Secret Societies Of The Middle Ages.—Iii.

" And , to-morroAv , I shall quit Vienna AA'ith my sister , " said the priest ' s companion . "Fortunate Avas it for Walsfceiu ( one of the dependents of the Vehm Avho had escaped from prison , ) that private aflairs of our own happened to bring us , under fictitious names , to this city at a moment Avhen his folly had involved him in such a serious embarrassment . I havehoweveroften smiled afc the

impu-, , dence of the man , in availing himself of his extraordinary likeness to . a certain baron , to personate him , and thus obtain possession of his property . " "And I , my lord , have neA'er forgiven him , for keeping all that fortune to himself , " Avas the laconic ansAver of the priest . " Moreover , that A'ery imposition , has led , by a chain of circumstances , to the

release of the baron , and Avhatever Avere the motives of your lordship , and her hi ghness , your sister , for consigning him to close and perpetual imprisonment—" "Have I not before informed you 1 " interrupted Caesar , "that this baron penetrated one evening into our mansion at Venice Avhen Ave Avere residing there for a feAV Aveeks under a strict incognitowhile

, Ave plotted certain schemes , Avhich raised my father to his present eminence : this baron , I say , penetrated into our mansion , and there beheld the interior of a particular chamber , Avith Avhose secrets you are not unacquainted . Walstein Avas in the house at the time , and he had just been giving an account of his former adventures , and of his

intimacy Avith that identical baron , Avhen my sister suddenly remembered that the door of the secret chamber had been unlocked . She and Walstein proceeded thither , for Walstein Avas anxious to possess a bottle of aequo , GaniareUcc , always an useful drug for those Avho serve onr family . Scarcely had they reached the door , Avhen they perceived a person in the room . Walstein instantl y retreated ; and my sister

advanced to demand an explanation of the intruder . She Avas immediately struck by his likeness to Walstein , and was therefore not greatly astonished-when he informed her that he Avas in fact the very baron of Avhom Walstein had been previously speaking . He gave an explanation of his presence in that room , Avhich mi ght , or might not be a correct one . It was certainltrue that my mother *

y had been chastising a female dependent , for you knoiv , hol y father , that the Spanish blood of my maternal parent frequently boils to a temperature Avhich overpowers her patience ; and the baron alleged that the screams of some Avomen in distress had led him into the house . NOAV , surrounded Avith spies as Ave Avere at that time , and Avatched b y so many enemies Avho Avere all jealous and suspicious not onlof

y my father , but of all our famil y , it Avas natural that Ave should adopt precautionary measures . Thus it Avas that my sister and myself instructed Walstein to consign the baron to your custod y in the convent : but Ave did not desire him to take advantage of his accidental likeness to personate his lordship in Vienna , " added the priest ' s companion laughing .