never quitting Auristella's side, nor Antonio that of Felicia Flora, his sister, Constance, being also close by him. Now fate so willed it that the rapid motion of the water affected Felicia Flora's head, so that she fell off her horse into the middle of the river; but, quick as thought, the gallant Antonio darted after her, and upon his shoulders bore her, like a second Europa, safe to the opposite shore. She, seeing his quick action, said, "Thou art very courteous, Spaniard." To which Antonio replied, "If my courteous deeds did not spring from your dangers, they might be estimable; but, born as they are of them, they rather grieve than gladden me." The party at last all passed over, and reached at nightfall a farmhouse, which was also an inn, in which they found lodging to their liking; and what happened to them here demands a new style and a new chapter. [Illustration] CHAPTER XVI. Things sometimes happen in this world, that if people were beforehand to devise or project them, they never could succeed in so doing, and so from that and their rarity they pass as apocryphal, and are not believed to be as true as they are, and it is necessary to help people's belief by swearing to the truth, or, at least, it requires that the relator should be a person of good credit, although, for my part, I am of opinion that it is best not to tell them at all, according to the advice in the old Castilian adage,-- "Very wonderful things Should never be told, For it is not every one That can enter into them." Our pilgrims had not been long in the inn when Bartholomew came and said, "Make haste, sir, and come and see the most extraordinary sight you ever saw in your life!" He said this in such a scared and frightened manner, that, thinking they were going to see some very strange thing, they followed him, and in a part of the house at some distance from that in which the pilgrims and the ladies were lodged, they saw through some matting an apartment entirely hung with black, the murky darkness of which prevented them from seeing distinctly what was in it. Whilst they were looking at it, an old man, also dressed in black, came up to them, and said, "Gentlemen, if you wish to see the Lady Ruperta without her seeing you, I will contrive it so that you shall be gratified; in about two hours after midnight you will have an opportunity of seeing what will surprise you, both as to her beauty and behaviour." "Sir," said Periander, "our servant, that you see here, brought us to see a wonder, but we have seen nothing yet, except a room hung with black, which is not wonderful at all."