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touch of Ithuriel-her persecutor stood revealed in his true light. She snatched her hand from him, and groaning aloud she sprang towards the door -the door opened, and Susan entered.

"Oh for mercy's sake save me--take me away!" cried the poor girl, clinging to her aunt in desperation.

"What means this ?" inquired Susan, looking at Harrington; "have you dared to insult the innocent girl?--Be calm, Emily, my child, be calm."

"Smooth your brow, sister," replied Harrington, with perfect coolness," and I will tell you all that has passed between us."

"Say on," she answered, without in the least relaxing her features, "and bear it in mind that I shall know from this afflicted girl, who never opened her mouth to speak a lie, whether ye speak truly."

"My word," replied Reuben, "will go farther ----much farther with the people that that poor fargone sinner's."

"That may be, Reuben, but not with me, therefore speak quickly and truly."

There is a moral power in virtuous resolution that the most vicious find it difficult to resist. Reuben perceived that he could neither conceal nor deny, and that his best, indeed his only policy was to state the truth, and to varnish it over with the best gloss his ready wit could invent. said that all his attempts to reclaim Emily had

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hitherto been fruitless; that as elder sister knew, he had laboured in season, and out of season, and all in vain—all without producing a sign of life in the child.

"That morning," he said, "it had been sent in upon his mind to try her with a temptation, in order to ascertain how far she was under the dominion of Satan; or at least to drive away the dumb devil that possessed her-in that he had succeeded." He then went on to detail what he had said to Emily verbatim, omitting nothing but his design on the funds of the society: a circumstance that he rightly judged his last monstrous proposition had effaced from Emily's mind. "And now, sister," he said, in conclusion, "I think your conscience will tell you that you have judged me with unrighteous judgment; that nature has so far gotten the upper hand of grace with you, that you are blinded, sorely blinded; and henceforth you will feel it to be duty to leave the girl to my appointed ministry."

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"Never, never," replied Susan, firmly : has been unkindly dealt with already-nature and grace both speak for the child, Reuben-both tell me that she needs 'more gentle usage.'”

“But, woman, I have the gift."

"I have a gift also, Reuben; and sooner shall you have my heart's blood, than I will trust this girl with you again; ye need not lift your voice in the congregation; ye need not whisper among the brethren. Remember I am your elder; I fear you not, Reuben; I suspect you."

The determined look with which Susan accompanied her words, quelled Harrington's spirit : he dared not attempt a reply, and smothering an imprecation, he departed to digest as he best could his rage and mortification.

Susan did not think it expedient to make any farther direct disclosure to Emily of her suspicions of Harrington, but she cautiously questioned and cross-questioned her. Emily, confounded by Reuben's subtlety, and feeble and exhausted, could not remember that he had said to her any more or other, than he had repeated to the elder sister.

Notwithstanding the agreement of the simple girl's testimony with Reuben's story, Susan was too sagacious to be deceived by the interpretation the crafty brother had put upon the language he had held to her, and having for a long time felt a growing dislike and distrust of him, she was not convinced that she had been mistaken in her conclusions; and she remained quite satisfied that she had done right in refusing him any farther communication with Emily.

Emily's melancholy became every day deeper and more fixed, and Susan began to fear the total annihilation of her mind. She imposed no restraint on her, but permitted her to walk when she chose; to remain secluded from observation in her own room, and sometimes to lie all day on the bed in a state of listlessness and vacuity, in which she appeared scarcely conscious of her existence.

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CHAPTER XVI.

"Curse on his perjured arts! dissembling, smooth?
Are honour, virtue, conscience, all exil'd?
Is there no pity, no relenting ruth?"

Burns.

EMILY was one day sitting by her window, when she saw a party of travellers from Lebanon springs stop at their gate. It suddenly occurred to her that she might, through the agency of some one of the party, get a letter conveyed to her friends. The thought that this might be the first step towards leaving the society, flitted across her mind, but without forming any distinct purpose, she hastily penned the letter, which was the occasion of Ellen's abrupt departure from Eton. She then stationed herself at a door that opened into one of the passages through which the visitors were to pass; and arresting the attention of a romantic young lady who was in the rear of the throng, she slipped the letter into her hand, unobserved by any one, and entreating her to convey it safely to some post-office, she disappeared, leaving her confidante quite elated with the trust which had been confided to her by the pale interesting little shaker, and which she discharged as has been seen, with laudable fidelity.

Activity is as necessary to the health of the mind, as exercise to that of the body. Emily derived more benefit from the effort she had made in writing and despatching her letter than she had felt from the combined skill, moral and medical, of the whole fraternity. For a few days her heart was cheered, and her countenance brightened. She had no settled purpose of leaving the society: she still believed it her duty to remain with them; and the tender sympathy and forbearance of her aunt, had strengthened the almost filial love she bore her-the only sentiment that alleviated the misery of her condition. Still her belief of Harrington's hypocrisy, countenanced and confirmed as it was by Susan, had shaken her faith in the monstrous pretensions of the believers: she fancied she saw deceit lurking under many a broad brim, and she felt a secret revulsion from the dancing worship, which she had never joined in, or even witnessed since the memorable night of Harrington's inspiration.

A few days after the despatch of the letter, and just at twilight—that sweet hour consecrated by all young ladies in their teens to sentiment and romantic meditations-Emily, availing herself of the liberty she had recently enjoyed, strolled out, without any other purpose than to be alone, and think her own thoughts. She had not walked far when she perceived Reuben approaching her. He did not appear to have observed her, and to escape his notice she turned into a little enclosure

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