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Show 72 TilL I,I!.Y A"O TIIC TOTE)f. by the solJicJ'Y 1 by whom l1e wa~ very much beloved. Lachnno w:1s a sergeant, u sood soldier, brave as a lion, Lut with as tl!ndcr a hcal't, when the case required it, as ever beat in humau bosom. lie l1ad long since learned to sympatl1izc with the fate of Gucr· Imchc, aud had made frequent attempts to mollify the hostile f\'t•lings of ],jg en plain, iu bclwlf of his fricnJ. To tllC latter ho had gi1'Cil much good counsel; and, but for !tis earnest entreaties :md injunctions, l1e would have revealed to Albert the truo rc:Json for the absence of Gucrnachc from his post. But Gucrnachc dreaded, ns well he might, that the revelatio11 would only increase the bate and rage of l1is superior, and, perhap11, draw down a portion of l1is ''cngcance upon the head of tl1e unoffendiug woman. Lnelmne aequirsced in his reasoning, and waa 8i!ent. But he was not tho loss activo in bringing consolation, whenever he could, to the respective I>arties. lie afforded to Monaletta, whose approach to the fort he suspected, an opportunity of meeting with l1im; and their interviews, once begun, were regularly continued. Day by day he contrived to convey to her the messages, and to inform her of the condition of tl1e pt i8oncr; to whom, in turn, he bore all necessary intelligence, and every fond avowal which was sent by i\foualetta. But tho loving and devoted wife was not satisfied with so frigid a modo of intercourse; and, in an evil hour, Lachane, wl10se own heart w:Js too tender to resist the entreaties of one so fond, w:~s persuaded to admit her within the fort, and into the dungeon of Guernache. \Vc may censure his prudence and hers, but wl1o simi\ venture to condemn either? The first vi~it led to a second, the second to a third, and, at length, the meetings between tho lovers took place nightly. Lachane, often cntrca.tiog, often exhorting, was yet always complying. .Monu.lctta was admitted 73 at midlli.!ld, nutl contlnctrd fmtl1 by the duwn in safety; nnd tl111 ~ Jurctiu.:r, GHCI"Hncli'l S•lOII for~(ll loi!'l own d;lngrr, :llld waa: l"N•il,r J•cr:-u:uk•J l;y :'\lonaletta to bcliC'I'C that ~he stood in The l10ur8 p:•~>'cd wich them ill! with any other children, wlu. ~iniu.~ on cl,c ~;horcs of the !!<':. 1 in the bright sunset, see nM tlw 1 i~ing of 11•<' w:tlers, and fed not the falling of the night, uuril tlwy at·e wholly 0\"erwlH•liiJcd. They were hnppy, and in tl1 cir l~appiHl'S!I but too cn~ily forgot that there was such a person as Cuptain Albrrt rn their little p:lradisc. Dut the pitcher which gocs often to the well, is at last broken. Thry were soon destined to realize the pro,·erb in their own expericne1~. Sonwthing in the mo,·cmcnts of Laehnnc, awak('ncd the stu~picions of Pierre H.cnaud, wilo>'o active hostility to Guern:~ eh e has been shown already. This lll:l.ll now bore within tho furtre8s the unenviable reputation of being the captain's spy upon the people. This n1iserablc creature, his su~pieion's once awak(' ucd, soJn ndd:c~cd all his abiliti ·s to the tusk of detecting the connection of Lnclmnc with his prisoner; nnJ it wns not long before he had tl1e l11align:1nt satisfaction of se<•ing I1im accompany another iuto tho dun:;oon of Gu ~ mache. Though it was after midnight wlJcn tl1c discovery wa.s made, it was of a. kind too precious to suffJr delay in re\'ealing it, and he hurried at oueo to the captain's quarters, well aware that, with such intclligenco as he bt·ought, he might safely venture to dislul"b him at any hour. But his cugemcss did not lessen his caution, and every step wns taken with the greatest deliberation and care. Albert was immediately at·oused ; but, unwilling, by a premature alarm, to a!f<..11d tho offl'ndJrs an oppottnnity to cscnpe, or to place themsch-cs io nny hituation to defy scrutiny, some time was lost iu makin,:; anang:omenta. Tho progress of Albert, nud hill 4 |
