy Apostle, may Heaven bless him for it over and over, gave his blessing to my own beautiful country, and from that day to this no venomous creature can breathe the breath of life that sets foot in the land of the shamrock."

Sir Hildebrand fell back in his chair, and was nearly suffocated by an immo derate fit of laughter, from which, having a little recovered, he placed his purse in Terence's hand, signifying by the value of the gift, for it was well filled with large pieces of gold, how highly he appreciated the prudent foresight that influenced Terence's matrimonial speculations, though he sincerely regretted the loss he would sustain in the deprivation of so faithful a servant as Terence O'Flannigan.

For the satisfaction of the reader who may feel astonished at the determination of Carlotta to unite her destiny with that of her heroic deliverer, apparently forgetting that in flying with him from the scene of her mortifications, she would be estranged for ever from Paulina, it may here be necessary to observe