cealed; but I had an opportunity of feeing her as I paffed by the door of her chamber, and beheld a melancholy example of extreme old age;

"Of fecond childishnefs and mere oblivion;"

And I believe she was entirely ignorant of the whole tranfaction, in which, however, it is probable Mrs. Darnell had a fhare even from the first.

"Three days had paffed, the greatest part of which I had paffed in the room where I flept; for at no other time would Mrs. Darnell fuffer me to be abfent from her fight. They had no reafon to flatter themselves that they had made any progrefs in their defign, for my coldness and averfion would have appeared to increase, if to increase were poffible; I fpoke in the plaineft terms of my refolution never to change my mind in regard to Mr. Darnell; and I believe they were very much at a lofs how to proceed, yet faw that their retreat was not unattended with danger. In reconnoitring the garden, even `attended

9

tended as I was, I had obferved an old green houfe, which had long fince been dedicated to no other purpose than keeping plants hung up for their feeds to dry, pots, mats, garden tools, and lumber, but there was a door opened in the back of it into a lane, as I faw by pushing against it at a moment when Mrs. Darnell was giving fome directions to her gardener. I was almoft fure that even if it was locked it was fo much decayed that I could force it open. The difficulty was how to get into the garden unperceived, and at an hour when I fhould not be miffed, and to accomplish this I bent my whole thoughts, making light of the hazards I might afterwards have to encounter in a country to which I was a stranger, and which appeared to be remarkably wild and defolate.

"The clofet within my room, which had on the first night of my arrival been the fubject of my dread, now I hoped offered the means of my efcape, for I had difcovered that the iron bars of the windows

were

were a part of the cafement, and not faftened to the ftone work, and I believed I could force myself through it, and defcend by the help of the vine, which covered alfo this fide of the house, and was fo old that the enwreathed branches feemed capable of fupporting a greater weight than mine."

Delmont fhuddered-"And had you," faid he, " my Medora, courage to undertake this perilous experiment ?"

"It was not fo great an effort of courage, Delmont," replied fhe. "How often have I heard of greater hazards incurred by girls to fly from their parents; I thought, I hoped, that I was haftening to mine, and haftening too," added fhe, "from a man I detefted to one who had all my love, all my confidence, and with whom I was fure of finding happiness."

To put an end to the acknowledg ments Delmont began to make for fo fweet and voluntary a declaration of her affection, Medora haftened to proceed with her narrative.

"I knew this way was the only one by which my getting out of the house was poffible, for I had tried the maid, and had been repulfed; I had learned too that all the doors were locked every night, and the keys carried to Mrs. Darnell; and there was an house dog in the yard, which the affured me would tear to pieces any ftranger who fhould venture about the buildings of a night. This dog was my principal dread; but of my confinement I faw no end, and it was abfolutely neceffary for me to hazard fomething; I perceived that the hope of this woman and fon was, that, in proportion as my abfence from my mother and abode with them was procraftinated, I fhould confider my marriage inevitable, and be induced to consent to it. While I, alas! thought that my mother's not hearing from me might occafion to her illness or death.On the third day of my most unwilling refidence, however, an opportunity offered, which I seized, to write to you. A travelling Scotchman came to the house: VOL. IV.

N

Mrs.

Mrs. Darnell, always eager after dress and fashions, ordered him in, and her fon infifted on presenting us with muflins and ribbons. I pofitively refused to accept any thing, but left the room, and fnatched up a pen, with which I wrote the few words you have told me you received at Upwood. I did not till then know the houfe I was in was in Yorkshire, and the name, whether Dartnell or Darnell, I was yet less perfect in, because I always fufpected it was not really the name borne by the man, or at least not by his mother, who had had feveral hufbands; but I wrote in fuch hafte and dread that 1 knew not what were the words I put on the paper, which having with trembling hands fealed and directed, I ran down again to the pedlar, and for almost the first time in my life uttered a fentence meditated to deceive. I told I told Mrs. Darnell that I fhould be extremely glad to purchase fome linen and a gown, as nothing could be fo diftreffing as my prefent want of clothes. The foolish woman, with whom

the