180 HE IS BETRAYED. 



having at length found assistance, and wearied in mind and 

 body, he soon fell into a profound sleep. 



But the knight was sadly deceived in his man, who, 

 unknown to him, was in the Danish interest ; and a villain 

 of so black a dye, moreover, as to be ready, for the sake of 

 lucre, to deliver his friend over to the executioner. 



No sooner, therefore, had Persson taken his leave of 

 Gustavus, than off he posted to the house of Mans Nilsson, 

 a neighbouring gentleman, residing at a place called Aspe- 

 boda, to whom he communicated the fact of Gustavus being 

 wholly within his power, and said that they might now 

 readily gain the promised reward for his head, besides win- 

 ning the favour of Christian. But Nilsson was an honourable 

 man, and scouted with the contempt it deserved, the base 

 proposal of the mercenary wretch. 



On receiving this rebuff, Persson departed in an angry 

 mood ; and heading back the way he came, drove straight- 

 way to the house of his brother-in-law, Brun Bengtsson 

 the Fogde, or chief civil officer of the district, a Dane by birth, 

 and one of Christian's creatures to whom he imparted his 

 important secret ; when no time was lost by the worthy pair 

 in collecting a posse of men sufficient to effect the capture or 

 death of the knight. 



In the common course of things poor Gustavus's days 

 were now numbered ; but Providence deemed otherwise, and 

 sent him aid in his extremity from a quarter whence it was 

 little to have been expected. Barbro, the wife of Persson, 

 proved his guardian angel. 



This magnanimous woman, who at first sight had taken a 

 deep interest in Gustavus ill-natured people say in conse- 

 quence of his good looks had not been unobservant of her 



