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give you, and success must crown our attempt.Let us away, for we have not a moment to lose!” So saying, she motioned them towards the water's edge, leading the way to the boat, and they were no sooner seated in it, than she took the oars and rowed them towards the castle.

Passing under the ruins of a large mass, laid open by the dilapidation of great part of the outer wall, she made a sweep round the end of the islet, using the oars so gently that not the least sound was heard, and directing the boat towards the bulwark of stones there forming the artificial foundation. Here Amherst found himself under a lower building, having a narrow window that looked to the lake, from which a ray of light issued forth in one long thin stream.

Having again given them the signal caution of absolute silence, she sprang ashore, motioned to Amherst to follow her, and drew him towards the loop-hole, where, on looking in, he beheld-Miss Malcolm!

His agitation, at the sight of her he so loved, in such a place, had nearly overpowered him. In spite of all the injunctions he had received, he would infallibly have forgotten himself, had not

his conductress pulled him by the skirt, and hold ing up her finger to her mouth, whispered to him in hollow accents,

"Her life depends upon your silence!"

The apartment in which the young Lady was confined, for the massive door, fastened with strong bolts, sufficiently indicated that she was a prisoner,

-was small and comfortless. A fire burned on the hearth, and she was seated opposite to it on the side of a pallet-bed of the most wretched description. She was wrapped up in her mantle and hood, and her dress altogether seemed to augur a preparation for travel. Her face was pale and grief-worn, and from her restless motions, and the frequent anxious looks she threw towards the door, she seemed to be in momentary expectation of some important event. Painful as it was to contemplate Miss Malcolm, under such circumstances, it was so long since his eyes had rested on her beloved image, that Amherst could have gazed for ever. But his active conductress warned him away, and he was compelled to submit.

She now led him round towards the ruins of the broken down mass of wall, under which they had

passed in the boat, where creeping, by her directions, upon his hands and knees among the fallen fragments of masonry, he obtained a view of a vaulted chamber, laid open at one end by the fall of part of the outer works. The fracture had been lately patched up with bits of the rubbish mingled with sods; and a doorway had been left in this rude barricado, which now stood open to permit the escape of the smoke, proceeding from a fire in the interior.

On drawing nearer to it, Amherst observed two men, who lay wrapped up in blankets on the straw near the fire, just within the opening; and in the darker part of the vault beyond, he could just discover five or six heads of sleepers. There were fire-arms, and other weapons of different kinds, disposed in various parts of the place; and a number of common utensils, such as are to be found in a Highland cottage, were scattered about.

The Dwarfie whispered, and pointed to him to hide behind one of the larger masses of the fallen ruins. His position was so near that he could see every thing within, and he was able to watch all her motions. He saw her creep like a cat towards the entrance, as if with the intention of stealing

in. She was already fully in the light; but she' drew suddenly back again into the shadow. It appeared that the two men who were nearest the doorway were not yet asleep, for they began to converse, and one of them said to the other,

**Well, Antonio! since Davy tells us that there is no appearance of my consort on the coast yet, I see nothing for it but to send him back again, to try if he can bribe some trading captain to give you and the lady a passage.”

"Pshaw!" said the other sulkily, "a fico for such advice!-Where should we find a fellow of that sort who would be trusty ?—And then as to a land journey, the chances would be a thousand to one against me."-He raised himself on his elbow, that he might be better heard by his companion: "Veramente ho gran voglio d'amazzarlı. -Were she dead she would be more easily carried. Capite!-And if it should turn out after all that we have taken the wrong woman, che importa vi prego!-A life or two more or less, you know, is but of little consequence in the scoring up of my account."

That will never do, Antonio," said Brandywyn, for Amherst now perceived that it was

he;

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you might be left in the lurch as to the reward, but with the live bird in a cage, you may make LI your own terms." "Per Baccho adesso avete ragione," said the other. "There is some sense in what you say now; forse sarebbe meglio restare un poco. We may as well wait a little longer for the other vessel. Yet it is cursedly hard to be pent up in this isola cattiva. But should those rascals succeed in shooting quel milordino to-night, we shall have more freedom, and may return to the cottage where we had her before. Maledetto! What a deal of trouble he has cost us! We are at least secure, however, that he can as yet know nothing about her, and if he should, his knowledge is, perhaps, by this time, dead and buried with him. Ma senta, amico! Davy Stronach must return to-morrow, to see if he can hear of our ship. And now that all search is over, might we not move down to some of your lurking places nearer to the coast, so as to be ready to go on board immediately on her arrival, and so be off out of this infernal country ?-Dico bene?"

"I think your plan is a good one," said Brandywyn." But it will at least be prudent

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