"I thought, Fred, it was all over with me, that I never should see you again. But thanks be to God and His infinite mercies, I am spared a little longer to make a better preparation for Heaven. And can you stay with me, my dear boy, till I am gone? It will soon-very soon happen-for though so much better than yesterday, I feel that sinking at the heart, that certain intelligence within, which tells me I must indeed die soon.'

"I promised, as well as my grief would allow me, that no other hands but mine should close his eyes.

"He lived, sir, seven weeks longer, in almost daily expectation of his death. During that period I wrote very frequently to my wife, and received the most affectionate replies. My uncle's last hour approached; I envied him his death: it was that of a truly good man, and I felt that religion, all delusive as I then believed and now think it, must have wondrous power in soothing the agony of a dying pillow. I had written to Emily to announce my uncle's death, and my succession to the estates. In a few of her last letters I thought I perceived something of coldness of tone; but the hurry and anxiety I was plunged in, gave me no time for thought. This time however I received no answer-I wrote again, still no answer came. I was in an agony of fearimagining she was ill, and fancied a thousand horrors which kept me from sleeping at night. I could endure my suspense no longer. On the evening of the funeral-when all was overthe guests dismissed, and the last instructions given to the steward I threw myself into my carriage, and posted at headlong speed to London.

"It was midnight when I arrived-there were no lights visible in the house. 'Emily's retired to rest,' I thought-'poor darling! I hope she's not ill-how surprised she'll be to see me :-I am sure my letters miscarried.'

"My valet thundered at the door again and again. I began to feel a suffocating throbbing at the heart. At length the door was opened-I rushed in, and found Mrs. Jones the housekeeper, and two more of the servants, in the hall-they were pale, trembling, and only half dressed, as if they had hastily risen from their beds.

“Mrs. Jones,' I exclaimed, my agitation nearly choking my utterance-how is my wife?-she is ill!-she is dead!' I almost screamed, grasping her by the arm as she hesitated to return me an answer; Tell me, woman, this instant, or I shall go mad.'

"Oh sir,' said she, sobbing violently, do not ask me here, I would almost die rather than tell you.'

"A strange unnatural horror crept with benumbing influence

VOL. IV.

4

through my veins. I stood for some seconds in a dreamy state of torpor, with my eyes fixed, dilated on the woman.

"At length my tongue, which cleaved to the roof of my mouth, found utterance. Come with me to the library.' We entered. "I turned to question her: she had fallen on her knees, the tears streaming down her aged cheeks, and her hands clasped together in passionate sorrow.

"Woman,' I again asked-' where is my wife?' 'Oh my dear sir,' said she, bear with fortitude what I am going to tell you-bear it like a man-I dared not tell you my suspicions before you left town. Now they are confirmed. Your unhappy wife eloped last night with your pretended friend Mr. C—

"Eloped! I exclaimed, or rather screamed with a pang of unutterable agony: a sudden blaze of light seemed to flash before my distended eye-balls-a roar like thunder pealed in my ears-I fell, stricken to the ground.

"What followed, I know not; a long and fearful dream ensued, filled with unmitigated horror; visions unearthly, despairing, held for months my senses captive. At length I awoke to a dim consciousness of existence-I was in the cell of a madhouse! my hands and feet manacled; and my dull and leaden eye gazed with apathy at the white-washed wall, and the narrow light of a window, about ten feet from the ground.

"I remained I suppose about an hour speculating on my strange situation, and wondering what it all meant-my confused brain puzzling itself to prove my identity, and that it was not all a dream; when the door of my cell slowly opened, and two men entered. One was evidently a gentleman-the other, I supposed, was an attendant, or perhaps my gaoler. What crime had I committed that I should be thus immured?

"The gentleman, who had a kind and benevolent look, advanced to the side of my rude pallet, to which I was boundfelt my pulse, laid his hand on my forehead as if to examine its temperature, and gave a look of surprise and pleasure to the attendant.

"Where am I, sir?' I asked.

666

Hush, my dear sir,' said he 'don't talk now, you have been very ill, but will soon be quite well-you are in the hands of friends. James, undo the bandages.'

"They were instantly removed with great care and tenderness. A composing draught was given me, and I soon sank into a profound slumber. I was told afterwards, that I slept more than twenty hours. I awoke much refreshed, and my mind somewhat clearer than before.

"Day after day, as my strength returned, did the horrible story of my wrongs make itself clearer-more distinctly to my memory,

until the whole burst upon me with the force of an overwhelming avalanche. I wrestled against my returning madness-I fought against despair and suicide-I nursed my every faculty for revenge-I brooded over those mighty wrongs of mine, until every fibre of my frame was restrung by an insatiable desire of revenge. My happiness was crushed and blasted-I lived only for revenge-I would pursue the villain to the uttermost bounds of the earth, and devote all that I had for his destruction. Strange to say, my mind throve under this burning desire of vengeance. In a month's time I was conveyed home, a sane and apparently a healthy man.

"I instantly made enquiries in every direction. For some time I was baffled-they, the guilty pair, had been traced to Paris, and were then lost sight of. I flew to Paris, determining to ransack the whole city till I found them. I feed highly the police, and had several keen agents in pay; but for a month, there was no intelligence. I visited every place of public resort, but with no success.

"And now, how I cursed my folly-how I cursed the very name of friendship, since I had been so betrayed. How bitterly I deplored the insidious arts I had used in perverting my wife from her religion; it would have been her best safeguard, if, like a venomous reptile, I had not poisoned her peace. I felt that I was the author of her ruin-but woe be to him who has blasted my honour, and trampled under foot my happiness and peace! And he was my friend! the friend whom I thought the soul of honour; and who I thought in my folly was bound to me by every tie of gratitude; for when his resources had been crippled by his gambling losses, I supplied him with several thousands, and threw his note of hand into the fire. My purse, my home, my heart were his-and yet, how foully he betrayed me.

"One morning the porter of the lodge came to my bedside at day-break, and said, an agent of police wished to see me immediately. He brought me golden news and was well rewarded. The last night he received certain information from a courier that they were residing in Florence under a feigned name.

"My passport was ready, signed, before eleven-and at twelve that morning, I was speeding on the wings of vengeance to Florence.

"I will spare you the detail, sir, of nearly a twelvemonth's hunt after this wretched couple through almost every state in Europe. I rarely lost my clue, which I followed with all the tenacity of a sleuth hound-but the chances were against me. Once at Baden Baden I almost caught him-he had started in the morning after losing a very considerable sum at the gaming table. I arrived in the evening-got scent of him, and should have ran my

prey to the death, had not my carriage, from the headlong speed I was driven, overturned; and I was compelled, from several severe contusions, to remain a week at a miserable German inn, cursing my fate and frantic with delay.

"The scent was lost, and never recovered. Two years I wandered about in hopeless misery, but to no avail-they were not to be found. I then, wearied in body and mind, miserably broken down, returned to England. My cousin here, Mrs. B-, at whose house we first met, has been very kind to me; if it had not been for her, I think I should have long since died of a broken heart."

Here he paused as if from exhaustion-drank some laudanum and water, and continued.

"I now come, sir, to what I have so long, perhaps intentionally, delayed. My agent who manages my country property, is in town. I went to him last night to give directions about the renewal of a lease, and as I had had no exercise during the day, I preferred walking home. I left him about eleven. It was a bitter cold night. A thin chilling sleet was falling; scarcely a passenger was in the deserted streets, and I muffled my cloak over the lower part of my face to keep out the night air.

"In threading my way through the devious intricacies of the Seven Dials, I beheld a woman meanly clad advancing slowly and feebly towards me. I got ready a halfcrown to give her, as she seemed from her feebleness to be in want of food, perhaps ill. Before I could give her the money, she had, however, in the humblest, gentlest tone of entreaty, solicited charity. The tones of that voice, though scarcely raised above a whisper, struck with an icy chill upon my heart. I thought I remembered them; horrible thought-it could not be-but as I placed the money in her cold, trembling hand; I gazed earnestly in her face; her eyes were downcast, they did not meet mine. The lineaments of that face were the same; but, in expression, in beauty, how changed! She was my wife!

"I was stunned-paralized for some seconds. She had hastily left me, happily without recognizing me. But the miscreant must be at hand, it is for him she has then begged for charity in the public streets. I followed her with noiseless steps, like those of the tiger dogging his victim before he makes the final spring. She went into a wine vaults. I peered through the half open door. She purchased with the money some wine and biscuits, placed them carefully under her thin shawl, and hurried off. I followed her through several streets: she stopped at the door of a miserable house and entered. She had not once looked round, nor closed the door. I heard her ascend with panting and laboured breath two flights of stairs. I marked

with vigilant ear the room she entered. In an instant I had sprang up the stairs and was at the door. I heard the same sweet plaintive voice, which a few minutes before had struck like a death-knell upon my ear. I heard also the hoarse and muttered tones of that incarnate fiend C. I could bear no more, I burst the door open and was upon them. my hoarded vengeance be satiated. It was, sir! was satisfied, but by another hand than mine.

Now should

My revenge

"I beheld on the bed the miserably squalid form of C--, death stamped on his hideously wasted face, his clothes in rags, foul and loathsome. She was kneeling by the bedside, and helping him to a biscuit soaked in a cup of wine, which he feebly but ravenously devoured. They gazed on me as I entered the room. His eyes dilated, glared fearfully for an instant, then closed, as if he would shut out for ever an appalling vision, the whole visage became convulsed, distorted, the jaw fell, and he sunk back a corpse.

"She too had fallen, had fainted, the moment her eyes met mine. I called loudly for assistance. I could not touch her, nor raise her from the ground; but I felt an excessive trembling of the heart, that told me my love for her was not quite extinguished.

"The landlady ran up, I hastily explained that the man died as I entered the room, and the unhappy woman had fainted; forced my purse upon her, told her to do what was necessary, and reached home as if ten thousand furies were lacerating my heart."

He drank some more of the laudanum, wiped the clammy dew from his forehead, and continued:

"I have had, sir, last night and this morning, a sore and hard struggle; but happily I have conquered. Revenge, I think of-I desire no more. He, the miscreant, is dead. But, sir, she must not starve. You will lay me under an infinite obligation if you will see to her wants. Take this pocket-book, it will amply provide for her present necessities. I will direct my solicitor to settle on her a sufficient annuity. But, sir, I cannot -will never see her again."

He gave me her direction, hastily written in pencil on a card. I then departed on my mission of mercy.

I found the unhappy woman in bed, carefully tended by the humane landlady, who had removed her to her own room. She had suffered much from hysteria, but was more composed, though greatly exhausted. She had all the remains of exceeding great beauty, but was pale and thin, and evidently not long for this world. I explained the motives of my coming as briefly