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others receding from the filver torrentsround the edge of the lake the fhade became darker, and the wood feemed to mingle with the reeds that crowded into the water. A narrow path, however, ferpentined on the bank, and Delmont purfuing it as he had been directed, it led him along the margin of a fequestered branch of the lake, which was indeed the river that carried its ftill accumulating water to other parts of the estate. Here its channel was deep, but not wide: the weeping willows, planted on either bank, mingling their flexile boughs together in ftreaming arches over it. He came to an almoft circular recefs of turf; it was screened by immenfe oaks and ash, whose old fantastic arms started out as if to embrace the two ruftic buildings that now appeared. They were white without, thatched with reeds, and partly mantled by odorous fhrubs that crept round windows fhaded by green lattices. A ftream was heard to murmur through them; which then fell down a small dark declivity

declivity (along which the path still led), and fupplied a rustic bath; where, though fimplicity was its character without, there was within fuch contrivances as a luxurious Roman would have chofen for hisaccommodation. But of these Delmont was content with the defcription Mrs. Billfon had given him; and pursuing his way still through a narrow and fomewhat declining path, winding through the woods, he found himself in a quarter of an hour at their extremity on this fide, where a long tract of meadows was spread between high lands on each side, richly clad with trees. The ftreams from the lake, which here fertilized the grazing, land, glittered in various currents. Its principal branch directed his eyes to a group of buildings, which Delmont imagined to be the farm-houfe, where he might, with great probability of finding: her, feek for Medora.

By the time he reached the house, for the way was longer than it appeared, the moon, hitherto friendly to him, was fo

low

low that it lent him but little light around the dwelling, and the extenfive farm-yard adjoining to it-all was hufhed, fave at intervals the noises of domestic poultry, which feemed to answer the cry of the wild-ducks and other water-foul from the river and lake, whofe keen sense of fmell informed them that a stranger had intruded among their reedy receffes and willowed haunts..

Delmont, prepoffeffed with the idea that he should fee Medora, was fo agitated that he stopped at the gate, leading into a fort of court before the house, to recover breath and recollection. He furveyed the windows. There was a light in one of the rooms." She is there," whispered the heart of Delmont ;-as if it could be inhabited by no other than Medora. Approaching, and earnestly fixing his eyes on the fashes, he fancied he faw the fhadow on the oppofite wall of fome one who fat not far from the window. The figure rofe, took up the candle, and moved along the room till the

light difappeared. Delmont was convinced it was a woman, and became more and more perfuaded it was her whom he fought.

After a fhort interval light was again visible in a room on the ground-floor; and Delmont paffing as foftly as he could, through the gate towards the window, approached fo near that he could diftinguish a young perfon whofe figure, as fhe fat ftooping over a table, refembled that of Medora, but her back was towards him, and she seemed occupied in fome kind of work which lay before her.. . Her whole appearance was very unlike that of an inmate of a farm-house; and if it was not, as on a fteadier examination he believed, her whom he fc anxioufly fought, the presence of fuch a perfon in fuch a place confirmed his idea of the arrangements of Sir Harry Richmond.

The

young woman rofe and croffed the room -opened a piano forte, which stood on the oppofite end, and touched it with a grace and precifion which, as well as a

fide-view of her face that he now obtained, convinced Delmont it was not Medora. But was it not poffible he might obtain fome information of her? Yet how hazard alarming a young perfon by the abrupt appearance of a ftranger, at fuch an hour, in fuch a place?

After a fhort prelude fhe fang-Delmont listened to a plaintive Italian air: the words were from Metastasio, and the manner of executing them fhewed that they were felt by the songstress;-while there could be no doubt from her manner of finging, as well as from the deep figh with which fhe concluded, that she was too fenfible of her own fituation to be acceffary to the enforced confinement of another under the fame circumftances. After what he had heard from Mrs. Billson, there was little doubt but that this young woman was one of the refidents in Sir Harry's house whom the had defcribed. Delmont, however unwilling to alarm her, could not refift his defire of speaking to her.

He

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