eturn the courtesy," answered Rienzi, gazing upon the person
who thus suddenly accosted him, and in whose white cross and martial
bearing the reader recognises the Knight of St. John.

"You know me not, I think?" said Montreal; "but that matters little,
we may easily commence our acquaintance: for me, indeed, I am fortunate
enough to have made myself already acquainted with you."

"Possibly we have met elsewhere, at the house of one of those nobles to
whose rank you seem to belong?"

"Belong! no, not exactly!" returned Montreal, proudly. "Highborn and
great as your magnates deem themselves, I would not, while the mountains
can yield one free spot for my footstep, change my place in the world's
many grades for theirs. To the brave, there is but one sort of plebeian,
and that is the coward. But you, sage Rienzi," continued the Knight, in
a gayer tone, "I have seen in more stirring scenes than the hall of a
Roman Baron."

Rienzi glanced keenly at Montreal, who met his eye with an open brow.

"Yes!" resumed the Knight--"but let us walk on; suffer me for a few
moments to be your companion. Yes! I have listened to you--the other
eve, when you addressed the populace, and today, when you rebuked the
nobles; and at midnight, too, not long since, when (your ear, fair
Sir!--lower, it is a secret!)--at midnight, too, when you administered
the oath of brotherhood to the bold conspirators, on the ruined
Aventine!"

As he concluded, the Knight drew himself aside to watch, upon Rienzi's
countenance, the effect which his words might produce.

A slight tremor passed over the frame of the conspirator--for so, unless
the conspiracy succeed, would Rienzi be termed, by others than Montreal:
he turned abruptly round to confront the Knight, and placed his hand
involuntarily on his sword, but presently relinquished the grasp.

"Ha!" said the Roman, slowly, "if this be true, fall Rome! There is
treason even among the free!"

"No treason, brave Sir!" answered Montreal; "I possess thy secret--but
none have betrayed it to me."

"And is it as friend or foe that thou hast learned it?"

"That as it may be," returned Montreal, carelessly. "Enough, at present,
that I could send thee to the gibbet, if I said but the word,--to show
my power to be thy foe; enough, that I have not done it, to prove my
disposition to be thy friend."

"Thou mistakest, stranger! that man does not live who could shed my
blood in the streets of Rome! The gibbet! Li