When he recovered his senses, it was to find himself deserted by all his companions except two of the girls.  His head was lying in Phillina’s lap, while Mignon, the child whom he had rescued from a brutal circus master who was ill-treating her, was vainly trying to staunch his wounds with her hair.  For some time they continued in this position, no one returning to their aid.  At last, they heard a troop of horses coming up the road; a young lady emerged on horseback, accompanied by some cavaliers.  Wilhelm fixed his eye on the soft, calm, sympathising features of the stranger; he thought he had never seen aught nobler or more lovely.  In a few moments one of the party stepped to the side of our hero.  He held in his hand some surgeon’s instruments and bandages, with which he hastily attended to his wounds.  The lady asked several questions, and then, turning to the old gentleman, said, “Dear uncle, may I be generous at your expense?” taking off the coat that she was wearing as she spoke, and laying it softly above him.  As he tried to open his mouth to stammer out some words of gratitude to the beautiful Amazon, the impression of her presence worked so strongly on his senses that all at once it seemed to him that her head was encircled with rays, and a glancing light seemed by degrees to spread itself all over her form.  At this moment the surgeon gave him a sharper twinge; he lost consciousness; and on returning to himself the horsemen and coaches, the fair one and her attendants, had vanished like a dream.

II.—­A Message from the Dead

Wilhelm’s wounds were slow to heal, and it was long before he was able to move about freely again.  When he fully recovered he went to his old friend, Serlo, and obtained a position in his company, both for himself, and also for many of his companions in misfortune.

With Serlo he remained for a considerable period, until an untoward event led to his leaving him.  Aurelia, Serlo’s sister, had long entertained an affection for a nobleman, whom she knew by the name of Lothario; though at one time much attached to her, his affection had cooled off, and for a long time now he had not had any communication with her.  Heartbroken at this treatment, though still devotedly attached to him, she gradually pined away, and complete neglect of her health finally brought her to her death-bed.  Before she died, however, she wrote a letter of farewell to him, which she entrusted to Wilhelm to deliver as soon after her death as possible.

Arrived at the castle where the baron lived, he found his lordship unable to give him any attention that day, as he was engaged to fight a duel, and was busy settling up his affairs in preparation.  Wilhelm was requested to remain until a more convenient season.  On the following morning, while the company were seated at breakfast, the baron was brought back in a carriage, seriously wounded.

As the surgeon came out from attending him, the band hanging from his pouch caught Wilhelm’s eye; he fancied that he knew it.  He was convinced that he beheld the very pouch of the surgeon who had dressed his wounds in the forest, and the hope, so long deferred, of again finding his lovely Amazon struck like a flame through his soul.