1831.] a Tale of the Inquisition. 29 



" Do not be uneasy, young lady," said Henrico, " we will not be very 

 troublesome to you, our visit is but short ; we are only in quest of a de- 

 serter, and must beg permission to search your house." 



" That is what I suspected," said the young lady, " and precisely on 

 that account I wish to speak a few words to you alone ! — I will spare you 

 the trouble of search," said she, tremblingly, " and frankly confess to 

 you the young man is concealed in tliis house, but you will not easily 

 discover his place of concealment !" 



Henrico misunderstood the girl, and answered quickly, " he did not 

 wish to withhold the reward" 



The young girl looked at him earnestly, her cheeks reddened with a 

 deep blush ; then, after a pause, she continued, " I hold you to your 

 word, and though you have misunderstood me, I require a high price." 



" Well, and what is it ?" 



" The freedom of the youth !" 



'' Oh !" said Henrico smiling, "that is going too far, my lovely girl ! 

 Your lover must come forth, otherwise I shall begin the search, and 

 may probably in the end carry off his sweetheart too !" 



The girl stepped proudly back, and said, with warmth, " I have no 

 connection with the fugitive ; if I have built too rashly on your gene- 

 rosity, 'tis owing to what he related of your humanity." 



" That is well ! but in this affair, I may not act according to the dic- 

 tates of my heart, but for the good of my country !" 



" Good," said the girl ; " if you have that in view, I will soon convince 

 you that the country is as much in want of good citizens as of good sol- 

 diers !" She then related how the young man had brought upon himself 

 tlie hatred of one of the magisti-ates whose oppression he had en- 

 deavoured to resist : how he and his family had, in consequence, been 

 reduced to poverty : how two brothers had been already sent to the 

 army, and he, the last and only support of his aged parents, just on the 

 point of presenting them a daughter-in-law, was almost torn from the 

 altar to be given up as a recruit, merely to gratify the spirit of revenge. 

 She described with tears in her eyes the wretchedness of the parents, 

 and the forsaken bride ; and concluded with the assurance that had he 

 not accidently come to the cottage, she would have sought him, to im- 

 plore the freedom of the youth. 



Henrico listened with attention, then walked hastily up and down. 

 " You may be in the right, dear girl, at last," said he, " but the man has 

 been publicly delivered to me, and I cannot be privy to his escape." 



" I know how to manage that also," said the girl ; "suppose he could 

 find two substitutes ; he has assured me he knows many who would wil- 

 lingly be soldiers if they could get a good bounty." 



" Yes, if he can substitute two fine young men for himself I will dis- 

 charge him. But, as he is poor, how will he procure the bounty ? — I 

 suppose from his lovely mediator !" 



" No," said the girl, and her eyes filled with tears, " I cannot help 

 liim ! I am even poorer than he, yet I once conceived the idea that he 

 miglit procure it from yoM." 



" From me.^" cried Henrico, astonished. " The money I have with 

 me belongs to the king, I cannot dispose of it according to my own 

 fancy." 



" It was not on that fund I depended !" she timidly replied j " I was 



