ly by that of a boat, in which sat a
solitary figure rowing vigorously. "It is Basil!" cried Spira,
joyfully. He heard the voice, looked up, saw her, recognised me with a
start of glad surprise, and at once ran his boat ashore, and joined us.
Spira, after four days' separation, did not know how to make enough of
him. He seemed in his lordly manner truly glad to see her again, and
asked with much earnestness after his boy. To me his manner was one of
almost reverential courtesy; scarcely durst I ask him how he had left
Laurie, but while the question was faltering on my tongue, Spira came
out with it in round, unvarnished terms, saying, "Is our good Englishman
alive?--is he better?"

"Alive, but not better," answered Basil bluffly; "a hurt which I should
have forgotten in three days has eaten into his very flesh and bone;
there must be devilry in it, and I am on my way to fetch priest Jovan
from Nariako to exorcise him."

"Take me to him first, kind Basil," said I anxiously; "I too have
soothing spells here," pointing to the valise which held my remedies,
"nor shall prayers be wanting to aid them." I wept as I spoke; Basil,
with some odd contortions of feature, meant, I believe, to drive back
sympathetic tears, beckoned us to get into the boat. Spira and he
followed with my light baggage, and Giuro remained behind in charge of
the animals. Softly and swiftly we glided along, the green waters
rippling and gurgling round our boat. The river gradually widened till
it grew into a lake, the lovely Lake of Scutari. Of its beauties I can
say little, for, indeed, they fell on a heedless eye; but I remember
well the deeply indented shore to our left, under which we stole along,
the flocks of ducks and cormorants, and the noble milk-white herons that
rose up screaming at our approach.

"Your husband lies yonder, near the crest of this next hill," said Basil
to me, indicating by a jerk of his chin a craggy height almost
overhanging the water; "your excellency would see the roof of the hut,
but a wild cherry tree hides it." Then he explained to me (Mr Popham
not understanding his dialect) that we had but to double one more
headland, and we should come to a creek, and a landing-place, and a path
leading straight to the hut. You may think how my heart bounded to be
there!

But we were reckoning without our host. On rounding the headland there
was the path indeed, like a white thread on the green height, but it was
bese