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it most effectually, while the robbers seemed preparing to rush upon him at once. But at that moment Mary started, listened, and with a scream of joy, cried out" Cavalli! cavalli !" — (Horses! horses!)

The banditti also heard the sound, and had scarcely time to raise their wounded companion, and endeavour to escape, when a body of Austrian cavalry rode up, headed by Mr. Wilmot. He leaped from his horse. Mary sprang into his arms, exclaiming "Frederic! dear Frederic!" and fainted on the breast of lord Burton.

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My sister! my dear, dear Mary!" exclaimed he, pressing her again and again to his bosom-" but how, in Heaven's name, has all this happened?"

It is an useless endeavour to attempt describing what is indescribable, and such were the feelings of lord Burton and Charles Melville. The scene that followed when Mary recovered herself is nearly so; a thousand questions and answers succeeded

ceeded each other so rapidly, that scarcely any of the party fully understood the other: they had all something to congratulate themselves upon, and all something for surprise.

Mary was astonished to find her brother so soon after her in Italy; but her wonder very greatly increased, when she learnt that he had been for long travelling with Charles Melville under the title of his tutor; and indeed, unacquainted as she was with the scheme which had been in agitatation for uniting her to her cousin, to her lord Burton's motives were perfectly incomprehensible. To Charles himself they were scarcely less so; and he had some matter for speculation, when he came to consider that his cousin's disguise had never been betrayed by any circumstance, either in France or England. But when we are without suspicion, a thousand occurrences pass us by unnoticed, which the slightest degree of jealousy would convert into positive proof.

Lord

Lord Burton himself was not a little surprised to find that his arrival had been as seasonable a relief to his sister as it had been to Charles, who was in reality the only person for whom he sought.

On Mr. Melville's first encounter with the robbers, it may be remembered that he had with him both a guide and a servant, who instantly fled back over the mountains, bringing the news to lord Burton, whom they looked upon as Charles's tutor. Blaming himself as the cause of all that had occurred, Frederic instantlyapplied to the Austrian authorities, and found means to inspire some degree of speed into their operations. His hopes of finding Charles alive were but faint; but he immediately set out with the cavalry who were sent after the robbers, resolved at least to punish those who had injured him, without at all supposing that his sister was involved in the same accident.

Lord Burton, however, was one of those men who combine so quickly, that they

VOL. II.

I

seem

seem to comprehend almost by intuition; and before Mary and Charles had time to tell him their story, he appeared at once to understand how they met, and stopped them to ask what had become of lady Anne Milsome.

Charles soon satisfied him upon that point, as, in fact, lady Anne had been far the most fortunate of the whole party; and it was agreed that all the minor details should be reserved till they could enter into them more fully.

In the mean while the Austrians had been pursuing the robbers; and whether it was by accident or connivance, matters little, but the banditti, though burdened with their wounded companion, contrived to make good their retreat, the troopers riding up and down the paths, appearing to look for them, and giving them a great many abusive epithets, calling them cow. ardly bloodsuckers and dastardly carbo nari, and a great many opprobrious names beside; but as they suffered the robbers

to

to get off, those gentlemen would no doubt compound for the rest.

Some difficulty was now met with in procuring a conveyance to carry Mary to Pistoia. A sort of litter was however at length obtained, and they arrived at that town without any farther danger or adventure. The first thing that presented itself to their sight on reaching the inn, was the carriage of lady Anne Milsome, whose delight at seeing Mary return safe almost overpowered her; but the presence of Frederic, of whom she was equally fond, divided her attention, without lessening her pleasure. After the first tumult of her happiness was over, and a great many general questions had been asked, she insisted upon Charles giving her a detail of all that had happened.

Lady Anne entered into every incident that Charles recounted with keen interest, and wept, and looked frightened, and laughed, and smiled, and kissed Mary, embraced lord Burton, and shook hands I 2 with

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