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Here very fortunately the portress was called away; you may

imagine the feelings of Agnes and her daughter! The poor woman

and the desolate Lucy remained more than a day in cruel

uncertainty, imagining the details and the probable consequences

of this unhappy event. Tormented with vain hopes and anxious

fears, their only relief was in each other's sympathy.

At length, a man arrived at the convent, and asked to see Agnes;

he was a fishmonger of Pescarenico, who was going, according to

custom, to Milan, to sell his fish; the good Christopher had

desired him to stop at the convent, to relate what he knew of the

unhappy affair of Renzo to Lucy and her mother, and exhort them,

in his name, to have patience and to confide in God. As for him,

he should certainly not forget them, and would seize every

possible opportunity to aid them; in the meanwhile he would not

fail to send them news every week, by this or some other means.

All that the messenger could tell them further of Renzo was, that

it was considered certain that he had taken refuge in Bergamo.

Such a certainty was a great balm to the affliction of Lucy; her

tears flowed less bitterly, and she experienced some comfort in

discoursing upon it with her mother; and they united in heartfelt

thanks to the Great Being who had saved them from so many

dangers.