you have saved for me in your trunk-join the rest of the company-find out another apartment-accept my thanks and my gold watch as an inadequate testimony of my gratitude, and leave me your presence is more distressing to me than you can easily believe."

I

When he had ended, she burst into a loud fit of laughter. "You are a silly mortal," she cried, "and will never have sense. I know better than you what is good for you. shall remain, and I do not intend to stir from this spot. I have never counted much upon the gratitude of mankind, and I do not therefore expect much from you-but if I feel a kindness for you, why should you complain ?"

She accordingly remained, and soon grew into favour with the clergyman and his family; her disposition was ever cheerful, she was perpetually making little presents, she could humour every one according to his fancy, and yet she always contrived to have her own way. Wilhelm, under all circumstances, found himself comfortable. The surgeon, an ignorant but not an unskilful man, allowed nature to take its own course, and the patient was soon in a fair way of recovery. Anxiously did he desire this consummation, that he might be at liberty to pursue his plans and to gratify his wishes.

Incessantly he thought of that event which had made an indelible impression upon his mind. Again he saw the beautiful amazon riding from the thicket, approaching towards him, alighting from her horse, walking to and fro, and endeavouring to serve him. He saw the garment in which she was enveloped fall from her shoulders, and her countenance and her figure beaming with a bright radiance. All his dreams of youth were concentrated upon this image. He fancied that at length he was permitted to behold with his own eyes the heroic Clorinda, and he once more dwelt in imagination on that royal youth, whose sick bed the beautiful sympathizing Princess had watched with so much silent modesty.

"In youth and in sleep," he would often say to himself, "may not the images of coming destiny hover round us, and become mysteriously visible to our unimpeded sight? May not the seeds of future events be already scattered by the hand of fate, and may it not be possible for us to enjoy a foretaste of the fruits which we hope one day to gather ?"

His sick couch afforded him an opportunity of renewing

those visions a thousand times. Often would he recall the tones of that sweet voice, and envy Philina, who had kissed that helping hand. Often did the whole incident appear to him as a dream, and he would have considered it a very fiction if the cloak had not remained with him as evidence of the reality of the vision.

He bestowed the greatest possible care upon this garment, and yet he felt an indescribable anxiety to wear it. As soon as he arose, therefore, he put it on, but trembled during the entire day, lest it might in any manner receive the slightest stain or injury.

CHAPTER X.

LAERTES visited his friend-he had not been present at that animated scene in the hotel, having been confined to bed at the time in an upper chamber. He was altogether indifferent about the loss which he had sustained, and he found relief in his customary exclamation of "What does it signify ?" He related many droll stories of the whole company, and accused Madame Melina of lamenting the loss of her daughter, solely because she could not now enjoy the pleasure of having a Mathilda christened. As for her husband, it now appeared that he had all along possessed a large supply of money, and had by no means needed the advance of which he had defrauded Wilhelm. It was Melina's intention to set out by the first public conveyance, and to ask Wilhelm for a letter of introduction to the manager Serlo, in whose company, since the present undertaking had proved a failure, he was anxious to secure an engagement.

Mignon had been very quiet for some days, and when she was questioned upon the subject, she confessed with reluc tance that her right arm was dislocated.

"You have to

thank your own rashness for it," cried Philina, and she then narrated how the child, when she saw her friend in danger, had drawn her sword and attacked the robbers fiercely. At length one of them had seized her by the arm and forced her away. She was scolded for not having spoken of her injury before, but it was easily seen that she had been afraid of the

surgeon, who had hitherto always taken her for a boy. They applied immediate remedies for her relief, and she was compelled to place her arm in a sling. She was dissatisfied, however, with this arrangement, as she was compelled to abandon to Philina the greater part of the nursing of Wilhelm, an alternative for which that pretty sinner was both thankful and attentive.

One morning when Wilhelm awoke, he found himself in strange proximity to her. In his restless sleep he had changed his position, and was lying at the foot of his large bed. Philina was reclining across the upper part of it-she seemed to have fallen asleep while she was sitting upon the bed and reading. A book had fallen from her hand, she was leaning back and her head was resting close to his breast, over which her fair and dishevelled hair was flowing in streams. The disorder of sleep had enlivened her charms more than art or design could have done, and an innocent smile of repose had spread over her soft countenance. He looked at her for a considerable time, and seemed to censure himself for the pleasure with which he surveyed her. He was engaged thus for some time, when she began to awake. He closed his eyes softly, but he could not help still looking towards her as she rose from the bed, and commenced to arrange her person and retired to make preparations for the

breakfast.

The whole company of actors had in turn paid their visits to Wilhelm, and had asked for money and letters of recommendation with more or less impatience or rudeness. All their requests had been complied with, notwithstanding the remonstrances of Philina, who vainly assured our friend that the huntsman had left a considerable sum for these people, and that they were only imposing on his kindness. An angry altercation now arose between them, and Wilhelm signified once for all, that she must now join the rest of the company and seek her fortune with Serlo.

She lost her temper for a few minutes, but quickly recovering herself, she replied, "If I only had my fair-haired favourite again, I should not care much for any of you." She alluded to Friedrich, who had disappeared on the field of battle, and had not since been heard of."

On the following morning, Mignon informed Wilhelm

before he rose, that Philina had gone away during the night, having previously left all that belonged to our friend very neatly laid out in the adjoining chamber. He was distressed at her absence, for in her he was deprived of a faithful'attendant and a cheerful companion, and he had now lost the habit of living alone. Mignon, however, soon filled up the blank. As long as the frivolous Philina had continued to attend the patient with assiduous care, little Mignon had gradually withdrawn herself, remaining silent and absorbed in her own thoughts; but now when the field was again clear, she was once more zealous in her attentions and her love, and was both anxious to serve and eager to entertain Wilhelm.

CHAPTER XI.

WILHELM's improvement was rapid, and he hoped that he would be able in a few days to set out upon his intended journey. He was determined no longer to lead an aimless indecisive life, and resolved that his future career should have some precise object in view. But, in the first place, he was anxious to seek out the party of travellers from whom he had received such timely assistance, in order that he might give expression to his gratitude, and then he would hasten to his friend the manager, that he might provide for the luckless company, and at the same time he would visit the commercial friends, to whom he had letters of introduction, and transact the business which had been entrusted to him. He hoped that fortune would continue to smile upon him as before, and afford him an opportunity, by some favourable speculation, to repair his losses and supply his empty treasury.

His anxiety once more to behold his beautiful deliverer increased daily. Accordingly he took counsel with the clergyman about his intended route. The latter was skilled in geographical and statistical knowledge, and had a respectable collection of books and maps. They looked for the place where the noble family intended to reside during the continuance of the war, and they sought for some information concerning the family itself, but the place was not marked in

any geography or map, and the books of heraldry made no mention of their name.

Wilhelm grew impatient, and having mentioned the cause of his uneasiness, the harper stated that he had reason to believe that the huntsman had been actuated by some secret motive for concealing all authentic information.

Wilhelm, however, who now thought that he was really in the neighbourhood of his lovely benefactress, hoped to obtain some news of her, from the harper, if the latter were commissioned to make inquiries. But in this expectation he was disappointed. In spite of all his diligence, the old man could obtain no information. A variety of rapid movements and unexpected marches had lately taken place in the neighbourhood, no one had paid any attention to a particular travelling party, and the aged messenger, fearing to be taken for a Jewish spy, was obliged to return without the olive branch, to the abode of his lord and master. He gave an accurate account of his commission, from an anxiety to dispel all suspicion of neglect or indifference. He sought by every means to assuage the grief of our friend, thought of all that the huntsman had communicated to him, and offered many suggestions of his own, thereby clearly establishing one fact, which enabled Wilhelm to explain certain mysterious expressions of his beautiful benefactress.

It appeared that the band of robbers had intended to attack, not the wandering comedians, but the party of noble travellers, with whom they had naturally expected to find a large supply of gold and treasures, and of whose movements they must have received accurate information. It appeared doubtful, however, whether the attack should be ascribed to a party of soldiers or to mere freebooters and robbers. But a lucky accident, which saved the rich and respectable party, had brought the poor actors first to the scene of action, and they suffered the fate which had been intended for the others. It was to this circumstance that the expression of the young lady referred, which Wilhelm still accurately remembered. And if he now felt happy and contented that a benevolent genius had destined him for sacrifice, in order to preserve so perfect a being, he was nevertheless reduced to despair by the thought, that all hope of seeing her again had for ever vanished.