Fanshawe

r neck a

dvice, some fr

alked when th

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, and stood before his half-sleeping spouse (who waited his arrival in the parlor) without any previous notice. This act of the doctor's benevolence was not destitute of heroism; for he was well assured that, should the affair come to the lady's knowledge through any other channel, her vengeance would descend not less heavily on him for concealing, than on Ellen for perpetrating, the elopement. That she had, thus far, no suspicion of the fact, was evident from her composure, as

arly in readiness; for the lady of the house (and, as a corollary, her servant-girl) was not accustomed to await the rising of the sun in order to commence her domestic labors. Ellen Langton, however, who had heretofore assimilated

elmoth, "and inquire how she feels herself. The morning is

were a pity to disturb her," observed the doctor; for, besides his sympathy with

suppose you will say they are not so good as those Ellen made yesterday morning

ring away a branch that is grafted on an old tree. And yet there wil

"If there had been none but you to look after the poor thing's doings, s

, and partly carried into execution, while Ellen was under the sole care of his lady, and had been frustrated only by his own despised

ts conclusion, Mrs. Melmoth was again meditating on the propriety of entering Ellen's chamber; but sh

ssed to the doctor were the sole contents of the mail-bag. In the present instance, his letters were very numerous, and, to judge from the one he chanced first to open, of an unconscionable length. While he was engaged in their perusal, Mrs. Melmoth amused herself with the newspaper,-a little sheet of about twelve inches square, which had but one rival in the country. Commencing with the title, she labored on through advertisements old and new, through poetry lamentably deficient in rhythm and rhymes, through essays, the ideas of which had been trite since the first week of the creation, till she fi

to differ from your exposition of the said passage, for those reasons, of the which I have given you a taste; provided"-The lady's voice was now almost audible, "s

im; but Mrs. Melmoth now made use of a tone whose peculiar shrillness, as long

d unchristian conduct! Here am I endeavoring to inform you of t

sense, of these words, now laid aside the letter in despai

, and pointing to the passage containing the important intelli

d read many words, he grew pale as death. "Good Heavens! what is this?" he exclaimed. He then read on, "being the vessel wherei

ng the paper. "How shall we break the intelligence to her? A

od sense of which she had a competent share. "But she has never known her father; and her sorrow must arise from a sense of d

doctor. "Ellen has strong feelings,

e lady, who had a high opinion of her own abilities

e handwriting of the direction on one of them, his attention was gradually arrested, till he found himself gazing earnestly on those strong, firm, regular characters. They were perfectly familiar to hi

on between the two meeting masses, by which Mrs. Melmoth was seated securely on the stairs; while the doctor was only preserved from precipitation to the bottom by clinging desperately to the balustrade. As soon as the pair discover

Dr. Melmoth, after each had communicated his and her

er shrillest tone. "Have I not just informed you that she has gone, f

en her father comes to demand his dau

drowned!" cried Mrs. Melmoth. "This is a serious affair

o near to make him one. He was fortunately prevented, after he had ma

s he now?" s

us," replied her husband. "His letter is dated nearly a fortnight

a better time to be drowned, nor a worse one to come to life, than this. What we shall do, doctor, I know not;

here a door in all the Province that is barred or bolted, night or day? Ne

all times?" she inquired. "We had s

fy himself with his own eyes of the state of affairs. It was deserted too truly; and the wild-flowers with which it was the maiden's custom daily to decorate her premises were drooping, as if in sorrow for her who had placed them there. Mrs. Melmoth, on this second visit, dis

this,-a mystery that I

w what measures it wou

id the dame, the influence of whose firmer mind was sometimes, as in the present case, most beneficial

mured the doctor, in a p

I reach the t

exclaimed Mrs. Melmoth. "Oh, I love to see a man with the

ed, and anxious for her advice, "your worldly experience is greater than mine, and I

to instruct him in the proper method of pursuing the runaway maiden, and directed him, before his departure, to put strict inquiries to Hugh Crombie respecting any stranger who might lately

character, or privity to his purposes. Had Mrs. Melmoth, instead of her husband, conducted the examination, the result might have been different. As the case was, the d

pearance circulated rapidly, and soon sent forth hu