abide here; fly to the sanctuary."

"To sanctuary," said Theodore; "no, Princess; sanctuaries are for
helpless damsels, or for criminals. Theodore's soul is free from

guilt, nor will wear the appearance of it. Give me a sword, Lady, and
thy father shall learn that Theodore scorns an ignominious flight."

"Rash youth!" said Matilda; "thou wouldst not dare to lift thy
presumptuous arm against the Prince of Otranto?"

"Not against thy father; indeed, I dare not," said Theodore. "Excuse
me, Lady; I had forgotten. But could I gaze on thee, and remember

thou art sprung from the tyrant Manfred! But he is thy father, and
from this moment my injuries are buried in oblivion."

A deep and hollow groan, which seemed to come from above, startled the
Princess and Theodore.

"Good heaven! we are overheard!" said the Princess. They listened;
but perceiving no further noise, they both concluded it the effect of

pent-up vapours. And the Princess, preceding Theodore softly, carried
him to her father's armoury, where, equipping him with a complete

suit, he was conducted by Matilda to the postern-gate.
"Avoid the town," said the Princess, "and all the western side of the

castle. 'Tis there the search must be making by Manfred and the
strangers; but hie thee to the opposite quarter. Yonder behind that

forest to the east is a chain of rocks, hollowed into a labyrinth of
caverns that reach to the sea coast. There thou mayst lie concealed,

till thou canst make signs to some vessel to put on shore, and take
thee off. Go! heaven be thy guide! - and sometimes in thy prayers

remember - Matilda!"
Theodore flung himself at her feet, and seizing her lily hand, which

with struggles she suffered him to kiss, he vowed on the earliest
opportunity to get himself knighted, and fervently entreated her

permission to swear himself eternally her knight. Ere the Princess
could reply, a clap of thunder was suddenly heard that shook the

battlements. Theodore, regardless of the tempest, would have urged
his suit: but the Princess, dismayed, retreated hastily into the

castle, and commanded the youth to be gone with an air that would not
be disobeyed. He sighed, and retired, but with eyes fixed on the

gate, until Matilda, closing it, put an end to an interview, in which
the hearts of both had drunk so deeply of a passion, which both now

tasted for the first time.
Theodore went pensively to the convent, to acquaint his father with

his deliverance. There he learned the absence of Jerome, and the
pursuit that was making after the Lady Isabella, with some particulars

of whose story he now first became acquainted. The generous gallantry
of his nature prompted him to wish to assist her; but the Monks could

lend him no lights to guess at the route she had taken. He was not
tempted to wander far in search of her, for the idea of Matilda had

imprinted itself so strongly on his heart, that he could not bear to
absent himself at much distance from her abode. The tenderness Jerome

had expressed for him concurred to confirm this reluctance; and he
even persuaded himself that filialaffection was the chief cause of

his hovering between the castle and monastery.
Until Jerome should return at night, Theodore at length determined to

repair to the forest that Matilda had pointed out to him. Arriving
there, he sought the gloomiest shades, as best suited to the pleasing

melancholy that reigned in his mind. In this mood he roved insensibly
to the caves which had formerly served as a retreat to hermits, and

were now reported round the country to be haunted by evil spirits. He
recollected to have heard this tradition; and being of a brave and

adventurous disposition, he willingly indulged his curiosity in
exploring the secret recesses of this labyrinth. He had not

penetrated far before he thought he heard the steps of some person who
seemed to retreat before him.

Theodore, though firmly grounded in all our holy faith enjoins to be
believed, had no apprehension that good men were abandoned" target="_blank" title="a.被抛弃的；无约束的">abandoned without

cause to the malice of the powers of darkness. He thought the place
more likely to be infested by robbers than by those infernal agents

who are reported to molest and bewilder travellers. He had long
burned with impatience to approve his valour. Drawing his sabre, he

marched sedately onwards, still directing his steps as the imperfect
rustling sound before him led the way. The armour he wore was a like

indication to the person who avoided him. Theodore, now convinced
that he was not mistaken, redoubled his pace, and evidently gained on

the person that fled, whose haste increasing, Theodore came up just as
a woman fell breathless before him. He hasted to raise her, but her

terror was so great that he apprehended she would faint in his arms.
He used every gentle word to dispel her alarms, and assured her that

far from injuring, he would defend her at the peril of his life. The
Lady recovering her spirits from his courteousdemeanour, and gazing

on her protector, said -
"Sure, I have heard that voice before!"

"Not to my knowledge," replied Theodore; "unless, as I conjecture,
thou art the Lady Isabella."

"Merciful heaven!" cried she. "Thou art not sent in quest of me, art
thou?" And saying those words, she threw herself at his feet, and

besought him not to deliver her up to Manfred.
"To Manfred!" cried Theodore - "no, Lady; I have once already

delivered thee from his tyranny, and it shall fare hard with me now,
but I will place thee out of the reach of his daring."

"Is it possible," said she, "that thou shouldst be the generous
unknown whom I met last night in the vault of the castle? Sure thou

art not a mortal, but my guardian angel. On my knees, let me thank -
"

"Hold! gentle Princess," said Theodore, "nor demean thyself before a
poor and friendless young man. If heaven has selected me for thy

deliverer, it will accomplish its work, and strengthen my arm in thy
cause. But come, Lady, we are too near the mouth of the cavern; let

us seek its inmost recesses. I can have no tranquillity till I have
placed thee beyond the reach of danger."

"Alas! what mean you, sir?" said she. "Though all your actions are
noble, though your sentiments speak the purity of your soul, is it

fitting that I should accompany you alone into these perplexed
retreats? Should we be found together, what would a censorious world

think of my conduct?"
"I respect your virtuous delicacy," said Theodore; "nor do you harbour

a suspicion that wounds my honour. I meant to conduct you into the
most private cavity of these rocks, and then at the hazard of my life

to guard their entrance against every living thing. Besides, Lady,"
continued he, drawing a deep sigh, "beauteous and all perfect as your

form is, and though my wishes are not guiltless of aspiring, know, my
soul is dedicated to another; and although - " A sudden noise

prevented Theodore from proceeding. They soon distinguished these
sounds -

"Isabella! what, ho! Isabella!" The trembling Princess relapsed into
her former agony of fear. Theodore endeavoured to encourage her, but

in vain. He assured her he would die rather than suffer her to return
under Manfred's power; and begging her to remain concealed, he went

forth to prevent the person in search of her from approaching.
At the mouth of the cavern he found an armed Knight, discoursing with

a peasant, who assured him he had seen a lady enter the passes of the
rock. The Knight was preparing to seek her, when Theodore, placing

himself in his way, with his sword drawn, sternly forbad him at his
peril to advance.

"And who art thou, who darest to cross my way?" said the Knight,
haughtily.

"One who does not dare more than he will perform," said Theodore.
"I seek the Lady Isabella," said the Knight, "and understand she has

taken refuge among these rocks. Impede me not, or thou wilt repent
having provoked my resentment."

"Thy purpose is as odious as thy resentment is contemptible," said
Theodore. "Return whence thou camest, or we shall soon know whose

resentment is most terrible."
The stranger, who was the principal Knight that had arrived from the

Marquis of Vicenza, had galloped from Manfred as he was busied in
getting information of the Princess, and giving various orders to

prevent her falling into the power of the three Knights. Their chief
had suspected Manfred of being privy to the Princess's absconding, and

this insult from a man, who he concluded was stationed by that Prince
to secrete her, confirming his suspicions, he made no reply, but

discharging a blow with his sabre at Theodore, would soon have removed
all obstruction, if Theodore, who took him for one of Manfred's

captains, and who had no sooner given the provocation than prepared to
support it, had not received the stroke on his shield. The valour