for various reasons, be sent through the post.
Can you help me? Do you know of any person
whom it would be safe to employ?"

"Indeed I do not," replied the lawyer. "I
am as great a stranger in Reichenau as yourself.
Perhaps, however, the landlord can tell
you ...."

"No, no," interrupted she. " It would not be
prudent to consult him."

"Then I fear I am powerless."

"It—it is not very far," hesitated the lady.
"He would only have to go about a mile beyond
Thusis, on the Splugen road."

"If I were not a man of law, Mademoiselle
Colonna," said Mr. Trefalden, with his blandest
smile, "I would myself volunteer to be your
envoy; but——"

"But you have given us your name, Mr.
Trefalden, and can do no more. I understand that.
I understood it from the first. I am only sorry
to have troubled you."

"Indeed you have not troubled me. I only
regret that I cannot be of more service."

Wherewith Mr. Trefalden bowed to Mademoiselle
Colonna, made a sign to his cousin to
follow him, and left the room. But Saxon
lingered, blushing and irresolute, and turned to the
lady instead.

"I can take the letter," he said, shyly.

Mademoiselle Colonna paused, looked straight
into his eyes, and said:

"It is an important letter. Can I trust
you?"

"Yes."

"Can I rely upon you to give it into no other
hands than those of the person whom I shall
describe to you?"

"Yes."

"If any one else should try to take it from you,
what would you do?"

"If a man tried to take it from me by force,"
replied Saxon, laughingly, " I should knock him
down."

"But if he were stronger than you; or if there
were several?"

He stopped to consider.

"I—I think I should take it out as if I were
going to give it up," said he, "and I would
swallow it."

"Good."

Mademoiselle Colonna paused again, and
again looked at him steadfastly.

"Did you hear all that I said about this
letter just now to Mr. Trefalden?" she said.

"Every word of it."

"You know that you must not repeat it?"

"I suppose so."

"And you know that to convey this letter may
be—though it is very unlikely—a service of some
little danger?"

"I did not know that; but I knew it was a
service of responsibility."

"Well, then, are you equally willing to
go?'

"Of course. Why not?"

Mademoiselle Colonna smiled, but somewhat
doubtfully.

"I do not doubt your courage," she said;
"but how am I to know that you will not betray
my confidence?"

Saxon coloured up to the roots of his hair, and
drew back a step.

"You must not give me the letter," said he,
"if you are afraid to trust me. I can only
promise to deliver it, and be silent."

Signor Colonna rose suddenly, and joined them.
He had his purse in his hand.

"Will you swear this, young man?" he asked.
"Will you swear this?"

"No," said Saxon, proudly, " I will not swear
it. It is forbidden to take God's name for trifles.
I will give you my word of honour, but I will not
take an oath."

"Humph! what reward do you expect?"

"Reward? What do you mean?"

"Will twenty francs satisfy you?"

Saxon drew back another step. He looked
from Signor Colonna to his daughter, and from
the lady's face to the gentleman's.

"Money!" he faltered. " You offer me money?"

"Is it not enough?"

Barbarian as he was, Saxon was quite
sufficiently civilised to writhe under the sting of this
affront. The tears started to his honest eyes.
It was the first humiliation he had known in his
life, and he felt it bitterly.

"I did not offer to carry your letter for hire,"
said he, in a hurried, quivering voice. " I would
have gone twice the distance to—to please and
serve the lady. Good morning."

Aud, turning abruptly on his heel, the young
man strode out of the room.

"Oh, stay, monsieur, one moment—one
moment only!" cried Mademoiselle Colonna.

But he was already gone.

"What is this? Who is he? What does it
all mean?" asked Signer Colonna, impatiently.

"It means that we have committed a grievous
error," replied his daughter. "He is a gentleman
—a gentleman, and I took him for a common
guide! But see, there he goes, through the
garden gate—go to him; pray go to him, and
apologise in my name and your own."

"But, my child," said the Italian, nervously,
"how can you be sure——"

"I am sure. I see it all now —I ought to have
seen it from the first. But look yonder, and
convince yourself! Mr. Trefalden has taken his
arm—they go down through the trees! Pray
go—go at once, or you will be too late!"

Signor Colonna snatched up his hat and went
at once; but he was too late for all that. The
garden was a very perplexing place. It belonged,
not to the hotel, but to the Chateau Planta close
by, and was entered by a large iron gate, some
few yards down the road. It was laid out on a
little picturesque peninsula just at the junction
of the Hinter and Vorder Rhines, and was
traversed by all kinds of winding walks, some of
which led down to the water-side, some up to