"Yes," he interrupted; "I know now, and would to God I had heard it sooner! If you had but written to me, my poor girl! Why, it's I that was able to prove your innocence!" Bessy now clung to him in mingled fear and wonder. "I'll tell you how it was," he said. "I'll tell you as well as I can remember, for up to this moment it has never crossed my mind again. The morning we marched away from here the major called me aside in a great hurry; he had forgotten to settle an account, and I was to do it for him and follow as quickly as I could. That was soon done, and I was close on the heels of our men, when I reached the gate of the Manor House; and knowing Mr. and Mrs. Newton were in the town, I determined to make an attempt to see you once more, for I couldn't bear the idea of parting as we had parted, Bessy. "I ran down the servants' walk and tapped at the kitchen door; but no one came, and I could hear then, from the voices above, that there were people on the roof; the trees hid me from them, and not caring to make myself known, and perhaps have half a dozen grinning about me, I tapped again, and getting no answer, was turning away very discontentedly, when through the open window of the nearest room I thought I saw some one standing. 'My footsteps were not heard on the grass as I ventured to peep in; but it was not you, as I hoped and expected; only a man, who, from the basket of tools by his side, I supposed employed in repairing some article of furniture. At the moment I saw him, he was examining some small glistening thing in his fingers, which, as he turned it about, slipped from his hold, and rolled over the India matting in the direction of the fireplace. "From his manœuvres I suppose it went into a crack, for as the striking of the clock warned me to hurry away, he was on his knees endeavoring to regain it. But I should know the fellow again anywhere," he continued, with increased excitement, "and I shall go to Mr. Newton directly, and describe-" "Oh! stop, stop!" cried Bessy, "it was my father!" "Your father! Bessy!" Sergeant Myles exclaimed; "but he--" "Oh, don't say another word," she weepingly entreated, "for he is dead! and if you believe me innocent, I can bear the rest." But after-consideration induced Bessy to yield to her lover's representations that, if the ring was recoverable, it was only just to its owner to point out the hiding-place, from whence she felt convinced her own speedy return to the room must have prevented her father's obtaining it; and Sergeant Myles pursued his original intention of seeking an interview with the squire. His reception was highly satisfactory; even before the search was made, Mr. Newton expressed himself contented with the explanation given by Bessy of her father's presence and her own guiltlessness; and all rejoiced when the removal of the hearthstone from which the boards had greatly shrunk revealed the lost ring, dust-covered, but unhurt. The congratulations every one hastened to offer afforded Bessy little satisfaction, for none seemed disposed to think with herself that no viler passion than curiosity had tempted her father to examine the drawer and possess himself of its valuable contents. Mr. Newton gladly atoned for the wrong he had unintentionally afflicted by a generosity to the widowed Mrs. Lane which relieved her daughter from all anxiety for the future, and enabled her to say the wished-for "Yes" her lips had so long struggled to withhold. Bessy has sailed for India, the happy wife of Sergeant Myles, who has imbibed such notions of his little girl having been "made a martyr," and "acted like a heroine," that his affectionate regard, contrary to most experiences in the matrimonial line, seems continually on the increase, and it would be difficult to find a more quietly contented couple than the handsome soldier and the quiet, modest young matron who hangs on his arm, and sometimes lifts to his those eyes whose sorrowful expression is the only trace now left of the sad hours and weary nights passed in Jail. OLD FOLKS. Ah, don't be sorrowful, darling, Time's waves, they heavily run, We are old folks now, my darling, Our heads they are growing gray, We have had our May, my darling, And the time of year is coming, my dear, And God is God, my darling, Ay, God of the night, my darling- A GLIMPSE OF THE SUPERNATURAL IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. L. YOUNG man sat reading in the deep embrasure of a window in B College, his head supported on his hands as he bent with intense earnestness over a large folio which lay before him. Evening was closing in the evening of a dull November day, and the words were gradually becoming indistinct on the pages of his book, when suddenly he looked up. It was not, however, the waning light which attracted his attention, but the sound of a rapid step ascending the stairs leading to his room. He looked eagerly towards the door, his eyes brightening, and his face, which, though thin and pale, was glorified by the spiritual beauty of intellect, flushing with sudden excitement. In a moment there was a sharp, quick knock at the door. An answer as rapid "Come in," and the visiter entered. "I thought I knew your step, Seymour. Is it possible! How glad I am to see you." "How are you, old fellow?-all right, I hope?" And they shook hands warmly. The new comer was a tall, fine-looking man, several years older than his friend, and evidently very different both as to morale and to physique-he was strong, broad-chested and muscular; his features, which were handsome, though somewhat too large, were relieved by the thick brown beard and monstache, and he had just the face and figure calculated to win admiration from the generality of persons. Those, however, who looked deeper into this fine mould of governed living clay could have told at once that the man was by the animal nature, rather than by the subtle unseen spirit. The full lip, the flashing impatient eye, the haughty expression of face-all indicated the existence of violent passions. Seymour could, however, look very pleasant when he smiled, | the cock-and-bull story of a vision-a ghost appearing near "I should think not, indeed. Why, I imagined you held in "Quite true. And I only wish it were to be to-morrow." "Ah, that is a strange affair, of which I can give you no explanation." "But who has seen it-what is it-who is it that is said to appear?" exclaimed Seymour, pouring out his questions with a strange fierceness, which startled Thorold. Seymour caught his look of astonishment. He threw the poker out of his hand impatiently. "Such a story in the nineteenth century, is queer enough, "Just so," said the other, shortly, as if he did not care to you will admit; come, tell me what you know of it." "Well, come and sit down," said Thorold, drawing forward 46 "Only that I wish you bad let me know you were coming" "I only decided to come five minutes before I got into the ain, so I could not; but why do you wish it?" "Because then I might have had some of our fellows here to eet you. There are so many who would be glad to see you ain." "Spare me that, Thorold!" exclaimed Seymour, hastily. Remember, while I am here, I wish to see no one but urself" "I can only repeat to you what I have heard," said Thorold. "I have never gone like the rest to see this apparition, whatever it may be; my opinion is not yet formed as to the possibility of the spirits of the dead returning to earth, and I did not like to go with a sceptical mind to see what might be an awful reality." "How cold it is to-night," said Seymour, shivering; "go on, Thorold." "I will tell you, therefore, what others say; but, remember, I have seen nothing myself. I was told, that about a month ago, a laboring man was walking home late at night over F Bridge, when his attention was attracted by what appeared to him to be a light on the bank of the river below. Thinking, as he said himself, that some of the gentlemen were out larking, he leant on the bridge and looked steadily at it; presently he saw that what he took to be a light was really Thorold looked surprised, but he remained silent, quietly the form of a woman, standing on the bank opposite the anning the countenance of his friend. "You look more than two years older since we last met. hat have you been doing to yourself to get such a careworn =pression?" meadow, with an infant in her arms. The night was dark, "Is it only two years since I was here?" said Seymour, evad- a luminous atmosphere which appeared to surround her—he "Yes, don't you remember. I was keeping my first term as Dought you would." described her minutely-he said she seemed very young and 66 No, no, go on; why do you stop? Tell me, exactly, on Not I. I shall do myself no harm. Only this is my last what part of the bank she was standing." rm, you know, and I am going in for honors." "I understand it all," said Seymour. Then burying his face his hands, he exclaimed, "Would to heaven that my uniersity career had been such as yours!"' Thorold made no answer. George Seymour was his cousin. hey had been fast friends from childhood, and he was much ttached to him; but he was too sincere to deny that rumors ad reached him respecting his friend's college life, which were nything but creditable to him. Come," he said, at last, anxious to change the subject, you must tell me about this beautiful Ermance of yours. he really as charming as the world says?" Is "Well done, Seymour!" said Thorold, laughing; "I can asily imagine that the prospect of matrimony must change a nan greatly, but I certainly never expected to hear you give oice to such a rhapsody as that. Why on earth should you wish her to be less bewitching? Since she is certainly yours, he more charming she is the better, I should say." A little way below the bridge, just opposite the meadow; and the man said that she was gazing intently at one particular spot on the walk, as if she saw some one standing there." "You don't mean to say be said that?" exclaimed Seymour, "Of course he did, or I should not tell it to you." "A romantic walk on a cold autumn night, with an infant Seymour rose and walked to and fro through the room in still beckoning above the water after she had disappeared, then A somewhat awkward silence ensued till Seymour resumed is chair, and began to talk of his college days, and to inquire fter the men he had known and the state of mind of the Dons in various matters of interest to undergraduates. It was evilent, however, to Thorold, that he was not thinking of what he was saying, and that his mind was pre-occupied with some ubject of great moment to himself. A conversation of this nature soon dropped, and at last Seymour began to occupy himself in stirring up the fire with great energy. While thus engaged, he said, in a careless tone: "What name-what name did she say?" said Seymour, bending forward, while his hands seemed to grasp, convulsively, the arms of the chair on which he sat. "He could not hear the name," said Thorold, who was not "Well, and what followed? how slow you are, Thorold." "By the way, Thorold, what in the world is the meaning of rest in a ghost story!" "Of course I am interested; it is not every day one hears such a tale-come, go on." "There is not much more to tell; the man staggered home almost beside himself with terror, and when he told his tale, as he did at the public-house that same night, the natural inference was, that he had been drunk, and fancied he saw a ghost. However, in a day or two it got wind, that the very next night the same appearance was seen by several other persons, and since then it is said to have been witnessed, from time to time, by hundreds." "But, Thorold," said Seymour, grasping his cousin's arm; "who is it that is supposed to appear-who-tell me?'' "Oh, as for that, those who believe it to be really a supernatural apparition have no doubt on the subject. It is a fact, that about a year since a young girl was found drowned in that very spot, with an infant in her arms, and there were strong suspicions that there had been some foul play in the matter." "How so-why? There could have been no ground for suspicion," One last gleam of day there was-faint and sweet as the smile of a dying saint--that flashed from the setting sun as he sunk to rest, and lit up every tower and spire of the noble buildings with a golden transitory light. It vanished away, and as it faded a sighing wind rose from the river and passed through the shuddering trees, with a low wailing sound that was strangely mournful. Both young men seemed to feel the influence of this scene, and they walked on in perfect silence. It was quite dark by the time they reached the bridge, where a few persons were as sembled, gazing down into the river, The cousins stopped close to an old man in the dress of a fisherman, who was leaning on the stone balustrade. He touched his hat to Thorold, who recognised him at once, as he had often used his boat on the river. "So, David, you are here too, are you? Have you come to see the ghost?" said Thorold, lightly. The old man frowned; then took his pipe from his mouth, and said, "Sir, I ain't come to laugh at it." "Nor I. You mistake me if you think I have; unless, indeed. it be a trick of some rascally fellow, which I quite believe it is." "On the contrary, there were very sufficient grounds. She was the orphan niece of a respectable farmer in the neighborhood, and a month or two previously had become a mother, greatly to his consternation. She, however, constantly affirmed that "So did Ned Cowley," said the fisherman, deliberately; she was secretly married, and that she was soon to leave Eng-" and he took a gun and fired a shot at her-worse luck-and land with her husband. On the day of her death she had gone it passed through her as if she were made of air; but Ned, he out towards evening, taking her child with her, and looking fell down in a fit, and has never been hisself since; he lies in unusually pleased and happy. She was last seen walking with his bed raving awful. You may trust me, sir, there's more a man on the meadow-walk, and next morning her dead body things in this world and in kingdom come, too, than you was found in the river; the man was never identified." young gentlemen thinks of, with all your larning," added David, unconsciously quoting Hamlet. Seymour started up, and began once more to pace the room. "Do these appearances continue?" he said. "Yes, I heard some of our fellows proposing to go there tonight. I believe, however, that the numbers who assembled on the bridge at first have greatly diminished, because it is only occasionally that the vision is seen, and the wet weather we have had lately has deterred many from risking a disappointment." Again Seymour walked up and down in silence; then he suddenly stopped behind his cousin's chair, where his face could not be seen. "Thank ye, kindly, sir," said David, not a little surprised; "I'll tell ye and welcome. It was one night afore ever a word had been said about it, I was a coming down the river in the "Tell me, Thorold," he said, "truly, honestly, what is your boat, pulling as hard as I could to get home, for it was late. opinion of this marvellous story?'' when what should I see on the bank down there but a woman standing on the edge of the water, with a babby in her arms. The moonshine looked very bright all round her, and I seed her quite plain. She seemed all wet and sorrowful like, and thinks I, it's some poor creature tramping into the town, and she dunno how to get across, so I lies on my oars, and I says, says I, "Why, to tell the truth, I have been too much occupied with my classics to give much thought to it; but my imprèssion certainly is, that some silly fellow has taken advantage of the fact of the poor girl's violent death to perpetrate a most unseemly hoax." For one moment Seymour's face brightened with an expres-Ma'am, was you wanting to get across? I'll give ye a lift and sion of unspeakable hope; but the next, the gloom which had gathered on t during Thorold's story returned with a deeper shadow than before. He went to the window and stood looking out-then he turned and said, in a tone of affected carelessness, I say, Thorold, let us go out and take a walk." "Out, on this dismal evening, my dear fellow, what fancy has possessed you? Why, you were shivering with cold just now." "Yes, and you have made such a roasting fire, that I cannot stay in the room." Then, as if ashamed of his irritability, he added, "No; the fact is, I have taken a great desire to go and see this appearance, whatever it is, and you must come with The evening is lost for your work now, you know," he added, seeing that his cousin hesitated. me. "It was not that which made me pause," said Thorold; "but after all I do not object to go; the very fact of having told you the story has made me feel anxious to solve the problem for myself." And in another moment the cousins, arm in arm, had crossed the quadrangle, and were out into the street. There had been clouds and gloom in the sad autumn sky all day, and now as the twilight fell, dark masses of vapor swept towards the western horizon, like strange weird shapes in trailing funereal garments, and grouped themselves round the deathbed of the expiring light-while the deepening shadows stole down and crept stealthily over the fair green meadows and the tranquil river that lie round the grand old city of O, till they gathered dark as the grave beneath the massive walls and sombre gateways of its time-worn colleges. welcome;' so she never makes no answer, but moves forward, slow like and soft, so as I never knew a mortal woman walk, and afore I knew where I was she was into the boat and sitting down in the starn. I felt taken aback like, but I began to pull away, and by-and-bye I-took a look at her; but, sir, I wouldn't have looked again if you had given me a hundred pounds. She was wringing wet, just as if she had been took out of the river, and her hair was dripping down all round her-and her faceob, sir, her face was for all the world as white and stark as our Biddy's when she lay in her coffin-and her eyes, they was a staring past me on to the meadow-walk there, and they was the eyes of a dead woman, as sure as I am a Christian ! I was all of a tremble, and I couldn't see what I was doing, so that one of the oars got wrong, and when we came to the deep water, I had to stop to put it right; and, sir, what I'm telling you's nothing but the livin' truth, when I looked up from sorting the oars she was gone! There was only my old red handkerchief lying in the starn where I saw her sitting a moment afore, and neither sign nor token of her in the boat or in the river either, only a cry from the water-may I never hear such a sound again—a fearful cry, shrieking out a name-the name of—” A GLIMPSE OF THE SUP.RNATURAL IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 407 uttered an exclamation. He grew more calm, however, as the fancy. It was no violent passion-she had neither mind nor old man said: education to have inspired such, but I felt for her the passing affection which every young man feels half a dozen times before he has seen that one who alone can teach him what it is to love in the true sense of the word. As usual, I saw no reason why I should not indulge my fancy. It seemed to me "There ain't no more to tell, sir. I turned as cold as a stone, and did not come to myself like till I was in bed with the childer. This is the first time I've come anigh the place "Well, thank you, David, we are much obliged to you; it's that Annie Maynard would be a more suitable wife for an a strange business altogether," said Thorold. since." "Now, Seymour, I will go if you like." And they walked rapidly away. Seymour instantly began to talk with the utmost volubility, apparently quite unconscious that his sentences, which bore no reference to the account they had just heard, were incoherent and scarcely intelligible. Thorold, however, was not surprised. He had thoroughly understood by this time that Seymour was in a state of intense mental disquiet, and that this condition was somehow connected with the mysterious appearance on the river. Arrived at Thorold's rooms, Seymour sat down, and fell into a fit of abstraction, from which his cousin made no effort to rouse him, and which lasted till it was time to go to bed. Then he looked up. "Thorold, I have rooms at the Star, but I wish you would let me stay here to-night; I can sleep in this chair by the fire quite well." "You shall have my bed." "I shall have nothing of the kind; if you make any such offer I leave you at once. Why can you not let me be comfortable in my own way.” "You shall do just as you please, Seymour. I wish most sincerely I could do more for your comfort than may be done by simply giving you your own way; but remember if there is anything a true friend can do, you will not fail to find one in me Australian sheep farmer than a lady, if even a lady could be found to go with me there; and the poor child loved meshe loved me with all a woman's devoted, confiding love, the more precious to me then, because I was smarting under a sense of neglect and injustice. It ended in my being secretly married to her at the registrar's office in this city, according to the law, but the marriage, though legal, had no blessing from the Church, and, truly, it was unblest. "I kept it secret, because I doubted whether my father would have given me even my promised portion had he known it, and I really think I was partly induced to take the step through the wish to revenge myself for my compulsory exile, by showing my family that it had led me to disgrace them by an alliance with a peasant girl. "But a very short time elapsed, however, before I repented my rash act. The momentary fancy had passed away, and I found myself bound for life to an uneducated child for whom I felt no love. In the course of six months which followed my two brothers died, and I suddenly found myself no longer the sheep-farmer, but the heir and hope of our ancient family. My mother wrote to me to leave college and return home immediately; and in her letter she opened out before me a prospect of future prosperity, to which, probably, I should have paid no attention at all, had it not been for the irritating sense of bondage in which I was held by my rash marriage. "My mother had a cousin who had been left sole heiress of a large estate in our own county. She had married a French He looked fixedly at his cousin as he spoke, and their eyes noble and had always lived in France, though bitterly regretmet. Seymour held out his hand. "I understand you, Thorold, and I thank you." And with a simple good-night they parted. Thorold lay sleeping-the sleep of a pure heart and a good conscience-when suddenly a light flashing in his face awoke him with a start. He looked up and saw Seymour, with a candle in his hand leaning over him. ing her fine old castle and park, which had remained desolate ever since. She had now one child, a daughter-Ermance d'Aboville-to whom, of course, the estate would descend, and it was her great desire that the heiress should marry an Englishman and settle in her own home. Her husband was, however, equally desirous that Ermance should become the wife of a certain powerful Dac de Limours, who had expressed himself wil "Thorold, forgive me for disturbing you. I can endure this ling for the alliance-my mother was the confidant and ally of no longer." "I shall be only too thankful if you will, my dear fellow; it pains me to see the state you are in. There, sit down, and make what use of me you can." the marquise, the more readily that she was bent on securing the heiress for my eldest brother, Henry; finally, after the fashion of French matrimonial arrangements, a compromise was effected, and it was decided that Ermance should spend a Seymour put down the light, drew a chair close to the bed, summer with my mother, and she might, if she pleased, accept and sat down. "Thorold, I have come to unburden myself to you of a horrible secret, and, in so doing, to put my life in your hands." "Where I will keep it safe at the risk of my own." "I knew you would say that, true friend indeed! but I wish you to understand that I bind you to no promise of secresy. When you have heard the truth you shall be free to do what you please." "Agreed. Now tell me all." my brother during that time; if, however, this marriage could not be arranged, she was to return to France and become Duchesse de Limours. Just before she was expected to arrive, my brother died. My mother was too good a diplomatist to let this interfere with her scheme. Ermance and Henry had never met, so she simply substituted my name for his, and wrote to me to come at once and carry out her plans. "Had I been free should have utterly scouted a marriage arranged by my parents; tied for life to a peasant girl the prospect seemed very alluring, even before I knew what an mance; but when I saw her, oh! Thorold, I could have strangled myself for my insane folly. "I was driving in an open carriage from the station on the day of my return home, when suddenly, as we drew up at the door a face looked out at me from one of the windows. I can never describe to you its exquisite loveliness-it was the sweetest, sunniest face, full of witchery and archness, with fair, floating hair, like a golden mist around it. I had seen it--never to forget it-and the next instant it was gone. 'Thorold, you have known me from childhood, and you know what my one great fault has been-a passionate, indom-ideal of all beauty and fascination was offered to me in Eritable self-will, which has ever resisted all contradiction, and has been ready to move heaven and earth for the attainment of its object; this has been the origin of my crime and of my misery-by this I sinned and by this I suffer. You know, also, that when I was at college I was in a very different position from that in which I now am. My two elder brothers were alive, and I was the penniless younger son of a proud family. My parents treated me, as I conceived, with great injustice. They did not choose to diminish the family estate by awarding me a suitable provision, and, therefore, they determined to expatriate me. I was to have enough to buy a sheep farm in Australia, and not one penny more-with that I was to be left to fight my way to a living as best I could. "Just at this time, when this decision had filled my whole soul with bitterness, I chanced to come across Annie Maynard, farmer Brown's orphan niece. Poor, pretty, gentle Annie! little did she dream that I would be her deadliest enemy when she first raised her blue eyes to my face. Her girlish beauty took my "I hastened up to the drawing-room where I expected to find my mother. She was not there, and I sat down to wait. The door leading into the next room was ajar, where I caught a glimpse of Amelia Hartley, a young lady who was visiting at the house. Presently I heard a light footstep pass into the inner room, a burst of musical laughter, and a voice like the carol of a wild singing-bird-- "Amelie, Amelie, je l'ai vu ce beau prétendant, et je t'en fuis cadeau si tu as envie de te marier! Je te le cède, ma chère, volontiers. Oh! mais bien volontiers,' and the sweet, mer y laugh rang out again. "Thorold, I can never tell you the blind fury that filled whole soul as she spoke. Every evil passion of my nai seemed to rise up like madness within me. This womanbase-born woman-to come between me and the darling of heart, the hope, the joy, the very life of my life! Erme my own Ermance who loved me! It was too much. Ism terrible oath that nothing on this earth should keep me from my purpose. I grasped the girl by the arm and tried to the certificate from the breast of her dress, where she al "You may say what you please, Ermance, but I expect you concealed; she struggled violently, shrieking outto fall in love with him.' Ermance! what a capricious child you are,' Amelia answered. Why should you give him up? George Seymour is very good-looking.' “Good-looking! he is one great brown bear,' she said, in her pretty broken English; 'par example! le gentil epoux qu'on me donne là !' "You shall not have it; I will go to our clergyma "Moi! l'ideé! I love that great rough bear! Ah! bien morrow and give it to him to keep-he will see me rightel) ce sera la semaine des deux Dimanches.' enough.' Amelia laughed; and after talking some time in the same strain, I heard them go out together. They left me half mad with pique and annoyance, and full of a settled determination that I would have my revenge by making this contemptuous girl love me, and then revealing my marriage to her. "Thorold, at that moment the fierce implacable will drove me on seemed to rise a very living influence within I felt myself grow rigid as iron. I tightened my hold of arm till she cried out with the pain, and told her I would ham that certificate at any cost. She tried angrily to shake off' hold, and said I'll die first before you have it; I will see my al "I devoted myself to this effort, and you may guess the result. In a very short time I was delivered up to the most violent passion for this girl which ever man felt for woman.righted.' Oh! Thorold, who could have helped it! You can never guess the charm of her marvellous grace, her beautiful voice, her fresh, original mind. She soon began to show that she liked my society, but she was shy and timid as a wild fawn. I would coax her out to walk with me, and then, suddenly, she would fly away on her fairy feet, with steps light as falling snow. I would catch the gleam of her glorious hair through the trees, and for hours I might seek her in vain, only her sweet voice would come back at times on the wind, singing some mournful song which thrilled through my heart; but I must not talk of her. The time came when the decision must be made. I must offer myself at once, or she would go back to France, to marry a man she hated; and I felt that she must be mine, cost what it would; and, besides, she also had learned to love me, and, can you believe it, Thorold, I persuaded myself that I should now be acting dishonorably by her if I did not try to break the tie that held me bound to Annie. It became then, at that time, an absolute necessity that I should free myself from Annie before I left England with Ermance I came down "here the week before our departure. determined to effect this. Do not shudder at me, Thorold. I had resolved on an evil deed, it is true, but it was one of which the crime was light compared to that I actually perpetrated. "I knew that the only evidence of my marriage with Annie was the certificate which I had left in her own possession; and my plan (sufficiently iniquitous, you will say) was to persuade her to let me destroy this proof, and consider our union null and void, on condition that I made her a large allowance for life. I believed that money was all-powerful with persons of her station, and that the low-born girl would willingly sell her good name for an independent income; but it was not Annie alone who was to be sacrificed. She had recently become a mother; and my own child was to be involved in this cru:1 disgrace. "I wrote and appointed Annie to meet me on a certain evening in the C- meadow, and bade her bring the certificate with her. Thorold, I wish with my whole soul the railway train had crushed me to death that day instead of bringing me safely to this place. "Annie was waiting for me on the walk by the river, with a moaning puny infant in her arms. She had lost all her early comeliness, and was now a faded, common-looking woman. I thought of Ermance the beautiful, and perfectly loathed her. I lost no time in making known my wishes to her. To my astonishment and rage, she utterly refused. She upbraided me in the strong language of her class, and declared she would remain a concealed wife no longer; her child should have his rights, happen what would; and she would compel me to acknowledge him. Then die,' I said. The very devil himself got poss of me; with one powerful effort I flung her into the riv Far out into the deep water she fell, and sank like a stone Seymour stopped, buried his face in his hands, and sh Thorold fell back on his pillow, o from head to foot. powered with horror. "Seymour, Seymour, conld you not save her?" He lifted up his ghastly face and looked at his cousin. "I know not if I could-I did not. I stood on that where they say the eyes of the dead woman look, and saw he rise, her and the child-my child-once. She held up her an and shrieked out my name-"George! George! George Ser mour, save me!' then the head fell back, the hand disappeared. the voice ceased, the waters closed over her, and I fled away from the spot a twofold murderer! "I must hasten to the end. You must not breathe the cam: air with me now one moment longer than I can help. I hav lived since then a life half rapture, half agony. When with Ermance, I was in a rapture of joy; absent from her in agony of remorse. The agony increased as my marriage. drew nearer. Annie's last cry has mingled with every song I have heard of late. Yesterday I received a letter from Gold win, describing this awful appearance on the river. From moment I read it, a conviction fell like molten lead on my that the spirit of murdered wife had come to earth again, come that I might meet her I know not for what purpose. "The horror with which I thought of meeting her dead -of seeing her again upon the very spot where I destroyed -was beyond the power of words to tell; and yet I felt dreadful, mysterious fascination, which I had no power to sist, dragging me to this place. I told Ermance I must leav her for two days, and impelled by some awful power foreign myself, I came here with my utmost speed. "And now, Thorold, I will not keep you another moment the presence of a murderer, but I ask you to remember your of help, and to grant me one favor in this my terrible extremit Will you?'' "I will." "Do this then for me. To-morrow night I go to the meados walk to meet that apparition-to respond to her call-to ful the purpose for which she has come to seek me, whatever may be; but I cannot go alone-I am afraid. Yes, it has come to this. I shudder with horror and fear at the very thought seeing what that old man saw; yet I must go. Will you c with me?" "Can you doubt it?" said Thorold. "Then to-morrow evening meet me at the college gate; that hour I relieve you of my presence." And before Thoroki had time to stop him, he had left the room, and had rushes! down stairs at a pace which rendered pursuit impossible. |