party of travellers
had arrived; and as there was a scarcity of apartments, it was hoped
the lady and gentlemen would accommodate the strangers by allowing
them to share theirs. Consent was inevitable; so, like the sultan's
wife in the Arabian tale, the victim was allowed to live another day.

'Now,' said Mazzuolo, 'we have only two nights more before we reach
Augsburg, so there must be no more shilly-shallying about the matter.
If there is a stove in the room to-night, we may try that; though, if
the house be in a pretty safe situation, I should prefer more
decisive measures. The charcoal has failed once already.'

'That was from bad management,' said Tina; 'we could be secure
against such an accident on another occasion. At the same time, if
the situation be favourable, I should prefer a _coup de main.'_

When they had arrived at their night's station, the absence of a
stove decided the question. It was merely a post-house, a place where
horses were furnished; the accommodation was poor, and the people
disposed to pay little attention to them. Close by ran a river, which
obviated all difficulty as to the disposal of the body.

'The thing must be done to-night,' said Mazzuolo; and Karl said
nothing to the contrary. He also feared that it must; for he did not
see how he could avoid it. His aunt said everything necessary to
inspire him with courage and determination, and made many promises of
future benefits; whilst Mazzuolo neither doubted his obedience nor
his resolution, and spoke of the thing as so entirely within the
range of ordinary proceedings, that the boy, stupid and ignorant, and
accustomed, from the state of the country, to hear of bloodshed and
murders little less atrocious committed by the soldiery, and neither
punished nor severely condemned, felt ashamed of his own
pusillanimity--for such his instinctive pity appeared to himself.

But as he stood opposite Madame Louison at supper, with his eyes, as
usual, fixed upon her face, his heart involuntarily quailed when he
thought that within a few hours he was to raise his hand against that
beautiful head; yet he still felt within himself no courage to
refuse, nor any fertility of expedient to elude the dilemma.

When supper was over, Tina desired Karl to bring up two or three
pails of warm water, and several cloths, 'for,' said she 'it will do
us all good to bathe our feet;' whereupon Adelaide requested one
might be carried to her room, which was done by