lists of the names of those who
are to fall the first victims. My father's name stands at the very top
of the list. His peasants have always hated him as much as they have
loved me. One of the leaders of these secret conspirators was formerly a
fellow-soldier with me, since then he has been compelled to quit the
service. I accidentally met him in Galicia, where he was pursuing his
secret plans. He promised to hide me away, and, immediately afterwards,
went and denounced me. It is part of his infernal plan, when I am led
outside the town and a large crowd of people have come together to see
the execution, to incite the mob to riot, overpower the little band of
soldiers guarding me, release me, proclaim me far and wide as a hero,
and use my name as the means of provoking a general rising. You can see,
General, with what horror I so much as mention this affair, you can see
that I have neither dreamt nor imagined it, but shudder at it, and for
that very reason would hasten on my exit from this world."

The General really did believe that the youth was not quite in his right
mind.

The young man perceived the cold smile on the General's face, and
convulsively grasping his hand with his own manacled hands, exclaimed
despairingly:

"General! they would murder my father, they would destroy my house, my
nation!"

"Who forsooth?" inquired the General with an expression of unutterable
contempt. "These skulking loafers, eh? I will not presume to deny that
they may, perhaps, intend to do what you say, such ideas may and do
occur at times to some blockhead or other. But I do not believe that the
time will ever come for the realisation of such projects. But if anybody
should attempt to move in the matter, I solemnly assure you that at the
very first outcry he will be a dead man!"

And he tapped his sword with proud self-consciousness.

At that moment an adjutant hastily entered the room and announced that
there were suspicious gatherings of the people in the market-place and
the streets of the town. They were exclaiming loudly against the gentry
and the soldiers, and were goading one another on with incendiary
speeches. It had been found necessary to bar the gates of the town hall
against them, and the windows of an apothecary's shop had already been
smashed. Apparently they meant to give most of their attention to the
barracks and the town hall.

The General had no sooner hastened out of the corridor than he already
heard in