"He enquired for Sigismunda, and not finding her was a great vexation to him. As soon as he heard of the voyage she had gone upon, he set out in search of her. He had great confidence in his brother's virtue, but was not without suspicion, which a lover is never entirely free from. As his mother knew of his intentions, she called me aside, and committed to my charge the life, honour and safety of her younger son, giving me orders to set out in search of him, and, if possible, to let him know that his brother was gone to look for him and Sigismunda. The Prince Maximin set sail with two large ships, and passing through the Straits of Hercules with various changes of weather and many storms, he reached at length the Isle of Trinacria, and from thence the fair city of Parthenope. He was at the present moment not far from thence, in a place called Terracina, where he had been taken ill, and had been at the point of death. I landed at Lisbon, where I obtained news of Persiles and Sigismunda; for two pilgrims whose beauty was making a great noise there, could be no other than they, for unless they are Persiles and Sigismunda, they must be incarnate angels." "If their names," answered the listener to whom Serafido spoke, "were Periander and Auristella, instead of Persiles and Sigismunda, I could give you certain news of them, for I was some time in their company, and underwent with them many perils." He then related the adventures in the Barbarous Isle with some others. Meantime day advanced, and Periander, that he might not be seen there, left them in order to return and give Auristella notice of his brother's arrival, and to take counsel with her what was best to be done in order to avoid his indignation, deeming it a miracle that he should have gained this information in so retired a spot; and, full of new thoughts, he went to seek, once more, his penitent Auristella, and the hopes which he had well nigh lost. [Illustration] CHAPTER XIII. _Periander returns towards Rome with the News of his Brother Maximin's Arrival. Serafido his Tutor, and Rutilio meet with him._ The pain and sensation of a fresh wound is hardly felt in the moment of anger and hot blood, which, after it becomes cold, causes an agony that is almost unendurable to the sufferer. It is the same with the passions of the mind; in allowing them time and space to be dwelt upon, and considered, they will often nearly vex you to death. Auristella said all she wanted to Periander, and satisfied with having declared her desire, she expected its accomplishment, trusting to the perfect submission of Periander, who, after as we have already narrated, listening to her in silence, and by silence only, replying, quitted Rome, and the events we have related happened to him.