Valladolid, were the King and his Court. Con- | moment she heard from papa's lips what was the na

sequently, there was plenty of regiments and ture of his errand. His daughter Catharine, he inplenty of regimental bands. Attracted by one formed the Don, had eloped from the convent of St. of these, Catalina was quietly listening to the Sebastian, a place rich in delight. Then he laid music, when some street ruffians, in derision of open the unparalleled ingratitude of such a step. the gay colours and the form of her forest-made | Oh, the unseen treasure that had been spent upon costume [rascals! one would like to have seen that girl! Oh, the untold sums of money that he had what sort of trousers they would have made with sunk in that unhappy speculation! The nights of no better scissors!]-began to pelt her with sleeplessness suffered during her infancy! The fifstones. Ah, my friends, of the genus blackguard, teen years of solicitude thrown away in schemes for you little know who it is that you are selecting her improvement! It would have moved the heart for experiments. This is the one creature of fif- of a stone. The hidalgo wept copiously at his own teen in all Spain, be the other male or female, pathos. And to such a height of grandeur had he whom nature, and temper, and provocation have carried his Spanish sense of the sublime, that he qualified for taking the conceit out of you. This disdained to mention the pocket-handkerchief she very soon did, laying open a head or two with which he had left at St. Sebastian's fifteen years a sharp stone, and letting out rather too little ago, by way of envelope for " than too much of bad Valladolid blood. But mark to the best of pussy's knowledge, was the one sole pussy," and which, the constant villany of this world. Certain Al-memorandum of papa ever heard of at St. Seguazils-very like some other Alguazils that I bastian's. Pussy, however, saw no use in revisknow nearer home-having stood by quietly to ing and correcting the text of papa's rememsee the friendless stranger insulted and assaulted, brances. She showed her usual prudence, and now felt it their duty to apprehend the poor nun her usual incomparable decision. It did not apfor murderous violence: and had there been such pear, as yet, that she would be reclaimed, or was a thing as a treadmill in Valladolid, Kate was at all suspected for the fugitive by her father. booked for a place on it without further inquiry. For it is an instance of that singular fatality Luckily, injustice does not always prosper. A which pursued Catalina through life, that, to her gallant young cavalier, who had witnessed from own astonishment (as she now collected from her his windows the whole affair, had seen the pro- father's conference), nobody had traced her to vocation, and admired Catalina's behaviour- Valladolid, nor had her father's visit any conequally patient at first and bold at last-hastened nexion with suspicions travelling in that direc into the street, pursued the officers, forced them tion. The case was quite different. Strangely to release their prisoner, upon stating the cir- enough, her street row had thrown her into the cumstances of the case, and instantly offered Ca- one sole household in all Spain that had an offitalina a situation amongst his retinue. He was cial connexion with St. Sebastian's. That cona man of birth and fortune; and the place offered, vent had been founded by the young cavalier's that of an honorary page, not being at all degrad- family; and, according to the usage of Spain, ing even to a 'daughter of somebody," was the young man (as present representative of his cheerfully accepted. Here Catalina spent a house) was the responsible protector of the estahappy month. She was now splendidly dressed blishment. It was not to the Don, as harbourer in dark blue velvet, by a tailor that did not work of his daughter, but to the Don, as ex officio visiter within the gloom of a chestnut forest. She and of the convent, that the hidalgo was appealing. the young cavalier, Don Francisco de Cardenas, Probably Kate might have staid safely some time were mutually pleased, and had mutual confi- longer. dence. All went well-when one evening, but, luckily, not until the sun had been set so long as to make all things indistinct, who should march into the ante-chamber of the cavalier but that sublime of erocodiles, Papa, that we lost sight of fifteen years ago, and shall never see again after this night. He had his crocodile tears all ready for use, in working order, like a good industrious fire-engine. It was absolutely to Catalina herself that he advanced; whom, for many reasons, he could not be supposed to recognise-lapse of years, male attire, twilight, were all against him. Still, she might have the family countenance; and Kate thought he looked with a suspicious scrutiny into her face, as he inquired for the young Don. To avert her own face, to announce him to Don Francisco, to wish him on the shores of that ancient river for crocodiles, the Nile, furnished but one moment's work to the active Catalina. She lingered, however, as her place entitled her to do, at the door of the audience chamber. She guessed already, but in a

plied the clues for tracing her; and, finally, she Yet, again, this would but have multiwould too probably have been discovered; after which, with all his youthful generosity, the poor Don could not have protected her. Too terrific was the vengeance that awaited an abettor of any fugitive nun; but above all, if such a crime were perpetrated by an official mandatory of the church. Yet, again, so far it was the more hazardous course to abscond, that it almost revealed her to the young Don as the missing daughter. Still, if it really had that effect, nothing at present obliged him to pursue her, as might have been the case a few weeks later. Kate argued (I daresay) rightly, as she always did. Her prudence whispered eternally, that safety there was none for her, until she had laid the Atlantic between herself and St. Sebastian's. Life was to be for her a Bay of Biscay; and it was odds but she had first embarked upon this billowy life from the literal Bay of Biscay. Chance ordered otherwise. Or, as a Frenchman says with eloquent ingenuity, in connexion with this story, "chance

is but the pseudonyme of God for those particular | she had opened it, she dropped her person, dressed cases which he does not subscribe openly with his as she was, upon the nearest heap of straw. own sign manual." She crept up stairs to her Some ten feet further were lying two muleteers, bed-room. Simple are the travelling prepara- honest and happy enough, as compared with the tions of those that, possessing nothing, have lords of the bed-chamber then in Valladolid: but no imperials to pack, She had Juvenal's quali- still gross men, carnally deaf from eating garlic fication for caroling gaily through a forest full and onions, and other horrible substances. Acof robbers; for she had nothing to lose but cordingly, they never heard her, nor were aware, a change of linen, that rode easily enough under until dawn, that such a blooming person existed. her left arm, leaving the right free for answer- But she was aware of them, and of their convering any questions of impertinent customers. As sation. They were talking of an expedition for she crept down stairs, she heard the, Crocodile America, on the point of sailing under Don Ferstill weeping forth his sorrows to the pensive car dinand de Cordova. It was to sail from some of twilight, and to the sympathetic Don Francisco. Andalusian port. That was the very thing for Now, it would not have been filial or lady-like | for Kate to do what I am going to suggest; but what a pity that some gay brother page had not been there to turn aside into the room, armed with a roasted potato, and, taking a sportsman's aim, to have lodged it in the Crocodile's abominable mouth. Yet, what an anachronism! There were no roasted potatoes in Spain at that date, and very few in England. But anger drives a man to say anything.

Catalina had seen her last of friends and enemies in Valladolid. Short was her time there; but she had improved it so far as to make a few of both. There was an eye or two in Valladolid that would have glared with malice upon her, had she been seen by all eyes in that city, as she tripped through the streets in the dusk; and eyes there were that would have softened into tears, had they seen the desolate condition of the child, or in vision had seen the struggles that were before her. But what's the use of wasting tears upon our Kate? Wait till to-inorrow morning at sun-rise, and see if she is particularly in need of pity. What now should a young lady do--I propose it as a subject for a prize essay-that finds herself in Valladolid at nightfall, having no letters of introduction, not aware of any reason great or small for preferring any street in general, except so far as she knows of some reason for avoiding one or two streets in particular? The great problem I have stated, Kate investigated as she went along; and she solved it with the accuracy with which she ever applied to practical exigencies. Her conclusion was-that the best door to knock at in such a case was the door where there was no need to knock at all, as being unfastened, and open to all comers. For she argued that within such a door there would be nothing to steal, so that, at least, you could not be mistaken in the dark for a thief. Then, as to stealing from her, they might do that if they could.

Upon these principles, which hostile critics will in vain endeavour to undermine, she laid her hand upon what seemed a rude stable door. Such it proved. There was an empty cart inside; certainly there was, but you couldn't take that away in your pocket; and there were five loads of straw, but then of those a lady could take no more than her reticule would carry, which perhaps was allowed by the courtesy of Spain. So Kate was right as to the difficulty of being challenged for a thief. Closing the door as gently as

her. At daylight she woke, and jumped up, needing no more toilet than the birds that already were singing in the gardens, or than the two muleteers, who, good honest fellows, saluted the handsome boy kindly-thinking no ill at his making free with their straw, though no leave had been asked.

With these philo-garlic men Kate took her departure. The morning was divine; and leaving Valladolid with the transports that befitted such a golden dawn, feeling also already, in the very obscurity of her exit, the pledge of her escape; she cared no longer for the crocodile, or for St. Sebastian, or (in the way of fear) for the protector of St. Sebastian, though of him she thought with some tenderness; so deep is the remembrance of kindness mixed with justice. Andalusia she reached rather slowly; but many months before she was sixteen years old, and quite in time for the expedition. St. Lucar being the port of rendezvous for the Peruvian expedition, thither she went. All comers were welcome on board the fleet; much more a fine young fellow like Kate. She was at once engaged as a mate; and her ship, in particular, after doubling Cape Horn without loss, made the coast of Peru. Paita was the port of her destination. Very near to this port they were, when a storm threw them upon a coral reef. There was little hope of the ship from the first, for she was unmanageable, and was not expected to hold together for twentyfour hours.

In this condition, with death before their faces, mark what Kate did; and please to remember it for her benefit, when she does any other little thing that angers you. The crew lowered the long-boat. Vainly the Captain protested against this disloyal desertion of a king's ship, which might yet perhaps be run on shore, so as to save the stores. All the crew, to a man, deserted the captain. You may say that literally; for the single exception was not a man, being our bold-hearted Kate. She was the only sailor that refused to leave her captain, or the king of Spain's ship. The rest pulled away for the shore, and with fair hopes of reaching it. But one half hour told another tale: just about that time came a broad sheet of lightning, which, through the darkness of evening, revealed the boat in the very act of mounting like a horse upon an inner reef, instantly filling, and throwing out the crew, every man of whom disappeared amongst the breakers. The night which succeeded was gloomy for both

a

the representatives of his Catholic Majesty. It outside of a maritime land must be the shore; cannot be denied by the greatest of philosophers, so that, if she kept the shore, and went far enough, that the muleteer's stable at Valladolid was worth she could not fail of hitting her foot against Paita twenty such ships, though the stable was not at last, in the very darkest night, provided only insured against fire, and the ship was insured she could first find out which was up and which against the sea and the wind by some fellow that was down; else she might walk her shoes off, thought very little of his engagements. But and find herself six thousand miles in the wrong. what's the use of sitting down to cry? That was Here was an awkward case, all for want of a never any trick of Catalina's. By day-break, guide post. Still, when one thinks of Kate's she was at work with an axe in her hand. I prosperous horoscope, that after so long a voyage, knew it, before ever I came to this place, in her she only, out of the total crew, was thrown on memoirs. I felt, as sure as if I had read it, that, the American shore, with one hundred and five when day broke, we should find Kate hard at pounds in her purse of clear gain on the voyage, work. Thimble or axe, trowsers or raft, all one a conviction arises that she could not guess to her. The Captain, though true to his duty, wrongly. She might have tossed up, having coins seems to have desponded. He gave no help to- in her pocket, heads or tails? but this kind of wards the raft. Signs were speaking, how- sortilege was then coming to be thought irreliever, pretty loudly that he must do something; gious in Christendom, as a Jewish and a Heathen for notice to quit was now served pretty liberally. mode of questioning the dark future. She simKate's raft was ready; and she encouraged the cap-ply guessed, therefore; and very soon a thing haptain to think that it would give both of them some-pened which, though adding nothing to strengthen thing to hold by in swimming, if not even carry her guess as a true one, did much to sweeten it double. At this moment, when all was waiting if it should prove a false one. On turning a point for a start, and the ship herself was waiting for a of the shore, she came upon barrel of biscuit final lurch, to say Good-bye to the King of Spain, washed ashore from the ship. Biscuit is about Kate went and did a thing which some misjudging the best thing I know, but it is the soonest spoiled; people will object to. She knew of a box laden and one would like to hear counsel on one puzzling with gold coins, reputed to be the King of Spain's, point, why it is that a touch of water utterly and meant for contingencies in the voyage out. ruins it, taking its life, and leaving a caput morThis she smashed open with her axe, and took tuum corpse! Upon this caput Kate breakfasted, a sum equal to 100 guineas English; which, though her case was worse than mine; for any having well secured in a pillow-case, she then water that ever plagued me was always fresh; lashed firmly to the raft. Now this, you know, now hers was a present from the Pacific ocean. though not "flotsom," because it would not float, She, that was always prudent, packed up some was certainly, by maritime law, "jetsom." It would of the Catholic king's biscuit, as she had prebe the idlest of scruples to fancy that the sea or viously packed up far too little of his gold. But a shark had a better right to it than a philo- in such cases a most delicate question occurs, sopher, or a splendid girl who showed her- pressing equally on medicine and algebra. It self capable of writing a very fair 8vo, to say no- is this if you pack up too much, then, by this thing of her decapitating in battle several of the extra burthen of salt provisions, you may retard king's enemies, and recovering the king's banner. for days your arrival at fresh provisions; on the No sane moralist would hesitate to do the same other hand, if you pack up too little, you may thing under the same circumstances, on board an never arrive at all. Catalina hit the juste milieu ; English vessel, though the First Lord of the Ad- and about twilight on the second day, she found miralty should be looking on. The raft was now herself entering Paita, without having had to thrown into the sea. Kate jumped after it, and swim any river in her walk. then entreated the captain to follow her. He attempted it; but, wanting her youthful agility, he struck his head against a spar, and sank like lead, giving notice below that his ship was coming. Kate mounted the raft, and was gradually washed ashore, but so exhausted, as to have lost all recollection. She lay for hours until the warmth of the sun revived her. On sitting up, she saw a desolate shore stretching both ways-nothing to eat, nothing to drink, but fortunately the raft and the money had been thrown near her; none of the lashings having given way-only what is the use of a guinea amongst tangle and sea-gulls? The money she distributed amongst her pockets, and soon found strength to rise and march forward. But which was forward? and which backward? She knew by the conversation of the sailors that Paita must be in the neighbourhood; and Paita, being a port, could not be in the inside of Peru, but, of course, somewhere on its outside-and the

The first thing, in such a case of distress, which a young lady does, even if she happens to be a young gentleman, is to beautify her dress. Kate always attended to that, as we know, having overlooked her in the chestnut wood. The man she sent for was not properly a tailor, but one who employed tailors, he himself furnishing the materials. His name was Urquiza, a fact of very little importance to us in 1847, if it had stood only at the head and foot of Kate's little account. But unhappily for Kate's début on this vast American stage, the case was otherwise. Mr. Urquiza had the misfortune (equally common in the old world and the new) of being a knave; and also a showy specious knave. Kate, who had prospered under sea allowances of biscuit and hardship, was now expanding in proportions. With very little vanity or consciousness on that head, she now displayed a really fine person; and, when drest anew in the way that became a young officer in the Spanish

haps utter, without a pang. Kate, therefore, wrote to Trujillo, expressing her honest fears, and desiring to have more definite instructions. These were positive. If the lady chose to send for the entire shop, her account was to be debited instantly with that. She had, however, as yet, not sent for the shop, but she began to manifest strong signs of sending for the shopman. Upon the blooming young Biscayan had her roving eye settled; and she was in a course of making up her mind to take Kate for a sweetheart. Poor Kate saw this with a heavy heart. And, at the same time that she had a prospect of a tender friend more than she wanted, she had become certain of an extra enemy that she wanted quite as little. What she had done to offend Mr. Reyes, Kate could not guess, except as to the matter of the credit: but then, in that, she only executed her instructions. Still Mr. Reyes was of opinion that there were two ways of executing orders : but the main offence was unintentional on Kate's part. Reyes, though as yet she did not know it, had himself been a candidate for the situation of clerk; and intended probably to keep the equation precisely as it was with respect to the allowance of credit, only to change places with the handsome lady-keeping her on the negative side, himself on the affirmative-an arrangement that you know could have made no sort of pecuniary difference to Urquiza.

service, she looked the representative picture of a | years," which even ammuity offices hear, and perSpanish caballador. It is strange that such an appearance, and such a rank, should have suggested to Urquiza the presumptuous idea of wishing that Kate might become his clerk. He did, | however, wish it; for Kate wrote a beautiful hand; and a stranger thing is, that Kate accepted his proposal. This might arise from the difficulty of moving in those days to any distance in Peru. | The ship had been merely bringing stores to the station of Paita; and no corps of the royal armies was readily to be reached, whilst something must be done at once for a livelihood. Urquiza had two mercantile establishments, one at Trujillo, to which he repaired in person, on kate's agreeing to undertake the management of the other in Paita. Like the sensible girl, that we have always found her, she demanded specific instructions for her guidance in duties so new. Certainly she was in a fair way for seeing life. Telling her beads at St. Sebastian's, manoeuvring irregular verbs at Vittoria, acting as gentleman usher at Valladolid, serving his Spanish majesty round Cape Horn, fighting with storms and sharks off the coast of Peru, and now commencing as book-keeper or commis to a draper at Paita, does she not justify the character that I myself gave her, just before dismissing her from St. Sebastian's, of being a "handy" girl? Mr. Urquiza's instructions were short, easy to be understood, but rather comic; and yet, which is odd, they led to tragic results. There were two debtors of the shop, (many, it is to be hoped, but two meriting his affectionate notice) with respect to whom he left the most opposite directions. The one was a very handsome lady; and the rule as to her was, that she was to have credit unlimited, strictly unlimited. That was plain. The other customer, favoured by Mr. Urquiza's valedictory thoughts, was a young man, cousin to the handsome lady, and bearing the name of Reyes. This youth occupied in Mr. Urquiza's estimate the same hyperbolical rank as the handsome lady, but on the opposite side of the equation. The rule as to him was-that he was to have no credit; strictly none. In this case, also, Kate saw no difficulty; and when she came to know Mr. Reves a little, she found the path of pleasure coinciding with the path of duty. Mr. Urquiza could not be more precise in laying down the rule than Kate was in enforcing it. But in the other case a scruple arose. Unlimited might be a word, not of Spanish law, but of Spanish rhetoric; such as “Live a thousand

* "She looked," &e. If ever the reader should visit Aixla-Chapelle, he will probably feel interest enough in the poor, wild impassioned girl, to look out for a picture of her in that city, and the only one known certainly to be authentie. It is in the collection of Mr. Sempaler. For some time it was supposed that the best (if not the only) portrait of her lurked somewhere in Italy. Since the discovery of the picture at Aix-la-Chapelle, that notion has been abandoned. But there is great reason to believe that, both in Madrid and Rome, many portraits of her must have been painted to meet the intense interest which arose in her history subsequently amongst all the men of rank, military or ecclesiastical, whether in Italy or Spain. The date of these would range between sixteen and twenty-two years from the period which we have now reached (100s),

Thus stood matters, when a party of strolling players strolled into Paita. Kate, as a Spaniard, being one held of the Paita aristocracy, was expected to attend. She did so; and there also was the malignant Reyes. He came and seated himself purposely so as to shut out Kate from all view of the stage. She, who had nothing of the bully in her nature, and was a gentle creature when her wild Biscayan blood had not been kindled by insult, courteously requested him to move a little ; upon which Reyes remarked that it was not in his power to oblige the clerk as to that, but that he could oblige him by cutting his throat. The tiger that slept in Catalina wakened at once. She seized him, and would have executed vengeance on the spot, but that a party of young men interposed to part them. The next day, when Kate (always ready to forget and forgive) was thinking no more of the row, Reyes passed; by spitting at the window, and other gestures insulting to Kate, again he roused her Spanish blood. Out she rushed, sword in hand—a duel began in the street, and very soon Kate's sword had passed into the heart of Reyes. Now that the mischief was done, the police were, as usual, all alive for the pleasure of avenging it. Kate found herself suddenly in a strong prison, and with small hopes of leaving it, except for execution. The relations of the dead man were potent in Paita, and clamourous for justice, so that the corregidor, in a case where he saw a very poor chance of being corrupted by bribes, felt it his duty to be sublimely incorruptible. The reader knows, however, that, amongst the relatives of the deceased bully, was that handsome lady, who differed as much from

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her cousin in her sentimer ts as to Kate, as she did in the extent of her credit with Mr. Urquiza. To her Kate wrote a note; and, using one of the Spanish King's gold coins for bribing the jailor, got it safely delivered. That, perhaps, was unnecessary; for the lady had been already on the alert, and had summoned Urquiza from Trujillo. By some means, not very luminously stated, and by paying proper fees in proper quarters, Kate was smuggled out of the prison at nightfall, and smuggled into a pretty house in the suburbs. Had she known exactly the footing she stood on as to the law, she would have been decided. As it was, she was uneasy, and jealous of mischief abroad; and, before supper, she understood it all. Urquiza briefly informed his clerk, that it would be requisite for him to marry the handsome lady, But why? Because, said Urquiza, after talking for hours with the corregidor, who was infamous for obstinacy, he had found it impossible to make him "hear reason," and release the prisoner, until this compromise of marriage was suggested. But how could public justice be pacified for the clerk's unfortunate homicide of Reyes, by a female cousin of the deceased man engaging to love, honour, and obey the clerk for life? Kate could not see her way through this logic. "Nonsense, my friend," said Urquiza, you don't comprehend. As it stands, the affair is a murder, and hanging the penalty. But, if you marry into the murdered man's house, then it becomes a little family murder, all quiet and comfortable amongst ourselves. What has the corregidor to do with that? or the public either? Now, let me introduce the bride." Supper entered at that moment, and the bride immediately after. The thoughtfulness of Kate was narrowly observed, and even alluded to, but politely ascribed to the natural anxieties of a prisoner, and the very imperfect state of liberation even yet from prison surveillance. Kate had, indeed, never been in so trying a situation before. The anxieties of the farewell night at St. Sebastian were nothing to this; because, even if she had failed then, a failure might not have been always irreparable. It was but to watch and wait. But now, at this supper table, she was not more alive to the nature of the peril than she was to the fact, that if, before the night closed, she did not by some means escape from it, she never would escape with life. The deception as to her sex, though resting on no motive that pointed to these people, or at all concerned them, would be resented as if it had. The lady would resent the case as a mockery; and Urquiza would lose his opportunity of delivering himself from an imperious mistress. According to the usages of the times and country, Kate knew that in twelve hours she would be assassinated.

People of infirmer resolution would have lingered at the supper-table, for the sake of putting off the evil moment of final crisis. Not so Kate. She had revolved the case on all its sides in a few minutes, and had formed her resolution. This done, she was as ready for the trial at one moment as another; and, when the lady suggested that the hardships of a prison must have made repose

desirable, Kate assented, and instantly rose. ́ ́ A sort of procession formed, for the purpose of doing honour to the interesting guest, and escorting him in pomp to his bed-room. Kate viewed it much in the same light as the procession to which' for some days she had been expecting an invita-1 tion from the corregidor. Far ahead ran the servant-woman as a sort of outrider. Then came Urquiza, like a Pasha of two tails, who granted two sorts of credit, viz. unlimited and none at all, bearing two wax-lights, one in each hand, and wanting only cymbals and kettle drums to express emphatically the pathos of his Castillian strut. Next came the bride, a little in advance of the clerk, but still turning obliquely towards him, and smiling graciously into his face. Lastly, bringing up the rear, came the prisoner-our Kate-the nun, the page, the mate, the clerk, the homicide, the convict; and, for this day only, by particular desire, the bridegroom elect.

It was Kate's fixed opinion, that, if for a moment she entered any bed-room having obviously no outlet, her fate would be that of an ox once driven within the shambles. Outside, the bullock might make some defence with his horns; but once in, with no space for turning, he is muffled and gagged. She carried her eye, therefore, like a hawk's, steady, though restless, for vigilant examination of every angle she turned. Before she entered any bed-room, she was resolved to reconnoiter it from the doorway, and, in case of necessity, show fight at once, before entering-as the best chance, after all, where all chances were bad. Everything ends; and at last the procession reached the bedroom door, the outrider having filed off to the rear. One glance sufficed to satisfy Kate that windows there were none, and, therefore, no outlet for escape. Treachery appeared even in that; and Kate, though unfortunately without arms, was now fixed for resistance. Mr. Urquiza entered first" Sound the trumpets! Beat the drums!" There were, as we know already, no windows; but a slight interruption to Mr. Urquiza's pompous tread showed that there were steps downwards into the room. Those, thought Kate, will suit me even better. She had watched the unlocking of the bed-room door-she had lost nothing-she had marked that the key was left in the lock. At this moment, the beautiful lady, as one acquainted with the details of the house, turning with the air of a gracious monitress, held out her fair hand to guide Kate in careful descent of the steps. This had the air of taking out Kate to dance; and Kate, at that same moment, answering to it by the gesture of a modern waltzer, threw her arm behind the lady's waist, hurled her headlong down the steps right against Mr. Urquiza, draper and haberdasher; and then, with the speed of lightening, throwing the door home within its architrave, doubly locked the creditor and debtor into the rat-trap which they had prepared for herself.

The affrighted out-rider fled with horror: she already knew that the clerk had committed one homicide; a second would cost him still less thought; and thus it happened that egress was left