Sinibald, Renato's brother, arrives with good news from France. He comes to convey Renato and Eusebia home, and takes in his Ship, Arnoldo, Maurice, Transila, and Ladislaus. In the other vessel, Periander, Auristella, the two Antonios, Ricla, and Constance, embark for Spain, and Rutilio remains behind in the Hermitage.

I do not know that I can positively affirm that Maurice, and some others among his hearers, were glad when Periander came to the end of his history; but very often those extremely long stories, although they may be of great importance, are nevertheless somewhat tiresome. It is even possible that Auristella was herself of this opinion, for she was not disposed to follow up his hint and begin the story of her adventures, although they could not have been many between the period of her being carried off from Arnoldo, and her being discovered by Periander in the barbarous isle, yet still she wished to wait for some other opportunity; and as it happened, she would have been prevented if she had wished it, for a ship in full sail appeared in the open sea, evidently making for the island; and very soon she had entered one of the little bays already described, and was recognized by Renato, who said, "This, sirs, is the ship in which my servants and friends occasionally visit me;" and, in fact, they heard the singing out of the seamen, as they let go their anchor, and a boat full of people directly after left the ship, and made for the shore, where Renato and all his guests were awaiting them. About twenty persons landed, among whom was one of noble appearance, who seemed master of the rest. As soon as he saw Renato, he came up to him with open arms, saying, "Embrace me, brother, in reward for the good news I bring you!" Renato embraced him, for he had recognised his brother Sinibald, and he said, "No news can be pleasanter to me, dear brother, than your presence, for there is nothing that can give me joy in my unhappy situation, only the sight of thee is always an exception to the common rule of my misfortunes." Sinibald then turned to embrace Eusebia, saying, "You too, lady, must permit me to embrace you, for you also owe me a reward for the news I bring, and I will delay no longer telling you what it is, to put you out of suspense. Know, then, that your enemy is dead, of an illness, which deprived him for several days of speech, but Heaven mercifully restored it for a few hours before he died, during which space he expressed a deep repentance, and confessed the sin he had committed of having falsely accused you. He confessed that envy and jealousy were the cause, and finally made all the declarations possible to avow his crime. He said it was owing to the hidden secrets of Providence that his unjust cause had gained the victory over your good one, and was not satisfied only with this spoken confession, but had a written declaration and acknowledgment made, which he signed; and when this became known to the king, he also had a similar instrument published, openly declaring your innocence and untarnished honour, and also acknowledging Eusebia's perfect innocence and purity. He then gave orders to have you sought for, and when found, to bring you into his presence, that he might try and make you some amends for all you have suffered, by ample and magnificent bounties. If these are tidings likely to give you pleasure or no, I leave to your own consideration."

"They are such," said Arnoldo, "that nothing else in life can surpass, nor any acquisition of the most unhoped for riches approach; for honour lost, and so fully and perfectly restored, is a blessing the whole earth can never offer the equal of. May you, my lord Renato, enjoy it for many long years, and may the peerless Eusebia enjoy it with you, like the ivy to the wall, the mirror of your delight and the pattern of virtue and excellence."

Then all the others, though in different words, paid the like compliments to the hermits, and afterwards proceeded to inquire what news there was in Europe, or in other places, which they, having been so long on the seas, were ignorant of.

Sinibald answered, "That the news most talked of was, the calamity which threatened the old King of Denmark, by means of the King of Norway, and other allies who favoured him." He also told how people murmured that by the absence of the Prince Arnoldo, the heir of Denmark, his father was in danger of losing his crown. It was said of the prince, that he was fluttering, butterfly-like, in the sunshine of the bright eyes of some fair captive of his, so utterly unknown as to family and birth, that no one knew whose daughter she was. He told also of wars in Transylvania, and of some movements made by the Turks, the common enemy ............