88 THE MONK. 



approaching when Arthur was to plight his vows to Mary in the 

 face of Heaven, and before the eyes of men ; to give his pledge to 

 love and cherish her as his own soul. 



*' M. de Rosenberg possessed a small estate in one of the distant 

 cantons, from which a considerable sum of money was due ; and, as 

 Arthur had never been in that district, his father sent him to the 



town of ^, near which the property was situated, to make the 



necessary inquiries. Before setting out on his journey, which 

 would occupy him some days, the youth went to take leave of his 

 beloved. They spoke much of their long and often-told love ; of 

 their approaching marriage, and the years of joy that awaited them. 

 When they parted, he pressed her fondly to his bosom, and imprinted 

 one pure kiss on those lips whose breath was more precious to him 

 than the scented breeze from spicy groves. 



" A week passed, and Arthur did not return. His friends became 

 anxious ; day succeeded day, and yet no tidings arrived, and Mary 

 began to feel that sickness of the heart which ever accompanies 

 hope too long deferred. At length, a letter came; but its contents 

 poured no oil on the troubled waters. It came from the young de 

 Rosenberg, stating that he was in the most imminent peril of his 

 life, and entreating his father to lose not a moment in coming to 

 his assistance. M. de Rosenberg immediately set out to the place 

 from which his son's letter had been dated. Colonel Hamilton in- 

 sisted on accompanying him ; and they made all speed. In about 



three days they arrived at the town of , and found Arthur 



lying in the dungeon of a prison under a charge of murder. The 

 circumstances that led to this untoward event were briefly these. 

 An Italian priest had been found assassinated in one of the little- 

 frequented mountain paths. The brother of this priest stated that, 

 on the day when the murder was perpetrated, he had been pursuing 

 his customary sport of shooting the goat and chamois, and was re- 

 turning home by one of those perilous tracks which are only known 

 to the adventurous hunter, when, at one of the most dreary and 

 sequestered spots, he discovered the prisoner endeavouring to drag 

 the body of a man from the way-side, for the purpose of casting it 

 over some precipice. He approached cautiously, and succeeded in 

 seizing the criminal before he had time to make resistance. Occur- 

 rences were all strongly against the young Arthur. He had been 



seen to leave the town of in company with the murdered 



priest, but a few hours before the deed was committed. A pistol 

 was found in his possession, that had been recently discharged, and 



