After going round and round it repeatedly without being thoroughly fatisfied, I was compelled to have recourfe to the only fecurity within my reach,. which were bolts within the chamber; they fastened both that door and the other apparently very fecurely. I examined behind and under my bed, and as to the windows I was fure nobody could get in that way, for I had difcovered, in the flight furvey I made, that it would be extremely difficult to get out; I did not, however, defpair of effecting my escape. As through the vine leaves that almoft covered the old cafement I looked out to the fky and the ftars, I recollected my mother's fingular story, and particularly the time when he was a prifoner, a fick and fuffering prifoner, in the Abbey of Kilbrodie. Her courage, her truft in heaven, did not fail her, faid I, in that trying hour, and wherefore fhould I allow mine to fink under circumstances of lefs danger? Oh! my deareft, my adored mother, were I but fure

you

you do not at this moment endure great mifery on my account, were I but fure your health has not fuffered, I fhould feel myfelf ftrengthened and fupported fo as perhaps fooner to conquer this temporary tyranny from people fo defpicable that I cannot fear them. I found reflection, and the ardent hope I entertained of efcaping compofed my fpirits. Ah! it is well that we know not the evils that menace us. Had I then known, that after I had twice escaped, after I had been reftored to my father and to Delmont, this dear, dear mother would not be with us; that we should ftill deplore her abfence yet be ignorant of her fate, I know not that it would have been poffible for me to have made any ftruggle against the infolent oppreffion I underwent."

Medora, affected by what she had faid, ycould not for a moment proceed. Recovering herself, however, the continued. :

"I thought I might fecurely go to bed; and indeed I fo greatly wanted repofe that I know not if any thing but the

certainty

certainty of being disturbed by the daring intrufion of Darnell could have given me ftrength to remain without fome repofe. I knew, however, that my flumber, if I could obtain it, would be fuch as it had been the preceding night, when the flightest noife was to me an alerte, fo much were my fears awake; I therefore went to bed, and flept till fun-rife. The earliest rays of light entered my chamber through the vine leaves, and were hailed by an houfe-fparrow*, which had made its neft among them, and with its loud chirping, the monotony of the chaffinch and the robin, and the thrill fhort fhriek of the fwallow, announced the approach of day even before the fun was above the horizon. I found myself reftored greatly when, after I had done what I could to fupply the want of a more comfortable change of clothes, I fat down to confider once more of my fituation, and felt the morning air blow

This bird builds at all feasons, except the deadeft months of winter.

fharp

fharp and fresh from the hills or wolds; high heathy lands which I faw beyond the houfe for fome miles. My doubts now were whether I fhould be confined or no? of which I imagined the transactions of the day would be fufficient for me to judge. The fcene foon opened by the entrance of Mrs. Darnell, who once more undertook to try her eloquence. She affected the fenfible matron who knew the world, and retailed, like many other preachers, an infinite number of very wife and, very true faws and fayings, to every one of which her whole life had probably, and certainly her prefent conduct, formed the moft glaring contradiction. I fored bore, however, to remark this, and even let her fay what he would, contenting myself, when she feemed nearly to have exhausted her logical powers, with afking her, whether the really thought any thing could justify Mr. Darnell's conduct towards me? The woman ftill affected to believe that I had encouraged him; that I had even confented to elope with him;

and

and I found my abfolute and firm denial of it as vain as were the expreffions of fcorn and abhorrence, which certainly I did not fpare, but I was not abfolutely confined. The lady bade me walk with her in the garden, and I obeyed, glad of every opportunity to furvey the place, from which I was determined to attempt my escape. The garden, however, was furrounded by a wall high and thick enough to have been defigned for a defence at the time it was built, which was, I dare fay, three centuries ago; it feemed impoffible ever to furmount, by any powers I could exert, fo formidable a barrier, and I regarded it with that ficknefs of the foul which is truly faid to be the confequence of difappointed hope.

*

"Mrs. Darnell ftill took every occafion to exhort me to a due confideration of my own intereft, and pleaded her fon's passion with at least more warmth, though certainly with as little effect as he did himself. From the fight of the old lady to whom the house belonged I was con

cealed;