[figure description] Page 155.[end figure description]

“Three days have elap&longs;ed &longs;ince this occurrence.
I have been haunted by perpetual inquietude.
To bring my&longs;elf to regard Carwin without
terror, and to acquie&longs;ce in the belief of your &longs;afety,
was impo&longs;&longs;ible. Yet to put an end to my doubts,
&longs;eemed to be impracticable. If &longs;ome light could
be reflected on the actual &longs;ituation of this man, a
direct path would pre&longs;ent it&longs;elf. If he were, contrary
to the tenor of his conver&longs;ation, cunning and
malignant, to apprize you of this, would be to
place you in &longs;ecurity. If he were merely unfortunate
and innocent, mo&longs;t readily would I e&longs;pou&longs;e
his cau&longs;e; and if his intentions were upright with
regard to you, mo&longs;t eagerly would I &longs;anctify your
choice by my approbation.

“It would be vain to call upon Carwin for an
avowal of his deeds. It was better to know nothing,
than to be deceived by an artful tale. What
he was unwilling to communicate, and this unwillingness
had been repeatedly manife&longs;ted, could never
be extorted from him. Importunity might be appeased,
or impo&longs;ture effected by fallacious representations.
To the re&longs;t of the world he was unknown.
I had often made him the &longs;ubject of discourse;
but a glimp&longs;e of his figure in the &longs;treet was
the &longs;um of their knowledge who knew mo&longs;t. None
had ever &longs;een him before, and received as new, the
information which my intercour&longs;e with him in
Valencia, and my pre&longs;ent intercour&longs;e, enabled me
to give.

[figure description] Page 156.[end figure description]

“Wieland was your brother. If he had really
made you the object of his court&longs;hip, was not a
brother authorized to interfere and demand from
him the confe&longs;&longs;ion of his views? Yet what were
the grounds on which I had reared this &longs;uppo&longs;ition?
Would they ju&longs;tify a mea&longs;ure like this? Surely
not.

“In the cour&longs;e of my re&longs;tle&longs;s meditations, it
occurred to me, at length, that my duty required
me to &longs;peak to you, to confe&longs;s the indecorum of
which I had been guilty, and to &longs;tate the reflections
to which it had led me. I was prompted by no
mean or &longs;elfi&longs;h views. The heart within my brea&longs;t
was not more precious than your &longs;afety: mo&longs;t
cheerfully would I have interpo&longs;ed my life between
you and danger. Would you cheri&longs;h re&longs;entment
at my conduct? When acquainted with the motive
which produced it, it would not only exempt
me from cen&longs;ure, but entitle me to gratitude.

“Ye&longs;terday had been &longs;elected for the rehear&longs;al
of the newly-imported tragedy. I promi&longs;ed to be
pre&longs;ent. The &longs;tate of my thoughts but little qualified
me for a performer or auditor in &longs;uch a &longs;cene;
but I reflected that, after it was fini&longs;hed, I &longs;hould
return home with you, and &longs;hould then enjoy an
opportunity of di&longs;cour&longs;ing with you fully on this
topic. My re&longs;olution was not formed without a
remnant of doubt, as to its propriety. When I left
this hou&longs;e to perform the vi&longs;it I had promi&longs;ed, my
mind was full of apprehen&longs;ion and de&longs;pondency.
The dubiou&longs;ne&longs;s of the event of our conver&longs;ation,
fear that my interference was too late to &longs;ecure your
peace, and the uncertainty to which hope gave birth,
whether I had not erred in believing you devoted
to this man, or, at lea&longs;t, in imagining that he had
obtained your con&longs;ent to midnight conferences,

[figure description] Page 157.[end figure description]

distracted me with contradictory opinions, and repugnant
emotions.

“I can a&longs;&longs;ign no rea&longs;on for calling at Mrs.
Baynton's. I had &longs;een her in the morning, and
knew her to be well. The concerted hour had
nearly arrived, and yet I turned up the &longs;treet which
leads to her hou&longs;e, and di&longs;mounted at her door. I
entered the parlour and threw my&longs;elf in a chair. I
&longs;aw and inquired for no one. My whole frame
was overpowered by dreary and comfortle&longs;s sensations.
One idea po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;ed me wholly; the inexpressible
importance of unveiling the de&longs;igns
and character of Carwin, and the utter improbability
that this ever would be effected. Some instinct
induced me to lay my hand upon a newspaper.
I had peru&longs;ed all the general intelligence it
contained in the morning, and at the &longs;ame &longs;pot.
The act was rather mechanical than voluntary.

“I threw a languid glance at the fir&longs;t column
that pre&longs;ented it&longs;elf. The fir&longs;t words which I read,
began with the offer of a reward of three hundred
guineas for the apprehen&longs;ion of a convict under
&longs;entence of death, who had e&longs;caped from Newgate
pri&longs;on in Dublin. Good heaven! how every fibre
of my frame tingled when I proceeded to read that
the name of the criminal was Francis Carwin!

“The de&longs;criptions of his per&longs;on and addre&longs;s
were minute. His &longs;tature, hair, complexion, the
extraordinary po&longs;ition and arrangement of his features,
his aukward and di&longs;proportionate form, his
ge&longs;ture and gait, corre&longs;ponded perfectly with tho&longs;e
of our my&longs;terious vi&longs;itant. He had been found guilty
in two indictments. One for the murder of the
Lady Jane Conway, and the other for a robbery committed
on the per&longs;on of the honorable Mr. Ludloe.

“I repeatedly peru&longs;ed this pa&longs;&longs;age. The ideas

[figure description] Page 158.[end figure description]

which flowed in upon my mind, affected me like
an in&longs;tant tran&longs;ition from death to life. The purpose
deare&longs;t to my heart was thus effected, at a time
and by means the lea&longs;t of all others within the
&longs;cope of my fore&longs;ight. But what purpo&longs;e? Carwin
was detected. Acts of the blacke&longs;t and mo&longs;t
&longs;ordid guilt had been committed by him. Here was
evidence which imparted to my under&longs;tanding the
mo&longs;t luminous certainty. The name, vi&longs;age, and
deportment, were the &longs;ame. Between the time of
his e&longs;cape, and his appearance among us, there
was a &longs;ufficient agreement. Such was the man
with whom I &longs;u&longs;pected you to maintain a clandestine
corre&longs;pondence. Should I not ha&longs;te to &longs;natch
you from the talons of this vulture? Should I &longs;ee
you ru&longs;hing to the verge of a dizzy precipice, and
not &longs;tretch forth a hand to pull you back? I had
no need to deliberate. I thru&longs;t the paper in my
pocket, and re&longs;olved to obtain an immediate conference
with you. For a time, no other image
made its way to my under&longs;tanding. At length, it
occurred to me, that though the information I possessed
was, in one &longs;en&longs;e, &longs;ufficient, yet if more
could be obtained, more was de&longs;irable. This passage
was copied from a Briti&longs;h paper; part of it
only, perhaps, was tran&longs;cribed. The printer was
in po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;ion of the original.

“Towards his hou&longs;e I immediately turned my
hor&longs;e's head. He produced the paper, but I found
nothing more than had already been &longs;een. While
bu&longs;y in peru&longs;ing it, the printer &longs;tood by my &longs;ide.
He noticed the object of which I was in &longs;earch.
“Aye,” &longs;aid he, “that is a &longs;trange affair. I &longs;hould
never have met with it, had not Mr. Hallet &longs;ent
to me the paper, with a particular reque&longs;t to republish
that adverti&longs;ement.”

[figure description] Page 159.[end figure description]

“Mr. Hallet! What rea&longs;ons could he have for
making this reque&longs;t? Had the paper &longs;ent to him
been accompanied by any information re&longs;pecting
the convict? Had he per&longs;onal or extraordinary
rea&longs;ons for de&longs;iring its republication? This was
to be known only in one way. I &longs;peeded to his
hou&longs;e. In an&longs;wer to my interrogations, he told
me that Ludloe had formerly been in America, and
that during his re&longs;idence in this city, con&longs;iderable
intercour&longs;e had taken place between them. Hence
a confidence aro&longs;e, which has &longs;ince been kept alive
by occa&longs;ional letters. He had lately received a
letter from him, enclo&longs;ing the new&longs;paper from
which this extract had been made. He put in into
my hands, and pointed out the pa&longs;&longs;ages which related
to Carwin.

“Ludloe confirms the facts of his conviction
and e&longs;cape; and adds, that he had rea&longs;on to believe
him to have embarked for America. He de&longs;cribes
him in general terms, as the mo&longs;t incomprehensible
and formidable among men; as engaged in
&longs;chemes, rea&longs;onably &longs;u&longs;pected to be, in the highe&longs;t
degree, criminal, but &longs;uch as no human intelligence
is able to unravel: that his ends are pur&longs;ued by
means which leave it in doubt whether he be not in
league with &longs;ome infernal &longs;pirit: that his crimes
have hitherto been perpetrated with the aid of &longs;ome
unknown but de&longs;perate accomplices: that he wages
a perpetual war again&longs;t the happine&longs;s of mankind,
and &longs;ets his engines of de&longs;truction at work again&longs;t
every object that pre&longs;ents it&longs;elf.

“This is the &longs;ub&longs;tance of the letter. Hallet
expre&longs;&longs;ed &longs;ome &longs;urprize at the curio&longs;ity which was
manife&longs;ted by me on this occa&longs;ion. I was too much
ab&longs;orbed by the ideas &longs;ugge&longs;ted by this letter, to pay
attention to his remarks. I &longs;huddered with the

[figure description] Page 160.[end figure description]

apprehen&longs;ion of the evil to which our indi&longs;creet
familiarity with this man had probably expo&longs;ed us.
I burnt with impatience to &longs;ee you, and to do what
in me lay to avert the calamity which threatened
us. It was already five o'clock. Night was hastening,
and there was no time to be lo&longs;t. On
leaving Mr. Hallet's hou&longs;e, who &longs;hould meet me in
the &longs;treet, but Bertrand, the &longs;ervant whom I left in
Germany. His appearance and accoutrements bespoke
him to have ju&longs;t alighted from a toil&longs;ome and
long journey. I was not wholly without expectation
of &longs;eeing him about this time, but no one was
then more di&longs;tant from my thoughts. You know
what rea&longs;ons I have for anxiety re&longs;pecting &longs;cenes
with which this man was conver&longs;ant. Carwin was
for a moment forgotten. In an&longs;wer to my vehement
inquiries, Bertrand produced a copious packet. I
&longs;hall not at pre&longs;ent mention its contents, nor the
mea&longs;ures which they obliged me to adopt. I bestowed
a brief peru&longs;al on the&longs;e papers, and having
given &longs;ome directions to Bertrand, re&longs;umed my purpose
with regard to you. My hor&longs;e I was obliged
to re&longs;ign to my &longs;ervant, he being charged with a
commi&longs;&longs;ion that required &longs;peed. The clock had
&longs;truck ten, and Mettingen was five miles di&longs;tant.
I was to journey thither on foot. The&longs;e circumstances
only added to my expedition.

“As I pa&longs;&longs;ed &longs;wiftly along, I reviewed all the
incidents accompanying the appearance and deportment
of that man among us. Late events have
been inexplicable and my&longs;terious beyond any of
which I have either read or heard. The&longs;e events
were coeval with Carwin's introduction. I am
unable to explain their origin and mutual dependance;
but I do not, on that account, believe them
to have a &longs;upernatural original. Is not this man

[figure description] Page 161.[end figure description]

the agent? Some of them &longs;eem to be propitious;
but what &longs;hould I think of tho&longs;e threats of assassination
with which you were lately alarmed? Bloodshed
is the trade, and horror is the element of this
man. The proce&longs;s by which the &longs;ympathies of
nature are extingui&longs;hed in our hearts, by which
evil is made our good, and by which we are made
&longs;u&longs;ceptible of no activity but in the infliction, and
no joy but in the &longs;pectacle of woes, is an obvious
proce&longs;s. As to an alliance with evil geniu&longs;es, the
power and the malice of dæmons have been a thousand
times exemplified in human beings. There are
no devils but tho&longs;e which are begotten upon selfishness,
and reared by cunning.

“Now, indeed, the &longs;cene was changed. It was
not his &longs;ecret poniard that I dreaded. It was only
the &longs;ucce&longs;s of his efforts to make you a confederate
in your own de&longs;truction, to make your will the
in&longs;trument by which he might bereave you of
liberty and honor.

“I took, as u&longs;ual, the path through your brother's
ground. I ranged with celerity and &longs;ilence
along the bank. I approached the &longs;ence, which
divides Wieland's e&longs;tate from yours. The rece&longs;s
in the bank being near this line, it being nece&longs;&longs;ary
for me to pa&longs;s near it, my mind being tainted with
inveterate &longs;u&longs;picions concerning you; &longs;u&longs;picions
which were indebted for their &longs;trength to incidents
connected with this &longs;pot; what wonder that it &longs;eized
upon my thoughts!

“I leaped on the fence; but before I de&longs;cended
on the oppo&longs;ite &longs;ide, I pau&longs;ed to &longs;urvey the &longs;cene.
Leaves dropping with dew, and gli&longs;tening in the
moon's rays, with no moving object to mole&longs;t the
deep repo&longs;e, filled me with &longs;ecurity and hope. I
left the &longs;tation at length, and tended forward. You

[figure description] Page 162.[end figure description]

were probably at re&longs;t. How &longs;hould I communicate
without alarming you, the intelligence of my
arrival? An immediate interview was to be procured.
I could not bear to think that a minute
&longs;hould be lo&longs;t by remi&longs;&longs;ne&longs;s or he&longs;itation. Should
I knock at the door? or &longs;hould I &longs;tand under your
chamber windows, which I perceived to be open,
and awaken you by my calls?

“The&longs;e reflections employed me, as I pa&longs;&longs;ed
oppo&longs;ite to the &longs;ummer-hou&longs;e. I had &longs;carcely gone
by, when my ear caught a &longs;ound unu&longs;ual at this
time and place. It was almo&longs;t too &longs;aint and too
tran&longs;ient to allow me a di&longs;tinct perception of it. I
&longs;topped to li&longs;ten; pre&longs;ently it was heard again, and
now it was &longs;omewhat in a louder key. It was
laughter; and unque&longs;tionably produced by a female
voice. That voice was familiar to my &longs;en&longs;es. It
was yours.

“Whence it came, I was at fir&longs;t at a lo&longs;s to
conjecture; but this uncertainty vani&longs;hed when it
was heard the third time. I threw back my eyes
towards the rece&longs;s. Every other organ and limb
was u&longs;ele&longs;s to me. I did not rea&longs;on on the &longs;ubject.
I did not, in a direct manner, draw my conclu&longs;ions
from the hour, the place, the hilarity which this
&longs;ound betokened, and the circum&longs;tance of having a
companion, which it no le&longs;s inconte&longs;tably proved.
In an in&longs;tant, as it were, my heart was invaded
with cold, and the pul&longs;es of life at a &longs;tand.

“Why &longs;hould I go further? Why &longs;hould I
return? Should I not hurry to a di&longs;tance from a
&longs;ound, which, though formerly &longs;o &longs;weet and delectable,
was now more hideous than the &longs;hrieks of
owls?

“I had no time to yield to this impul&longs;e. The
thought of approaching and li&longs;tening occurred to

[figure description] Page 163.[end figure description]

me. I had no doubt of which I was con&longs;cious.
Yet my certainty was capable of increa&longs;e. I was
likewi&longs;e &longs;timulated by a &longs;entiment that partook of
rage. I was governed by an half-formed and tempestuous
re&longs;olution to break in upon your interview,
and &longs;trike you dead with my upbraiding.

“I approached with the utmo&longs;t caution. When
I reached the edge of the bank immediately above
the &longs;ummer-hou&longs;e, I thought I heard voices from
below, as bu&longs;y in conver&longs;ation. The &longs;teps in the
rock are clear of bu&longs;hy impediments. They allowed
me to de&longs;cend into a cavity be&longs;ide the building
without being detected. Thus to lie in wait
could only be ju&longs;tified by the momentou&longs;ne&longs;s of the
occa&longs;ion.”

Here Pleyel pau&longs;ed in his narrative, and fixed
his eyes upon me. Situated as I was, my horror
and a&longs;toni&longs;hment at this tale gave way to compassion
for the angui&longs;h which the countenance of my
friend betrayed. I reflected on his force of understanding.
I reflected on the powers of my enemy.
I could ea&longs;ily divine the &longs;ub&longs;tance of the conversation
that was overheard. Carwin had con&longs;tructed
his plot in a manner &longs;uited to the characters of tho&longs;e
whom he had &longs;elected for his victims. I &longs;aw that
the convictions of Pleyel were immutable. I forbore
to &longs;truggle again&longs;t the &longs;torm, becau&longs;e I &longs;aw
that all &longs;truggles would be fruitle&longs;s. I was calm;
but my calmne&longs;s was the torpor of de&longs;pair, and not
the tranquillity of fortitude. It was calmne&longs;s invincible
by any thing that his grief and his fury
could &longs;ugge&longs;t to Pleyel. He re&longs;umed—

“Woman! wilt thou hear me further? Shall I
go on to repeat the conver&longs;ation? Is it &longs;hame that
makes thee tongue-tied? Shall I go on? or art
thou &longs;atisfied with what has been already &longs;aid?”

[figure description] Page 164.[end figure description]

I bowed my head. “Go on,” &longs;aid I. “I make
not this reque&longs;t in the hope of undeceiving you. I
&longs;hall no longer contend with my own weakne&longs;s.
The &longs;torm is let loo&longs;e, and I &longs;hall peaceably &longs;ubmit
to be driven by its fury. But go on. This conference
will end only with affording me a clearer
fore&longs;ight of my de&longs;tiny; but that will be &longs;ome satisfaction,
and I will not part without it.”

Why, on hearing the&longs;e words, did Pleyel hesitate?
Did &longs;ome unlooked-for doubt in&longs;inuate it&longs;elf
into his mind? Was his belief &longs;uddenly &longs;haken by
my looks, or my words, or by &longs;ome newly recollected
circum&longs;tance? Whence&longs;oever it aro&longs;e, it
could not endure the te&longs;t of deliberation. In a few
minutes the flame of re&longs;entment was again lighted
up in his bo&longs;om. He proceeded with his accustomed
vehemence—

“I hate my&longs;elf for this folly. I can find no
apology for this tale. Yet I am irre&longs;i&longs;tibly impelled
to relate it. She that hears me is apprized
of every particular. I have only to repeat to her
her own words. She will li&longs;ten with a tranquil
air, and the &longs;pectacle of her obduracy will drive
me to &longs;ome de&longs;perate act. Why then &longs;hould I
per&longs;i&longs;t! yet per&longs;i&longs;t I mu&longs;t.”

Again he pau&longs;ed. “No,” &longs;aid he, “it is impossible
to repeat your avowals of love, your appeals
to former confe&longs;&longs;ions of your tenderne&longs;s, to
former deeds of di&longs;honor, to the circum&longs;tances
of the fir&longs;t interview that took place between you.
It was on that night when I traced you to this recess.
Thither had he enticed you, and there had
you ratified an unhallowed compact by admitting
him—

“Great God! Thou witne&longs;&longs;ed&longs;t the agonies
that tore my bo&longs;om at that moment! Thou

[figure description] Page 165.[end figure description]

witnessedst my efforts to repel the te&longs;timony of my
ears! It was in vain that you dwelt upon the confusion
which my unlooked-for &longs;ummons excited in
you; the tardine&longs;s with which a &longs;uitable excu&longs;e
occurred to you; your re&longs;entment that my impertinent
intru&longs;ion had put an end to that charming
interview: A di&longs;appointment for which you endeavoured
to compen&longs;ate your&longs;elf, by the frequency
and duration of &longs;ub&longs;equent meetings.

“In vain you dwelt upon incidents of which
you only could be con&longs;cious; incidents that occurred
on occa&longs;ions on which none be&longs;ide your
own family were witne&longs;&longs;es. In vain was your
di&longs;cour&longs;e characterized by peculiarities inimitable
of &longs;entiment and language. My conviction was
effected only by an accumulation of the &longs;ame tokens.
I yielded not but to evidence which took
away the power to withhold my faith.

“My &longs;ight was of no u&longs;e to me. Beneath &longs;o
thick an umbrage, the darkne&longs;s was inten&longs;e. Hearing
was the only avenue to information, which the
circum&longs;tances allowed to be open. I was couched
within three feet of you. Why &longs;hould I approach
nearer? I could not contend with your betrayer.
What could be the purpo&longs;e of a conte&longs;t? You
&longs;tood in no need of a protector. What could I
do, but retire from the &longs;pot overwhelmed with confusion
and di&longs;may? I &longs;ought my chamber, and endeavoured
to regain my compo&longs;ure. The door of
the hou&longs;e, which I found open, your &longs;ub&longs;equent
entrance, clo&longs;ing, and &longs;a&longs;tening it, and going into
your chamber, which had been thus long de&longs;erted,
were only confirmations of the truth.

“Why &longs;hould I paint the tempe&longs;tuous fluctuation
of my thoughts between grief and revenge, between
rage and de&longs;pair? Why &longs;hould I repeat my

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vows of eternal implacability and per&longs;ecution, and
the &longs;peedy recantation of the&longs;e vows?

“I have &longs;aid enough. You have di&longs;mi&longs;&longs;ed me
from a place in your e&longs;teem. What I think, and
what I feel, is of no importance in your eyes.
May the duty which I owe my&longs;elf enable me
to forget your exi&longs;tence. In a few minutes I go
hence. Be the maker of your fortune, and may
adver&longs;ity in&longs;truct you in that wi&longs;dom, which education
was unable to impart to you.”

Tho&longs;e were the la&longs;t words which Pleyel uttered.
He left the room, and my new emotions enabled
me to witne&longs;s his departure without any apparent
lo&longs;s of compo&longs;ure. As I &longs;at alone, I ruminated
on the&longs;e incidents. Nothing was more evident
than that I had taken an eternal leave of happine&longs;s.
Life was a worthle&longs;s thing, &longs;eparate from that good
which had now been wre&longs;ted from me; yet the sentimen:
that now po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;ed me had no tendency to
pal&longs;y my exertions, and overbear my &longs;trength. I
noticed that the light was declining, and perceived
the propriety of leaving this hou&longs;e. I placed myself
again in the chai&longs;e, and returned &longs;lowly towards
the city.

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