TRAPPINGS OF THE HORSE—MIDNIGHT ARRIVAL—CHARACTER OF THE WOUNDED MAN DISCOVERED—HIS NARRATIVE—FAMILY WORSHIP.

The dear and sensible Erard was delighted. He laughed, he wept, he looked at the chevalier, whose cheeks had recovered some color, and asked him, softly, whether he lived, and whether he heard and saw them.

"Where am I?" asked the chevalier, faintly, turning his eyes towards one of the torches.

"With God and with your brethren!" replied Gottfried, taking one of his hands. "But say no more now, and may God aid us!"

It was necessary to transport the warrior to the dwelling of Gottfried, and the passage was long and difficult.

Gottfried first spread upon the litter some light pine-branches, over which he placed the housing of the horse and his own outer garments, those of his servants, and even that of Erard, who begged him to take this also; then, after the old man had bound up the bruised limb between strong splinters of pine, which he had cut with the blade of the chevalier's sword, and which he tied with his scarf, he laid the warrior on the branches, while two robust servants carefully raised and bore the litter towards the summit of the hill.

"And the poor horse!" said Erard, at the moment when his grandpapa, who bore the flambeaux and the sword of the Chevalier, began his march.

"You will return to-morrow morning," said Gottfried to his servants, "and take off the trappings. As to the body, the eagles and the crows must devour it. Come, and may God guard and strengthen us!"

The chevalier had recovered his senses. He saw himself in the hands of friends, and doubted not that the old man was a supporter of the cause he had himself defended.

It was not until midnight that the convoy reached the house of Gottfried. The journey was made slowly, and more than once the master had desired his servants to rest.

The bed of the old man himself received the wounded knight, on whom Gottfried, who was no stranger to the art of healing wounds and fractures, bestowed the most judicious cares, and beside whom this devoted Christian passed the remainder of the night.

"Go and take some rest," said he to Erard and the domestics, "and may our God and Saviour keep your souls while his goodness gives you sleep!"

Erard embraced his grandfather, Ethbert and Matthew bent before him respectfully, and Gottfried remained alone, in silence, near the bed, which was lighted by a little lamp, through a curtain which concealed it.

"You have saved me!" said the chevalier to the old man, when all was quiet in the house. "May the Holy Virgin recompense you."

"It is then one of our enemies!" said Gottfried to himself, as he heard this prayer. "O God!" said he in his heart, "make thy charity to abound in me!"

"I am your friend," replied the old man, affectionately, "and God himself has granted me the blessing of being useful to you. But, I pray you, remain silent, and, if possible, sleep a few moments."

Gottfried needed to collect his thoughts, and to ask God for his Spirit of peace and love. He had already supposed, at sight of the chevalier's shield, that he belonged to the army of the enemy; but he had just received the certainty of it, and "perhaps, perhaps," said he to himself, "I have before me one who may have killed my son!"

The old man therefore spent the moments not employed beside the chevalier in praying to God and in reading his gospel of grace.

The knight slept peacefully towards morning, and on awaking showed that he was refreshed. "If it were not," said he, "for my bruised limb, I would ask for my arms. O, why am I not at the head of my men?"

Gottfried sighed, and as he gave the warrior some drink, said, in a low voice, "Why do men hate and kill each other, invoking the name of Him who died to save them?"

"But," exclaimed the warrior, in a deep voice, "are those who despise and fight against the holy Church Christians?"

At this moment Erard half opened the door, and showed his pretty curly head, saying, "Grandpapa, has the wounded man been able to sleep? I have prayed God for him."

"Much obliged, my child," said the chevalier, extending his hand to him. "Come! do not fear; approach. O, how you resemble my second son! What is your age and name?"

"I am called Erard," replied the child, giving his hand to the chevalier, "and I shall soon be nine years old."

"That is also the age of my Rodolph," pursued the chevalier. "Alas! they will think me dead! Those villains! those cowards! Did they not see that I had no lance, and that my sword was broken?"

"Go, my child," said Gottfried. "Let the table and the books be prepared, I will soon come and pray to God with you. Call all the servants."

"Will you also pray for me?" asked the chevalier, "If you will, pray also for my dear Hildegarde and our five children. O, when shall my eyes see them again?"

"Is it long since you left them?" asked Gottfried.

"It is a week," replied the chevalier, with firmness. "I learned that the intrepid Arnold----"

"What Arnold?" asked Gottfried, with anxiety.

"Arnold the Lion, as he is called," said the warrior, "and one of the chiefs of these rebels." (Gottfried turned pale and raised his eyes to heaven.) "I learned that this audacious Arnold had joined his camp, and I felt that my duty called me immediately to the field. I therefore left my family and my house, and have shown the rebels that my arm and my heart are as strong as ever,"

"Have you encountered this Arnold?" asked Gottfried, hardly daring to ask this question.

"Have I encountered him!" cried the chevalier. "And who but myself could have----?"

"They are waiting for prayers," said Erard, opening the door. "Dear grandpapa, will you come?"

The old man followed the child, and his tearful eyes soon rested on the Book of God.

"Grandpapa, you are weeping!" said Erard, approaching the old man. "What is the matter? Are you suffering?"

"Listen to the word of consolation," said Gottfried, making the child sit down; "and may the Spirit of Jesus himself address it to our hearts."

He read then from the book of Psalms, and said a few words on resignation to the will of God, and in his humble prayer supplicated God to remember the chevalier and his family, and to bless him in the house whither he had been brought in his mercy. "Amen! Amen!" repeated all the servants.