ll-known designation of the illustrious head of the noble
house of Grosvenor. Whatever connection there may or may not be between
that German Hugh Lupus of a thousand years ago and the truly British Hugh
Lupus of our day, all the base qualities of his supposed progenitor have
disappeared in him who is adorned with all the qualities which make the
English nobility rank as the pride and the flower of our land.

F. A. M.

_The Vicaraqe,
Broughton-in-Furness_.

THE MAN-WOLF.

CHAPTER I.

About Christmas time in the year 18--, as I was lying fast asleep at the
Cygne at Fribourg, my old friend Gideon Sperver broke abruptly into my
room, crying--

"Fritz, I have good news for you; I am going to take you to Nideck, two
leagues from this place. You know Nideck, the finest baronial castle in
the country, a grand monument of the glory of our forefathers?"

Now I had not seen Sperver, who was my foster-father, for sixteen years;
he had grown a full beard in that time, a huge fox-skin cap covered his
head, and he was holding his lantern close under my nose. It was,
therefore, only natural that I should answer--

"In the first place let us do things in order. Tell me who you are."

"Who I am? What! don't you remember Gideon Sperver, the Schwartzwald
huntsman? You would not be so ungrateful, would you? Was it not I who
taught you to set a trap, to lay wait for the foxes along the skirts of
the woods, to start the dogs after the wild birds? Do you remember me
now? Look at my left ear, with a frost-bite."

"Now I know you; that left ear of yours has done it; Shake hands."

Sperver, passing the back of his hand across his eyes, went on--

"You know Nideck?"

"Of course I do--by reputation; what have you to do there?"

"I am the count's chief huntsman."

"And who has sent you?"

"The young Countess Odile."

"Very good. How soon are we to start?"

"This moment. The matter is urgent; the old count is very ill, and his
daughter has begged me not to lose a moment. The horses are quite ready."

"But, Gideon, my dear fellow, just look out at the weather; it has been
snowing three days without cessation."

"Oh, nonsense; we are not going out boar-hunting; put on your thick coat,
buckle on your spurs, and let us prepare to start. I will order something
to eat first." And he went out, first adding, "Be sure to put on your
cape."

I could never refuse old Gideon anything; from my childhood he could do
anyth