in health and prospects by these dark designs you are engaged in. A person that neither eats nor sleeps can not expect to hold out long."

"If my prospects are ruined," he answered, sternly, "it will be owing to quite a different cause, viz., your propensity to talk over my affairs to strangers."

66

But, Edmund, I never talk over these things to strangers. I see too few to do so, even if I had the inclination."

"It is false !" he exclaimed passionately, as he resumed his upright position in the chair. "You have the inclination and the ability both to ruin me, and you are turning your knowledge to the best account."

"If you derive any pleasure from that belief," she replied, "you can indulge in it; yet Heaven bear me witness, I never intentionally revealed any thing relating to your affairs that could possibly injure you."

"You are no judge as to what would injure me. Perhaps something which in itself might have appeared harmless, might lead to a succession of inquiries, which would eventually result in my ruin."

"But you permit me to see no one. How can I betray you if I would? I see no one, and this loneliness I would not feel were I compensated by your love, your kindness. But this also you refuse me, and human nature cannot bear up against it. Who do I see?"

"Your brother," replied Rodolphe.

"Perhaps you will prevent his visiting me also," said she, terrified; "but surely you will not be so cruel as that. You have denied me your love; you have prevented my friends. from seeing me; and now you would take from me my last and only source of consolation-you would prevent me from seeing my brother."

"Do I confine you?" said Rodolphe; "are you imprison

ed? If you are so wretched, why do you not escape from my tyranny? why do you not return home?"

The young woman burst into tears. agitated, and began pacing the floor.

Rodolphe became

"It is because I have no home," she replied, "and I delude myself with the hope that I may yet win your affections back. From day to day and from night to night I indulge in this dream; and for this reason I do every thing in my power that I think gratifies you. You tell me to remain in the house, and neither visit my friends or correspond with them. I obey you. You tell me to receive no one. I do your bidding. My brother alone am I permitted to see, because he knew of my fate since the dreadful night my parents were slain; and now you deny even him to me! Well, I shall not feel that as a calamity, Edmund, if you give me your love. Do this, and the world has no other charm for me. Be to me what you were when I first knew you, and I ask for no greater happiness. But you are suspicious of me; you are suspicious of your very shadow. You are mixed up in so many dark plots, that you fancy the very winds will betray you. But surely by this time you might have been assured of my fidelity. Have I ever in the slightest instance betrayed any thing?"

"Yes," interrupted Rodolphe; "but luckily you do not know much."

"O, Edmund," she answered, weeping, "you know how false this accusation is. I would expose my heart's blood, but not its secrets. All I ask is your confidence, your love. Good Heavens, is it not strange that men will afflict themselves without a reason, or with imaginary evils! We might be as happy as the day is long if you only possessed a thousandth portion of that love I bear for you. What have I not sacrificed for you?-parents, friends, society, happiness, every

thing; and, in return for this, you deny me the only boon I seek-your love. What have I done, that you deny me even the caresses of a husband?"

"There are enough of toiling, unhappy reptiles in this world of misery," answered Rodolphe, sternly, "without our adding to the number. You are a fool! Do you not see that, at this moment, my mind is agitated by matters of absorbing interest, and that I cannot find time to devote to the fooleries that оссиру the fools who own this damned world!"

"It is not an unhappy world," said Catharine; "it is a glorious world. We make ourselves unhappy by our own wicked passions, discontent, and ingratitude. God has given us all the materials of happiness, and we spurn them aside. What prevents us from being happy? Why your mistaking the attributes of happiness, and throwing aside the substance to grasp at the shadow."

Ah," said he, sneering, "you have been studying moral philosophy. Well, I wish you much joy of the study; but, as it does not exactly suit my taste, I can dispense with essays on the subject. Catharine, I have business to transact. May I beg of you to withdraw for a few moments. When it is

over, I shall join you within. Good night."

The young woman arose and withdrew, weeping.

"I might have known there was but one

Whose look could quell Lord Marmion."-MARMION.

On her retiring, Rodolphe went to a trunk in one corner of the room, muttering to himself, as he opened it. "I do not think she would willingly betray me," he thought; "but she might do it through incautiousness. However, thank heaven, she does not know much-the extent of her information, would not do me serious harm, even if she revealed it." On opening the trunk, which contained clothes of various descriptions, he paused, then went to the door through which Simms. had retired, locked it, and then proceeding to the other one, by which his wife went out, secured it also and returned to the trunk. Lifting the heavy curls of his black hair, and smoothing it behind his ears, he put on a light colored wig, then a large pair of brown whiskers and moustaches, and rubbing some preparation to his eyebrows, which changed their black hue, to one much lighter, he stood before a mirror, and scarcely recognized himself, so effectual was the transformation. He next put on a blue frock, similar to the one which Simms wore; and over it a round blue cloth jacket, strapping it round the waist with a black belt. Then, taking a pair of very small pistols from the trunk, he loaded and placed them in a concealed pocket of his jacket. In another pocket, he placed the document which he had read to FergusOn these arrangements being completed, he locked the

son.

trunk, and again examining himself in the mirror, put on a glazed hat, such as are worn by seamen, and left the room.

Let us follow St. George. On leaving Rodolphe's house, and descending into the street, he felt irresolute and bewildered. His situation was novel, and would have been embarrassing to one of older experience. The lights were lit up along the street-the shop-windows were illuminated—the busy population hurried to and fro, each occupied with his own individual concerns-and looking along that obscure and dimly lit-up street, the youthful conspirator, knew not where to go or what to do. He began to repent of his connecting himself in so terrible an enterprise. But, nerving himself, with the reflection, that it was now too late to think of retracting, he walked on, his mind deeply agitated with regard to what step he should first take.

"Well," he muttered, "I know something of Ferrars, now -I have a check over him he little dreams of. But troubles are accumulating," he thought-"first, Mary has, by expos ing herself this evening, taken a fearful cold which may injure her, and for which she may thank me. In the second place, I am sorry I gave Gerard permission to write that letter-it will appear very contemptible on my part, and she will demand an explanation. If she does not, if she believes it, and falls out with me, so much the better-I shall be rid of her. Then, I must take steps with that insolent officer; by -! he shall not escape with impunity. As for Ferrars' story of supernatural vengeance-that is all stuff-he wishes to impose on those who are weak enough to believe him, that he possesses something mysterious, &c., all of which I have now penetrated. Yet, it was strange how he became possessed of the secret concerning that extraordinary appearance which I saw in the grave-yard? And then to make matters still worse, there is this expedition to Upper Canada, to be