o'clock to-morrow morning the dreadful sentence of the law is to be put in force on all who have been condemned; on you among the rest."

Hippolito started. To-morrow!"

"To-morrow! say you?

My son," said Guzman; "the sun has set for the last time on your devoted head. His early rising shall behold your death; and when next he sinks beneath the wave, his parting orb shall cast a lengthened shadow on your grave."

The miserable Hippolito eagerly caught the hand of Guzman. "I hoped," he said," that the great name of Merida, and the high character which I have ever borne, would have given weight to the assertions I have made. Could I think my word would have been doubted in a court at Bilboa, near the castle where my family has resided nearly two centuries."

"My son," said Guzman, " your dagger, found with the murdered body, too strongly speaks in contradiction to what you have asserted."

"The dagger!-aye-the dagger speaks

-It doth-It is a strong proof-O! had I been wise, it never would have witnessed thus against me! Had I retained the dagger, I should have been secure-I threw it where I thought it never would be sought-But my caution has

betrayed me-Had I been less careful, I might have laughed at Pedro's disappearance, and been secure in vengeance."

"In the course of my long ministry," said Guzman," it has been my melancholy fate frequently to hear confession made of heinous crimes. Assassination has many times, alas! been perpetrated and I have often found that in the commission of the deed, some circumstance of caution or neglect has led to the discovery; and the criminal himself has been the means of bringing his own guilt to light. Had you taken your dagger home, and worn it about your person, according to your custom, it would not have been the guide which led suspicion to your castle, nor the accuser which brought conviction on yourself. Yet, had you been hidden from detection now, some other time would have made evident your guilt; for there is a Power who punishes the guilty, even in this world which we inhabit. From that Power, the arm of earthly power can never save. However skreened, however sheltered, however encouraged, the torturing mind punishes with unabating pain and at the dread moment whereto the dawn shall lead you, deals the blow of retribution. It is my part, my son, to soothe the horrors of that moment, and yours to hear the voice of

admonition. Atonement is beyond your reach. Review the past and be penitent; that so you may not, like the murdered Pedro, be cut off unprepared."

Father, he insulted me. He dared to think that at the table where we played, I played him false."

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Nothing can justify your crime. Let us proceed as best befits the duties which we both have to fulfill."

The holy man proceeded in the performance of the duties of his sacred function; and by the arguments of his pious zeal, brought the ireful Hippolito to repentance.

He attended him to the scaffold, where he atoned to the community for his offence against society; and where every charitable heart must hope that he found his only punishment.

THE LONG AND THE SHORT STORY.

TRAVELLING was formerly a very different thing from what travelling is at present. The roads were bad, and the inns worse. To take a journey was a perilous attempt; and if a man were compelled to go a hundred miles from home, he took leave of his family, and made his will. As few people ventured, unless constrained to do so by necessity, to undergo the fatigue, and run the risk of what might occur by the way, inns however bad, were scarce, and provisions often scarcer. For which reason travellers were obliged to make the best of what they found, lest by going further they might fare worse. Nevertheless, under all these circumstances of difficulty, some men were sometimes so hardy as to brave, even uncompelled, the dangers they might encounter, allured by some pleasure which beckoned from afar.

Among others, two friends set off from Caernar

vonshire for the metropolis. Their mode of travelling was on horseback, and on the evening of their second day's journey, they arrived at a solitary inn, and took up their quarters for the night. Having seen to the feeding of their horses, they inquired what they could have for supper. "Gentlemen," said the landlord," you have taken me somewhat unprovided. There has been a most uncommon run on the road, and I have a very scanty larder."

Scanty indeed it was. There was nothing in it but bread and cheese.

"My masters," said the host, "I have been obliged, in consequence of the great run I told you about just now, to kill all my fowls but one. I have none left but an old hen, and I will kill her and cook her for your supper."

The poor old hen's neck was soon wrung, she was then dangled by a string to the fire, and in little more than an hour smoked on the board.

When the young men saw the lean hen, they did not anticipate a savory or a satisfactory supper; and nothing but hunger could have tempted them to make a meal on such a fowl: but as, according to the old saying, a good appetite is the best sauce, they sat down to regale themselves without grumbling or finding fault.