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 "Come, then," he said, "I should like to be satisfied about this; you must see him. You can study his face for a few minutes, and then leave us together, since I have promised to listen to his secrets."

As I had nothing better to do I followed the abbé; but as soon as we reached a spot overlooking the shady rocks whence the water issues, I stopped and examined the monk through the branches of a clump of ash-trees. Seated immediately beneath us by the side of the spring, he had his eyes turned inquiringly on the angle of the path by which he expected the abbé to arrive; but he did not think of looking at the place where we were, and we could examine him at our ease without being seen by him.

No sooner had I caught sight of him than, with a bitter laugh, I took the abbé by the arm, drew him back a short distance, and, not without considerable agitation, said to him:

"My dear abbé, in bygone years did you never catch sight of the face of my uncle, John de Mauprat?"

"Never, as far as I know," replied the abbé, quite amazed. "But what are you driving at?"

"Only this, my friend; you have made a pretty find here; this good and venerable Trappist, in whom you see so much grace, and candour, and contrition, and intelligence, is none other than John de Mauprat, the Hamstringer."

"You must be mad!" cried the abbé, starting back. "John de Mauprat died a long time ago."

"John Mauprat is not dead, nor perhaps Antony Mauprat either; and my surprise is less than yours only because I have already met one of these two ghosts. That he has become a monk, and is repenting for his sins,