As the order to stop searching the palace was given immediately after the introduction of the abbe to the cardinal, it is easy enough to suppose that this ecclesiastic is no other than the young girl missed by the police, who took refuge in the palace in which she must have passed the whole night." "I suppose," said I, "that his eminence will give her up to-day, if not to the bargello, at least to the Vicar-General." "No, not even to the Pope himself," answered Gama.

"You have not yet a right idea of the protection of our cardinal, and that protection is evidently granted to her, since the young person is not only in the palace of his eminence, but also in his own apartment and under his own guardianship." The whole affair being in itself very interesting, my attention could not appear extraordinary to Gama, however suspicious he might be naturally, and I was certain that he would not have told me anything if he had guessed the share I had taken in the adventure, and the interest I must have felt in it.
The next day, Gama came to my room with a radiant countenance, and informed me that the Cardinal-Vicar was aware of the ravisher being my friend, and supposed that I was likewise the friend of the girl, as she was the daughter of my French teacher.

"Everybody," he added, "is satisfied that you knew the whole affair, and it is natural to suspect that the poor girl spent the night in your room.

I admire your prudent reserve during our conversation of yesterday.

You kept so well on your guard that I would have sworn you knew nothing whatever of the affair." "And it is the truth," I answered, very seriously; "I have only learned all the circumstances from you this moment.