"This lesson has done me good. It was meet that I who could forget a wife who sacrificed herself to deliver me out of the hands of my enemies, should fall into the power of a harlot who would have betrayed me to them. Yet even now it is not too late. My life is forfeit, but at least I can save my honour. None shall be able to boast that he has betrayed me. My enemies shall never say that I hid myself from them and they found me out. I'll appear before them boldly, as I ought to have done at first." Full of this resolution, Banfi went straightway into the secret courtyard, where he had left his horse. He was surprised to find it no longer there. The odalisk had taken it away with her. He smiled disdainfully. "What matters it, so long as she has not stolen me also." He returned into the rocky chamber, rekindled the lunt, came out, and closing the iron door behind him made his way along the banks of the cold Szamos. Towards midday he sat down on the bank to rest, and he had scarcely been there a quarter of an hour, when he heard the trampling of horses, and looking up--the bushes completely concealed him--beheld Ladislaus Csaky and Azrael on horseback, side by side, at the head of an armed band. The girl seemed to be pointing out something to Csaky on the rocks above, and the worthy gentleman was beside himself for joy. Banfi smiled scornfully. "Poor Tartars!" As soon as the band had passed by, Banfi continued his journey. He had not gone far when he came upon a poor peasant cleaving wood. "Dost know whither that armed band has gone?" he asked. "Yes, sir. They have gone to capture Denis Banfi, on whose head a great price has been set." "How much?" "If a noble capture him he will receive an estate, if a peasant, two hundred ducats." "Little enough, but enough for you, I dare say. I am Denis Banfi." The peasant took off his cap. "Does my lord wish to be led anywhither?" "Lead me to the place where they will pay you two hundred ducats." * * * * * A quarter of an hour afterwards a tremendous explosion resounded through the mountains, which shook the earth for half-a-mile around. The enchanted garden of the Gradina Dracului had collapsed into an inaccessible chaos. Csaky had fortunately lingered on the road, or he and his company would have perished utterly. On returning, he found Banfi already under arrest, and was thus deprived of the glory of having captured his foe with his own hand. He immediately hastened to accost him, and, with exquisite malice, brought with him the odalisk, who looked at Banfi as if she had never seen him before. Banfi, however, since his voluntary surrender, had quite resumed his former sangfroid, and looking contemptuously over his shoulder at Csaky, said-- "So your Excellency means in future to wear my cast-off clothes, eh?"