"Madam," I replied, rising from my seat, "I gratefully accept your offer of friendship. I cannot tell you how proud I am of your confidence; but still, allow me to unite with it one condition." "Pray speak, sir." "I mean that I will accept that title of friend with all the duties and obligations which it shall impose upon me." "What duties do you mean?" "There is a mystery overhanging your family; that mystery must be discovered and solved at any cost. That Black Pest must be apprehended. We must find out where she comes from, what she is, and what she wants!" "Oh, but that is impossible!" she said with a movement of despair. "Who can tell that, madam? Perhaps Divine Providence may have had a design connected with me in sending Sperver to fetch me here." "You are right, sir. God never acts without consummate wisdom. Do whatever you think right. I give my approval in advance." I raised to my lips the hand which she tremblingly placed in mine, and went out full of admiration for this frail and feeble woman, who was, nevertheless, so strong in the time of trial. Is anything grander than duty nobly accomplished? CHAPTER XII. An hour after the conversation with Odile, Sperver and I were riding hard, and leaving Nideck rapidly behind us. The huntsman, bending forward over his horse's neck, encouraged him with voice and action. He rode so fast that his tall Mecklemburger, her mane flying, tail outstretched, and legs extended wide, seemed almost motionless, so swiftly did she cleave the air. As for my little Ardenne pony, I think he was running right away with his rider. Lieverle accompanied us, flying alongside of us like an arrow from the bow. A whirlwind seemed to sweep us in our headlong way. The towers of Nideck were far away, and Sperver was keeping ahead as usual when I shouted-- "Halloo, comrade, pull up! Halt! Before we go any farther let us know what we are about." He faced round. "Only just tell me, Fritz, is it right or is it left?" "No; that won't do. It is of the first importance that you should know the object of our journey. In short, we are going to catch the hag." A flush of pleasure brightened up the long sallow face of the old poacher, and his eyes sparkled. "Ha, ha!" he cried, "I knew we should come to that at last!" And he slipped his rifle round from his shoulder into his hand. This significant action roused me. "Wait, Sperver; we are not going to kill the Black Pest, but to take her alive!" "Alive?" "No doubt, and it will spare you a good deal of remorse perhaps if I declare to you that the life of this old woman is bound up with that of your master. The ball that hits her hits your lord." Sperver gazed at me in astonishment. "Is this really true, Fritz?" "Positively true."